Contemporary Recruiting and Retention Concerns

Anyone in law enforcement who has been around for more than 20 years clearly understands that recruiting in today’s world is very different from what it was in 2005. Going back even further, it’s very different from what it was in 1985. As we look back though, and for those of you not old enough to remember some of those years, can we identify what really has changed in the recruits we seek?

Obviously, all recruits still need to be vetted to give reasonable assurance of professional conduct and good judgment capability. While we used to accept and prefer military veterans, across the years the preference skewed toward requiring higher education instead. As with most things, it seems, that trend is on a frequency wave length and some agencies who moved away from military recruits toward college graduates are now leaning back toward military veterans while still offering some incentives for the higher education. In many agencies, higher education has almost always been a prerequisite for promotion above certain levels, but for the purpose of this article, we’re talking about simply getting new recruits selected, hired and through the academy. With staffing numbers so low nationwide, is there some hidden secret to the selection process?

So what are we looking for today? Many would argue that the best recruit is a high school graduate that was a straight-A student and participated in social clubs. No agency today turns away high school athletes, but none seem to be actively seeking such either. If the recruit went into military service after high school, then we’re looking for the honorable discharge and a veteran who didn’t have disciplinary issues. If you find a recruit that was a Military Police Officer, Master at Arms or Special Police Officer you’ve got some bonus material. If your recruit is a Coast Guard veteran, then there’s a good chance that they’ve also already done some law enforcement work or related duties.

Many agencies require an Associates Degree or equivalent credits, with a preference for Criminal Justice focus. The recruit has to be confident enough to be well-spoken during oral interviews, fit enough to pass entry fitness tests, able to pass any required written test and of sufficient mental stability to get cleared through the psychological profile testing. We want recruits who demonstrate reasonable financial responsibility and, if they are college graduates who held jobs while going to school, have good references from former employers. Interestingly, in today’s world (as compared to 20+ years ago) our potential recruits have to demonstrate a greater sense of diplomacy as shown through their social media interactions and other traceable/trackable online participation.

Much of what we look at in potential recruits is subjective, and we have to be careful not to let personal prejudices affect our hiring selections. Jobs should be offered based on merit understanding that some portions of the hiring process are inherently subjective. During the oral interviews, it’s not humanly possible for those on the board to be 100% objective. They all have preferences in articulated values, background performance and more. During the psychological evaluation process, even if the agency is contracting out or has their own licensed clinical psychologist, any written evaluative test has to be accompanied by an oral interview with the “doc.” There is a potential difference between those on the oral board and the psychologist performing the evaluation, though: The psychologist should have complete access to the recruit’s background investigation. Those on the oral board may not need it, and in fact shouldn’t need it. If the recruit has reached the point of the first (and sometimes only) oral board, then they’ve already passed all of the preceding parts of the process. However, for the psychologist to provide a comprehensive evaluation, s/he needs access to the complete background file.

Getting to that point may be the biggest challenge in today’s world though. Society, depending on where you are in the country, may not place as much value on various personality traits as other areas do. It’s safe to assume that what the Sheriff in a sparsely populated agricultural area is looking for differs greatly from what the Chief of Police in a rural agency deems as necessary. Officers who work in densely populated areas may not have to display as much independence as those who work where backup might be 30+ minutes away. Such factors should obviously be taken into consideration when selecting recruits and when hiring based on merit, those are factors that need to be justified as necessary.

It’s an unfortunate reality that in today’s world you, as a department or agency head, might need to defend your selection process. There are plenty of people who apply for jobs simply to prove that they can qualify, and potentially even anticipating (hoping?) that they’ll be disqualified so they can file a lawsuit against the agency.

Therefore, you should be able to articulate the standards for every step in the process to include a description of the personal characteristics your agency considers necessary and why for a successful career. Remember that it’s not just about hiring people who can get through the academy and exercise decent judgment on the street. It’s about selecting the candidate that best services the agency and the community. The community values also have an impact on what recruits your agency should and shouldn’t hire within reasonable boundaries. Most, if not all, states set minimum standards, but nothing stops your agency from setting higher or additional standards provided you can clearly articulate the need for them.

Past that, your biggest challenge is reaching your potential recruits to let them know you’re hiring and what your agency has to offer. Remember this: During any recruitment drive, the best officers you have closest to the age of recruitment are your best recruiters. They have the best idea of what will attract the new recruits and how to reach them via every outlet available. “Traditional” recruiting, as we knew it a generation ago, won’t work.