Question
At today's Resources Committee Meeting I raised a question relating to
communication with individuals awaiting a start date. It was requested by the chair I put this question in writing.
While my question was prompted as a result of being approached by a specific individual (waiting list number >1,000) who is awaiting a commencement date, my question is more generic in that I am seeking clarification
1. What regular communication do you have with such individuals to ensure they remain interested in having a PSNI career.
2. Is the communication written / verbal / group / 1-2-1?
3. How many potential recruits are you losing as a result of 'long start date waiting times'?
Answer
Our External Recruitment Team maintain regular communication with our candidate pool throughout the recruitment process. Candidates receive updates at each stage of their application journey, ensuring that they are aware of their progress and next steps. We use a blend of communication methods including group emails for general updates, individual emails for personalised information, and one-to-one phone calls to address specific queries. In addition, at various key stages such as the Physical Competence Assessment and Health Assessment, candidates have the opportunity to meet our staff face to face. They can also stay updated via the Recruitment News section of our Join PSNI recruitment website where we publish a progress overview chart for each live Student Officer recruitment campaign.
Regarding the impact of waiting times, our records indicate that the predominate reason candidates withdraw is due to the availability of other job opportunities in what is currently a highly competitive Northern Ireland employment market, rather than the length of the process itself. We find that those who are committed to serving the community and making a difference through a career in policing are generally accepting of the timelines involved. Due to the current pace of recruiment associated with our recovery business case, once candidates have successfully completed all stages and become appointable, there is typically only a short interval before they receive an offer of appointment to commence training.
Frank McManus