We recently interviewed Alan Robertson, the Director of Human Resources at Guardian Alarm. Read on to find out what it’s like to work there, where the company is headed, and what they’re looking for in potential hires for their jobs on hiredMYway.com!
Founded in 1930, Guardian Alarm Company is a family-owned and Michigan-based company with over 1,200 employees. We have continued to be Michigan’s largest full service provider of security solutions all while delivering superior customer service through our highly skilled work force, cutting edge products and service.
Alan Robertson, Director of Human Resources at Guardian Alarm
Describe your company in one sentence:
We are an industry leader that is constantly reinventing itself.
What is the work environment like?
It’s entrepreneurial from a standpoint that we don’t just ask people to stay in their “little box.” If one of our customer service reps has an idea, we want to hear it. We reward employees financially for great ideas. So, in that way, entrepreneurialism is huge. That’s one of the ways we’ve grown into a 1,100 person company from having just a few employees in 1930.
What is a typical day like at Guardian Alarm?
A typical day for all of our divisions starts with buying into our core values – providing great service, whether it is guard service or medical alarm service. Our biggest priority is making sure our customers are taken care of. We live in a very reactionary world where alarms go off. But we make sure our reactions are based on our core values: protect people, property, and make sure we do things accordingly. You know what your main goal is coming in. Your main goal is to push the company forward, but at the end of the day making sure our customers are taken care of is what the company is responsible for.
What is your favorite thing about your company?
It’s definitely the people that we have. Product and environment can be changed, but employees generally leave because they don’t like the people they work with. A lot of people have been involved with the company for 15-20 years, but then we also have new people coming in and adding fresh new ideas. I’m a people person, so that’s my stimulus. When it comes down to it, it’s the people that make up the company.
So, in my role, I like finding people that have new ideas and ways to make the company better.
What characteristics do you look for in job seekers when hiring?
We’re looking for people that have a fresh approach. We want very creative thinkers that have a pragmatic side. You need to be able to come in and enact change, but know that you’re not going to be Napoleon right off the bat. We like people that are going to take the company to the next level but also be willing to pick up things that have been done well for 82 years.
The Guardian Alarm Fleet
Any advice for job seekers looking to work in your industry?
During the interview, be yourself. People buy authenticity. So for me, I understand that I have limitations. If you want someone that’s going to be a legal wizard and rattle you off a benefit policy, that’s not me. But if you want someone that can oversee people and bring in talent and nurture people on their career path, that’s what I can do. You have to play to your strengths and know your weaknesses. It’s very rare that you hear that – everyone thinks they have to be perfect, but nobody’s perfect. The most important thing is to be who you are.
Where do you see your company in five years?
We are growing, expanding, and acquiring new companies almost every quarter. We’ve really invested in the tech side of things; we’re making a big push in the technology market.
How has technology changed or affected your business?
Big time. A burglar alarm used to be a bell that got rung. The medical monitoring world has come so far from just being a button that you hit when you were feeling sick. It’s kind of interesting that now I can hop on my iPad and see that my dog is sleeping on my couch. Technology has really changed the business.
What are some of the things you do for fun when you are not working?
I have an 18 month old son with another son on the way. The majority of my time outside of work revolves around being a good dad and a good husband. It’s tons of fun – going to the park, going down slides – that’s what a lot of the time consists of. When not working, I focus on being part of a young family, which I love.
How do you want to be remembered?
A guy who was a good dad, raised good kids, was a good husband, and left the world a better place than when I found it.
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