In the best of times, hiring people is a challenging proposition. But how would you have to fill 5,000 positions in just a few months?
Jane Greene is CEO of Aeroguard Group, one of three companies that will together provide security services at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Aeroguard and its partners must recruit and train an army of 5,000 temporary security workers before the Games start in February. Those employees, who will operate the metal detectors and scour bags for banned items, will be responsible for the safety of thousands of athletes, VIPs and visitors who attend each event.
Ms. Greene believes a safe and well-run security operation, not unlike an athlete's gold-medal performance, will attract worldwide attention and help her firm expand into new markets such as the United States and Europe.
Ms. Greene joined us earlier to talk about her business, staffing and the run-up to the Olympics.
Dave Michaels, globeandmail.com: My first question is about how the hiring process is going. I understand the best person to ask is Todd Severson, the project director for Contemporary Security Canada, the joint operation that includes your company, Aeroguard. I e-mailed him and here is his response: “We have had tremendous success in our hiring progress, and should be wrapping up our recruitment campaign ahead of schedule. For our remaining open positions, we are looking for people with previous experience in X-ray screening or team leadership.”
Jane, let’s talk about the partnering process for this gargantuan effort. How did you go about picking your business partners? What kind of advice can you offer others who are considering something similar?
Jane Greene: For the partnering process Aeroguard did some extensive research into previous Games to see who had played in the security and event services space. We also became very involved in understanding who the key players would be through contacts at VANOC (the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee), and through other avenues.
The advice I would offer about selecting a partner is that you need to ensure their reputation and ability to execute is very strong. Also, we made sure that there would be a good fit between the partners, and that we established a good level of trust prior to “jumping in with both feet.” After selecting our partners, we entered into a legal agreement (a letter of intent), which clarified roles and responsibilities and expectations under the relationship. This was a key document in setting the stage for our ongoing relationship.
From Jerry Proctor of Canada: Will Aeroguard only staff the games with successful local applicants? How can I apply for this position? Thank you.
Jane Greene: Contemporary Security Canada is targeting the majority of the Olympics Security hiring in the Lower Mainland and has established a large recruiting centre at 333 Terminal St. in Vancouver which candidates can go to for a “one stop” job application experience. In addition, as is indicated in today’s Globe, CSC is holding hiring fairs in Edmonton this weekend and Calgary on Monday and Tuesday. We are very close to being completely hired, although we are looking for experienced X-ray operators. Applicants can find more information and apply for Olympic Security jobs online at www.hireme2010.com.
In addition, Aeroguard is hiring roughly 200 screener positions at Vancouver International Airport, as well as hiring for screeners in Saskatoon and Winnipeg. Bilingual candidates are preferred for all positions. For more information on current positions, refer to our website, www.aeroguard.ca, or candidates can send their resume to hr@aeroguard.ca
Dave Michaels, globeandmail.com: How do you monitor quality control, with so many moving parts in such a huge process? What kinds of safeguards have you taken? How many meetings?
