Why Our Guards Work Harder and Happier. Staff turnover in the security industry is 30% on average. This line of work typically isn’t seen as a long term career. Instead it’s a stop gap, something to do on the side while studying, working another job or if you’re out of options.
Unfortunately, it’s not hard to see why security work has this image. Many companies overwork and underpay their staff, don’t provide adequate training and there are certainly no prospects for career advancement. Even minimum wage is a luxury for some secruity guards, as companies scrape through the bottom of the barrel by hiring them as self-employed.
Many guards end up having to work second or even third jobs just to make enough to get by. It doesn’t take long for this lifestyle to burn them out.
It’s bad for them and it’s bad for you. When you hire security to protect your business, you want to walk in and see someone alert and awake, morning or night. What you don’t want is an exhausted and overworked guard who’s barely able to pay attention – if they can stay awake at all.
From day one, Magenta has been different. Instead of 30%, our staff turnover is 9.7%, far below the national average. I still get to work with people who have been with me since I opened my doors in 1995 while many of our clients have had a familiar face protecting their business for years on end.
So what makes working at Magenta a career instead of a last resort?
It’s simple: my staff enjoy their lives. After all, that’s what we all work for. They’re paid a fair wage so they don’t need to seek further employment with hours can be shaped around their needs. They know if they have personal problems that we will support them, that they can take time off without worrying their job will disappear while they’re gone.
Complete training for every role means no one’s ever lost and everyone’s encouraged to ask questions and suggest improvements. You never know where the best ideas are going to come from, so I encourage open, honest dialogue across the entire company.
We’ve even kept commuting to a minimum. When we look at contracts, we try and place staff as near their homes as possible or at least with access to easy transport links. Every minute they get for themselves contributes to a healthy work/life balance.
On top of treating our staff fairly, we also make sure hard work is recognised. Our annual awards bring the entire company together to celebrate people who went above and beyond for Magenta and our clients. We also give our clients service certificates and gift vouchers so that they can directly award Magenta staff who provide outstanding service.
But Magenta is a business, right? I should cut wages, increase working hours and pocket away more profit. Then, while I enjoyed some short term gains, my best staff would leave, the performance of the ones who stay would drop and my clients would ask what happened to the level of service they expect from Magenta.
Clearly, long term thinking has paid off. I have teams all across the country who feel invested in Magenta because Magenta invested in them. They’ve been willing to work harder and push further than I could have ever asked for, taking Magenta from a modest operation in Hounslow to being in the top 5% of private security companies in the UK.
So don’t put your business in danger by settling for less. We look after our staff so that they can look after you.
Abbey Petkar
