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Have your recruiting efforts been clunking out a little bit lately? Well, like with anything in life…if you want things to function well, whether it’s your car, your body, your mind, or even your police officer recruiting…you’ve got to give it a tune-up every once and a while. And I’ve got 5 super simple things you can implement right now to get things running smoothly again...keep reading! 👀
Hey everyone, it’s Tom Sye your Police Marketing FTO, and this week, we’re talking recruiting tune-ups and the 5 super simple things you can start doing today in 5 different areas of your recruiting that will help change the oil so to speak for your police officer recruiting efforts. 🛢️
Look, I know people are coming at you with all kinds of solutions for your police recruiting problems. I got those pitches at my agency all the time too. But here’s the thing about those fancy, hi-tech, and complicated systems that they want you to buy. You don’t need them! 🤷
You’re recruiting problems weren’t created overnight and they’re not going to be solved overnight either. You don’t need to spend thousands and thousands of dollars on a website, recruiting video and managed social media service. You don’t need to pay some company to send you 5,000 applications next week, in fact what would you if you got that many dropped on your desk tomorrow? You’d freak out because you can’t handle that all at once! 😳
What you need is simplicity. You gotta ease into it…and these 5 tune-ups are the perfect way to start getting things turned around at your agency for next to nothing…
1. Advertising
Social Media advertising is a nearly $300 Billion dollar business and it’s become the next go to thing for companies to sell you on. Look, there is value in some social media ads, if you know what you’re doing…if you don’t, you’re just pouring money into a bottomless pit. 💸
If you want to see better results, dump the ads and start making regular posts on your social media feeds showing the awesome people at your agency doing awesome things. Celebrate promotions, show off new hires, give your audience some behind the scenes looks at things, and yes…post about your job openings! All of your job openings. 😎
Total Cost: Free
2. Applications
If you want to see more applications, and more importantly, applications from people who are going to actually show up to your testing process, you don’t need to spend money to get them. I’ve asked every single applicant who walked into my office for almost 11 years the same question…how did you hear about our opening. The top two answers…'social media' and 'your website'. 💯
Interested applicants are going to find your website…so when they get there, make sure it’s easy for them to take the next steps in applying! Create simple banner ads that run on the top of your home page featuring smiling faces in uniform, and giant words that say something along the lines of ‘now hiring police officers’ and ‘click here to apply’. Obviously, the banner, when clicked, should take them to the application. 🖱️
Don’t make your applicant search for where to apply…even if you think it is really obvious, there is nothing more obvious than a banner ad at the top of your page. 👍
Total Cost: Free
3. Email Notifications
Any time an applicant applies with your agency an auto-respond message should be going out letting them know that you’ve received the application, and what the next steps are in the review process. This is pretty standard, and I think most agencies are already doing this. But don’t stop there. 🚫
Send follow up emails to your applicants while they’re waiting for the application period to end giving them information as to the testing dates, give them some testing tips, what documents they’ll need later, and most importantly telling them how excited your agency is to see them out at testing. 🙌
This helps keep applicants interested in your agency and not out looking for another one to apply to. 🎣
Total Cost: Typically emailing is included in most HR application platforms, but if yours doesn’t, you can sign up for an email service like MailChimp that has plans starting at around $20 a month.
4. Testing Process
There’s a couple of quick tune-ups you can do for your testing process. The first, and I’ve talked about this before, is streamlining your testing to an all-in-one day model where applicants can come out and finish everything required of them in one day. 💪
This will increase your testing numbers because people only have to take one day off of work, as opposed to multiple days, to complete everything. ✔️
The second tune-up for your PT testing, is to place encouraging banners around your testing site. You won’t believe how effective these things can be. There will be plenty of applicants who show up to your testing with big doubts if they can do this or not. You’ll never see it in them…but it’s there. 🧠
A well placed ‘you got this’ banner, or whatever motivational saying you come up with can be the difference between them thinking they can and thinking they can’t. If your banner reaches one applicant and they pass because of the quick confidence boost…you’ve won! 🏆
You can also have a banner with a QR code on it that takes participants to any oral board or other testing tips you have created for steps that come later. It’s a really easy way for applicants to get the information they need to be successful. 👏
Total Cost: Nominal. Online printing companies can print 4 by 2 banners for around $25 each and they’ll last you years!
5. Background Process
Once you get people in the door and through testing, you’ve got to keep them in the door and the best way to do that is to create an environment of friendliness. Whether it’s getting fingerprinted, conducting a background interview, a polygraph, executive interview or whatever step you have in your process…everyone should be friendly, welcoming, and engaging. Showing your applicants what a great place your agency is to work at and that people like them work there. 🎯
If you continue being stern and authoritative, they’re going to go somewhere else that makes them feel welcome. 💨
Total Cost. Free
Well, there you have it…my five super simple tune-ups to get your recruiting machine running smoothly again. Remember…recruiting is a long game and these simple tune-ups, especially over time, will show big results in return. 🚀
If you thought these tune-ups were something...wait until you see what you're going to learn in my brand new Road to Better Recruiting course! 🤯
I've loaded this course up with everything you need to start recruiting like it’s 2024 and it is absolutely going to change your police recruiting forever! You can enroll right now on my website: forcopstraining.com/rtbr.
Have a friend at another agency whose recruiting has been sputtering too? Share this video with them so they can get the benefits of a quick tune up! Trust me, they’ll be glad that you did. 🤝
Have more questions about police recruiting, marketing, or anything else you're struggling with? Don't hesitate to reach out...I’m always here to help. ⛑
Until next week my Police Marketing Squad, happy recruiting! 😃
Tom
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👋 I’m Tom Sye, your Police Marketing FTO. I founded ‘For Cops’ Training to teach Police Departments how to attract more qualified candidates through the same tried and tested methods I’ve used for the past ten years at my own department to keep up with turnover and stay ahead of vacancies.
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