NCJ Number
215517
Date Published
April 2006
Length
237 pages
Annotation
This report provides information and resources that update best practices for California law enforcement agencies to use in improving their personnel recruitment and retention procedures.
Abstract
The report provides an overview of current and projected changes in California population demographics and discusses the impact these changes may have on law enforcement agencies' recruitment and retention policies and practices. It identifies hiring trends and potential competition for qualified candidates. Findings are presented from a survey of police academy recruits regarding where they had difficulty in the selection process, what motivated them to choose a specific agency for employment, and what recruitment strategies attracted them to the profession. Results are also presented from a survey of attendees at the 2001 Recruitment Symposium. The survey asked respondents about any new recruitment strategies they implemented in their agencies as a result of attending the symposium. In addition, the report presents the outcome of focus groups composed of experts in recruitment and retention from outside of law enforcement. These groups discussed best practices in recruitment and retention. The report also highlights strategies developed by participants who attended the Recruitment and Retention Symposium 2005. Among the topics covered in this report are recruitment from a diverse population, the development of a recruitment strategic plan, development of an advertising plan, improving the selection process, how to personalize the recruitment process, and selecting and training recruiters. Other issues addressed are the development of an employee referral program, the creation of employee friendly policies that improve retention, and the development of a succession plan for recruiting management personnel. 108 references and 8 appendixes that include sample survey instruments and supplementary material