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These days there’s a lot of ideas and opinions flying around about police recruiting, the so called ‘hiring crisis’, and what you need to be doing to solve your recruitment problems…these ‘truths’ are seemingly changing every day and can lead to a lot of confusion resulting in you wasting a lot of time, money, and effort in the process. So, to help you straighten out fact from fiction…here are the top police recruiting myths of 2024…so far...keep reading! 👀
Hey everyone, it’s Tom Sye your Police Marketing FTO, and this week, we’re talking police recruiting myths and how buying into them can really derail your recruitment efforts before they even get started. 💥
Now, you’ve heard me talk about this before, but when the media started running stories about the police recruiting ‘crisis’ and how agencies were struggling to fill their vacancies…that brought a lot of attention to the topic and with it a lot of ideas, opinions, and ways of doing things that others felt were the way to fix everything. 📣
The problem is…most of the people, dare I say all, who are trying to help you, don’t know the first thing about police recruiting, attracting police officer applicants, or actually doing the job of background investigator or recruiter. 🥸
That leads to a lot of bad information being put out that unsuspecting Chiefs, Command Staff, Managers and other police leaders take as truth and run with it…often in the wrong direction. 💨
Let’s fix that for ya… 👍
Here are, in no particular order, my top police recruiting myths of 2024…
1. You have to have a recruiting video to be successful
I’m getting this one out of the way right off the bat as this is one of the biggest myths that has come out over the past few years because some agency somewhere decided to spend a bunch of money on a super high-tech police recruiting video shot in 4K HD that looked amazing. Once they posted it, another agency saw it and said holy cow that looks amazing, I’m getting one, and the idea that you have to have one to be successful spread like wildfire. 🤦♂️
Here’s the truth: I’ve hired hundreds of people over the past couple years…guess how many fancy, hi-tech recruiting videos I used to do that? Zero. You don’t need them. Sure, they look great, and they showcase your agency…but they are simply a compliment to your recruiting strategy and should not be used as your recruiting strategy. You’re going to post your video to social media and get a lot of compliments…but what are you gonna post the next day? And the day after that? And then the day after that? You need a consistent long term social media strategy and not a one and done solution. 💯
2. No one wants to do this job anymore
Because applications have plummeted over the past few years, a lot of agencies have been left to simply think that since no one’s applying, that must mean…no one wants to do this job anymore. That’s just not true. 🤷
Here’s the truth: There are plenty of people still willing, able, and wanting to do this job. What’s changed? The way you have to reach them! The old, antiquated methods of police recruiting, and I’m talking the staples like going to job fairs, community events and simply opening up to take applications are nowhere near enough in today’s social media age. If you want to attract applicants, you’re gonna have to meet them where they’re at. 📲
3. You have to travel out of state to get more applicants
Another tired staple of police recruiting lore, the out of state recruiting trip is still alive and well and many agencies feel that the only way they can fill their ranks is by visiting a fresh new place where they have never recruited from before. 🛫
Here’s the truth: Every area you’re visiting…has a police agency who needs people too. It’s not an unfished pond. You’re wasting a lot of time and money fishing for applicants who, even if they choose you, aren’t likely going to stay long term…because they never had any real intentions of moving in the first place. There are plenty of applicants right there in your backyard…you just have to change how you’re fishing for them. 🎣
4. You need to have a massive hiring bonus
Man, oh man are these things getting out of hand…hiring bonuses are now up to $75K to $100K in some areas and seemingly growing every day. What’s led to this is the same effect that created urgency in having to have a recruiting video. One agency started a hiring bonus. Another followed. Then another…then one agency said I’ll double theirs…and now here we are. 😔
Here’s the truth: Hiring bonuses are nice, but you really don’t need one. People don’t choose your agency because of a hiring bonus. They choose your agency because they see it as a place that people like them work. You wanna know how I know that’s true? You currently have employees working for you with all that money out there. 😎
5. You can’t do marketing or recruiting yourself
This is another big one that has come to the forefront and is being pushed by recruiting solution companies as why you need to hire them. 'Hey…we’re the experts…we know what we’re doing. We know how to get you so many applicants you’re not even gonna believe it'. 🙄
Here’s the truth: No one…and I mean no one…not even your police marketing FTO here who really knows what he’s doing…can market your agency better than you. You are the one that has a vested interest in the future of your agency. You are the one who knows what makes it special. An outsider could never replicate that…ever. 🙅
Look, you don’t need someone to do things for you. You need someone to teach you how to do it yourself, so you don’t have this same recruiting problem until the end of time. Remember, recruiting has no end date! You don’t just get down to zero vacancies and never have another one ever again. 🤯
And guess what…it’s doesn’t take a marketing degree or high-level design skill to do it either. This can be done by everyday people…I’m living proof of that. 🙌
If you’re ready to start learning how to do it yourself, I’ve got great news. My Road to Better Recruiting course is now open and is going to teach you everything you need to get started…even if you have no marketing background, no designing skills, no massive advertising budget or no idea what you’re doing. This course is going to change your police recruiting forever. Check it out now on my website at forcopstraining.com/rtbr.
Have a friend at another agency who has been buying into these myths as well? Share this video with them so they can know the truth too! The future of police recruiting will thank you for doing so. 🤝
Well, I hope you enjoyed these top recruiting myths of 2024 and as always, if you have any 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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