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This is the header image for the BPS Security Blog post titled “Is There Room for Lazy Security Guards Within the Security Industry?”.

Is There Room for Lazy Security Guards Within the Security Industry?

No, there is NOT room for lazy security guards within the security industry. Though this seems obvious, most security firms do not seem to care. The thing is, there are ways for security firms to avoid hiring lazy individuals, thus this “status quo” can change.

What Do We Mean By Lazy Security Guards?

Lazy security guards are individuals that try to cut corners specifically to avoid “inconveniencing” themselves. Now, to be clear, there ARE ways to be more efficient, and by being more efficient it may appear that individuals are cutting corners. But there is a difference! Here is an example.

When Glen (owner/founder of BPS Security) was just getting started in the industry, after retiring from the military, he was working with the perfect example of a lazy security guard.

One of their main duties was to protect their client’s perimeters. The security firm that they were working for required that the on-shift guards scan a fob at various checkpoints around the perimeter of the building. This would “ensure: that we were actually making the rounds and not just sitting in one location.
At this particular location, each guard would use a vehicle to circle the perimeter. Once arriving at a checkpoint, the guards must exit the vehicle and walk up to the checkpoint in order to scan the fob. The checkpoints were always placed in areas that should be thoroughly checked, and were always surrounded by various barriers, such as walls.

One of the guards was very young, inexperienced, and lazy! He never enjoyed getting out of the vehicle to actually scan his fob. So instead, he would drive up to the checkpoints, roll down his window, scan the fob, and then proceed to the next checkpoint. He was not being more efficient, he was intentionally avoiding his duty (surveying the surroundings at that checkpoint) to convenience himself.

Then, one night, this guard crashed the security vehicle into a wall while trying to reach the checkpoint from the car. And by “crashed” we mean actually causing physical damage (beyond a scrape) to the vehicle and the wall. This ended up costing the client thousands of dollars in repairs.

Sadly, this is not just a fluke accident! This kind of laziness is extremely common. To be honest, it is hard not to call out the elephant in the room (*cough* Millennials *cough*), but truth be said, millennials are not the only lazy people, especially within the security industry! Think about it, security guards have had the reputation for being “lazy” long before millennials joined the workforce. That said, it is worth pointing out that we see a very common pattern when security firms hire younger individuals. Perhaps it is due to their age, or perhaps it is due to their personality. But either way, the security industry needs to raise their standards when it comes to hiring security guards! They cannot be lazy!

 

How to Prevent Lazy

This is an animated image of multiple individuals running on what appears to be a running track with a giant carrot, suspended from a wire, moving in front of them. This image is used in the BPS Security Blog post titled “Is There Room for Lazy Security Guards Within the Security Industry?”.

There are many different ways to prevent hiring lazy security guards to work at a security firm. Here at BPS, we deploy many techniques, and here are a few procedures that we implement to avoid a scenario like this.

  1. Strict hiring process
  2. Better pay
  3. GPS Tracking
  4. Transportation

Strict Hiring Process

We talk about this a lot… because it is clearly important! 

We have many different ways of weeding out lazy candidates throughout the entire hiring process:

  • Carefully worded questions/instructions. These are not meant to trick an individual, but these questions definitely help us determine who is actually reading the questions/instructions based on their answers and actions.
  • A robust background check.
  • An interview process to not only work for our company, but also before we place them with a client.

Better Pay

Most security firms will pay their guards minimum wage! This is absurd! Oftentimes, security guards are required to put their lives on the line in order to protect a company. So here’s a question, “Do you think anyone would put their life on the line for minimum wage?” Nope!

So here at BPS Security, we make it a point to pay a living wage, or more! That way, our guards feel valued, and are excited to perform at their best.

 

GPS Tracking

Clearly, based on the example above, a fob checkpoint system is easy to manipulate. So here at BPS Security, we use a very GPS tracking system that monitors down to the second and exact location (we can see when it moves even 12”). So, not only are we able to see where they are at all times, we can see the speed of their movements. Thus, if our guards are supposed to move around the perimeter of a building, we can definitely tell the difference between walking and driving.

Transportation

Oftentimes, when our guards need to patrol a larger area that might require a vehicle, we will often require that they use a bicycle as opposed to a motorized vehicle. Why? Well, any sort of movement that requires exertion helps keep them awake and alert!

Final Thoughts

To really drive this home, we will say it again — No! There is no room for lazy security guards within the security industry!
This is a top down picture of a bicycle wheel, laying on a wooden floor, with a helmet and bicycle tools placed next to the wheel. This image is used in the BPS Security Blog post titled “Is There Room for Lazy Security Guards Within the Security Industry?”.
This is yet another example of an old and antiquated status quo that needs to be changed! And here at BPS Security, we are on a mission to change it!
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