The Foundation for Advancing Security Talent (FAST) held its first National Security Technician Day in January and announced another new initiative — the Security Technician of the Year Award — at ISC West 2023. For this month’s Workforce Strategies column, the Security Industry Association (SIA) focused on the realities of finding, hiring, training and retaining (and growing) security technicians — a role which we all agree is essential to the success of a business and the security of our customers.

Security technicians are a vital part of the security industry, helping to design, install and maintain critical technologies and systems in our communities every day. Following up on last month’s discussion with FAST board of directors member Ken Kocher, for this month’s column we spoke with John Nemerofsky, chief operating officer at SAGE Integration and a member of the FAST board of directors, to get his insights on hiring technicians today.

SIA: What’s it like hiring for security technicians in today’s job market? Is it as tough as we’re hearing?

NEMEROFSKY: The market for experienced technicians and systems engineers is extremely competitive. We found success creating urgency around the role and offer-to-acceptance time frame.

SIA: Where are you finding success in locating prospective technicians for your company?

NEMEROFSKY: SAGE Integration offers internal bonuses to our team members for referring new associates, and we have also utilized an internal and external recruiter [to find talent].

SIA: How much experience are you looking for? And do they need to bring those technician skills, or do you take more of an approach that “if they have the right attitude and some general aptitude, we’ll train them on the techniques and technology they need to know?”

NEMEROFSKY: SAGE hires experienced technicians and engineers exclusively. With the shortage of highly skilled labor, we utilize our network of subcontractors to run cable and mount devices and have experienced team come in to make final connections, test, commission and train.

SIA: What does your retention strategy look like for your existing technicians? Once you’ve found (and grown) a good technician, how do you ensure they become a long-term team member? How do you continue to invest in them and their future?

NEMEROFSKY: At SAGE, we work hard to create an empowered culture that leads to a protected future. We start every day with our five key initiatives in mind: employee engagement, client obsession, innovation, community involvement and financial stability.

In short, the culture and strong leadership and continued investment back into our technicians and engineers keep them committed to SAGE for the long term. Investments in programs through SIA, such as the SIA Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP) Boot Camp training, the Security Industry Cybersecurity Certification (SICC) and the Certified Security Project Manager (CSPM) credential, make a huge impact on our field teams.