Excerpt on Recruiting
Source: FBI
By LT. Walter W. Manning
Another major benefit of using the Internet accrues to police agencies in the area of recruiting. The scarcity of qualified applicants, as well as the growing costs associated with recruitment, makes this a perfect place to use the Internet.
Agencies can post their hiring requirements, salary structure, and employment benefits on their home pages. Descriptions of various career opportunities could be included, complete with photographs and audio and video clips to make the presentation attractive and interesting. The multimedia effects possible with a World Wide Web document have a punch that only a few printed recruiting packages can equal.
Many agencies recruit heavily from colleges and universities all over the United States. Most of these institutions provide students with access to the Internet, sometimes as part of their enrollment packages. An agency with a presence on the Internet can reach this group, whose members are preparing to make a career choice. By providing employment information to prospective applicants, departments enable them to make highly informed career decisions. Departments can benefit as well. First, recruiters can assume that applicants who respond based on the information posted on the Internet will be fairly serious about prospective employment. This results in a more efficient return on the investment of the recruiting staff’s time and effort. A secondary benefit could be a more cost-effective use of advertising and travel expenditures. Through the Internet, recruiters reach a larger number of potential applicants and cover greater distances without ever leaving the office. Plus, agencies should consider providing an online employment application, possibly saving staff time and expense, speeding up the entire application process.
Lieutenant Manning serves in the Computer/Crime Analysis Unit of the Dallas, Texas, Police Department.