Maintaining an adequate workforce level is one of the most prominent challenges facing employers in the 21st century. Recruiting candidates for a law enforcement career is one of the most significant challenges facing law enforcement agencies in the 21st century; regardless of whether the agency is large or small. Studies routinely demonstrate these challenges are magnified due to a diminished pool of candidates considering law enforcement as a career, increased attrition rates, increased responsibilities, low compensation and a social media atmosphere not conducive to law enforcement.
Unfortunately, these challenges have not escaped the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office in its struggle to fill vacant law enforcement and civilian support positions. The Sheriff’s Office has pursued numerous avenues to recruit quality candidates to fill these positions. However, as the Sheriff’s Office navigates the nuances of recruiting quality candidates, the results have been less than stellar. Nevertheless, tackling the topic of recruiting and retaining staff ought to remain a top priority. Therefore, both recruitment and retention will be addressed in this action plan.
Recruitment Activities
During the past several years, the Sheriff’s Office Personnel Division explored and pursued numerous venues for recruiting qualified candidates. These avenues include: • Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City and similar groups • Majority of local city Chamber of Commerce • Urban League of Greater Kansas City • Mid-American Asian Association • NAACP • El Centro • Sheriff’s Office Career Fair • College career fairs • Military career fairs • Skills USA and Kansas Works • Regional Police Academies in Missouri • Radio and Television advertisement • Employee Referral Bonus • Modified the Civil Service Exam to an on-line exam from a paper exam In 2015 alone, the Sheriff’s Office Personnel Division attended 39 different recruiting and career events. This is surpassed by the activity of the Division in 2016, as 55 different events have been attended or are on the schedule to attend. In the past two years, 94 different recruiting events have been attended with an average of 3.9 per month. Unfortunately, the Sheriff’s Office has noticed limited interest in the number of candidates pursuing a career in law enforcement. As an example, in 2015, the Civilian Specialist position was advertised four times on the Applicant Tracking System, ATS. While the initial interest in the position appeared to be exceptionally positive, with 3,199 candidates viewing the position posting, true interest did not materialize. Even though 3,199 candidates viewed the opening, the number of actual applications received were miniscule in comparison, with 304 PHP’s returned. Of those potential candidates, 35 were hired. Moreover, from January 2015 through May 2016, 546 deputy candidates completed the Civil Service Exam. …show more content…
Those candidates scoring 70% or better, totaling 410 people, automatically receive a Personal History Packet, PHP. Disappointedly, only 219 candidates submitted the PHP for employment. Upon completion of the background investigation process, 51 candidates were hired. Unfortunately, only 40.1% of the candidates initially taking the Civil Service Exam submitted the PHP and of those, only 23.2% were qualified and hired. To put this in perspective, of the 546 candidates who initially completed the Civil Service Exam, only a small portion, a little over 9.3%, were qualified and offered employment. Although there are many aspects in understanding the issues of recruiting and retaining qualified candidates, in reviewing the Sheriff’s Office recruiting efforts, it is paramount to first evaluate and scrutinize the overall processes to fully comprehend the successes and struggles. After all, a one-size-fits-all approach is not practical. For starters, if recruiting successes are the only aspect evaluated, a true picture is not obtained. As the chart below outlines, as far back as 2012 the Sheriff’s Office has hired on average over 40 staff members each year. For perspective, from 2012 through September 01, 2016, the Sheriff’s Office has hired 253 staff members. With an overall staffing allocation of 658, the amount of staff hired is impressive. As such, the current 68 vacant positions at the Sheriff’s Office could have been filled multiple times. However, this statistic only tells a fraction of the issues facing the Sheriff’s Office. Staff Attrition Another factor worth considering in the staffing process is
Unfortunately, these challenges have not escaped the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office in its struggle to fill vacant law enforcement and civilian support positions. The Sheriff’s Office has pursued numerous avenues to recruit quality candidates to fill these positions. However, as the Sheriff’s Office navigates the nuances of recruiting quality candidates, the results have been less than stellar. Nevertheless, tackling the topic of recruiting and retaining staff ought to remain a top priority. Therefore, both recruitment and retention will be addressed in this action plan.
Recruitment Activities
During the past several years, the Sheriff’s Office Personnel Division explored and pursued numerous venues for recruiting qualified candidates. These avenues include: • Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City and similar groups • Majority of local city Chamber of Commerce • Urban League of Greater Kansas City • Mid-American Asian Association • NAACP • El Centro • Sheriff’s Office Career Fair • College career fairs • Military career fairs • Skills USA and Kansas Works • Regional Police Academies in Missouri • Radio and Television advertisement • Employee Referral Bonus • Modified the Civil Service Exam to an on-line exam from a paper exam In 2015 alone, the Sheriff’s Office Personnel Division attended 39 different recruiting and career events. This is surpassed by the activity of the Division in 2016, as 55 different events have been attended or are on the schedule to attend. In the past two years, 94 different recruiting events have been attended with an average of 3.9 per month. Unfortunately, the Sheriff’s Office has noticed limited interest in the number of candidates pursuing a career in law enforcement. As an example, in 2015, the Civilian Specialist position was advertised four times on the Applicant Tracking System, ATS. While the initial interest in the position appeared to be exceptionally positive, with 3,199 candidates viewing the position posting, true interest did not materialize. Even though 3,199 candidates viewed the opening, the number of actual applications received were miniscule in comparison, with 304 PHP’s returned. Of those potential candidates, 35 were hired. Moreover, from January 2015 through May 2016, 546 deputy candidates completed the Civil Service Exam. …show more content…
Those candidates scoring 70% or better, totaling 410 people, automatically receive a Personal History Packet, PHP. Disappointedly, only 219 candidates submitted the PHP for employment. Upon completion of the background investigation process, 51 candidates were hired. Unfortunately, only 40.1% of the candidates initially taking the Civil Service Exam submitted the PHP and of those, only 23.2% were qualified and hired. To put this in perspective, of the 546 candidates who initially completed the Civil Service Exam, only a small portion, a little over 9.3%, were qualified and offered employment. Although there are many aspects in understanding the issues of recruiting and retaining qualified candidates, in reviewing the Sheriff’s Office recruiting efforts, it is paramount to first evaluate and scrutinize the overall processes to fully comprehend the successes and struggles. After all, a one-size-fits-all approach is not practical. For starters, if recruiting successes are the only aspect evaluated, a true picture is not obtained. As the chart below outlines, as far back as 2012 the Sheriff’s Office has hired on average over 40 staff members each year. For perspective, from 2012 through September 01, 2016, the Sheriff’s Office has hired 253 staff members. With an overall staffing allocation of 658, the amount of staff hired is impressive. As such, the current 68 vacant positions at the Sheriff’s Office could have been filled multiple times. However, this statistic only tells a fraction of the issues facing the Sheriff’s Office. Staff Attrition Another factor worth considering in the staffing process is