security officer

security guard

security supervisor

armed security officer

response officer

GardaWorld Security Services US

As a person who has three years of security working both armed and unarmed security. Being a supervisor as well. I can tell you this: Security guards who come and relieve you do not dress for the job regardless of how late or how many hours you work. Rookies get all the jobs before you do. Once your strapped into this company, you give it your best shot proving to your CSM just how good you are… They will put you at a site and completely abandon you. Forget about you. Giving you that strong sensation of being forgotten and left alone. Giving the new guards your tasks. Your opportunities. Your passions. Your provisions you have given previously to the company. 

Don’t expect attention back from your CSM when you start making a come back and giving it your all. They won’t notice. 

As for your supervisors(excuse me) field supervisors. They will only check on you once a month. Once a year [it may feel like to you] for routine site checks [They grill you with questions. Oh. If you want to be a supervisor, you MUST OBTAIN your commission guard card. That means you provide you’re own duty belt, gun, handcuffs, baton, flashlight, etc. no non-commission guards are allowed to be supervisor’s. Take it from me. Had to be told the hard way.]. The field supervisors May side you with “we care about you guys” when you first join. Don’t believe them. Don’t believe anybody in this company or your co-workers. None are to be trusted!!! Do not blindly follow anything anybody tells you here at GardaWorld. Do your research and come up with your own beliefs in this company. Their motto is a sham and only impacts the blind guards and the clients. I can tell you from personal experience that 100% of the guards you meet upon picking up shifts, do not meet the professional standards of Garda’s core values. They just come here for a paycheck and slack off. 

You as a guard are NOT OBLIGATED TO REMAIN AT YOUR POST! Keep track of when your field supervisors do come around.

My advice: Note down the day and time your field supervisors come and check on you. When they leave your post after checking on you. Wait ten minutes to make sure they are completely far off away from you. Then abandon post (go eat or go somewhere else for two - three hrs) and then come back. Repeat. Be careful of how you tactically do this, if they catch you… Termination or a write up is imminent. Be wise about leaving your post, do your best to make rounds nearest to your post address. That way: you can quickly come back to your post and FOOL your field supervisors into thinking you never left at all.

Also adding onto this advice: Gain their trust and work as CLOSE WITH THEM AS POSSIBLE. So that way, your able to b.s your way around their little “system” as much as you want and still have a job here without the worry of getting fired or written up. 

Also. Keep track of your paychecks. You get paid every two weeks. Keep a mental track of it.

Your here for a job. Not to make friends. Or belong to this company.

Do your job.
Get paid.
Go home.

Do not make friends. Because nobody here helps you out. If you want to make friends and fool yourself into thinking the company will help. They won’t.  So don’t make friends.


Remember that you have law enforcement at your call if you ever find yourself in a dangerous situation. Even if your a level3/commissioned guard and you think you cannot de-escalate a situation. Call them and ask for back up. No shame. I’ve done it before in my three years of security. No shame. Just remember the law enforcement officials are the big dogs and you are the little dogs helping them maintain peace on duty. Your helping them out. So they don’t have to do everything. Your not a cop so don’t act like it!

You are allowed to pull over a suspect on property because it’s your area. However once suspect leaves property. It’s law enforcements problem. Not yours.

If a client gets angry at something you did. Not your problem. Don’t feel guilty about it or even care about it. Remember: Clients will find any reason to get us guards in trouble. Just do your job and don’t worry about anything else. The client didn’t hire you. The company hired you. The client isn’t paying you. The company is paying you. The client isn’t your problem period. It’s you protecting the company. Not you protecting the client. Because the client doesn’t care about what happens to you or what your doing on their property. All they care about is that they have a body. That’s it.

Umm.. All in all. Your just a toy to the company and this company will not help you professionally.

-Security Enforcement Officer


Human Resources won’t help you with issues. So they don’t exist. Dispatch doesn’t exist either. 

Onboarding/training - The initial process is smooth enough, the account regional manager asks basic questions on how you would handle situations.  Training itself is a monthly process that is supposed to be done during work hours and it is typically easy enough to do then. Supervisor training is pretty minimal, I was mostly encouraged to reach out to my regional manager if I had questions but there was no formal process.

Work Culture - mostly average. Having a job with low barrier of entry you get coworkers from all walks of life, and are generally respectful of others. Employees are mandated to have attention to detail in all aspects, and to be professional and courteous to their account site administration. There are occasional guards who shirk these duties but they do not tend to work out in the long term.

