The majority of
companies tend to focus on their core business and outsource other
tasks related to their business which falls outside of their
expertise, and this includes security. However there are still many
companies who prefer to hire their own security in-house than to
outsource to a third party. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of
in-house and outsourced security:
Advantages of hiring
your own security officers
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Some companies opt
to select, train, and supervise their own security guards which,
while considered an advantage, can also be costly if recruiting and
training falls outside of your core business tasks and/or work
experience. Another thing to consider is that although your company
security manager may have more control over his security guards, his
time may be taken up with supervising the guards causing him to be
distracted from his role of overseeing the bulk of the company’s
employees and customers, and generally improving the company’s
security program.
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Hiring your own
security staff, as opposed to bringing in guards picked by a third
party who may be considered as “outsiders”, creates more of a
direct relationship between the company and the security officers.
This can even make the officers feel more loyal. Similarly the rest
of the employees are likely to view the security officers as one of
them. On the downside of this, long serving security officers could
become more loyal to the other employees than the company, which in
turn could cause a conflict of interest when it comes to enforcing
rules and regulations, or if an employee is accused of any wrong
doing.
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Hiring your own
security officers can mean you’re assured of a more reliable
service. For example the same officers will be reporting to work
everyday whereas with outsourcing the security company may assign
different officers according to their requirements elsewhere. This
in turn can cause a lack of consistency since new security officers
won’t “know the ropes” in the same way as regular officers.
However, if you don’t have a recruitment program in place, when you
hire your own security officers and they want to move on, you’ll be
tasked with finding a replacement whereas this will never be a
problem when outsourcing security officers.
Disadvantages of
hiring your own security officers
Hiring your
own security officers is likely to cost more than outsourcing when
compared to a monthly contracted fee for the same security
requirements given to an outsourced company. For instance:
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When
hiring full time security officers you will have to factor in the
cost of employee taxes, holiday pay, benefits, annual raises,
overtime not to mention relief when when a security officer has a
day off. In addition, there is the cost of recruiting, carrying out
background checks, training, uniforms, and equipment. An outsourced
company will provide all of these things regularly at a lower cost.
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Outsourced
companies will already have a stock of security equipment and
systems which they provide to their customers for manned guarding.
This is necessary for emergency situations and for providing
evidence of any events. These are all upfront costs for a security
company who will absorb these expenses over a longer period of time
at cost savings to their customers.
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Outsourced
guarding means that more guards can be bought in at VIP events or
short term threats, to boost security. Hiring in-house does not
allow for that flexibility.
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Outsourced
guards are also more accountable since not only do they have to
adhere to your company rules and regulations but they also have to
answer to their own security company. Actions, reports, and logs are
closely scrutinised by both you and the security company, making for
a better service overall.
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Spreading
risk and liability – This is one of the main reasons for
outsourcing your security. Companies that hire their security
officers in house are responsible for selecting, training, and
supervising the officers and liable for their actions or lack of
appropriate action during incidents and emergencies. A company that
outsources will find their insurance premiums and claims are
considerably reduced and this saving alone can often offset the cost
of outsourcing security.
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Terminating
a security officer who for whatever reason doesn’t work out can be a
lengthy process, whereas an outsourced guard who doesn’t fit in, can
easily be replaced with just a phone call to the outsourcing
company.
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Finally
most security companies have only one main focus and that’s
security. All of their efforts and costs go into training their
officers, providing uniforms, making sure they have been background
checked, and are fully equipped. In addition the management team
have various security backgrounds and can communicate with their
customers in order to provide the most cost effective security
solutions.
If
you’re considering manned security options then why not speak to MA
Services Group. We’ve been in the security industry for many years
and as such have vast experience within this sector. To find out how
we can help you then contact us on 03
9994 4107 and
talk to our friendly team today.