Taking over a facilities or security contract

What does this hire really come down to?

Taking over a facilities or security contract means inheriting people. Some know the building better than anyone. Some were hired by the previous provider and may be loyal to it. The first judgment is a plain look at each role: keep, keep with conditions or replace. This should be done on evidence, not on first impressions.

The second judgment is the client. The client chose you partly because of a promise to improve the service, but also expects continuity. Staff who leave all at once cause disruption. Staff who stay unchanged produce no improvement. Agree with the client on what must stay stable, usually shift coverage and building knowledge.

The third judgment is the new manager. A person who has run a takeover knows how to speak to staff about change of employer and how to read who is willing to adapt. Ask what they said in the first meeting with the incumbent team and how many stayed after six months. Ask what they would do if the client asked to remove a person they had just promoted. Their answer tells you how well they hold a line.

What do we check before you see anyone?

Ask about a site transition they led and how the staff reacted. Specific numbers matter. Ask how they decided who to keep and what evidence they used. Ask what they told the client about changes and when. Ask how they kept key people and what they offered.

• Takeover record: ask about a site transition they led and how the staff reacted. Specific numbers matter.
• Evaluation method: ask how they decided who to keep and what evidence they used.
• Client communication: ask what they told the client about changes and when.
• Retention: ask how they kept key people and what they offered.
• Gap coverage: ask how they filled roles that were left empty.
• Procedure continuity: ask which procedures they kept and which they replaced.
• Payroll and benefits transition: ask how they handled pay and benefits for transferring staff and what concerns arose.
• Union or labor agreements: ask how they dealt with any labor agreements that came with the site.

Where do we find these candidates?

Takeover managers come from other outsourced providers, from enterprise operations and from security management firms. Frontline replacements come from the local market, from other providers' staff and from hospital and industrial sites. They move for account growth, stronger pay or a role that gives control over the team.

• Takeover managers come from other outsourced providers, from enterprise operations and from security management firms. Frontline replacements come from the local market, from other providers' staff and from hospital and industrial sites.
• They move for account growth, stronger pay or a role that gives control over the team. Some leave a provider that lost the contract. Others want to join a winner.
• Describe the contract, the incumbent staff and the client expectations honestly. Candidates will want to know how many people are staying.
• A good number of frontline staff on a taken-over site are loyal to the building, not the provider. They stay if they trust the new manager. Ask how the candidate earned that trust.

Which hiring mistakes should you avoid?

• Replacing all staff at once and losing the building knowledge. Replacements need weeks to learn the site.
• Keeping all staff and promising change without a plan. Staff stop believing in change that never arrives. Change needs a visible plan.
• Failing to tell the client which changes are coming. Clients dislike surprises.

Your search in 3 steps

1. Review the staff

   We ask who is on the incumbent team, what contract terms apply and which roles are critical. That sets what to keep and what to hire. We also ask which positions have specialized knowledge that would be hard to replace.

2. Screen for transition skill

   We ask candidates about takeovers, evaluations and retention, and report what they said. We pay attention to how they describe the first week with the incumbent team.

3. Align with the client

   We help you describe changes to the client so staff and customer hear the same plan. We also ask what the client has said it values most about the current service.

Explore the relevant desks

• UPS and Critical Power Technician (site-based)
• Switchgear and Electrical Distribution Technician
• Fuel Systems Technician (diesel storage, day tanks, fuel polishing)
• Chiller Plant Operator / Central Plant Technician
• Liquid Cooling Technician (CDU and secondary loops)
• Water Treatment Technician (cooling towers, closed loops)
• Fire Alarm and Suppression Technician
• Predictive Maintenance Technician (thermography, vibration, oil)
• Facilities Plumber (domestic water, condensate, leak detection)
• Building Maintenance Technician (offices, lobbies and support spaces on campus)
• Data Center Security Officer (armed or unarmed)
• Security Shift Supervisor
• Security Site Supervisor / Account Lead (contract security)
• Lobby and Mantrap Officer
• Vendor Escort Officer
• Loading Dock Security Officer
• Perimeter / Mobile Patrol Officer
• Security Console Operator (alarm and video monitoring)
• Badging and Access Control Administrator
• Security Systems Technician (access control and video)
• Construction Site Security / Gate Officer
• Security Compliance Coordinator (SOC 2 / ISO 27001 physical controls)
• Data Center Logistics Technician
• Shipping and Receiving Technician
• Asset Management Technician
• Inventory and Spares Technician
• Decommissioning Technician
• Data Sanitization / Media Destruction Technician (ITAD)
• Material Handler / Laydown Yard Coordinator (construction)
• Tool Crib Attendant
• Forklift / Telehandler Operator
• Critical Environment Cleaning Technician

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