Work/Life balance - I find this generally depends from account to account. When things run smoothly, everyone is working at regular capacity and have set hours from week to week. When accounts are short on staff, mandatory overtime will happen every week and people get fatigued quickly. The common issue is that time off can be taken whenever, but it is usually very difficult to shifts covered and many requests get denied unless other coworkers are willing to work to cover them. Help from other sites very rarely occurs.

Management - Overall not horrible. I think the trend is that, if your site is doing well and the client is happy, management tends to be hands off and leaves you be.  I've never felt any sense of micromanagement in my time being here. On the other hand, it is very difficult to get improvements for site if requested and there isn't an immediate need for them. Example being - requesting flex officer/training for flex officers at certain sites to ensure smooth transition for officers requesting time off. Past the initial Security Officer position, there isn't a lot of guidance from management on upward mobility.

Compensation - Lower than national and state average. Each site may vary, some big sites tend to get raises annually, other sites may not get a raise for 5 years. It generally depends on how tenacious the regional account manager and the client contact are.

As a whole I think the job is "OK", I wouldn't try to make a career out of doing what I do because the pay is low and there is little an individual can do to increase it, it's mostly up to your manager and how well their relationship is with the site that you work at. But it is a good job to have if youre looking for something with low investment and are taking courses on the side/while working.

This is a good filler job. If you are otherwise unemployed, this works. However, past that, it does little.

I am a "lead-type officer on the site" - a position that a half year into the role I still have no idea what the job duties entail. I was hired as a security guard and "promoted" during the 1st two weeks. I have been rigorous with emails to check the status, but it's a different excuse each time. At this point, I've lost hope. 

Our CSM is useless. They run through CSMs like a baby with dirty diapers. I can't speak for other areas, but I'd probably ask to sit down and talk with CSM during your interview/before you accept your offer to get a feel for what they are like. A good CSM I would imagine would make the job more enjoyable. 

The schedule is great - with my particular position. That's one of the few saving graces, and probably the reason I haven't thrown my hands up and said "later!". 

The benefits package is horrible.
Vacation/Sick Leave (or lack thereof) - you get a week's pay deposited into your bank account after 1 year with the company. That's it for leave!

Vision, Dental, Health - vision and dental are standard plans. No complaints, but they don't get any honorable mentions, either. Health insurance is where they really get you. I'm a young guy, my health insurance is EXPENSIVE. More so than any other employer i've ever worked for. Also, your premium varies based on your salary/hourly rate and the amount of hours you worked. So if you worked 88 hours one pay period, your health insurance will be more expensive than it already is. Is that even legal? 

401(k) - can't afford this. Health insurance is too expensive. They do offer a plan though. I never did get a final word on what the company matched, if anything. 

Uniforms and equipment are cheap. Like cheap cheap. They don't fit well, you can tell they went with the lowest bidder. They also require you put a deposit on your uniforms as well. $200. You get it back, provided you don't leave the company within 180 days. 

There's not much room for advancement. The positions that you could theoretically put in for kind of suck. I think the CSM, which is the next level past site supervisor, gets paid less than the site supervisor. No wonder they have a hard time finding good help.

This place has burnt me out.

My experience with GardaWorld was deeply disappointing. The company presents itself as a professional security organization, but internally the operation often feels disorganized, reactive, and poorly supported.

The biggest issue is the gap between what the company promises clients and what it actually provides to the people expected to deliver those results. 

Employees are frequently placed in high-responsibility situations without adequate onboarding, clear direction, timely access to systems, or consistent support from upper management. When problems arise, the response often feels more focused on blame, optics, and shifting expectations than on solving the root issue.

There is also a serious disconnect between field leadership and corporate decision-making. Policies and expectations can change suddenly, communication is inconsistent, and managers are often left trying to keep accounts running while navigating unclear instructions, limited resources, and unrealistic demands. Instead of empowering leaders to stabilize operations, the company often creates more administrative friction and stress.

For a company in the security industry, GardaWorld should understand that safety, continuity, training, communication, and accountability matter. Unfortunately, my experience showed a company that too often relies on frontline employees and site leaders to carry the weight while corporate support falls short.

I would caution anyone considering employment here, especially in a leadership role, to ask very direct questions about training, system access, staffing expectations, overtime coverage, client communication, HR support, and what actual resources will be provided. The title may sound strong, but the support behind it may not match the responsibility.

This company has talented people in the field, but the structure above them needs serious improvement. Until GardaWorld fixes its internal communication, leadership accountability, and support for operational managers, it will continue to lose good people who deserved better.

