How is your commitment? I don’t mean commitment as in your marriage or in a relationship...I don’t even mean committed like you need to be put in the “nut house”. What I’m talking about is the type of commitment the people working in your office need to have. How committed are they to the cause?
So first things first...what is your cause? Your cause is recruiting the best applicants for the job with the best diversity which reflects your community. Easy enough right? Wrong if you don’t have the commitment if your staff. This is where the rubber meets the road. How dedicated and committed are the people who work for you?
I will be the first to say that I couldn’t have done half the things I’ve done in the world of police recruiting had it not been for the people who work for me. Each one of them is special in there own way and have their own specialities as well. I will always be in their debt.
To begin, starting with the highest in seniority, I have my wise old owl, or like some people in the unit call him “old and busted”. He is the one that handles everything while I’m gone and he is also the one person that if he complains I know to really listen. Next comes my “investigator”. She is the one person in the unit that takes the background investigations to a whole new level. She turns every investigation into a full blown crime scene investigation and has the best judgment to go with it...can’t get any better than that! The next person in seniority is my artist. He is the person who thinks “out of the box”, although he would probably hate to hear me say that. Next we have the last person to join the unit. No matter what is going on, she is always willing to be there. I like to think of her as the “rock”. Always vigilant and always strong, always ready to take on more than she should. Finally, we have our personnel specialist in the unit. Without her the office wouldn’t function. Not only is she my right hand but handles all the scheduling for the unit.
So, there you have it...the team. Now I’m not saying that each of them doesn’t have their share of negatives, but they are truly the best group of people I’ve ever worked with. Notice I didn’t say “...have ever worked for me?” That’s because in the unit we work together. The unit is not run like a typical police unit, but more like a private family owned business. When we need to pull together we do, but I trust everyone to do their job without having to be micromanaged.
But what makes the team the best I’ve ever been a part of is their commitment to the job. Even on days where we are all at each other’s throats, the team stays committed to the job, the focus of finding the best applicant’s for the job. This is true commitment. Just like a family the team is committed to each other but also to the greater goal...the greater purpose.
So, do you want to make a difference in your recruiting? Find a team of people who are committed to the task at hand. You can’t get any better than that.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
CHEAP RECRUITING FOUND HERE!
So what do you do when you don’t have money and you don’t have the luxury of buying your media? Well there are a number of free marketing activities that you can engage in and every one of them really doesn’t cost anything more than your time.
1. Visit your local college campus! Now most police recruiters will go to college career fairs, but have you ever taken the time to walk the campus and visit with students, especially within universities who have criminal justice curriculums? You will be surprised how reception staff, students and faculty will be if you ask to speak to their classes or even just socialize before or after class.
2. Make friends with the local media! Take the time to chat with your local media station and ask them if they would be willing to broadcast a story on your recruiting efforts and need for applications. It is free and will give you some really great exposure, regardless as to whether it is a video or written story.
3. Steal from the police! Have you ever targeted other police agencies in your area? Take the time to visit other police departments and get to know their officers. Recruit like a college NFL coach, find the best and bring them to your department!
4. Work the military angle! Take the time to visit the military installations or even small reserve units. What a great way to bring some very qualified applicants to your department, not to mention this is a great way to establish a rapport with the military leaders in your city or community.
Recruiting without money is not as hard as you may think, but it just takes time to work out some of the minor details. Remember, money really doesn’t grow on trees but especially on the tree of the government sector.
1. Visit your local college campus! Now most police recruiters will go to college career fairs, but have you ever taken the time to walk the campus and visit with students, especially within universities who have criminal justice curriculums? You will be surprised how reception staff, students and faculty will be if you ask to speak to their classes or even just socialize before or after class.
2. Make friends with the local media! Take the time to chat with your local media station and ask them if they would be willing to broadcast a story on your recruiting efforts and need for applications. It is free and will give you some really great exposure, regardless as to whether it is a video or written story.
3. Steal from the police! Have you ever targeted other police agencies in your area? Take the time to visit other police departments and get to know their officers. Recruit like a college NFL coach, find the best and bring them to your department!
