The Results-Oriented Security Workplace

Security jobs, whether guarding prisoners, making patrols or conducting investigations, are involved in a lot of detail. When security people are so engrossed in the details of their jobs, it's easy for them, for anyone actually, to lose sight of the job's major contribution.

A Results-Oriented Security Job Description is different from a traditional job description because it focuses an employee on the several job results that answer the question: What results must this security affairs job accomplish for the organization?

Security Job Standards added to job expectations tighten management controls by clarifying how well and when results must be accomplished.

Security Job Objectives establish management and employee plans by highlighting important current and future results needed.

Job-specific Security Employee Management Forms maintain consistent and securityly sound management actions by basing manager-employee interactions on job results.

The Purpose of Security Jobs

Stated in a results-oriented, three-line style, security affairs jobs--

MAINTAIN A SAFE AND SECURE ENVIRONMENT by

analyzing environmental conditions; evaluating and upgrading standards, policies, and procedures; conducting inspections, surveys, audits, and tests; directing emergency responses; coordinating with other security and law enforcement agencies; conducting investigations.

Types of Security Jobs

Some security jobs work in unobtrusively in public situations, such as retail stores or gaming to prevent theft. Other jobs are more obvious as they make obvious patrols to discourage crime.

Still other jobs conduct investigations after breeches have been made in security. Somebody needs to guar prisoners. And, of course, somebody has to manage and supervise the security people and processes.

Security Job Management Tools

Here are actual job examples of how security affairs job actions can be focused on results and kept on track using each of our job management tools:

Results-Oriented Security Job Descriptions form the foundation of all job management tools. Our uniquely structured job descriptions focus on the result to be accomplished first and prominently, followed by the duties performed in order to accomplish the result. For example,

RECOMMENDS SECURITY ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Security Job Standards sharpen employee attention and management control by defining and communicating how well the security affairs results must be accomplished and what benchmarks will be used to measure job results. For example, for the job result above, the job standards might be:

• Security situations are correctly understood.
• All options are identified and evaluated.
• Security recommendations are ready when needed.

Security Job Objectives point the direction for employee actions by focusing job efforts on current and future security affairs issues. Job objectives are written in the three-line, results-oriented structure. For example, for the job result above, a job objective might be:

SPEED-UP DECISION MAKING by

reducing time to deliver security affairs recommendations by 10% by (date).

Security Employee Management Forms tied specifically to each security affairs job description are more helpful (and security) than generic forms used for all different kinds of jobs. Job-specific forms are used to state job qualifications, guide job interview questions, orient new employees, plan job training, and appraise job performance.

Security Job Qualifications are stated in the same terms used in the job description. They are not translated into generic (typically behavioral) terms. For example:

RECOMMENDS SECURITY ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Security Job Interview guide questions are inserted directly below each job result in the job description: For example:

• "What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?"
• "Where did you have these job responsibilities?"
• "When did you have these job responsibilities?"
• "How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?"
• "What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?"
• "In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?"
• "How did you overcome the challenges?"

The Security Job Orientation guide reformats the job description sequence so that job explanations, policies, protocols, processes, and procedures are logical and complete and can easily be checked off. For example:

RECOMMENDS SECURITY ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

The manager might say: "Here's the procedure and format we use to analyze and present security affairs recommendations."

The Security Job Training plan guides a thorough examination of actual job knowledge, skills, and abilities as described in the job description that need improvement or that might be enhanced. For example:

RECOMMENDS SECURITY ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

The manager might say: "Analytical skills would be improved by enrolling in a statistical analysis class."

The Security Job Performance Appraisal guide is a job-specific form. It is not a universal form used for all jobs. The guide adds an appraisal scale below each job result in the job description so that attention can be drawn to each job requirement and expectation. For example:

RECOMMENDS SECURITY ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

__ Great! Just want we wanted.
__ We have a problem.
__ Improvement is needed.
__ Much, much more than we asked for.

Comments: _________________

Security Résumé Template

Potential employers want to know what a job applicant has accomplished in his/her security affairs work career. They don't want to be bored with minor details. Our Résumé Template provides:

• an outline to help assemble personal background information.
• a Results-Oriented Job Description to provide the security affairs job language-focused on results-needed to write an effective résumé.
• Security Job Objectives to orient thinking in terms of accomplishments.
• instructions on how to use a Results-Oriented Security Job Description and Security Job Objectives to express job accomplishments.

Use the security affairs job description responsibility statement as a base:

RECOMMENDS SECURITY ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Select the security affairs job objective that fits your experience:

REDUCE COSTS 10% by

improving security affairs processes.

Combine the two into a résumé statement:

Reduced costs 10% by analyzing, identifying, and recommending new security affairs system controls.

Security Career Links

KHake.com, Vocational Information Center, Careers in Security, Protection and Investigation

Originated by Kathryn Hake from her experience with helping students in vocational programs research topics for their school projects.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Careers in the agency.

Transport Security Administration

Employment, find a TSA job, careers, benefits.

National Retail Federation Foundation, Career Area: Loss Prevention

Conducts industry research, develops education and workforce development programs, and promotes retailing as a career destination.