MANAGE YOUR MOBILE SECURITY FORCE

IN 5 SIMPLE STEPS
Manage Your Mobile Security Force in 5 Simple Steps Table of Contents

01 INTRO
04 STEP 1
HIRE PEOPLE WHO MEET REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS

07 STEP 2
SET EXPECTATIONS AND ENGAGE YOUR MOBILE WORKFORCE

09 STEP 3
USE INFORMATION-GATHERING TOOLS

11 STEP 4
ENSURE WORKFORCE ACCOUNTABILITY

13 STEP 5
CUSTOMIZE YOUR TECHNOLOGY
 Manage Your Mobile Security Force in 5 Simple Steps

INTRO
Today, a growing number of American industries are facing an issue that security companies
have always dealt with: the challenges of managing a mobile workforce from a distance.
More employees
More employees are mobile than ever before, working either all or part of the time at client are mobile than
sites or on the road. Managers in multiple industries have had to adapt by figuring out new
ways to keep tabs on employees’ whereabouts, increase communication, and measure
ever before, working
productivity. either all or part of
Of course, as a security company manager, you have to deal with the same basic challenges the time at client
that affect managers of mobile workers in any industry: Not every employee has the
professionalism and initiative to work effectively without supervision.
sites or on the road.
Managing and tracking are crucial

But for security companies, managing a mobile workforce can be even more challenging
than it is for other businesses.

Because yours is an industry charged with keeping people safe, one bad management
decision — or rogue, unsupervised staff member — could have tragic consequences.
So, keeping a tighter rein on mobile workers is crucial.

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 Manage Your Mobile Security Force in 5 Simple Steps

INTRO
Even in non-critical situations, the day-to-day tasks of managing your mobile workforce
— such as tracking guard whereabouts, or reassigning security personnel in the wake of
The day-to-day
unexpected incidents — are difficult to juggle. tasks of managing
Furthermore, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a steady job growth of 12.1 percent your mobile work-
for the profession between 2012 and 2022 in the United States. And in Europe, where
industry revenues are more than USD$200 billion annually, private security companies
force are difficult
have employed more officers than public police forces since 2004. to juggle. Managing
So managing workers remotely is going to become even more important in the near future workers remotely
due to the sheer volume of growth.
is going to become
You’re also dealing with a thicket of regulations and laws. These vary by state and country but even more important
virtually everywhere they require companies to maintain careful control over who they hire,
and to maintain careful documentation of background checks, training records, and other in the near future
personnel records. due to the sheer
volume of growth.

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 Manage Your Mobile Security Force in 5 Simple Steps

INTRO
Security supervisors know that managing a mobile workforce requires more than just good
organization skills, great instincts, and the ability to give orders. It also requires figuring out
In an industry as
how and how often to communicate, when to make on-site visits, and how to know when there mobile as yours,
is a problem — all while being out of the vicinity of your subordinates.
how can you manage
Managers also need to supervise — and observe — how employees handle an assortment of
different situations and day-to-day interactions. These can include everything from on-site
your security officers
incidents involving weapons or working with medical staff during a major event to making to make them more
sure people get treatment promptly.
efficient, accountable,
In an industry as mobile as yours, how can you manage your security officers to make
them more efficient, accountable, and effective?
and effective?

HERE ARE FIVE STEPS TO FOLLOW...

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 Manage Your Mobile Security Force in 5 Simple Steps

