40 under 40: Jennifer Hall, Securitas ES

Jennifer Hall, 35, and her dispatch team are all about delivering superior service response to their clients.

As the director of Service Dispatch for Securitas Electronic Security (SES) in North America, Hall manages all objectives and initiatives of the Service Dispatch Department: managing the service routing, scheduling and utilization of field service resources, as well as being the interface with clients and partnering with district service managers to drive service excellence in the United States, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and Canada.

“I help to develop, along with other service leaders, SES’s best-in-class service level standards focused on priority response times, establishing the procedures and managing the dispatch team to deliver high-quality service response,” she explained.   

“As part of my team, we have service dispatch operations in Ohio, North Carolina and Minnesota. On average, our team manages 5,500-plus service calls weekly and coordinates the most optimal, efficient service routes for over 600 SES service technicians and hundreds of subcontractors. Recently, we expanded and enhanced our service dispatch infrastructure with the addition of a second service dispatch team located in Bloomington, Minn., providing extra redundancy within our team. I work very closely with the entire service organization daily to ensure we are providing our clients the industry’s best service across North America.”

Hall has been with the Uniontown, Ohio-based SES for 16 years. She said she has “grown a lot” throughout her time in the security industry, starting off at a young age as a contractor in the call center.

“I thrived in the bustling environment of an alarm monitoring center,” she noted. “For me, the busier it was the better I performed, and I took great pride in knowing I was the first point of contact for our clients that were calling for help. I advanced internally within the service organization from resource advisor, physical security technicians coordinator and Service Dispatch manager to my role today as SES director of Service Dispatch.”

Driving Automation

In regard to security trends, Hall views automation becoming a priority for clients more and more.

“Automation enables clients to streamline their security operations and create more efficiencies in their day-to-day business,” she explained. “When we can help streamline our client’s security operations and give them more time in their day, it’s a win-win. In addition, cloud-based apps continue to gain momentum in the market, as more security professionals transition to cloud and web-based services and platforms.

Another trend that Hall sees in the security industry is the increased demand for body temperature monitoring solutions.

“Primarily due to COVID-19, security professionals are utilizing these new solutions to help mitigate health risks to their workplaces and businesses,” she pointed out. “At SES Headquarters in Ohio, we’ve implemented a body temperature measurement device at the entrance of our facility to minimize the possibility of exposure between our associates while at work. This is just another step we, along with the entire security industry, can take to help keep our communities and workplaces safe and healthy, now and in the future.”  

Artificial Intelligence

One of the most exciting new and growing technologies in the security industry, according to Hall, is artificial intelligence (AI).

“AI is an incredibly powerful, data-rich technology that provides many benefits to the security industry that can help keep people and businesses safe,” she said. “Watching how this evolves over time will be interesting.”

As the world continues the fight against COVID-19, Hall offered a few keys to success to overcome challenges that the pandemic has created.

“We need to be hyper-adaptive to be able to overcome obstacles quickly and efficiently,” she said. “We must accommodate client demands and massive disruptions seamlessly by being prepared for the unexpected. Solid Disaster Recovery [DR] plans are a must and have proven essential to SES’s successful operations during this critical time!

“In addition, providing a secure and stable foundation which delivers the flexibility to take on new challenges both for our associates personally and professionally is key.”

Security Industry is Evolving

When asked about the future of the security industry going forward, Hall noted its constantly developing nature. 

“If one thing is evident, it’s that the industry is evolving,” she pointed out. “We’re always seeing new technologies that continue to influence the way professionals manage their security operations and the way our teams provide service.”   

She added that diversity and collaboration will be instrumental in getting more talented, diverse young people involved in security.

“It’s important to understand that the viewpoint of our associates is as important as our industry peers,” Hall explained. “A good industry leader will always listen, respect and encourage. Diversity is the source of a great team’s strength because it provides unique skill sets. As leaders, we need to foster that collaboration with our younger team members and spend the time mentoring them into roles they can excel in.

“From my experience at Securitas, my leadership has respected and guided me into a successful role that fits my strengths and allows me to be successful. My goal is to pay that forward to younger team members who may be starting off as that contractor in the call center just like myself 16 years ago.”