005: How to Finally Solve the Accountability Question

Welcome to episode #5 of the Silvertrac Extra Podcast! My name is Johnny Page and I am joined with my co-host Chris Anderson.

Today’s episode is focused on one of the hottest topics in the security industry... How to Finally Solve the Security Guard Accountability Question. Listen in to our amazing guests as we discuss ways steps to take to improve guard performance and how avoid accountability problems from as early as officer hiring.

First we’ll be speaking with Bill Shultz of State Security and Investigation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Bill will share a few of the practices he has in place to really solve the accountability questions early on in the sales process.

Next we’ll be speaking with Jim McGovern of Secureone Security. Jim has owned and operated Secureone for over 15 years and joined us to talk about some of the processes he has put in place to ensure his officers are always doing what they’re supposed to be doing, when they are supposed to be doing it.

Finally, we’ll hear from my co-host Chris Anderson who will share how Silvertrac can help put the accountability problem to rest, once and for all. Today’s episode is jam packed with incredible information and value on how to improve accountability so we’ll waste no time and jump right in!

Show Notes:

Real Accountability Starts in Hiring.

• Find a facility to partner with and build a new-hire training program.
• Veterans or LEO associations can be a great referral source for new candidates.

Use Proper Officer Candidate Screening Tactics.

• Ideally, new hires will come with some form of previous training & experience.
• Properly checking references & previous work experience will expedite the hiring process.

Bonus Tip - showing candidates your accountability & reporting requirements during the interview process will gauge the reaction of a potential employee for your SOP’s (standard operating procedures)!

Once Hired, the Real Work Begins.

• Spend time with a new officer on-site to show the officer how much you care about their success. No one likes to feel like just another warm body. Investing personal time communicates that the officer is an extension of your team and increases the likelihood that they will act accordingly at all times (here is a recent article we wrote on building your professional relationships).
• Use Silvertrac’s guard tour task feature to send post orders, pass down notes, reminders and bulletins for the critical issues on site. This practice ensures that the items most critical to the success of your customer are never missed or under-communicated to your officer.
• Make sure the account is set up correctly on-site is to set your officer up to be successful. The more time, effort, and consideration you invest, the more it will be reflected in the guard’s performance. Remember, accountability starts from the top down.
• Use a proper checkpoint system to guide the officer’s step-by-step. It will help them complete each task correctly, no matter how many times they have worked the site.
• Make sure all time-sensitive requirements are entered into the system as tasks. It is easy for an officer to get distracted and miss time-sensitive issues. With task notifications being sent directly to the guard app, you reduce the chances of the officer missing the task. You can also set up “Overdue Task Alerts” to notify field supervisors when important tasks are not completed on time.
• Require photos on the incident reports. Pictures are worth a thousand words. It is very difficult for a customer to dispute officer performance when it is backed up with date & time-stamped photos. This gives you the assurance that your officers are where they are supposed to be. It also saves time in the reporting process.
• Audio files help officers communicate larger bites of information without spending time writing out detailed, grammatically correct, reports. This also helps record maintenance issues or disturbances related to unusual noise(s).

Employee Performance & Inspections.

• Use Silvertrac to keep records of employee compliance issues. Uniform violations, late to work, did not show (DNS), performance reviews, etc.
• Random site inspections may be an old school method but it is still an effective way to retain your customers through proper quality assurance.

That concludes Episode #5. We'd love to know your thoughts on how to improve accountability! What are some ways you are addressing the accountability question?

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View Next Episode: 006: Retired Commander of L.A. County Sheriff's Department on Leadership vs. Management 
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