Yes, security companies have the time and capability to focus primarily on the security field, but who knows your business better than you? Everything from your profit margins to your liquor license depends on employing experienced and effective security crew — so take the time to do a complete interview independently and ensure you're getting the best talent for your business.According to Mario Villegas, the President of Twilium Management Group in Seattle
Interview Tactically
interviewing security employees requires some deeper questions:
• Has the applicant ever been under arrest? If so, for what?
• Is there a history of drug abuse? Drug testing is highly recommended as part of the application process.
• Has the applicant ever been fired? If so, why?
• Is there a verifiable work history and does it include comparable work in the security and/or bar sector?
• Does he has experience in detecting a fake ID or recognize common signs of intoxication?
Friendly and welcoming personality?
Friendly staff is important when a business's success so heavily depend upon the customer's perception of hospitality. In many ways you want your security staff to be welcoming and sociable, but you need them to set the tone and take the lead as well.
You don't want your security staff to be scared of confrontation but neither do you want them to initiate it. A bouncer with an aptitude or anger problem is now your problem, and the costs can be catastrophic. Avoid injuries, lawsuits or an awful scene by screening your staff before they ever have any interaction with customers, and keep an eye on how current employees take care of business, too.
Your patrons consists of a mix of different personalities and your security team should reflect this. Having someone on your security team who can talk two customers out of fighting before any punches are thrown can avoid a war of words from becoming a brawl. Similarly important is the staff member who can escort a confrontational intoxicated customer out of the bar without harming him or ruining the party for everyone else.
Active Ambassadors
Another aspect to consider during the hiring process is the interviewee's interest in the hospitality industry in general. A bar is a customer-oriented business, and every employee in every position needs to understand that. In addition to verifying IDs at the door and keeping the order, security crew will also have to direct people toward the bathroom, assist inebriated guests get a taxi home, and so on. Handled wrongly, these seemingly simple interactions could wind up costing you return business or even initiating a fight if someone have few drinks and misinterprets a brusque reply as an invitation for aggression.