How to Retain Your GSOC’s Most Valuable Asset: Employees
Hiring and retaining top talent ensures your GSOC continues to play a vital role as a strategic contributor to company operations
After over forty years in the industry, the one thing I’ve learned is that tragedy forces change. For example, the murders of our diplomats abroad in the 1970s, caused my old outfit (DSS) to create a 24/7 command center, mainly to take incoming calls of chaos and to make notifications. Historically, command centers in the public protection space mostly centered on operations and logistics, like monitoring the movement of motorcades and protective details. When I transitioned into the private sector in the late 1990s, GSOCs were not fully-baked. Most were security control centers, or operations run out of gatehouses at HNW estates, where it was the norm to find BOLOs taped to the walls with historical knowledge of threat actors in the minds of the old-timers.
What we see now is that GSOCs have evolved to become centers of business resiliency. They’re relied on to respond to incidents, proactively monitor trends, and anticipate issues. When a hurricane is expected to disrupt trucking and shipping, GSOCs usually coordinate with their counterparts in logistics. When employees are traveling, GSOC personnel research travel risks before the executive leaves and monitor local conditions while they are there. There are increasing requirements to monitor social media for threats, brand safety, and reputational issues.
As I shared in The Future of Security: Forecasts for 2025 and Beyond report, corporate leadership is increasingly recognizing the immense value of GSOCs, leading to greater funding and investment. With these increased investments, the need for qualified staff grows. However, identifying and retaining qualified personnel for a GSOC has long been a challenge — one that will only become more difficult as demand continues to rise.
For one thing, there’s the hours. Centers operate 24/7. Second, the skills needed to work inside a GSOC can be rare. Some GSOCs are staffed with generalists who know a little bit about cybersecurity, a little bit of physical security, and a little bit about risk management. Others have trained specialists capable of performing deep dives on new, advanced persistent threats. And no matter which category GSOC personnel fall into, they usually need a demonstrated ability to multitask, think critically, solve problems, and process lots and lots of information.
Finding the right candidate might be like finding a unicorn. Have you ever found a unicorn eager to work the night before Thanksgiving? Here’s how GSOC executives can attract and retain such valuable employees:
Use technology to make work more fulfilling
The right tools enhance what skilled analysts already do, acting as a force multiplier to help them work smarter, not harder. Advanced physical security software takes on time-intensive, repetitive tasks, freeing analysts to focus on the complex, high-value work they excel at. It also reduces the mental overload of monitoring countless data streams and organizing information into clear, actionable insights.
Platforms like the Ontic Converged Security Operations Console give analysts access to advanced OSINT tools, weather analysis, public events, and geographical risks so they can get earlier, contextualized visibility into potential threats.
Employees don’t want to feel like they are drowning in busy work. Investment in appropriate tooling sends a message to employees that their time is valuable and that the organization is committed to their success.
Build a career path to show growth
Building a professional, well-defined career ladder can significantly improve employee retention in GSOCs by giving staff a clear vision of their future within the organization. A robust pathway might start with entry-level roles like GSOC operators, who handle monitoring and basic incident response. From there, employees could move into roles as analysts, responsible for deeper investigations and trend analysis.
With experience, they might progress to senior analyst positions, where they lead complex projects or mentor junior staff. Beyond that, opportunities to become GSOC managers or even regional security directors can keep ambitious employees engaged and fulfilled long-term.
Along the way, employees can gain exposure to cross-functional initiatives — such as building information-sharing policies with human resources and legal teams, or collaborating with logistics teams to build proactive emergency response plans. These types of opportunities give GSOC staff a broader understanding of how security contributes to the overall success of the business.
Offer training to help the team grow and evolve
Training, professional conferences, and continuing education are essential for building a strong GSOC team and keeping up with the rapidly changing security landscape. Regular training on emerging threats, new technologies, and industry best practices ensures employees stay sharp and ready to respond. Offering opportunities to earn certifications or develop expertise in areas like threat intelligence, crisis management, or data analytics strengthens the team and gives employees a clear path for growth.
Beyond technical skills, leadership and communication training can prepare staff for higher-level roles and cross-department collaboration. Prioritizing professional development doesn’t just improve performance — it creates a workplace where employees feel valued and motivated to share their knowledge and build their careers.
Foster a culture of well-being
Foster a culture of well-being by recognizing the high-stress nature of the job and implementing proactive measures to reduce the impact of stress. That might mean providing access to mental health resources such as counseling or employee assistance programs, encouraging open communication about workload, and promoting a work-life balance through flexible scheduling and regular breaks.
Additionally, recognition can significantly boost morale. Build an environment where achievements are acknowledged, and employees feel valued. By prioritizing mental health and demonstrating appreciation, you can improve your team’s retention rate and strengthen your GSOC’s overall effectiveness.
Leaders don’t just fill seats. They build teams.
Retaining GSOC talent is about building a team that thrives in an environment of opportunity, innovation, and support. Building that culture requires leadership and strategic initiative to champion new technologies, create new career paths, and develop continuing education opportunities.
These efforts can pay off in reduced turnover and improvements in employee engagement. But more importantly, retaining talent ensures your GSOC continues to play a vital role as a strategic contributor to company operations — ready to adapt to future demands and drive business resiliency in an increasingly complex world.
