What your firm needs to prepare for
We live in an uncertain world.
Global conflict and domestic unrest are prevalent, which makes security an essential function.
But it isn’t an easy industry to be in.
Security business owners and managers will be well aware that it can be an unforgiving line of work.
This article will look at some of the most common and tricky challenges facing security businesses, so that you can prepare for the obstacles you might face.
Long and difficult shifts
Security employees are often required to work at undesirable times of day and deal with people who may not be on their best behaviour. Whether it’s football hooligans, drunk revellers, or impatient queuers, security personnel have a lot on their plate.
That means that certain shifts are likely to be less popular than others, and ensuring that the same employees aren’t regularly stuck with the short end of the stick is critical to preserving morale.
Consider using a rotating shift schedule to keep things fair across all your shifts and employees. This allows employees to plan around upcoming shifts and ensures equal treatment with no accusations of favouritism. On the other hand, the random nature of allocations can make it difficult for employees to achieve longer term stability.
Specific shift patterns tailored to the security industry could be worth exploring, and are of course easy to schedule with Findmyshift.
Night shifts can also have a negative impact on employee health, so it’s important that employees are given sufficient time
Inadequate training
Security guards and other event personnel face a lot of difficult situations and don’t always have the right training to manage these situations appropriately and effectively. They can end up feeling like they’re teachers, therapists, medical personnel, negotiators, and much more alongside their actual roles and responsibilities.
Taking the time to properly invest in your employees may seem expensive, but you are likely to receive a return on that investment in the quality of the work they deliver, improved customer satisfaction, fewer issues that could lead to legal costs, and much more.
Conflict resolution and effective communication are among the most important skills, especially given the nature of the next challenge.
Diverse stakeholders
Working in security often means being the “middle man”, managing relations between clients and the public. Those two groups often have differing wants, needs, and ways of communicating them. Meanwhile, security personnel often have to work alongside other event staff, law enforcement, healthcare professionals, and other groups.
Being able to communicate effectively with all these groups is important for anyone working in the industry.
Risk and danger
It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it! Security employees often face a multitude of different risks in carrying out their roles. Whether it’s environmental hazards specific to a disused site or factory, the behaviour of the public who are interacting with the venue, or emergencies at events, employees have to be prepared for anything.
We’ve already touched on the training required to handle these situations, but the risks and dangers of the job have many other lasting impacts as well. Recruitment can be more difficult, employee satisfaction and wellbeing can fluctuate based on good or bad shifts, and incidents can be stressful and need significant aftercare to manage effectively.
Fail to do so and you run the risk of encountering this final obstacle. This is a big challenge for any business in 2025 and beyond, but particularly in an industry where if things go wrong, they often go really wrong.
Reputation management
We live in an era of information at our fingertips, and while this has brought many advancements, it’s also made certain aspects of business far more difficult. Dealing with a reputation that could be ruined through a single viral video or bad review is more challenging than ever.
It’s estimated that as many as 10-15% of all reviews in many industries are fake, which can make preserving a stellar reputation particularly tricky. Any incidents can be misrepresented or blown out of proportion, so taking early steps to identify and resolve customer dissatisfaction is important.
In the aftermath of any incidents, try to find ways to speak to individuals who might be unhappy before they have the chance to go and share their experiences on social media. Doing so proactively could save your business's reputation and long-term prospects.