Guardsmark? got some ?s

[YANG]

Wait a min, did I see "free Mediacal?" Count me in. LOL. I've only heard good things about this company.

[ScottFree]

This is an accurate summary of Guardsmark. Like Nathan posted earlier, the quality varies based on the account manager/branch. I worked for them for a while, and I liked the following:

- Better than average applicant screening
- Professional looking uniforms that are easily distinguished from the police
- Decent hourly wage
- Employee performance appreciation/recognition

That having been said, I disliked the following:

- Open book testing and widespread cheating on the monthly training tests
- Too much focus on value-added services instead of their core business
- A monthly newsletter that focused on the Lipman family and featured news briefs about the arrests of s/o's from other companies even though their officers have been arrested too.
- A willingness to compromise security/safety standards in order to appease the client so that the account isn't lost.

I believe that Guardsmark was once a premier security company. However, IMO, the family management has lost its touch on the pulse of what is really taking place at the site level.

Ok, i put this WAY above "dislikes". ANY company that would feature the arrests of an s/o from another company in its monthly newsletter is slime, and not worth working for, if thats a regular practice.

As far as a willingness to compromise standards, you show me a person who says that their client doesnt compromise standards, and i will show you a minority of security managers.

Value added service is a fact of life, and its that same VAS that allowed my company to take a very nice account from Securitas, because it is the client who decides what core service is really.

Open book testing or cheating on trainings is just stupid. thats shooting yourself in the foot, since training is everything, and if its just a dog and pony show, then you will lose accounts in short order

Im not employed by, nor do i know anything about guardsmark personally, so i want to add that before anyone thinks i am disagreeing with Mr Security, or even saying hes wrong, since this is all my opinion.

I think that most observe and report companies vary so widely by actual branch that its always going to be hard to lump them into one category, especially once they have numerous accounts.

I have worked at companies and gone from a site and a manager that were really bad, to a site and a manager that were pretty good, which shows that neither description accurately tells about that company

[gonzo1510]

I've been with Guardsmark for six years and all I can say is on the plus side is that they have always paid me.....

Wow, it's pretty sad when the upside to working there is that they pay you or pay you on time..

[sig229]

This is an accurate summary of Guardsmark. Like Nathan posted earlier, the quality varies based on the account manager/branch. I worked for them for a while, and I liked the following:

- Better than average applicant screening
- Professional looking uniforms that are easily distinguished from the police
- Decent hourly wage
- Employee performance appreciation/recognition

That having been said, I disliked the following:

- Open book testing and widespread cheating on the monthly training tests
- Too much focus on value-added services instead of their core business
- A monthly newsletter that focused on the Lipman family and featured news briefs about the arrests of s/o's from other companies even though their officers have been arrested too.
- A willingness to compromise security/safety standards in order to appease the client so that the account isn't lost.

I believe that Guardsmark was once a premier security company. However, IMO, the family management has lost its touch on the pulse of what is really taking place at the site level.

I have never worked for them but I remember years ago when they were held in pretty high regard. I would suppose the same thing that affected the rest of the industry when all the mergers started has caught them as well. Mainly competition. In order to stay in business you have to get and keep contracts. Sometimes that means you have to cut profit margins or cut costs.

With all the Global Super Companies competing it is unlikey they can match their high volume and low profit margins. So they have to cut salaries and services to compete. Oh no, don't say cut overhead. We know that ain't happening.

[firearchdruid]

Im confused. People are talking about Guardsmark benefits sucking but on their website it says they have free health care and such. Or at least the last time I checked their website that's what it said. The website also claims that it has the best benefits in the security industry.

I could see the best benefit thing being a lie but they can't lie about free health etc. can they?

I have applied with them before but never got any call backs.

[Mr. Security]

Espn

Who got the account?

[Mr. Security]

Garda World Corp is owned by a French Canadian. He wants to grow as big as or bigger than Group4. See http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...rce_login=true

I’d be surprised if he can buy out Group 4. He will need substantial cash reserves or access to major capital to even think about it. I don't think Guardsmark, a family run business, is an option either.

[HotelSecurity]

I forget who owns Garda. I think they're owned by Group4 too.

