Content provided by SAFEGUARD Recruiting
Recruiting challenges at large departments make headlines, but the real pressure is often felt in smaller agencies. Roughly 90% of law enforcement agencies employ fewer than 50 officers, and losing just a few people can create an operational crisis. While smaller departments may lack the budget, staffing or marketing reach of larger agencies, they often possess advantages big departments struggle to replicate: a personal hiring experience, a winning culture and meaningful officer development.
Culture sells
Smaller agencies rarely win recruiting battles on pay alone, but many succeed by emphasizing what candidates increasingly value most: belonging, purpose and being treated like an individual.
At the Crestwood, Missouri Police Department, Officer Dion Olson recruits part-time, and his success is rooted in culture.
Olson makes it a point to meet every applicant early in the process and have an informal conversation before the paperwork and background checks begin. The objective is simple: Ensure candidates understand what the department stands for and whether they truly fit.
“I want them to know that you’re a name here, that you are a person,” Olson said.
That message cannot be a slogan. It must be experienced. If culture brings candidates in, then the hiring process itself must reflect it. And once they’re in the door, training is what holds it together.
Training attracts
Candidates are increasingly looking for development, not just a job. Agencies that invest in developing their officers should make that commitment visible early in the recruiting process.
Eureka County, Nevada, isn’t a typical destination for families, yet Sheriff Jesse Watts never experienced a recruiting shortage. He attributed that success to a “training first” philosophy that defined the agency.
“Recruits knew that if they came to work in Eureka, they would be prepared for whatever they faced,” Watts said.
Von Kliem, chief consulting and communications officer for Force Science, which studies how people process information and act in stressful situations, believes training is one of the most underutilized recruiting advantages available to agencies.
“We have the understanding and the technology to advance cops faster than ever before, and that can be a huge differentiator for an agency looking to attract officers,” Kliem said.
Technology wins
For years, robust recruiting websites and applicant tracking systems were luxuries reserved for larger agencies. That’s changed. Today even the smallest department can deploy tools that immediately increase application volume and improve candidate follow-up.
Larimer County, Colorado Sergeant Seth Graham is his agency’s only full-time recruiter, so he needed a force multiplier to get staffing back on track. After testing multiple applicant tracking systems, he selected SAFEGUARD Connect, a platform built specifically for public safety recruiting. The cloud-based system helped Graham reach more candidates with less effort, and within months he doubled the number of oral board interviews and has since tripled it.
Doug Larsen, chief operating officer at SAFEGUARD Recruiting, worked with Graham during the implementation of SAFEGUARD Connect.
“The success Seth has had is being duplicated with every client that embraces our technological approach to recruiting,” Larsen said.
This success is why Larsen and his team wanted to ensure that every agency, regardless of size, had access to the technology. For Larsen, that means a price point that is feasible to every agency and customer service that rivals all others. Olson saw that firsthand when the team visited Crestwood.
“I know that with the right training, many smaller departments can significantly improve recruitment results using the Connect platform, and they can compete with the big guys,” Olson said. “It’s been a great opportunity working with the entire team.”
Summary
Smaller agencies don’t win recruiting battles by matching the budgets of larger departments. They win by being clear about who they are, committed to developing their officers and disciplined in their recruitment. Culture draws interest. Training builds confidence. Technology extends reach. When those pieces align, size stops being a weakness and starts working in an agency’s favor.
To learn more, visit SAFEGUARD Recruiting.
