As the facilities management profession marks World FM Day 2026 (13th May), the theme “Cultivating belonging through built environments” shines a light on a truth FM professionals have long understood: buildings only work when people feel safe, welcomed and supported within them.
Few roles reflect this evolution more clearly than that of the modern security officer.
Once viewed primarily as gatekeepers, charged with enforcing access and maintaining order, today’s security teams are increasingly recognised as integral contributors to workplace experience.
The modern workplace is no longer just a place people come to perform tasks; it’s a living environment where safety, service, and experience intersect. And with that evolution, the role of the manned security officer has been transformed.
Darryl Bedding, regional security director, Corporate Services, Sodexo UK & Ireland looks at how security teams are at the front line of the built environment, and their role in influencing how inclusive, safe and connected a space feels from the very first interaction.
Security as a function of belonging
Today’s officers are no longer just custodians of security they are ambassadors of the workplace experience, blending professionalism, technology, and customer service in equal measure.
In hybrid, people centred workplaces, security is no longer just about protection; it is about reassurance. Officers are often the first and last point of contact for employees and visitors alike, playing a pivotal role in creating environments where people feel they belong.
From greeting employees by name to supporting visitors with confidence and empathy, modern security officers act as experience ambassadors, helping to shape perceptions of a workplace long before facilities, technology or design come into play.
Technology enabling human connection
Technology has accelerated this shift. AI assisted CCTV, mobile reporting tools and digital visitor management systems are now commonplace across complex estates. Crucially, these tools free officers from routine, process heavy tasks, allowing them to focus on people rather than procedures.
Rather than replacing the human element, innovation is augmenting it, providing officers with better situational awareness and real time intelligence while reinforcing the personal interactions that build trust, confidence and belonging within spaces.
The result is a security function that is predictive rather than reactive, supportive rather than distant, and fully embedded within the wider FM ecosystem.
In celebrating security officers as part of the FM profession, the industry acknowledges a simple but powerful idea: if people feel safe, welcomed and respected the moment they walk through the door, everything else that follows works better.
