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When it comes to police officer standards, things seem really black and white...either you meet them, or you don’t. 🤷♂️
But when it comes to medical standards, the game changes significantly and you can really get yourself in a lot of trouble by giving bad advice or answering a medical question incorrectly. Wanna know how to protect yourself from all of it? Keep reading! 👀
Hey everyone, it’s Tom Sye your Police Marketing FTO, and this week, we’re wrapping up our frequently asked trap series with a very serious frequently asked police recruiting question that, if answered incorrectly, can get you in a lot of trouble, possibly sued, and the backlash from it, could seriously tarnish the reputation of your agency if people or groups were to get into an uproar over it. 😡
Messing this one up is definitely not good so let’s get right into it...as always, I’ll let you know how most people respond to this question and then tell you how to de-copify your answer so can avoid falling into the trap. 🚪
All right, let’s do this...
Frequently Asked Trap 3: I have a medical condition; will that disqualify me?
When it comes to answering this question, most people come right out of the gate with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response, likely will cite the rule or policy if it is a ‘yes’ and move on to the next question. Again...our cop brains have been trained this way...solve the problem and move on, right? 👮♂️👮♀️🧠
Well, sometimes in the ‘no’ answer and just about every time for the ‘yes’ one, this simple answer is exactly where you fall into the trap and open yourself up for the potential of litigation or giving someone the hope that they could have made it, when in reality, there would have been no chance. ⚖️
Now...most medical standards when it comes to becoming a police officer are public knowledge and are out there for the world to see...but, with that being said, the answer to the question ‘will this disqualify me’ should never be ‘yes’. Ever. 🙊
Here’s why...
👉 Are you a doctor?
👉 Are you the one who will evaluate this candidates medical record, condition, or history?
👉 Are you the person who will determine if their condition meets or does not meet the standards that are set in place?
I’m going to look into my crystal ball here and render a guess that the answer to all of those questions is ‘no’ so why on earth would you open yourself up to being sued for discriminatory practices in hiring by saying yes? Doesn’t make a lot of sense, right. 😳
So, how do you answer it?
For me, I would get into the habit of answering all medical questions in the following manner whether the condition was unqualifying or not and I highly recommend that you adopt this immediately, tailoring your answer to fit your agency, of course. 😎
Let’s use the example question of ‘I’m color blind, will that disqualify me?’. 🤔
In most cases the answer is obviously yes as this is pretty much the standard everywhere, but here’s exactly how I would answer that question...
🗣️ “Well, obviously I’m not a doctor so I can’t say...but, I’ve seen some people with color blindness make it, I’ve seen some who haven’t...I really don’t know what it is that makes it ok or not ok it’s up to them and their doctors...your best bet is to get on the Arizona POST website, they’re the ones who set the standards for becoming a police officer, and read all about the medical standards and color blindness and what range they accept...and that should give you some kind of idea of where you’re at and can go from there...but unfortunately, like I said, I’m not a doctor, I have no idea”.
Crafting your answer in this manner let’s your applicant know that every case is different, because it is, gives them a place to review the standards and self-determine if they want to continue, and relieves you of any type of lawsuit for discrimination because you’re taking yourself out of the equation. 📤
I have yet to encounter someone who was not satisfied with this answer because it clearly separates those rules from me personally and there’s nothing to argue. You should definitely be answering medical questions in this way. 💯
Now...there’s one caveat to this whole thing about medical conditions...
While most people who are asking about them are doing so for legitimate reasons, believe it or not, there are people who will call around agency to agency saying they have this condition or that condition and ask if it’s ok for them to apply and come out and test. Not whether they can make it or not...but if they can apply and test. The answer to that question is always, a simple “absolutely”. ✔️
What people asking this question are hoping for is for you to say ‘no’ which then opens you up to potential litigation because remember...when it comes to applying and testing...anyone can fill out an application and anyone who meets your agency’s minimum standards can come out and try to pass the physical fitness test. Encourage them to come out, make accommodations, if need be, and protect yourself from that...always. 👍
Well, there you have it! I really hope you’ve gotten a lot out of this three week frequently asked questions series and are now ready to navigate these three really common traps like a pro. 🦸♂️🦸
Have a question you get asked a bunch and aren’t sure how to answer? Shoot me a message and let me know what it is. I’ll continue the series breaking it down for you and tell you exactly how I would answer it. 😀
Want some more police recruiting tips just like these in your life? Head over to my website and check out more Marketing ‘For Cops’ Newsletters. They're loaded with everything you need to start winning with recruiting. Check them out at forcopstraining.com/blog.
Have a friend at another agency who would benefit from this newsletter? Share it with them, so they can learn too. It’s going to take all of us, working together, to restore the future of police recruiting. Don’t be afraid to send it to them...we’re all in this together. 🤝
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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