4. Work the military angle! Take the time to visit the military installations or even small reserve units. What a great way to bring some very qualified applicants to your department, not to mention this is a great way to establish a rapport with the military leaders in your city or community.
Recruiting without money is not as hard as you may think, but it just takes time to work out some of the minor details. Remember, money really doesn’t grow on trees but especially on the tree of the government sector.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Morale...it stinks!
Morale…it stinks!
So how is morale currently within your department? Well, unless you give out Xanax or Prozac at every roll call, I’m sure you always have a morale issue. I can truly say after 18 years I’ve never had a time when there wasn’t someone in my department and any other department for that matter, that didn’t have a bad morale problem. So why is morale a recruiter’s issue?
Let’s look at the following equation:
Positive Morale + Positive Retention = Effective Recruitment
What does this equation mean? It means that the best recruiters for any agency are the officers currently patrolled the streets. They are salesmen and saleswomen of every agency and if morale is bad and retention is an issue, then recruitment is definitely compromised. To have effective recruitment by your front line officers they must have a sense of pride, a sense of honor and their morale must be high.
Now as we all know, morale starts from the top and works its way down. If the Chief of Police or top city official is making decisions that directly attack the rank and file officers, you can’t do much to correct the morale issue. However, there are some minor front line supervisor’s suggestions that I do have to make a difference in the morale within your platoon, division, district or unit.
1. Reward officer’s good behavior. Just like we reward our children when they make good grades or good decisions, supervisors should reward their officers when they do the right thing, make a good arrest, or even just overall do a good job. Letters of commendation are always nice, but what about mailing them a letter of gratitude or even throwing your platoon a party at the division or district. Treat your officers like you would like to be treated and the reward really will be yours!
2. Provide officer’s with training. I know during the current recession that rewarding officers with requested training is not an easy thing to do but there are ways around the money issue. For example, look for federally funded courses and take the time to possibly forge partnerships so that funding can come from other sources.
3. Take time to make time. Take the time to allow your officers to have times to vent without negative impacts from supervisors. Make time to allow officers to feel free to do special details or focus on the issues they want to focus on. Heck, we give these officers the ability to take peoples rights away and even use deadly force if necessary, so why don’t we take the time to let them work they want to work.
Morale is something that is always an issue and always will be an issue. You will always have glass half empty officers in every department. The question is can you help them out by occasionally filling their glass?
So how is morale currently within your department? Well, unless you give out Xanax or Prozac at every roll call, I’m sure you always have a morale issue. I can truly say after 18 years I’ve never had a time when there wasn’t someone in my department and any other department for that matter, that didn’t have a bad morale problem. So why is morale a recruiter’s issue?
Let’s look at the following equation:
Positive Morale + Positive Retention = Effective Recruitment
What does this equation mean? It means that the best recruiters for any agency are the officers currently patrolled the streets. They are salesmen and saleswomen of every agency and if morale is bad and retention is an issue, then recruitment is definitely compromised. To have effective recruitment by your front line officers they must have a sense of pride, a sense of honor and their morale must be high.
Now as we all know, morale starts from the top and works its way down. If the Chief of Police or top city official is making decisions that directly attack the rank and file officers, you can’t do much to correct the morale issue. However, there are some minor front line supervisor’s suggestions that I do have to make a difference in the morale within your platoon, division, district or unit.
1. Reward officer’s good behavior. Just like we reward our children when they make good grades or good decisions, supervisors should reward their officers when they do the right thing, make a good arrest, or even just overall do a good job. Letters of commendation are always nice, but what about mailing them a letter of gratitude or even throwing your platoon a party at the division or district. Treat your officers like you would like to be treated and the reward really will be yours!
2. Provide officer’s with training. I know during the current recession that rewarding officers with requested training is not an easy thing to do but there are ways around the money issue. For example, look for federally funded courses and take the time to possibly forge partnerships so that funding can come from other sources.
3. Take time to make time. Take the time to allow your officers to have times to vent without negative impacts from supervisors. Make time to allow officers to feel free to do special details or focus on the issues they want to focus on. Heck, we give these officers the ability to take peoples rights away and even use deadly force if necessary, so why don’t we take the time to let them work they want to work.
