Motivation: six ways it can improve guard force performance
Almost every company facility has security guards – at access control points, reception areas, around buildings and in industrial areas.
They are in usually in uniform and represent an image of the company to the outside world,to employees and contractors. And every guard is also seen as a representative and a symbol of the security function of a company as a whole.
But, according to a new IOGP report, in many parts of the world, guards are “ill-trained, ill-disciplined, and generally not respected.”
In an effort to improve this situation, IOGP’s Security Committee has drawn on the collective knowledge and experience of its members and published a resource for the upstream industry.
One of the key insights in Effective guard force management – principles and guidelines, is the critical role motivation can play. Benefits can include:
- improved levels of security
- greater understanding of expectations by guard force staff
- improved metrics on Key Performance Indicators
- better retention of guard force staff and reduced absenteeism
- greater compliance with standard operation procedures
- enhanced company reputation
The report also emphasizes the importance of good dialogue between guards and supervisors. It also suggests the use of incentives – not
always monetary – to improve performance without significantly increasing security costs.
Other report guidance covers guard selection and training, contract management service level agreements and key performance indicators.
The 20-page report is available to download at www.iogp.org/pubs/537.pdf