STEP 1
HIRE PEOPLE WHO MEET REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS
When you hire security personnel, you hope to hire solid, qualified people who you can count
on — men and women who are alert, skilled at spotting behavior deviations, and able to adapt
Good practice and
to changes in a heartbeat. As anyone in this profession knows, guards are judged by these most governments’
characteristics, so they can protect against everything from fire to terrorism. Of course, this
starts during prospect vetting. Good practice and most governments’ regulations require regulations require
adherence to rigorous standards.
adherence to rigorous
Confirm licenses and offer training
standards. In just
In just about every U.S. state, for example, security companies must be licensed, and those
licenses must be renewed every few years. Each security officer candidate to whom you about every U.S.
offer a job must be licensed. He or she must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien above 18 or 21
(depending on the state), and must first pass a criminal background check. (In most cases, any state, for example,
felony conviction, however long ago, is a disqualifier, as are certain misdemeanor convictions, like
shoplifting, depending on the state.)
security companies
You’ll also need to demonstrate that your officer candidates have received proper training.
must be licensed, and
Many regulators go as far as to require documentation of a minimum number of hours of those licenses must
training in specific subjects, and far more if they’re to be armed. For example, Tennessee
requires your candidates to complete at least five hours of training on subjects such as legal be renewed every
powers and limitations of a security guard, emergency procedures, the use of non-lethal
weapons, and more.
few years.

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 Manage Your Mobile Security Force in 5 Simple Steps

STEP 1
HIRE PEOPLE WHO MEET REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS
Officer candidates who carry a firearm will need at least eight additional hours of training
on firearm safety and care.
You’ll need to
demonstrate that
Document your training
your officer
All of this training must be completed — and documented — for each candidate before he or
she is hired. You’ll then need to submit documentation on each candidate to your regulator, candidates have
and await approval before your candidate can start work.
received proper
Yet even all that is not enough. Regulations continue post-hiring, and these can’t be met training. Regulations
without careful management of your mobile employees.
continue post-hiring,
For example, most states also require that security officers demonstrate, as Rhode Island’s
regulations put it, “good moral conduct” and that they “not suffer from habitual drunkenness
and these can’t be
or narcotics addiction.” And while this, too, seems perfectly sensible, specific definitions for met without careful
terms such “habitual” and “good moral conduct” are intentionally left out of the regulations.
It’s your responsibility, as the security manager, to enforce such standards, using your own management of your
judgment — and with the understanding that your own license is subject to review.
mobile employees.

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 Manage Your Mobile Security Force in 5 Simple Steps

STEP 1
HIRE PEOPLE WHO MEET REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS
Here are a few tips to demonstrate compliance:
In addition to your
• In addition to your standard program of pre- and post-hire drug screenings — which is
likely required by the carrier of your insurance, and usually a licensure requirement —
standard program
you should consider conducting random in-person spot checks. While ensuring your of pre- and post-hire
officers are not drinking alcohol or using drugs on the job, the drop-ins will also give
you the chance to conduct some rare direct supervision of your officer. Of course, any drug screenings,
officer discovered under the influence on the job should be sent home immediately, you should consider
and potentially dismissed.
conducting random
• Any employee arrested for any offense related to the performance of his or her job,
such as driving under the influence or battery, should be, at the very least, suspended in-person spot
without pay until such time as the employee is acquitted or charges dropped. checks.
(Conviction should result in dismissal.) In addition, your employee handbook should
require your security officers to report any arrest or citation to you immediately.

• Pay careful attention to unscheduled absenteeism. Of course, everyone gets sick

occasionally, but sometimes an injury can be self-inflicted. Consider a policy that
requires a doctor’s note after the first or second unscheduled absence.

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 Manage Your Mobile Security Force in 5 Simple Steps

STEP 2
SET EXPECTATIONS AND ENGAGE YOUR MOBILE WORKFORCE
You may now have your staff hired and trained, but you can’t just “let them be” on their own
and leave them to do their jobs. That’s both irresponsible and a potential liability. But, because
Be sure to set up
they’re mobile, keeping track of the extent to which they’re doing their job, as opposed to regular times to talk
slacking or goofing off, is much harder.
via phone or video
So, while managers have to manage top down through thoughtful expectation-setting
and follow-up, with a mobile workforce, it’s just as important to manage from the bottom chat — at least
up. This means keeping an open line of communication by encouraging feedback from weekly. Consider
employees, be it positive or negative. The “bottom up” approach offers multiple benefits,
the biggest of which is that employees feel that their concerns are heard, and their needs met. using an app like
Communication is key Skype, which makes
To foster communications, be sure to set up regular times to talk via phone or video chat video calls and instant
— at least weekly. Add in calls in the wake of any major incidents. Consider using an app like
Skype, which makes video calls and instant messaging easy.
messaging easy.
Since completing incident reports is a major aspect of a security guard’s job, use the reports
as the starting point of your discussions. You can use that time to discuss broader personnel
concerns — such as one-time, on-site occurrences or ongoing behavior trends as exhibited by
person-to-person interactions.

