Securitas USA Improves Hiring Productivity Through Complete Automation
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Securitas Group was founded in 1934 as Hälsingborgs Nattvakt in Helsingborg, Sweden, and soon become known as Securitas. In 1989, Securitas AB expanded by acquiring security companies in many countries in Europe; in 1999, it acquired United States-based Pinkerton's Inc. the first of several U.S. acquisitions, making Securitas AB the largest security firm in the world. The U.S. acquisitions combined to form Securitas Security Services USA, Inc.
Today, Securitas Group serves customers in 30 countries with 215,000 employees. In the United States, Securitas USA is divided into 13 regions, each with approximately 25-35 branch offices. Although branch offices perform field hiring, most employees work at customer locations in security-related positions such as security officers, mobile patrol officers, and emergency medical technicians.
Evaluating the hiring process
Securitas USA hires approximately 40,000 hourly employees annually to cover growth and fill open positions. Currently they have one of the lowest turnover rates for their type of business. Nonetheless, even though Securitas USA receives over 150,000 applicants across the United States each year, they still need to find more qualified people to work the demanding hours required at the wages dictated by the competitive security business. As the leading security services company in the country, Securitas USA needed to hire people with the best skills and qualifications, people who share the company's values — integrity, vigilance, and helpfulness. "By growing the number of applicants, we could increase our ability to hire the best people," said Rocco L. DeFelice, Executive Vice President of Human Resources for Securitas USA.
A committee spanning human resources, employee relations, and IT was established to evaluate the hiring process and suggest ways to improve productivity and leverage technology to:
- Increase the number of well-qualified applicants
- Interview only prescreened applicants
- Integrate automated applicant tracking into the hiring process
- Use technology to hire the best-qualified security officers
- Integrate with third-party vendors such as background check, drug testing, and WOTC vendors
- Reduce turnover
A completely automated solution
An electronic system was an obvious choice. Since 95 percent of Securitas USA's workforce is hourly, the company needed a system designed for hourly hiring that could meet the following needs:
- An online job application with minimum standard knockout questions
- Tools to track applicants through the hiring process
- Integrated assessments designed to find the best-qualified candidates
- Ability to integrate with third party providers such as WOTC, background check, and drug screening vendors
- Analytical tools available to HR and branch managers to give more visibility into the hiring process
- Consistent branding to offer a cohesive corporate image and seamless experience to potential applicants
After evaluating several different options, Securitas USA chose the Workforce Talent Acquisition solution.
High-quality information
"We now have a standardized process that's utilized consistently across the country," says Peter J. Robbins, Vive President of Operation Services for Securitas USA. When the prospective employee completes the application process, the results become available to the hiring manager almost immediately via the hiring management console. Ineligible candidates are screened out automatically so managers review only prescreened, qualified applicants.
"Visibility into the hiring process has improved tremendously," says Robbins. Before, if regional HR VPs needed statistics, they asked the branch offices to pull together numbers. Workforce Talent Acquisition offers the high-quality information HR VPs need to monitor and analyze hiring-related data across their regions. They can go online and track the number of applications each hiring center is getting and whether the local recruiters are taking action on them, and can proactively monitor and correct problems.
More applicants
Applicant flow has doubled. With Workforce Talent Acquisition, candidates can apply online 24/7 from a public or home computer or from the online system in the hiring center.
Improved hiring productivity
Background checks that once took several days of faxing forms back and forth are now fully integrated into the hiring workflow. Data populated by the applicant is exchanged electronically with Securitas USA's background check provider and results can be displayed on the hiring management console within hours.
"After an applicant is hired we need to activate them in our company systems before they can be assigned to a client and scheduled to a post. This was a laborious administrative task that was difficult to complete in a timely manner," says Robbins.
Integrating Workforce Talent Acquisition with Securitas USA's internal scheduling system that feeds his PeopleSoft HRMS system virtually eliminated this task. "Once the manager completes the hiring workflows, the hire button appears and one click makes the applicant an official employee."
A competitive differentiator
With Kronos Workforce Talent Acquisition, Securitas USA has a more productive and consistent process. "The things we identified up front — more applications, better-qualified applicants, prescreened applicants — all happened," said Robbins. Where candidates used to spend three to four hours in the office, interviews are now handled in less than an hour. With the increased demand for security services, Workforce Talent Acquisition has given Securitas USA a better public first impression that draws more applicants. "We think this hiring system is a competitive differentiator. It has improved our image in a very people-oriented business," says Robbins.
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