Garda World Corp is owned by a French Canadian. He wants to grow as big as or bigger than Group4. See http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...rce_login=true

[N. A. Corbier]

Watch out world, Garda from Montreal is growing fast!

I forget who owns Garda. I think they're owned by Group4 too.

[HotelSecurity]

Easy.

Group4Securicor, who owns just about everything in the world related to private law enforcement and security

Watch out world, Garda from Montreal is growing fast!

[Mr. Security]

I've been with Guardsmark for six years and all I can say is on the plus side is that they have always paid me, they have always had fulltime hours for me and they don't jerk you from one account to the next.
The benefits aren't that good and around where I live the pay is about $10.00 per hour so you could make more being a cashier at Aldi's. They also give you the biggest spin about training, Its all a lie and as a firm they are far to top heavy. Still you could do worse and alot depends on the account you are at. If you have any other questions feel free to email me.

This is an accurate summary of Guardsmark. Like Nathan posted earlier, the quality varies based on the account manager/branch. I worked for them for a while, and I liked the following:

- Better than average applicant screening
- Professional looking uniforms that are easily distinguished from the police
- Decent hourly wage
- Employee performance appreciation/recognition

That having been said, I disliked the following:

- Open book testing and widespread cheating on the monthly training tests
- Too much focus on value-added services instead of their core business
- A monthly newsletter that focused on the Lipman family and featured news briefs about the arrests of s/o's from other companies even though their officers have been arrested too.
- A willingness to compromise security/safety standards in order to appease the client so that the account isn't lost.

I believe that Guardsmark was once a premier security company. However, IMO, the family management has lost its touch on the pulse of what is really taking place at the site level.

[N. A. Corbier]

Easy.

Group4Securicor, who owns just about everything in the world related to private law enforcement and security - or is a subcontractor of the people who own it... (histfan71's current employer sub's to Wackenhut, which is part of Group4Wackenhut, which is part of Group4Securitas, which is part of Group4Securicor... So, if Wackenhut didn't get the Reagan Missile Base bid, Alutiiq bids, and gets it, and might sub it to Wackenut, like they did with a bunch of other DOD bases...)

Observe and Report Only security is big business because its so easy to do. Get some insurance, if you need it. Hire people at minimum wage. Make people buy uniforms. Tell them that they will stand there and do nothing. They don't have to call the police, because they only report to the client by a log book.

Now, grow the business a bit. Someone like Initial will buy you out. Initial will sell that entire region to someone else, and before long... Securitas or Wackenhut will buy the entire company that the region was sold to.

Its all about mergers. The larger the company, the more money they get, and the less the profit margin matters. A good example is the 5.15 an hour security guard who gets free uniforms, benefits, etc. His client isn't paying for that, they may not even be paying his salary. The US Government paying 47 dollars a man hour is, as well as every other high price contract that Group4 gets.

[Mall Director]

Not to go too far off topic, but something interesting..

I am amazed, yet confused.. As many are aware, I am not a big fan of "Observe and Report" only agencies, but Agencies, such as Securita's have done so much mergering and purchasing of other major Agencies, such as Pinkerton, and Wells Fargo, and so on.. The growth is unbelievable. I hear they do pay their people well, but too many chiefs and too little indians, no disrespect to native americans, but with such a high turnover rate, and nearly non-exsistant results of asset protection, how do they continue to grow? Where is all of the investments coming from? I personally dont like the corporate popularity that is coming with it..

[The Lord of the Keys]

I've been with Guardsmark for six years and all I can say is on the plus side is that they have always paid me, they have always had fulltime hours for me and they don't jerk you from one account to the next.
The benefits aren't that good and around where I live the pay is about $10.00 per hour so you could make more being a cashier at Aldi's. They also give you the biggest spin about training, Its all a lie and as a firm they are far to top heavy.
Still you could do worse and alot depends on the account you are at. If you have any other questions feel free to email me.

[grussem]

If I were you I would just ask one of their uniformed guards. I am currently seeking another police agency to make a lateral transfer to and cops are usually pretty honest with other cops about their agencies, they'll tell you what they like and what they don't like because you're one of them. I know I'm honest with other cops about my likes and dislikes about my agency. If you see one of them around where you live, just tell them you're possibly seeking employment with them and wanna know the pros and cons. I'm sure most of them would be happy to tell you.