What is the best part of working at the company?
What stands out most about working at GardaWorld is the clear path for career advancement and the company’s commitment to developing its personnel. The focus on training ensures that officers are continuously improving their capabilities while preparing for greater responsibility within the organization.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
For me, the most stressful part is the waiting that sometimes comes with career movement. I tend to be someone who prefers steady progress. A larger concern I’ve noticed is when individuals stay in the same role for extended periods without growth or advancement. Whether due to personal limitations or lack of development, that stagnation can eventually lead to frustration and disengagement. When that mindset sets in, it can affect the employee, the quality of service provided to the client, and the overall performance of the team.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
For me, the work environment has been productive and engaging because I’m highly driven and focused on doing the job well. I enjoy the responsibility and the challenge that comes with the role. That said, the culture in security can vary widely depending on the individuals involved. Some people are motivated to perform and improve, while others are more focused on simply maintaining the position without pursuing growth. It’s that lack of drive that keeps the job simple instead of specialized through raising the bar.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day for me involves overseeing the operation of the site and ensuring that both the client’s expectations and company standards are consistently met. This includes supervising officers, addressing any issues that arise during the shift, communicating with the client when necessary, and ensuring that all procedures and post orders are being followed. Much of my focus is on maintaining professionalism, accountability, raising the standards, and making sure the team is performing at the level required to deliver reliable service.

Sucks people have worked hear years no advancement they hire out befor in and no raise.

My site manager was showing up late and damanding that i show up 15 min early so he can leave. So i reported it to my Branch HR team the lady was nice and said she will discuss it with the other two male member and they will talk to my manager. Two days pass and one of the male HR comes to my site and talks with me about how im doing and the incedent that happend. I told him after you all spoke with my manager he came to work mad at me waiting out side till i got to work and threated me saying if im 1 min late he will report me. So then i go back to my HR team and tell the lady about his retalation. Seh says she will disscuss it with the men again and that she mke sure they talk with my manager cause that is unacceptebale. So this time one of the man HR calls me ask me what happened after i told him he tells me not to say anything to anyone about our conversation. so latter that week my manage comes in and startes yelling at me infort of the client. again  i call the HR department and the lady answer I tell her what had happened and she seam mad and said she will talk to my manager and the other HR ppl they need to do something about his behavor. So latter that day HR guy calls me ask me what happened and then tells me dont tell anyone I talked to u and Dont call the lady HR anymore call him. So to day my mangaer breach or privcey contract with our employee by telling his wife how to navgate our computer system . Again i call HR a guy picks up phone and I tell him what happened first thing he tells me is to not tell anyone. and do not write what happend in my daily activey reports and do not make an inceident report ether that he locked it away in his head and to forget about it.

and the end i get in troble cause i moved a chair out of the cramp work space and my manager writes me up and they call me on it. But I have yet to see any action taken on him for any thing i report.


So in the gits of thing becare full they will hid things that they dont want cliets or others to know these people are dishonst. and honesty is one of ther ten core values:(

Pros: 

It is easy money for the work that is requested. On most of the gigs, it could even be considered fun, especially if you are at a post with people that you are friends with.

This company recently took the Nissan Stadium contract from Contemporary Services Corporation (in Nashville) and I can see why. When you fill out the application for Whelan, you're essentially hired, and you do your orientation. No, you're not getting paid for this time, but you don't have to make multiple trips. With CSC, you must come back and then CSC only pays you minimum wage. +1 Whelan, minimum wage doesn't make up multiple dates and multiple trips. Whelan also offers direct deposit. CSC only offers checks that you must get in person or mailed. +1 Whelan. Whelan also offers a higher pay out with $12.00 an hour if you have your security license. CSC aside, Whelan is flexible and willing to work around your schedule.

Cons:

Disorganization is a major problem that needs to be addressed. Not when it comes to the job site and getting posted. That hastiness is semi-expected when you are dealing with 300+ staff that may or may not show up. The disorganization comes when you are hired. I was hired on 10/11/2018 and was notified when and where to meet for that following Sunday Titans game. After that there was no follow up for the next game to work. I have the paperwork that the next game is on 10/21/18 and when the game starts; but not when I need to report. Not going to commute however long it does on a 'maybe I need to be there at this time.' Called the number for the Nashville Office, rings, goes to the Account Manager voicemail and left a voicemail. Sent multiple e-mails days ago and no response. This job is literally Christmas money and if they can't get organized to get the new hires back. I can see why there is a turnover. By the time I probably do hear from someone, I may have the next weekend/Christmas job lined up....
 
Fairly easy job, they don't expect much from their lower tier employees - yet there are some kinks they need to work out to make it a smooth-running engine.

