Human resources

Chapter summary

The management of security risks is shaped by the organisation’s broader structures and decision-making policies. A small organisation operating in just one locality might have a single security focal point. Conversely, a large international organisation may deploy multinational security teams at global, regional, national and sub-national levels. The roles and responsibilities of such professionals may vary – but most often these functions play technical and advisory roles focused on supporting leadership and staff in making informed security decisions.

Security skills can be broadly categorised as ‘soft’ and ‘hard’.

• Soft skills relate to interpersonal abilities, such as understanding social and cultural dynamics, working with a multicultural team as well as leadership, mentoring and training skills, relationship-building, communication and management.
• Hard skills refer to the more technical and operational aspects of security, such as handling security equipment, physical protection and tactics.

In recent years the value of soft skills has increased, and many organisations have sought greater diversity in the profiles of their security staff, recognising that this can improve staff perceptions and engagement with security. A balanced representation of genders, nationalities, professional backgrounds and other identity characteristics among security staff can lead to better understanding of the lived experiences of a diverse workforce, reduced biases in risk assessments and security arrangements, and more innovative problem-solving.

The specific skills and competencies of people in security roles will depend on the organisation and the context, but may include risk assessment and mitigation, security planning, negotiation, communication, conflict resolution, training and project management. Adherence to humanitarian principles and values is increasingly viewed as an important characteristic of an effective security risk management professional.

Finally, security risk management can also play a role in people management. Contented and motivated employees are more likely to be engaged, committed and productive. Conversely, poorly motivated and disgruntled employees not only underperform in the workplace, but can also become a source of risk to the organisation. Security staff can play an important role in various human resource processes, including recruitment, onboarding, complaint and misconduct reporting procedures, as well as when staff leave an organisation (especially in the case of sudden withdrawal or termination of contracts).