When people think about security in the workplace, they sometimes let their imaginations go a little overboard. They think that serious security is reserved for agencies with fingerprint and retina scanning. People tend to forget how important security is in a creative environment.
The public tend to be more curious about creative projects than other forms of work. Let’s say you own a video game company. Having worked in video games studios myself for many years, I can tell you that people are always trying to sneak in to find out about projects. Not only that, but I’ve seen my fair share of studios getting robbed of exclusive video game equipment due to a lack of security.
So what can you do to keep your employees safe, as well as your creative endeavours?
Identify risks
There are the more general risks that come with every office, both physical and info-related. Pretty much any office is a target for burglaries due to their extensive use of computers and expensive equipment. But are there risks that are unique to your industry? Or even to your specific company? Let’s say you’re doing commission work for a bigger company, work that needs to be kept secret. Not only is that a risk for your office; it’s also a risk for the other company, as well as your reputation. Identify all the risks, sort them in order of severity and potential damage, and get to work protecting yourselves.
Negate common human error
An office is mostly made up of humans, and humans are the cause of the vast majority of errors in the workplace. You can’t replace all your employees with robots quite yet, though! Until the day, you need to take some measures against common human error.
For example, people often forget to lock doors. In many offices, this isn’t a problem during the day, as doors leading to the office lock automatically. They usually require key cards or fobs to allow for re-entry. If you don’t have such a system in place, speak to your landlord. You should also be looking into software that removes the need for physical evidence. An example is accounting software, which removes the need to keep bookkeeping on paper. Accounts can reveal much more than you may think!
Create a culture of safety and security
It’s important that everyone in your company knows how important it is to stay secure. This means you have to outline security rules. Don’t leave things unsaid, assuming they’re common sense measures. By highlighting even the obvious ones, you’re instilling added weight to the security culture of your office.
Make sure everyone shuts doors properly when moving in and out of the office; no leaving the door open with a locked latch! Outline to everybody the protocol if there is someone outside wanting to get in. Who is that person here to see? A guest should be able to verify themselves to any of your employees. Employees should sign a nondisclosure agreement, protecting everyone from project talk outside the office.
Want to learn more?
It’s as simple as 1… 2… 3…
- Just starting out? CLICK HERE
- Been working in your business for two years or more? CLICK HERE
- Try coworking at CoSydney – Check us out! Book a FREE TRIAL DAY
We’re here to help you to take action just like we’ve helped thousands of other entrepreneurs, business owers and creative professionals all around the globe.
Now is the time to let your passion SHINE.
Now is the time to Make Tomorrow Today!
To your success,
Vinh Van Lam & Stuart Horrex
Your Coaches CoSydney & ArtSHINE
