The ISO 27001 certification is an internationally recognised information security management standard.
To achieve the certification, G4S underwent a robust audit to ensure that:
G4S Employment Screening and Vetting provides many services to a wide range of commercial customers. Those services include carrying out a range of checks, from full pre-employment checks through to confirmations of finances, identity and qualifications.
Professional and accurate employment screening
Adrian Taylor, the managing director of G4S Employment Screening and Vetting, commented: “This is a great achievement. We’re very proud to be the first recipient of this certification from the NSI. G4S Employment Screening and Vetting provides professional and accurate employment screening checks to businesses, so it’s very rewarding that the NSI has recognised our commitment to information security within our business.”
Jeff Little, the chief executive of the NSI, stated: “We’re pleased to have issued our first ISO 27001 certification to G4S: it symbolises the hard work and dedication they put into ensuring that they protect and secure both their company information and that of their customers.”
Little added: “The ISO 27001 certification provides customers with the peace of mind that G4S works to the highest recognised industry standards.”
G4S receives double accolades at Onrec Online Recruitment Industry Awards
The world’s second largest multinational private sector employer with more than 625,000 employees worldwide, G4S secured two prestigious honours at this year’s Onrec Online Recruitment Industry Awards.
The company won the accolade for Best Candidate Service for its “highly innovative” online careers centre, which provides centralised access to all global vacancies within the group.
In addition, G4S’ group head of resourcing, Colin Minto, was recognised for his outstanding contribution to the online recruitment industry over the past 12 months as he scooped the Industry Personality of the Year Award.
Uniquely, G4S was the only company to secure a double win at the Onrec awards, which were handed out at a glittering ceremony at the Grange City Hotel in London on 23 March.
Delivering a Best Practice service
The awards are organised by Onrec, the online recruitment magazine for HR directors, personnel managers, jobs boards and recruiters providing up-to-date information on the Internet recruitment industry.
The Candidate Service Award was open to those online recruitment organisations that deliver ‘Best Practice’ services for job seekers, such as CV writing tips, advice on searching and applying for work and, of course, access to relevant job opportunities.
Colin Minto said: “The benefit of G4S’ online careers centre is that it allows job seekers anywhere in the world to understand the real G4S, register and apply for jobs intuitively, be continually and intelligently matched to relevant job opportunities and become ‘job ready’ in quick time.”
In addition, job seekers can join G4S forums and communities to discuss career and industry issues, and link their social media profiles to their G4S job seeker profile.
“The careers centre also enables G4S to build engaged talent pools and continually and consistently promote its employer brand on a global basis,” explained Minto.
“With over 50,000 registered users and 80,000 unique visitors a month, our hiring managers have access to an active database of potential employees, reducing the need to advertise externally or use third party recruitment services.”
Minto also collected the Onrec.com award for Personality of the Year. He was recognised for his outstanding contribution to the development of the online recruitment industry through the creation and development of the innovative G4S careers centre, and his work aimed at advancing the cause of direct sourcing and in-house recruiting.
Irene Cowden, group HR director, said: “Since joining G4S, Colin has helped us revolutionise our approach to online recruiting and launched the new careers platform. It’s fantastic that he’s being recognised by the industry for the work he has done.”
Cowden concluded: “I firmly believe that what we have achieved at G4S is class leading and a game changer in terms of corporate resourcing strategy and the application of innovative technological recruiting solutions.”
G4S urges businesses to better prepare for potential disruption caused by malicious activism
In advance of the day itself, G4S Secure Solutions warned that significant numbers of businesses were underprepared to cope with potential acts of vandalism during the recent mass demonstration in London.
While those attending the TUC-organised march were expected to be peaceful, the Metropolitan Police had warned that there was intelligence of extremist groups hi-jacking the event.
In a visual risk and vulnerability inspection conducted of the exterior of companies’ premises in central London, G4S said that around 50% of those assessed displayed obvious points of weakness or security issues that could make them more vulnerable to criminal behaviour during protests.
The UK has seen a plethora of demonstrations over recent months based around issues ranging from fuel price increases and environmental concerns through to the much-publicised student protests at the end of last year.
Cover to cause criminal damage
G4S has warned that among the largely peaceful demonstrations, there has been a significant rise in incidents resulting in damage and injury to business premises, employees and operations.
The company believes these incidents are, on occasion, maliciously targeted at businesses with a militant minority using an otherwise peaceful demonstration as cover to cause criminal damage to indiscriminate targets.
Numbers at the TUC march were expected to be swelled by unofficial ‘feeder’ marches involving anarchist groups, some of which reportedly planned to invade banks and Oxford Street shops linked to those companies accused of tax avoidance.
G4S feels that many companies are not fully prepared for the continual and evolving threats now posed by UK-based activist groups.
John Whitwam, the managing director of G4S Gurkha Services, said: “We appreciate that everyone holds the right to peaceful protest. However, we are experiencing an increasing trend in malicious activity taking place during protests and advise that businesses take appropriate steps to mitigate the higher level of risk brought about by the possibility of a protest getting out of hand.”
Whitwam also said: “While we find that 99% of protestors are peaceful, there is sometimes a more extremist element present with the sole purpose of ‘hi-jacking’ an event to cause trouble and inciting fear. We have seen a rising number of companies and their employees targeted directly by activist groups as part of a sustained, and in some cases aggressive campaign.”
Weakening the leadership of extremist groups
G4S believes that advances in the resources and legislative powers given to law enforcement agencies to track anti-globalisation protestors and prosecute animal rights extremists has succeeded in weakening the leadership of certain extremist groups.
However, the organisation also suggests that these counter-measures have led to radical splinter groups forming to carry out more covert operations.
G4S is urging companies to ensure they have adequate and up-to-date systems and procedures in place to mitigate the risks posed by activist groups, and has outlined some of the risk mitigation measures that companies should put in place in order to ensure business continuity if they are concerned about protests…
Mainstream and underground campaigns
G4S warns that apart from becoming involved in physical demonstrations, activists are also using a range of new tactics designed to cause maximum disruption to businesses and their employees.
These tactics come in two principle forms: mainstream and underground campaigns.
Mainstream corporate publicity campaigns against organisations through the media and the Internet can include:
Underground campaigns, often directed against individuals, can include:
