Consider the plight of the lonely sentry.

IMPROVING THE DESIGN OF WORKPLACES FOR SECURITY PERSONNEL

If security is a people business, where success hinges on human attentiveness and action, then why do security officers often receive less of the care and expense devoted to software and equipment? Front-line security work involves hours of routine, all too often in depersonalized settings and uncomfortable conditions.

This can have real consequences in terms of performance.

For most people, rewarding workplaces allow friendly human interaction. Employers allow personnel reasonable latitude to shape or decorate thier own work environments. People like to feel appreciated at work, to gain a sense of achievement, to see prospects for reward and advancement. Most employees value being involved in something that is more than a single, narrow job, and they want to point with pride to their places of work.

For security guards, good personnel policies and practices are critical. But physical design is also important. Security stations at building and site entrances need to convey impressions of strength and serious purpose, but this cannot be at the expense of guard morale and visitor experience. Security screening stations need careful design attention.

Solitary confinement. “Boredom” is a primary complaint from checkpoint guards. It stems from lack of variety, restricted movements, and endless perfunctory contacts. Security officers may have an overall sense—often reinforced by their dull or degraded surroundings—that their work is low-level: “We’re necessary, but unimportant.”

Guards who rotate through different posts and participate in roving patrols tend to express greater job satisfaction. Variations in assignments and movements can boost morale and productivity. Workspaces must convey a sense of appreciation and support best-practice management approaches.

Cover the basics. Is guard station ventilation adequate? What about protection from headlight glare and direct sunlight? Is it difficult to enter and exit security areas? How easily can guards confer with visitors? Where do guards take breaks and store personal items? Installations with multiple guards need places for the guards to take breaks and hang out, to compare notes and have the informal personal exchanges are part of work.

Effective security officers assess visitors’ comportment, what they are carrying, how they respond. They may inquire about a visitor’s purpose and intended length of stay. They get to know the regulars. But none of this can happen if it is difficult for guards and visitors to speak and to see one another, or if conditions are so unpleasant that everyone just wants the process over as quickly as possible.

Consider the plight of the lonely sentry. Will a music player or radio really detract from the ability to perform required duties? Can other guards make occasional social visits, or share and trade in their duties? To what extent and in what ways can guards “personalize” their workstations?

If you held this job, what would help you to enjoy your work more, or to perform it better? Professionalization and better pay are certainly keys, but don’t overlook the value of improved work conditions and measures that enhance the physical workplace.

Security guard booths and screening areas are often a visitor’s first exposure to a business office, a campus, or an industrial facility. These spaces can be pleasant and inviting, even in high-security settings. This does not mean coddling employees or backing off on security essentials—it just means doing better design.