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 Manage Your Mobile Security Force in 5 Simple Steps

STEP 2
SET EXPECTATIONS AND ENGAGE YOUR MOBILE WORKFORCE
You may also want to use such discussions as a way to reinforce training on how to accurately
report “who what when where why” information by going over any reporting mistakes. In
In one-on-one
one-on-one meetings with workers, be sure to discuss the extent to which an employee met meetings with
or exceeded expectations or underperformed — and listen to his or her concerns, too.
workers, be sure to
Once you’ve set ground rules for what your security guards should be doing based on your
discussions, it’s much easier to set clear, performance-based expectations for your team.
discuss the extent
These might include:
to which an employee
• Thorough, clear, and prompt reporting: Personnel need to understand the importance
met or exceeded
of providing comprehensive details of an incident in a report. They’re not at liberty expectations or
to skip over parts of a standard report because they find it irrelevant. Remember:
security personnel don’t need to be good writers, but they need to write clearly.
underperformed —
Finally, reports must be submitted on time. and listen to his or
• Staying alert on the job: Alertness means more than just staying awake. It means her concerns, too.
keeping vigilant awareness of one’s surroundings — and knowing what to look for.

• A courteous, professional demeanor: That your personnel treat individuals with

courtesy and respect is vital to the reputation of your business.

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 Manage Your Mobile Security Force in 5 Simple Steps

STEP 3
USE INFORMATION-GATHERING TOOLS
Besides the obvious responsibility of keeping people safe, accurate incident reporting is the
most important part of a security officer’s job. That’s why great security companies require
More security
guards to complete incident reports as soon as possible. companies are turning
But while traditional pen-and-paper documentation is still the most popular, it has huge to mobile apps to
limitations. The biggest of these is limited accuracy. In the moments immediately following
an incident, even basic details can become garbled.
help employees
manage day-to-day
That’s why more security companies are turning to mobile apps to help employees manage
day-to-day tasks, and to help supervisors manage employees’ work. tasks, and to help
For example, Canvas’ Public Safety Incident Report Mobile App makes it easy for the
supervisors manage
guard to fill in all necessary details, while enabling managers to make any or all fields required employees’ work.
so the employee can’t skip any. The app also automatically records date, time, and location of
the submission of the report. You can even document incidents with images.

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 Manage Your Mobile Security Force in 5 Simple Steps

STEP 3
USE INFORMATION-GATHERING TOOLS
What can you learn from your data?
By giving your
But your reports give you information on more than just the details of the incident itself.
By aggregating and analyzing key data, you can also use them to gain insight into employee
employees access
performance and incident trends. to the same data in
For example, by logging the time periods that calls for help come in and comparing that to real time, they can
time stamps on your employees’ incident reports, you’ll get a sense for employee response
times. Likewise, by analyzing the locations and times of incidents, you’ll get insight into where
self-monitor their
and when to deploy more or fewer personnel. performance and
By giving your employees access to the same data in real time, they can self-monitor their work to improve.
performance and work to improve. Hard traceable data may also include digital time sheets.
You’ll see how well employees adhere to their set schedules, or how seriously someone takes
his or her job.

Using the data you gather from your mobile apps, it’s much easier to spot trends — and set
realistic goals and standards for your team.

