Top 3 reasons why you shouldn’t hire security staff in your own image…

As humans, we tend to gravitate towards people who are like us. Those who think like us, talk like us, socialise like us and fight the good fight….like us.  When it comes to security, as leaders, here’s three good reasons to avoid hiring people in our own image…

1.    Challenge. Hiring those with broadly differing viewpoints, perspectives and experience makes for better decision making. Workshopping a particular challenge among a group of like-minded staff could send you round in circles at a time when you need innovation the most (finding peers to discuss risk with can present a whole other blog’s worth of challenges if you’re a lone security ranger).

2.    Autonomy. With clearly defined roles and responsibilities, leaders who are willing to trust staff to go out into the business and spruik the security gospel will breed growth and innovation. Leaders who trust the skills of their staff and invest in those who need or seek education and mentoring will foster respect and develop pillars of our industry. A well-structured strategy and valuable team meetings will ensure that you are all heading in the same direction while the leader steers.

3.    Budget. Hiring people who have different skills and strengths to you is important on the path to efficient security strategy – do more with less. Employing those who differ from your skill set and outlook will help to cover more security ‘bases’ and they will be more creative in their requests for financial support by seeing problems and solutions in a different light.

The key to success is hiring those who challenge you, who aren’t afraid to make an unpopular call and will commit to a decision completely once it’s made. Clearly outlining the tasks you need to accomplish as well as the competencies required to get the job done creates boundaries, allows for an environment where trust can be established and creates perfect opportunities for true leadership. In your experience, what great reasons have you found not to hire in your own image?