Using training as a recruitment, retention and organizational tool

Sep 1, 2001 12:00 PM, By CHRISTOPHER A. HERTIG

Training is essential both for professional job performance and for organizational development. Without adequate training, it is illogical to assume that people will perform effectively. Additionally, personnel who are not adequately prepared to handle new and unsettling situations often leave a job prematurely, thus setting the turnover cycle into motion.

The key to success is to effect the proper “marriage” between training, motivation, recruitment and, ultimately, retention.

POOR TRAINING = HIGH TURNOVER = MORE RECRUITMENT NEEDED

A recurring challenge for managers is to truly understand training and its role in human resource management. Defining training can be difficult. Most of us relate training to our past life experiences. We see it as what we received in basic training, or in college with an instructor at a blackboard or as a neophyte on a job being “shown the ropes” by a more senior employee. None of these representations of training, truly encapsulates what the training process is all about.

Training is really an ongoing process to improve a job incumbent's knowledge, skills and abilities. It is continuous and challenging. It involves significant amounts of practice (“only perfect practice makes for perfect performance”). Training is a process that takes many forms and occurs in various phases. Some general stages or phases of the training process include:

• Initial orientation training. Here new employees get in-depth exposure to the dominant culture of the employer (the first introduction should be strategically placed into the recruitment stage). The employer must provide as solid a foundation as possible during this stage, which serves both to prepare the employee for job challenges and to signify to an employee his/her importance to management.

Such preparation is doubly important for protection officers as they are the “preservers of the corporate culture.” Obviously, they must be intimately aware of what they are trying to protect. Security personnel are also “management representatives” and “legal consultants” — roles which demand a highly developed sense of structure, function and culture in the work environment.

One industry professional (1) offers the following list of documents that management should send to newly hired persons:

• a welcome letter;

• a job description;

• instructions for the first day and week;

• instructions on when and where to arrive and who to ask for;

• instructions on parking arrangements;

• suggestions on proper attire;

• a list of what to expect for the first few days;

• a list or orientation to people, job, office, department and organization;

• what is to be expected regarding meals, breaks and time for personal business;

• initial job responsibilities; and

• a required or recommended reading list such as internal documents, etc.

Such an approach helps to preclude oversights that may cause the new employee to feel anxious. The employee is given a complete list of job expectations and knows what to expect. This may strike some of the “old school” protection managers as coddling employees; but the reality is that some employees are entering the workplace for the first time or after having been away from it for several years. These individuals need support, and organizations that give it are more likely to be appreciated by employees than those that don't.

In continuing the orientation/socialization process, the same source offers the following suggestions to be implemented within six months of starting:

• assign a buddy or mentor to the new hire; one who is a peer but not a supervisor.

• have the buddy check in on a regular basis to answer any questions and be supportive of the new hire.

• have the new hire meet key people and visit key offices within the workplace.

• have the new person attend a company new staff orientation which provides an overview of company people, departments, policies and procedures as well as a tour of the firm's facilities.

• have a 90-day performance dialogue with a supervisor.

PRE-SERVICE TRAINING

Following orientation, pre-service training should occur. Unfortunately, many organizations stress the importance of employees but send the opposite message to them by not providing a worthwhile training effort. Shortcuts here will create performance problems and dissatisfaction. Ideally, as much of the training should be pre-service as possible. Unfortunately, training is difficult and expensive to administer. Judicious use of off-the-shelf instructional programs provides greater return on money spent than attempting to have staff or consultants develop an entire program from scratch.

Some strategies/resources that can be applied at this juncture include the use of the Professional Security Training Network Basic Security Officer Training Series (BSOTS) as a foundation of learning. The BSOTS provides a comprehensive, recognized curriculum. While video-based, the BSOTS program incorporates an interactive text and Internet testing. Successful completion of the BSOTS program earns the officer a certificate from the International Foundation for Protection Officers. (For more information see the PSTN Web site at PSTN.com.)

Another source is the AST Corp. Basic Protection Officer (BPO) program.

This CD-ROM/Internet program is a challenging, comprehensive, interactive learning experience that culminates in the awarding of a certificate from the International Foundation for Protection Officers. (visit ASTCorp.com for complete details).

ONGOING IN-SERVICE TRAINING

Means of providing ongoing in-service training include:

• periodic training meetings with guest speakers. While scheduling is a problem, the personal touch of such endeavors can make lasting impressions on staff.

• professional development programs. Offered through Advanced Systems Technology (AST Corp.), for example, these can be used as ongoing, individualized learning experiences.

• drills and scenarios. As learning and assessment tools, these must be based upon prior learning and not as means to unfairly “challenge” staff members.

• training networks. A subscription to the Professional Security Training Network provides monthly instructional tapes with instructor summaries and tests.

There are some additional strategies to synthesize the training effort into an overall recruitment and retention program. Approaches to training that can help to reduce turnover and which are cost-effective include (2):

• hosting seminars by outside providers, which enables the employer to offer several complimentary seats in the class to its employees;

• utilizing a cadet program through a local college. Note that this can include internships with colleges which offer numerous benefits in terms of both recruitment and training/socialization of the prospective employee. Employers should recognize that there are myriad Criminal Justice programs which can supply interns; and

• developing in-house trainers to maximize current human resources while controlling costs and rewarding individuals who assume the roles of instructors.

CERTIFICATION BY AN OUTSIDE AGENCY

Contemporary managers should seriously consider the advantages of certification by a recognized non-profit entity. Examples of certification programs run by non-profit organizations include:

• The International Foundation for Protection Officer's Certified Protection Officer (CPO) Program includes more than 10,000 officers in more than forty (40) different countries.

• The International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (iaclea.org) has developed the Campus Protection Officer Program. This standard encompasses a curriculum relating to protection officer roles in a campus setting.

• The International Association of Hospital Security and Safety's (iahss.org) has the Basic Standard as well as a safety program that is well respected within the healthcare protection sector. The IAHSS program has been in existence for more than 25 years and has certified more than 18,000 persons.

• The International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection (ifcpp.org) has an annual conference and several certification processes exist for both entry-level and managerial personnel.

Certifying officers is important for a variety of reasons, not the least of which are motivation and recognition. Persons becoming certified receive a letter and certificate and, in some cases, lapel pins and identification cards. Plaques are available for purchase. Organizationally, some changes can be made whereby a certification process can easily be integrated into a horizontal promotion scheme.

Officers becoming certified receive additional pay, a one-time bonus, a new job title or whatever benefits the employer decides most adequately fulfills their needs for motivation and retention of current employees. A certification process can also be used as a recruitment tool for new employees; especially those who are career-oriented.

Training and certification can be part of a recruitment and retention strategy. Organizations wishing to use it must embrace the overall aspect of professional development. It must be part of a long-term strategy to develop their staff into productive members of the asset protection organization. Doing so keeps employees stimulated in a positive way and makes a strong statement to them about how management values their services.

REFERENCES

1. Naisby, D.A. (1999) “Orientation For Security Officers” in Minion, R.R.& Davies, S (Eds) Security Supervision: Theory And Practice of Asset Protection. Woburn, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.

2. Warrell, G. (2000) “Turnover: A Small Agency Nightmare,” Law and Order, vol. 48, No. 9.

FOR THE RECORD

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Hertig, CPP, CPO, CPOI, is a member of the behavioral sciences department at York College of Pennsylvania. He serves as director of accreditation with the International Foundation for Protection Officers and is a member of the advisory board of the Professional Security Training Network.

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