It is easy money for the work that is requested. On most of the gigs, it could even be considered fun, especially if you are at a post with people that you are friends with.
This company recently took the Nissan Stadium contract from Contemporary Services Corporation (in Nashville) and I can see why. When you fill out the application for Whelan, you're essentially hired, and you do your orientation. No, you're not getting paid for this time, but you don't have to make multiple trips. With CSC, you must come back and then CSC only pays you minimum wage. +1 Whelan, minimum wage doesn't make up multiple dates and multiple trips. Whelan also offers direct deposit. CSC only offers checks that you must get in person or mailed. +1 Whelan. Whelan also offers a higher pay out with $12.00 an hour if you have your security license. CSC aside, Whelan is flexible and willing to work around your schedule. 

Cons:
Disorganization is a major problem that needs to be addressed. Not when it comes to the job site and getting posted. That hastiness is semi-expected when you are dealing with 300+ staff that may or may not show up. The disorganization comes when you are hired. I was hired on 10/11/2018 and was notified when and where to meet for that following Sunday Titans game. After that there was no follow up for the next game to work. I have the paperwork that the next game is on 10/21/18 and when the game starts; but not when I need to report. Not going to commute however long it does on a 'maybe I need to be there at this time.' Called the number for the Nashville Office, rings, goes to the Account Manager voicemail and left a voicemail. Sent multiple e-mails days ago and no response. This job is literally Christmas money and if they can't get organized to get the new hires back. I can see why there is a turnover. By the time I probably do hear from someone, I may have the next weekend/Christmas job lined up....

Fairly easy job, they don't expect much from their lower tier employees - yet there are some kinks they need to work out to make it a smooth-running engine.

The job itself is fairly easy. I was in parking lots, which requires a bit of walking but is mostly low-speed driving. My major complaint in this area is work-life balance. Overtime is understandable and it happens everywhere, but what isn't is that they can mandate you to stay last-second even if you have plans or an appointment made around your schedule, as company policy dictates. Alongside this, where I was you don't get your schedule until Thursday or Friday, so following that policy isn't exactly easy.

I've had very few truly poor experiences with management, and workplace culture is mixed. There's good and bad just like there is everywhere, and it usually varies day to day.

The hardest part of the job is dealing with traffic and needy employees of the facility you're working at. Some of these people WANT you to do something wrong so they can be the one to try to get you fired. Half of them hate you for driving 'too fast' (under the speed limit but faster than they want you to drive), the other half hate you for driving too slow and speed around you recklessly. They're never satisfied. Driving on the interstate during rush hour or during the holidays is less stressful.

The best part of the job is the trucks had satellite radio. Being able to listen to music during the calmest parts of the shift without 10 minutes of advertising every other song is nice, as is the choice of music. I've heard songs from some of my favorite bands that I'd have never known existed without it. The quiet moments during the work day or night are also nice.

I worked there for about a month easy job you pick up the load scan it in to the truck little tedious stuff but once you do that your day can be vary mixed if you have stops in the busy part of Austin where the colleges are etc you’ll be getting out allot pretty much every couple minutes you’ll have about 60 or so stops depends on the route sometimes you’ll drive to San Antonio and marvel falls etc. Those are probably the easier routes unlike the busy ones in the city. Now the pay structure doesn’t meet the job honestly so you moving over 2 millions cash or so and your getting “unarmed  guard pay”  like 20.50 is crazy for the amount of risk involved  tour better off going to loomis or anywhere else the management is ehh some people are cool but it’s really a bunch of high speed Civis they all pretty much carry level 2 holsters because “they can draw quicker”  which is goofy because you really need a level 3 holster the only people who really have stuck around are the people who been there since they was paying 18$ a hour for this gig. The job is fairly easy if your prior service you know we not gonna break our backs for stuff that not worth it it’s bi -weekly pay structure NO OVERTIME DOT STANDARDS the vehicles are really dated and most don’t even have working handles I understand why the turnover rate is so high this is good single man money maybe got a little girl friend or your already in the retirement part of your life if you like the majority got a new family 2-5 kids or something best not pick this job typical day is 6:30- whenever your done maybe 6-9  your trainer might be shady so be careful what you say to these people not to be trusted at all.  Wouldn’t ever work here again not for no 20.50 a hour plus the extra “ dollar and 50 cents they give you or whatever 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Security officer 810 salaries reported	$19.49 per hour
Security guard 380 salaries reported	$19.90 per hour
Security supervisor 75 salaries reported	$22.59 per hour
Armed security officer 41 salaries reported	$32.24 per hour
Response officer 43 salaries reported	$20.99 per hour

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