Physical security continues to be crucial for businesses, even in the era of cyber threats. Moreover, the situation has changed after an extended WFH phase. As offices reopen amid the receding pandemic, safety deserves more attention. Having your employees and customers back on-premises is good news, but it entails additional responsibility. Do not expect criminals to take a break just because the virus is still around. You must go the extra mile with security awareness this year and beyond. Here are the best pieces of advice business owners can follow in 2022.
Refresh security policy
As things change in the new normal, you must rework and refresh your security policies. Identify the prevailing threats and establish measures to address them. For example, your company may be at high risk of internal thefts with several new employees on board. Document the new protocols and measures so that everyone in the company can be on the same page. A fresh emergency response plan is also essential to ensure your business and employees are ready to deal with all kinds of threats.
Conduct employee training
After an extended break from work at the office, your employees may not be as security-conscious as they should be. Consider conducting a fresh training program to help them understand potential threats they may come across. The sessions should also educate them about proven ways to respond and save themselves and others in a moment of crisis. It makes people more confident and eliminates guesswork from such critical situations.
Hire security experts
Physical threats can be dangerous, and you cannot expect your employees to counter such attacks. You must collaborate with experts to cover your premises, people, and assets from such dangers. Hiring armed security is imperative if you operate from a high-risk location and deal in high-value products. You may get executive protection for the top leaders in the company and get additional security for special events. Make sure you cover all fronts when it comes to safety.
Go the extra mile with the background screening
Reopening in the new normal means you may require additional staff to run the business. Employee background screening should be a part of your security awareness plan in 2022 and beyond. The last thing you should do is to extend the team in a hurry, without even knowing the people you recruit. Go the extra mile to vet every person you hire so that you need not worry about getting the wrong people on board.
Encourage shared responsibility
Keeping your business completely safe is about taking a comprehensive approach to security awareness. Make it a part of the company culture in the new normal. Expand the responsibility beyond your security personnel and top managers. It should be a consolidated effort where everyone in the organization must do their bit to safeguard the premises, assets, and each other.
Security awareness becomes the cornerstone of business revival in post-pandemic times. It is as crucial as winning back the trust of your customers, so make sure you do not miss out on it.