Morale is something that is always an issue and always will be an issue. You will always have glass half empty officers in every department. The question is can you help them out by occasionally filling their glass?
Recruiting with Flair!
Recruiting with flair…
So what type of advertisement catches your eye? Is it one with an attractive woman or man? What about the colors they use or the scenery employed by the creator? Could it be just the product that captures your attention or even just the name brand?
This month we look at the use of flair in recruiting. So what is “flair” in regards to recruiting for law enforcement? Flair can be different things to different people. For example, I think of flair as something that gives the advertisement a special sense of style that no other product can give. Take the advertisements currently on the market for Mountain Dew, the “Do the Dew” commercials. The flair those commercials have relates to the new “X” generation, the “I want it now” generation, where information is immediate and up front. The commercials are exciting, fast paced and intense. Another example on the opposite end of the spectrum would be the Webster University commercials, where you hear majestic, regal type music in the background and a very intelligent orator tells you how great it would be for you to obtain your MBA at Webster’s University.
But again, what would be “flair” in a police recruiting environment? Well, for starters, think about the colors of your agency. Let’s say your departmental colors are a dark shade of green and white…then use those colors as the flair for your advertisements. But colors aren’t the only way to increase flair, what about an interesting picture or scenery. A great example of this form of flair would be highlighting your mounted patrol in an advertisement or displaying your Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT). Regardless of the flair you choose, it must be the three “B’s”:
1. Bold
2. Brilliant
3. Bada$$ (yes, that’s right!)
For the flair to be bold, it must stand out above all others in your target range. Therefore, you are competing against other law enforcement agencies and other first responders, so your flair must have a bold approach. As for brilliant, your flair must be bright as the top of the Chrysler Building…it must be so amazing that it catches the eye of the local television stations and even maybe the national scene. Finally, your flair must be bada$$! If you want your department to be something that every well fit young man and woman want to go to then your department must look and be the agency that fits their particular desires…it must be promoted to be the best of the best…the bada$$ agency of the US!
Now go and bring your three “B’s” to life!
So what type of advertisement catches your eye? Is it one with an attractive woman or man? What about the colors they use or the scenery employed by the creator? Could it be just the product that captures your attention or even just the name brand?
This month we look at the use of flair in recruiting. So what is “flair” in regards to recruiting for law enforcement? Flair can be different things to different people. For example, I think of flair as something that gives the advertisement a special sense of style that no other product can give. Take the advertisements currently on the market for Mountain Dew, the “Do the Dew” commercials. The flair those commercials have relates to the new “X” generation, the “I want it now” generation, where information is immediate and up front. The commercials are exciting, fast paced and intense. Another example on the opposite end of the spectrum would be the Webster University commercials, where you hear majestic, regal type music in the background and a very intelligent orator tells you how great it would be for you to obtain your MBA at Webster’s University.
But again, what would be “flair” in a police recruiting environment? Well, for starters, think about the colors of your agency. Let’s say your departmental colors are a dark shade of green and white…then use those colors as the flair for your advertisements. But colors aren’t the only way to increase flair, what about an interesting picture or scenery. A great example of this form of flair would be highlighting your mounted patrol in an advertisement or displaying your Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT). Regardless of the flair you choose, it must be the three “B’s”:
1. Bold
2. Brilliant
3. Bada$$ (yes, that’s right!)
For the flair to be bold, it must stand out above all others in your target range. Therefore, you are competing against other law enforcement agencies and other first responders, so your flair must have a bold approach. As for brilliant, your flair must be bright as the top of the Chrysler Building…it must be so amazing that it catches the eye of the local television stations and even maybe the national scene. Finally, your flair must be bada$$! If you want your department to be something that every well fit young man and woman want to go to then your department must look and be the agency that fits their particular desires…it must be promoted to be the best of the best…the bada$$ agency of the US!
Now go and bring your three “B’s” to life!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Social Media...
Social Media…what’s it all about???
