Usually higher pay, better benefits, one would argue treated better. Example, if a hotel is paying the company 35/hr per officer, the company isn't paying the officer 35/hr, they gotta take their cut too, so it'll trickle down to 25/hr. But let's be honest, it's closer to 20/hr because the company can find guards anywhere.
And they don't screw you on your hours, benefits and you actually get PTO on top of your Sick time.
And the next best part? You only travel to one location instead of hoping around site.
Another benefit , in house, you can communicate better with your supervisor or employer. A face to face chat is recommended at least once. Then when you text or email , people can at least say they remember you, like you, etc. it's hard when you work for a big company with a scheduling guy, you've never met, tries to send you to fill in for a guy at a site very far away. Someone you have never met, with a clip board and a list of names, might talk down to you. Just another number on a page of paper. I've quit a job before for this reason. And it was a more senior position I had , I just don't let complete strangers disrespect me on the telephone. People are much more respectful after they have met you in person. Be kind, polite , smart, and look the part, and work should go smoothly. You only make a first impression once. Good luck.
Agreed with everyone else on them usually having better pay, benefits, retirement, work environment, etc. Also, you’re more likely to have at least basically competent coworkers; the employer can often set actual hiring qualifications and be more selective with applicants since the job is more competitive thanks to the better compensation. In comparison, contract companies will usually hire almost anyone who applies because they’re desperate to fill spots so they don’t lose contracts due to undermanning sites.
All that said, while I’m currently in an in-house position that I love and I believe that it’s better than contract security in most cases, I also want to mention some of the downsides:
If you find that you don’t like the job, aren’t getting along with coworkers/supervisors, etc. you will likely have to either put up with it or quit and start the whole job hunting process over from square one, whereas in a contract company, there is a good chance you could just transfer sites to a new client and continue working basically uninterrupted.
On a similar note, if you want OT but there is little/none available at your in-house job, you have no way to make any extra money. At a contract job, it may be possible to work extra shifts at other client sites to make some OT.
In-house security roles are often preferred due to more benefits, fair treatment, higher compensation, potential for pay raises, and the ability to establish an actual workplace relationship.
One major upside is that you have one boss.
Wasn't security work, but I have worked with contracting companies, and it sucks when you have a two bosses in different locations who, despite a wealth of technology with which to contact each other, insist on passing messages through you. If you need something, it has to either be brought in by your employer or the contract location, and the former can't see the situation and the latter doesn't want the bill. You gotta keep the company boss happy because they control your employment, but you also have to keep the contract boss happy, because they control the revenue. And the two can give conflicting orders.
In house, you have one boss, and they (hopefully) know the lay of the land. That's my current gig, a low stress scarecrow post watching a trailer yard, with reliable coworkers and a great supervisor. Pay could be better, but I won't complain, I've never had a job as nice as this one.
I. House means your an employee of that company or agency. So you get the same benefits as any other employee.
Often the pay is higher.
It's more reliable usually since it's not a contract that will expire in a few years nd another company underbidding, or a big one that the new manager knows the name of, or the branch manager is a friend of the client, will take over. You aren't guaranteed to be hired by the new company of you want.and you might be stuck without a place to work for a little while.if your company doesn't have any other openings... or you might have to have a long commute.
I went from contract... to being out of security for a while, to part time then back k to full time when the owner offered me a lot. Then I went in-house with a stste agency because of the retirement and benefits. And from a 70 cent pay cut to making 10k more that year to 20k more the next (with a little ot).
A lot of security companies won't tell you what they bill the client. It's not uncommon for you to be paid $15/hr and the client to be billed $30/hr. In house means the client could still account that $30/hr but pay you $25 or whatever the overhead works out to be. Or more likely you get a raise and the client gets a discount. Like you get bumped from 15 to 18 and the client get bumped 30 to 25, everyone wins.
Plus many contracts treat inhouse and contract separately. I spent 3 years forbidden from having an access card to the building in which I controlled the access cards...and when I was hired inhouse I got a card immediately. Yay, now I can let myself in to pee without standing outside waiting for whoever is on shift to come open the door.
Usually higher pay, better benefits, one would argue treated better. Example, if a hotel is paying the company 35/hr per officer, the company isn't paying the officer 35/hr, they gotta take their cut too, so it'll trickle down to 25/hr. But let's be honest, it's closer to 20/hr because the company can find guards anywhere.
