BCSI growing to meet industry's demand for talent

BROOMFIELD, Colo.—When Rebecca Bayne founded Bayne Consulting & Search in 2013, her idea was simple: Provide focused, quality-driven consulting, search and recruitment for the physical security integration and fire and life safety industries. Nearly five years later, she has remained true to that mantra, building a strong brand and reputation in the industry as a “go-to” recruiter for top talent.

“I never wavered from the integration piece, because I really enjoyed that part of the business,” Bayne told Security Systems News. “That was always my plan and strategy—to become an expert in this area for the benefit of our clients and for the benefit of the candidates we represent.”

As the industry has evolved over the past decade—with physical security and IT converging—hiring quality people has become an even greater challenge for many integration companies today.

“Many of the top physical security integrators are working with us because they need great people with exceptional talent—and they know that we understand their specific needs, especially with my background in security and IT recruiting,” said Bayne, who recently hired a new recruiter, Nicole Riggs, to help meet the ever-increasing demand for BCSI's services. Riggs joins Lindsey Mailloux, senior recruiter, and Kelley Latimer, recruiter/research assistant.

“Nicole brings a recent background in technology companies, which I believe will be exceptionally beneficial,” said Bayne. “The language spoken and approach it takes to draw in talent from that space—these contribute to the value she brings to BCSI.”

With 20-plus years' experience in search and recruitment and a total commitment to the physical security integration space since 2001, Bayne and her staff work closely with clients and potential hires to make sure there is a good fit.

“Lindsey is a millennial, Nicole and Kelley are Gen Xers, and I am a baby boomer—so we have a nice representation of all of the age brackets. This is critical in the work that we do—to be able to relate to the needs of the candidates in each of those generational brackets,” she explained. “Additionally, we need to make sure that we understand each security integrator's needs. As we grow, I want to continue our work with the 'A players'—the leaders in the security integration space—on what is important to them as they grow their businesses.”

She continued, “We don't want to fill every position, but rather the ones that are the biggest challenges for our clients—this is what we are known for.”

Although a candidate with specialty certifications, such as the Certified Information Systems Security Professional or CISSP, is “worth their weight in gold,” Bayne pointed out that companies today still heavily weigh how a candidate will fit into the overall company culture.

“Whether it is working with very large multi-national integrators or boutique super regionals or small to midsize companies, it is remarkable how much the cultural piece has to be a fit in order for it to be a long-term success for both the candidate and the company,” she said. “In more cases than not, the biggest demand is for a temperament, a personality, a motivation level and dedication to our industry, which fits a culture—in a much greater way than a specific skill.”

Over the past few years, though, she noted companies have become “extremely more focused” on finding IT-savvy professionals. “Any level of IT fluency is critical for most field and technical positions—for any position that is a higher than entry or junior level,” she said. “These companies need people who are able to speak to the IT decision makers, work responsibly and with awareness of their IT infrastructure, and feel comfortable at the table when those discussions are happening with customers.”

Bayne and her team also spend time each day doing research, trying to stay on top of new technology and trends. “This is why I go to the major trade shows and why I take my team,” she said. “I want them to see the technology first-hand, participate in the conversations, and be knowledgeable of the importance of this new technology, as our best integrators are operating at the forefront of all of that.”

She also stressed the importance of a work-life balance, for her employees as well as for the candidates she works with.

“Although we are very driven here—the work that we do can be quite intense—we have a lot of fun, too,” she said. “We also have a lot of fun with our clients, and many have become friends over the years. Many of the best people in this industry work hard and play hard. If you are passionate about life, you are generally passionate about your work. We love what we do! This is one of many reasons I am thankful every day for the business of BCSI, as well as the clients and candidates we serve.”