What is social media and how can it help you with recruiting qualified police applicants? Well social media the trend of trends for 2010. Everywhere you go you hear of social media outlets, social media training and now even more than ever social media clubs. But what actually is social media? Social media is defined as primarily Internet- and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings. The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology, telecommunications and social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. This interaction, and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and “building” of shared meaning among communities, as people share their stories and experiences. Businesses also refer to social media as user-generated content (UGC) or consumer-generated media (CGM).
Now that we have defined social media what can it do for you as a police recruiter? For starters, social media outlets are just one more way of getting your department out in the open. The X generation lives for social media….from Ipods, to Iphones to now Ipads, everything and everyone is at the touch of your fingertips. Therefore, if you have any desire to be known social media outlets are the way to start.
You should begin by starting to create accounts under your agencies name on the various popular social media websites. For example, YouTube. YouTube is a very popular video social media website where you can upload your favorite videos. YouTube is the reason all of our female teenagers are drooling over Justin Beiber. Beiber, a young teenage pop star became famous because his mother started putting his homemade music videos on YouTube. Believe it or not, he was discovered off YouTube and now we have to pay $100-$150.00 a ticket for our daughters to go to his concerts. This is a perfect example of how social media can make a difference in the life of a person and your own police department. So start by putting your department commercials and public service announcements on YouTube and you will be surprised how many hits they will get.
Another form of social media is Facebook. Now most of us who have any type of computer knowledge more than likely already have a Facebook account. However, does you police department have one? If not, start one today. It is a great way to boost popularity and it is also a great way to disseminate information to your citizens.
Social media continues to change our lives along with the various tools that follow it. Are you keeping up with the changing of the times? If not, you and your department will be seriously hurt.
What is social media and how can it help you with recruiting qualified police applicants? Well social media the trend of trends for 2010. Everywhere you go you hear of social media outlets, social media training and now even more than ever social media clubs. But what actually is social media? Social media is defined as primarily Internet- and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings. The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology, telecommunications and social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. This interaction, and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and “building” of shared meaning among communities, as people share their stories and experiences. Businesses also refer to social media as user-generated content (UGC) or consumer-generated media (CGM).
Now that we have defined social media what can it do for you as a police recruiter? For starters, social media outlets are just one more way of getting your department out in the open. The X generation lives for social media….from Ipods, to Iphones to now Ipads, everything and everyone is at the touch of your fingertips. Therefore, if you have any desire to be known social media outlets are the way to start.
You should begin by starting to create accounts under your agencies name on the various popular social media websites. For example, YouTube. YouTube is a very popular video social media website where you can upload your favorite videos. YouTube is the reason all of our female teenagers are drooling over Justin Beiber. Beiber, a young teenage pop star became famous because his mother started putting his homemade music videos on YouTube. Believe it or not, he was discovered off YouTube and now we have to pay $100-$150.00 a ticket for our daughters to go to his concerts. This is a perfect example of how social media can make a difference in the life of a person and your own police department. So start by putting your department commercials and public service announcements on YouTube and you will be surprised how many hits they will get.
Another form of social media is Facebook. Now most of us who have any type of computer knowledge more than likely already have a Facebook account. However, does you police department have one? If not, start one today. It is a great way to boost popularity and it is also a great way to disseminate information to your citizens.
Social media continues to change our lives along with the various tools that follow it. Are you keeping up with the changing of the times? If not, you and your department will be seriously hurt.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Books and More Books....
When you become a police recruiter, as mentioned in some of my earlier postings, you stop thinking like a police officer and start thinking more like a marketing specialist. Now this doesn’t mean you have to go out and get a degree in marketing, BUT you must take the time to learn the tricks of the trade. To do so, I have compiled a list of certain books that will help you in this endeavor along with a short description of each.
The first book that I consider the Bible of the police recruiting world is The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout. This book truly changed the way I thought about recruiting and continues to be a resource for when I feel that I am starting to stray away from my mission – To recruit the best and most qualified police applicants that I can. As you read this book, you will find that Ries and Trout break down recruiting into various laws (22 as the title points out). Some of the laws can be easily applied to the law enforcement and emergency management community while others not so much. For example, the Law of the Mind, which states that it is better to be first in someone’s mind than first in the marketplace. So if we are talking about police departments and I said “to protect and serve” which agency comes to your mind? Of course LAPD! Therefore, LAPD is in the mind not just in the marketplace (although LAPD is also in the marketplace…thank you television and movies!).