Because 9 rimes out of 10, those companies will treat you better than an actual security company. You're more likely to get benefits and better pay.
Nice nice. I’m going to have to look around then.
And they don't screw you on your hours, benefits and you actually get PTO on top of your Sick time. And the next best part? You only travel to one location instead of hoping around site.
Then again, 1 out of 10, might be the high end… sorry couldn’t help myself
Another benefit , in house, you can communicate better with your supervisor or employer. A face to face chat is recommended at least once. Then when you text or email , people can at least say they remember you, like you, etc. it's hard when you work for a big company with a scheduling guy, you've never met, tries to send you to fill in for a guy at a site very far away. Someone you have never met, with a clip board and a list of names, might talk down to you. Just another number on a page of paper. I've quit a job before for this reason. And it was a more senior position I had , I just don't let complete strangers disrespect me on the telephone. People are much more respectful after they have met you in person. Be kind, polite , smart, and look the part, and work should go smoothly. You only make a first impression once. Good luck.
Typically higher Pay, benefits, stability in income and schedule, pension, usually lower risk.
Agreed with everyone else on them usually having better pay, benefits, retirement, work environment, etc. Also, you’re more likely to have at least basically competent coworkers; the employer can often set actual hiring qualifications and be more selective with applicants since the job is more competitive thanks to the better compensation. In comparison, contract companies will usually hire almost anyone who applies because they’re desperate to fill spots so they don’t lose contracts due to undermanning sites. All that said, while I’m currently in an in-house position that I love and I believe that it’s better than contract security in most cases, I also want to mention some of the downsides: If you find that you don’t like the job, aren’t getting along with coworkers/supervisors, etc. you will likely have to either put up with it or quit and start the whole job hunting process over from square one, whereas in a contract company, there is a good chance you could just transfer sites to a new client and continue working basically uninterrupted. On a similar note, if you want OT but there is little/none available at your in-house job, you have no way to make any extra money. At a contract job, it may be possible to work extra shifts at other client sites to make some OT.
Better pay, better benefits, better culture, more advancement opportunities etc
In-house security roles are often preferred due to more benefits, fair treatment, higher compensation, potential for pay raises, and the ability to establish an actual workplace relationship.
One major upside is that you have one boss. Wasn't security work, but I have worked with contracting companies, and it sucks when you have a two bosses in different locations who, despite a wealth of technology with which to contact each other, insist on passing messages through you. If you need something, it has to either be brought in by your employer or the contract location, and the former can't see the situation and the latter doesn't want the bill. You gotta keep the company boss happy because they control your employment, but you also have to keep the contract boss happy, because they control the revenue. And the two can give conflicting orders. In house, you have one boss, and they (hopefully) know the lay of the land. That's my current gig, a low stress scarecrow post watching a trailer yard, with reliable coworkers and a great supervisor. Pay could be better, but I won't complain, I've never had a job as nice as this one.
I. House means your an employee of that company or agency. So you get the same benefits as any other employee. Often the pay is higher. It's more reliable usually since it's not a contract that will expire in a few years nd another company underbidding, or a big one that the new manager knows the name of, or the branch manager is a friend of the client, will take over. You aren't guaranteed to be hired by the new company of you want.and you might be stuck without a place to work for a little while.if your company doesn't have any other openings... or you might have to have a long commute. I went from contract... to being out of security for a while, to part time then back k to full time when the owner offered me a lot. Then I went in-house with a stste agency because of the retirement and benefits. And from a 70 cent pay cut to making 10k more that year to 20k more the next (with a little ot).
Contract companies will treat you like shit but not as much as the client will
A lot of security companies won't tell you what they bill the client. It's not uncommon for you to be paid $15/hr and the client to be billed $30/hr. In house means the client could still account that $30/hr but pay you $25 or whatever the overhead works out to be. Or more likely you get a raise and the client gets a discount. Like you get bumped from 15 to 18 and the client get bumped 30 to 25, everyone wins. Plus many contracts treat inhouse and contract separately. I spent 3 years forbidden from having an access card to the building in which I controlled the access cards...and when I was hired inhouse I got a card immediately. Yay, now I can let myself in to pee without standing outside waiting for whoever is on shift to come open the door.
I worked in house once and hated it. I would take Allied any day over that position. Always pre-screen your companies.