{"id":14629,"date":"2025-09-22T16:40:33","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T15:40:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citysecuritymagazine.com\/?p=14629"},"modified":"2025-09-18T11:12:53","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T10:12:53","slug":"the-changing-face-of-professional-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citysecuritymagazine.com\/security-careers\/the-changing-face-of-professional-security\/","title":{"rendered":"The changing face of professional security"},"content":{"rendered":"

The changing face of professional security<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Georgina Martin, Head of Talent Resourcing at CIS Security discusses recruitment and evolving hiring practices, highlighting the importance of an inclusive approach and diverse paths to learning for successful onboarding.<\/em><\/p>\n

Rethinking recruitment: hiring for character, not just credentials<\/strong><\/p>\n

As threats to people, property, and physical assets evolve, so must the approach to hiring those who protect them. Security is no longer just about boots on the ground, it’s about people who understand customer service, emergency response, surveillance technology, access control systems, risk & threat, and securing people, property, and assets. In this new reality, organisations must rethink how they attract and retain top security professionals.<\/p>\n

In an increasingly competitive and driven sector, recruitment has evolved from a reactive process to a strategic foundation of organisational success. As we step deeper into 2025, companies are reimagining how they attract, assess, and retain top talent. Recruitment is no longer just about filling seats; it\u2019s about building future leaders-ready teams.<\/p>\n

Traditional hiring practices often prioritise CVs, application forms, job titles, and formal qualifications. But these alone don\u2019t tell the whole story of who a person is or what they\u2019re capable of becoming. At the heart of effective recruitment lies a simple truth: the right people aren\u2019t always the ones with the longest CVs, but those with the strongest values.<\/p>\n

When recruiting, three core qualities should be emphasised: communication, professionalism, and decision-making under pressure. These aren\u2019t just skills, they\u2019re essential behaviours that reflect how someone operates in real-world situations. But beyond those competencies, looking for the right calibre should include those who are eager to learn, self-aware, reflective, motivated by personal growth, and guided by values, not just ambition.<\/p>\n

Life experiences can be as valuable as job experience. Whether someone has navigated challenges, community projects, cared for family, travelled, studied independently, or reinvented themselves, those journeys shape resilience, empathy, and resourcefulness.<\/p>\n

These strengths should be recognised, by not just asking. \u201cWhere have you worked?\u201d; instead ask, \u201cWhat have you learned? How have you grown? What do you value?\u201d. This approach shifts recruitment from a checkbox exercise to a thoughtful conversation, aiming to understand the person behind the profile, their story, their mindset, their potential. Of course, experience and skills still matter, but the right attitude, character, and willingness to grow often outweigh a \u201cperfect CV\u201d. Some of the most successful candidates can come with non-traditional backgrounds allowing them to thrive because they align with a company\u2019s culture and values.<\/p>\n

Building a diverse and inclusive security industry<\/strong><\/p>\n

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is no longer a \u201cnice to have\u201d or an internal checkbox exercise, it’s a mindset and a culture. It’s a long-term investment in your people and by extension, your brand, your customers, and your future. Companies that embrace inclusive hiring practices and build truly diverse teams are not only doing what\u2019s right ethically, they are also unlocking better performance, innovation, and trust. The most successful hiring strategies today revolve around employer branding, personalised candidate experiences, skills-based hiring and a diverse skill set from situational awareness and de-escalation skills.<\/p>\n

Inclusive hiring practices, blind resum\u00e9 reviews, diverse interview panels, and equitable job descriptions aren\u2019t just fair; they yield stronger teams. As when people feel included, valued, and supported, they don\u2019t just stay longer, they perform at a higher standard. This is especially critical in service-oriented roles, where trust, communication, and professionalism are key.<\/p>\n

The security industry has long been male- dominated. Modern recruitment strategies should actively seek to diversify the workforce, welcoming women, LGBTQ+, minorities, and neurodiverse individuals into roles at every level. A diverse team not only reflects the communities they serve, it enhances decision-making, creative thinking and team performance.<\/p>\n

Recruitment in security is evolving just like the threats professionals are hired to deter. By adopting forward-thinking hiring practices, investing in training, supporting inclusive innovation, promoting diverse leadership and valuing personnel as an essential part of organisational success, companies can build security teams that are not just capable, but exceptional.<\/p>\n

Building a diverse and inclusive security industry isn’t a one-time initiative, it’s a long-term cultural shift. It requires commitment from leadership, community engagement, and accountability and transparency to ensure a secure future is an inclusive one.<\/p>\n

Investing in Learning & Development<\/strong><\/p>\n

In security, the role of people is just as critical as the systems, policies, and technologies in place. While surveillance cameras, access control, and risk protocols are essential, they are only as effective as the individuals trained to use, understand, and act on them.<\/p>\n

As with many things in life, a balanced and varied approach can often lead to optimal results, by creating diverse pathways to learning and development and cultivating a diverse range of security professionals, from all walks of life and experiences.<\/p>\n

Companies should strive for all colleagues, from entry level through to management and beyond, to develop themselves through blended learning. Promote diversity, by showing individuals there are new and alternative routes and pathways to formal qualifications or professional development, and encouraging and supporting them all to follow them. Embracing these different routes to education allows us to bring in \u201clife experiences\u201d as part of the development life cycle and therefore achieve true diversity \u2013 the practice or quality of including or involving people from a range of different backgrounds. These include:<\/p>\n