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Modern media is obsessed with looking inside the minds of criminals. But these stories aren’t just plotlines in Hollywood; understanding psychology—particularly the underlying dynamics motivating human behavior and decision-making in escalating or criminal contexts—is an essential perspective to protect businesses and their employees. Anticipating and managing risks for a business, such as workplace violence or insider threats, requires more than securing a facility’s perimeter. No matter the industry, safety issues at organizations of all sizes often arise because of an employee, client, or former associate who feels wronged.
A security professional’s expertise comes into play long before a crime is reported. The best way to deal with workplace violence is to identify and diffuse problems before they occur. Ensuring that expertise in psychology is represented on our investigations and threat management team helps businesses understand employee behavior, along with the motivations and frustrations of employees who engage in concerning communications and behaviors.
At Pinkerton, our approach combines advanced threat assessment with an understanding of psychology in the workplace, giving our team a better grasp of the people and issues that could threaten a business. These advanced methods garner crucial insights that inform a safer workplace and minimize organizational liability. By integrating psychological insights with other disciplines, we offer clients industry-leading comprehensive security services.
Psychology: Understanding Human Behavior & Motivations in Criminal, Investigative, and Operational Contexts
Pinkerton’s multidisciplinary approach to security draws on the wide-reaching skill sets and abilities of our experts. Our response team brings together leaders with decades of experience in clinical and forensic psychology, law enforcement, federal investigations, human resources, employee relations, and criminal law. This collective approach allows our team to identify, assess, and manage high-risk situations with a coordinated response tailored to each client’s needs.
Our operational psychology expertise covers human behavior, motivation, cognition, and personality types, which is then applied to assist investigations, assess risk for violence, and manage concerns. Because of this, the objective is to assess behavioral patterns that may be associated with increased risk.
Behavioral Analysis in Corporate Settings: A Proactive Approach
Our operational psychologist focuses on behavioral analysis and science-based risk measures, rather than formal diagnoses, which is crucial for both preventative and responsive measures. Before speaking with a person of concern, our team first connects with supervisors, human resources, and other coworkers to get a better understanding of the person who may be posing a threat and the situational factors around them. This data is used to develop an in-depth understanding of the subject before a conversation with them even takes place.
The goal is to provide support to employees who are experiencing extreme stress and implement measures that are associated with a reduced level of concern for targeted violence.
Maximizing Information in an Investigation
Unfortunately, workplace safety isn’t always solved by providing support. At times, a perceived threat is moments away from being an active one. Pinkerton’s team understands that people who pose threats may not perceive the world as others do — sometimes due to mental health conditions, stressors, or other factors.
Our investigative process is designed to build rapport and allow the person of concern to share their perspective openly. With an empathetic approach, our threat management team can guide the conversation without directly challenging the subject’s perceptions, which can derail cooperation.
In one recent case, our threat management experts interviewed a subject involved in celebrity stalking. Our team developed an empathetic, non-confrontational approach to establish initial contact with the individual and sustained the rapport-based dynamic, which proved crucial for building trust and subsequent cooperation throughout the investigation.
Empathy, Security, and the Human Element
Ultimately, the goal of this empathetic approach is relationship-building to allow the subject to feel comfortable enough to engage further, and thus possibly offer insights that may otherwise remain hidden. When people — even those who may be perceived as threats — feel understood and valued, they’re more likely to open up about details regarding their intentions, motivations, and frustrations.
Empathy is not just a moral imperative in the world of corporate security, it’s also a practical one. Trying to understand, rather than blame, at-risk individuals can defuse situations that may otherwise turn volatile. This allows organizations to handle sensitive, highly emotional issues safely, even in situations like an involuntary employee separation. By making an effort to connect with the emotional experiences of individuals, we support a more secure and functional work environment while also taking a proactive approach to managing fear among the broader workforce.
The integration of psychological expertise into our security teams puts Pinkerton in a class of its own. Workplace safety isn’t solely found in catching a bad actor in the act of committing a crime — it starts long before that with the creation of a security model that respects and responds to the complexities of human behavior. In a field where stakes are high, our psychology experts bring safer outcomes, reduced risks, and ultimately a better workplace environment for our clients and their teams.
