Inside Security

Before You Hire Security Personnel...

Jen Sisson -

Hiring suitable security personnel can be a detailed search that requires diligent care. Following are a few tips:

Explain the position to potential candidates

"Many times, people think security is about patrolling the building, waiting for the next incident," said David Benton, vice president and general manager of The Rittenhouse Hotel and Condominiums in Philadelphia. "But we want candidates to understand they are a guest service. We want them to deal with situations effectively, making decisions on their own and dealing with incidences discreetly."

Conduct a thorough background check

"Never hire a security person without doing a full background check," said Tony Marshall, president of the Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. "You need to make sure these people are as clean as a whistle."

Verify candidates have first-aid training

Security people are in a fundamental position to deal with the public so make sure they are trained in things like CPR and the Heimlich maneuver, Marshall said.

Use assessment tools

If companies don't do an adequate job of hiring appropriate candidates, a guest could file a lawsuit claiming negligent hiring practices if they are harmed, said David Arnold, vice president, development and professional compliance for NCS Pearson. "Be sure that the checks you are conducting are fair," Arnold said. "Things like integrity assessment tools are good because they are designed to be nondiscriminatory."

Check references

"Call clients that they have done work for in the past," said Joyce Gioia, president, The Herman Group. "Be sure that if problems arose, they were handled swiftly and effectively."

[Courtesy: Hotel And Motel Management]