Achieving diversity: a battle for the sexes?

12 Feb 09

Over the past 18 months, Advance Security has placed Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at the heart of its business, with the focus for 2009 being our new and detailed diversity policy.

Working in a public-facing industry, we believe that the acknowledgement and encouragement of diversity within our own team can only enhance our overall approach to customer service, and to dealing with the wide range of business issues facing service providers today.

As part of the process of developing our diversity policy, we have taken time to reflect on the industry as a whole and, in particular, the role of women.

Like the military, fire service and the police, the security profession – at both the officer and management level – continues to be a predominantly male domain. Is it time that we made a concerted effort to redress this balance, and in fact considered the distinct skills sets and perspectives that women can bring to the security table as being beneficial?

Making security more inclusive

Having worked within the security industry for many years now, this subject is naturally close to my heart. That said, I’m not about to start a feminist rant on the need to simply open more doors and let all the girls in! As I see it, the issue isn’t so much about a gender divide, but about making our industry more inclusive all round.

Perceptions of security as a career choice, the changing face of the industry post-Security Industry Authority licensing and the way in which the profession as a whole markets itself all play a part in preventing not only women but also a great many men from choosing security as the genuinely rewarding career we all know it to be.

It’s clear from conversations with my female industry peers that my views are shared. The distinct lack of promotion of the profession is seen as a real stumbling block in attracting new blood, with the general consensus being that for too long now security has been a career that people fall into, rather than a specific choice.

For many, decisions about future careers are cemented at school age, supported by careers advice, work placements, mentoring programmes and recruitment fairs. Perhaps first of all, then, there’s an argument that we need to develop a comprehensive schools programme before we look elsewhere?

Do young people know, for example, that there are security-specific university courses available? I doubt it, and until we place greater energy into promotion we will fail to appeal at this level.

Tackling current perceptions

In order to promote the industry effectively, however, we need to tackle current perceptions and make sure that our messages are in order.

There’s no doubt that the security profession has suffered from an image problem over recent years with its perceived inflexible, unsocial hours and low pay – but within professional security organisations this perception doesn’t really meet the reality.

The industry has changed and opportunities for men and women are diverse and plentiful. We need to move away from the stereotype of the security employee as a burly man in a big coat and instead focus on the unique set of personal skills and abilities required for the job (not to mention the diverse and interesting challenges facing security professionals on a daily basis).

Corporate security guarding in particular is becoming very customer service-focused and, for someone to be successful in this arena, they need to show initiative, common sense, a calm demeanour, a team mentality, diplomacy and quick thinking. It’s not about whether you’re a man or a woman, but instead how good you are at dealing with people and situations in general.

Accepted and made to feel welcome

Indeed, I’d say that though the security industry is traditionally male dominated, we women are generally accepted by our male counterparts and are made to feel welcome. I’ve never really come across any sexism per se, it’s just been a case of ‘if you muck in – you’re in’.

Perhaps it could be said that women are guilty themselves of creating their own barriers to entry – in particular by harbouring the belief that the security professional’s hours are anti-social and leave little room for manoeuvre when juggling external pressures.

In fact, employers are much more flexible now and will work carefully with staff to make the job suitable for them. Indeed, the profession as a whole is supportive and whether you’re a man or woman, a manager or an officer, there are huge opportunities for people’s individual skills to be cultivated.

It’s a shame that we recognise this internally but fail to promote these positive messages to a wider external audience who may be encouraged to join us.

Winning the hearts and minds

So is there anything specific that women bring to the security industry? Aside from the obvious practical benefits, such as the ability to stop and search other women, there are obvious differences between the sexes. It would be flippant to suggest that women can fulfil every role tasked to the men in our industry.

Having said that, there’s no doubt that at times a woman can provide a different perspective. Security is so often about engaging hearts and minds, and that’s something I do believe women are generally good at.

At a micro level too, there are occasions when women can bring something different to individual security incidents – in a threatening stand-off, for example, it’s often easier for a woman to diffuse aggressive behaviour. It’s not necessarily that they possess any greater diplomatic skills, simply that psychologically, the thought of hitting a woman would make many people take a step back.

Perhaps, though, it isn’t so much the interpersonal skills that women can bring, but instead relevant past experience? Unlike many men who enter the industry with military or police experience, women often join from positions in facilities management or Human Resources – professions which bring with them a greater customer service focus.

Right mix of diplomacy and political awareness

Such experience, I believe, can provide the right mix of diplomacy, political awareness and commerciality to succeed at the very highest level. After all, security is now seen as a business unit within a company – and with this status comes the commercial pressures facing every other business function. Something that is all-too-pertinent in the current economic climate.

Therefore, not only do we need the staff and technologies to provide an effective front line service, but we also require an additional tier of people to run the operation.

Awareness of the benefits to be gained from embracing these more generalist business skills is filtering through the industry, but there’s no doubt that there is still more work to be done – particularly so when military and police experience is still so highly valued at both the officer and managerial levels.

Let’s face it. Most of the head jobs in UK security are filled by people with a police or military background, and though I’m not denying that this type of experience is valuable, this continued emphasis (which is often perpetuated by the recruitment industry) actively prevents both women and men with different – but equally beneficial – ‘corporate’ backgrounds from applying.

Surely it should simply be about the best fit for the job? Given all of the resources committed to training across the industry nowadays, we can always fill any specific skills gaps.

Changing landscapes over time

During recent years, a number of security industry associations have begun to acknowledge the unique skills that women bring to the profession and have created female-specific groups – many of which provide a valuable forum for the sharing of ideas and experience.

Though I am certainly an advocate of women joining the industry and wholeheartedly welcome any approach which encourages a more even gender balance, I think there’s a fine line between encouragement and positive discrimination. We must be careful not to step over that line.

I firmly believe that jobs should go to those most suited to the role, and think that what is most vital is the promotion of the overall benefits of working in the security industry to both men and women.

Where the profession itself can benefit is in encouraging more women to join at an officer level, most notably in environments which require a more ‘concierge’ style of security guarding and the general customer service skills which women often prove effective in providing.

Whether actually true or not, women are perceived to have high levels of empathy, a different level of tolerance to men and a welcoming nature – perceptions which often lead to female customers feeling less threatened in their presence.

Working hours and job-share opportunities

Changes in the industry over recent years, including licensing, may have helped to encourage more women to consider security as a career, but there’s an argument that says there’s still much more to be done.

More flexible working hours, opportunities to job-share and better pay rates will help the industry to compete with other sectors and attract more women and men.

In the post-9/11 era, with security playing more of a front line role in the corporate world, perhaps it’s also time for us to push for Chartered status. Increasing training opportunities, regulation and promotion seem sensible to develop the industry to its full potential, and shake off any remaining ‘Old Boys’ Club’ preconceptions.

Hopefully, we can change women’s perceptions from ‘security is not for me’ to believing ‘it could be for me’.

Donna Alexander is operations director at Advance Security

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