The next book is Punk Marketing. Punk Marketing was written by Richard Laermer and Mark Simmons. This is a very contemporary type book which looks at branding and the use of technology. The book is a very interesting read and will keep you amused. One particular section of the book that I find fascinating is chapter 3, Brand Not Bland. This chapter looks into the reason why some brands are better than others and provides some very interesting facts on the use of branding.
The third and final book that I would suggest looking into is not a marketing book but a book on service. The book, Positively Outrageous Service by T. Scott Gross, provides several stories about various employees from different companies who go above and beyond the call of duty. This same type of service should be mirrored within a police recruiting unit. For example, if you are testing out of town applicants and you require those applicants to come to your agency for testing, try to limit the number of visits by combining testing.
These books can be purchased through Amazon.com and other internet book stores. I would also strongly suggest looking to other books on marketing. You may be surprised in the improvements that you can make and how many of these changes cost little to no money at all.
The first book that I consider the Bible of the police recruiting world is The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout. This book truly changed the way I thought about recruiting and continues to be a resource for when I feel that I am starting to stray away from my mission – To recruit the best and most qualified police applicants that I can. As you read this book, you will find that Ries and Trout break down recruiting into various laws (22 as the title points out). Some of the laws can be easily applied to the law enforcement and emergency management community while others not so much. For example, the Law of the Mind, which states that it is better to be first in someone’s mind than first in the marketplace. So if we are talking about police departments and I said “to protect and serve” which agency comes to your mind? Of course LAPD! Therefore, LAPD is in the mind not just in the marketplace (although LAPD is also in the marketplace…thank you television and movies!).
The next book is Punk Marketing. Punk Marketing was written by Richard Laermer and Mark Simmons. This is a very contemporary type book which looks at branding and the use of technology. The book is a very interesting read and will keep you amused. One particular section of the book that I find fascinating is chapter 3, Brand Not Bland. This chapter looks into the reason why some brands are better than others and provides some very interesting facts on the use of branding.
The third and final book that I would suggest looking into is not a marketing book but a book on service. The book, Positively Outrageous Service by T. Scott Gross, provides several stories about various employees from different companies who go above and beyond the call of duty. This same type of service should be mirrored within a police recruiting unit. For example, if you are testing out of town applicants and you require those applicants to come to your agency for testing, try to limit the number of visits by combining testing.
These books can be purchased through Amazon.com and other internet book stores. I would also strongly suggest looking to other books on marketing. You may be surprised in the improvements that you can make and how many of these changes cost little to no money at all.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Keep up the marketing....
As most of you who are full time recruiters know by now the amount of applications you are receiving continues to rise due to the current economic status. I myself am more than happy with the vast amount of well body men and women who continue to desire a job with my department. However as with everything that goes up must come down, so will the current flow of applications and with that the need for marketing and recruiting.
If your department is like most around the Untied States and worldwide, once the application pool increases to an acceptable rate, the upper command decide that there is not much of a need in the area of recruiting, specifically in the area of money. Funding for marketing is usually the first to be cut, with manpower being second. I can not urge you enough to educate your upper command staff on the need for consistent marketing. Even when the economy is so low that everyone seems to be applying for a job in the field of law enforcement, having the name recognition and branding for your agency is imperative for when the market grows to the point whereby we are once again haunted by a lack of interested bodies.
Remember the golden rule..."He who has the gold, rules!" Follow this same advice in police recruitment and marketing!
If your department is like most around the Untied States and worldwide, once the application pool increases to an acceptable rate, the upper command decide that there is not much of a need in the area of recruiting, specifically in the area of money. Funding for marketing is usually the first to be cut, with manpower being second. I can not urge you enough to educate your upper command staff on the need for consistent marketing. Even when the economy is so low that everyone seems to be applying for a job in the field of law enforcement, having the name recognition and branding for your agency is imperative for when the market grows to the point whereby we are once again haunted by a lack of interested bodies.
Remember the golden rule..."He who has the gold, rules!" Follow this same advice in police recruitment and marketing!
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