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 Manage Your Mobile Security Force in 5 Simple Steps

STEP 4
ENSURE WORKFORCE ACCOUNTABILITY
Even if you have reliable staff, and use technology that allows your mobile workers to track their
actions and report incidents more accurately, mobile workers need to be held accountable.
More sophisticated
Managers typically do this by using logs, e-mail check-ins, time sheets, and paper reports.
timesheets can allow
But when you manage a mobile workforce, especially in a high-stress environment, this job your employees to
becomes more critical.
record exactly what
In security, it’s important to know what your employees are doing, and where they are, at
given times of day.
they’re doing and
how long each task
Track what, when, and where

Most security companies require employees to track their time. But if you’re using a basic
is taking. A digital
time sheet that does nothing more than record clock-in and clock-out times, you’re missing time sheet is a lot
an opportunity to gain insight into officers’ specific activities throughout their shifts. More
sophisticated timesheets can allow your employees to record exactly what they’re doing and
more dynamic
how long each task is taking. than paper.
A digital time sheet is a lot more dynamic than paper. Employees can carry a mobile version on
their phones or tablets while they do their rounds, and input their activities as they perform
them, while times of day are recorded automatically.

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11
 Manage Your Mobile Security Force in 5 Simple Steps

STEP 4
ENSURE WORKFORCE ACCOUNTABILITY
A mobile timesheet also helps employees track their hours. It records a guard’s regular,
overtime, sick and vacation hours, and calculates the total weekly salary. After doing this,
GPS technology
the app allows you to capture the employee’s signature as well as the manager’s signature allows you to see
for approval.
exactly where your
At the same time, GPS technology allows you to see exactly where your employees are at
any moment. One example is the app Glympse: once you and your employees download it
employees are at
to your phones, you’ll be able to see their location at any time during their shift. any moment. One
Combine the information you gain from that these two technologies to get a full picture of example is the app
how and where your employees spent their time.
Glympse.

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 Manage Your Mobile Security Force in 5 Simple Steps

STEP 5
CUSTOMIZE YOUR TECHNOLOGY
A supervisor’s role usually includes managing relationships, duties, and responsibilities,
counseling subordinates, evaluating performance, and even educating employees about
The evolution of
potential liability issues and workplace violence. technology has
In addition to using “bottom up” management techniques to have an open line of commu- made it possible to
nication with employees, managing relationships also requires announcing expectations in
advance (such as meeting times or regular check-in requirements), setting goals for performance,
create and leverage
and even mediating disagreements between two or more employees. Similarly, evaluating a a mobile app to
guard’s performance means keeping regular tabs on the extent to which a guard meets or
exceeds his job expectations (often in comparison to other employees).
make each of these
For every aspect of a supervisor’s role there is a paper form ready to use. Likewise, the
functions easier.
evolution of technology has made it possible to create and leverage a mobile app to make
each of these functions easier.

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13
 Manage Your Mobile Security Force in 5 Simple Steps

STEP 5
CUSTOMIZE YOUR TECHNOLOGY
Make goal-setting and performance management easier
While the challenges
For example, if your company is required to educate guards on liability issues (such as interfering
in a crime investigation or violating security clearance protocols) or workplace concerns (such as
of managing a mobile
sexual harassment) you can create a mobile app that provides an overview of these issues, and workforce won’t ever
even tests the guard to ensure they understand the information — all from their mobile device.
go away completely,
While managing workers is one of the most challenging aspects of a security manager’s
job, using digital tools and tailoring communication patterns can help make it a lot easier.
leveraging mobile
And while the challenges of managing a mobile workforce won’t ever go away completely, apps can help security
leveraging mobile apps can help security managers do their jobs better — and make it easier
for workers to perform at the highest level. managers do their
Canvas can help you get started.
jobs better.
We have hundreds of apps that can specifically help you manage your
mobile security workforce, streamline processes, and analyze data.
Browse or customize any of our existing apps, or in just a few minutes, Try It
create your own based on your existing paper forms.
Free
Or just send us your forms, and we can convert them into apps for you.

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