cession planning. This approach both objectively and statistically links performance metrics to behavioral characteristics of offi - cers, within an agency, to estab- lish a model of ‘best fi t’ unique to each one. Research shows that candidate fi t within an organi- zation and position are highly correlated with higher levels of performance and employee re- tention in organizations across various industries. Here’s how it works: First,


ideal candidate profi les are built using large samples of incumbent police offi cers. A profi le refl ects the behavioral makeup of the best-suited candidate for the organization by determining the opti- mal range for each dimension being measured, weighing behavioral characteristics based on how predictive it is to the success of an offi cer. This means that each agency, whether a large city department


or a small rural sheriff’s department, determines what behaviors successful offi cers in their own agency exhibit. This is determined using the optimal range for each dimension being measured, and weighing behavioral characteristics based on how predictive it is to the success of an offi cer. In this regard, no two profi les are identical. In fact, even the pro-


fi les for a police offi cer in two different organizations will possess unique key behaviors depending on cultural, environmental, and strategic variances between the organizations. This is important because while nearly all police offi cers and


sheriff’s deputies share a common sense of civic duty to protect and to serve, the successful behavioral characteristics of a Dallas police offi cer may be different from the successful behavioral character- istics of a sheriff’s deputy in Campbell County, Wyo. And as the defi nition of a successful offi cer, deputy, or trooper in those agencies change—whether Dallas, Campbell County, or elsewhere—profi les are changed and adapted as well. Next, job candidates are evaluated and ranked based on their re-


sponses to a comprehensive online assessment, which measures 39 behavioral characteristics. The assessment process is quick, requir- ing an average of less than 30 minutes to complete, and compares each candidate’s behaviors to the custom profi le corresponding to the position of police offi cer. A report is then generated, visually describing how and where


the candidate aligns and differs from the requirements of the profi le, and the needs of the organization. This information can be lever- aged across the entire employee life cycle—from interviewing and selection to development and career path planning. Traditional hiring practices like vetting resumes to ascertain quali-


fi cations and conducting multi-round interviews to uncover person- ality fi t are becoming less common, as online assessment tools like Talent Science are now more accessible. There are countless turnkey


solutions on the market today that leverage online assessments to create candidate profi les, providing hiring managers with high-level insights on a candidate’s ability to perform a given job. What makes Talent Science differ-


ent than these new breed of online tools is that Talent Science creates a unique benchmark of an organiza- tion’s top performers within given roles—so hiring managers know who is the best cultural fi t with an organi- zation and the best cognitive and be- havioral fi t for the job at hand. The key is uncovering more than just whether or not a candidate can perform the job, but rather how he/she will perform


and what will make him/her successful over the long term. This approach has proven to signifi cantly reduce turnover and improve performance in an industry with similar challenges to the law enforcement community—the nursing profession. In a recent controlled study of over 1,000 newly hired nurses, comparing the use of science-based hiring practices to traditional hiring practices demonstrated a turnover reduction of 47 percent and produced an annual savings of over $2.4 million. By employing a similar approach within the law enforcement community, not only will agencies be more effective at identifying the most qualifi ed candidates from a skills perspective, but they will isolate those whose characteristics make them the best fi t for the organization at large. Given the challenge of diminishing personnel budgets and the


need to recruit, it is more important than ever to employ tools like Talent Science that add science-based evidence to the process and allow agencies to make decisions that will result in a police force that is made up of individuals who possess the unique qualifi ca- tions needed to service their community, based on the successful offi cers, deputies, and state troopers already serving on their respec- tive forces. The workforce crisis facing law enforcement will not solve itself through procrastination and inaction. When offi cers leave, the loss in knowledge capital is substantial and the ability to serve and pro- tect the community is signifi cantly constricted. A new approach to hiring qualifi ed offi cers based on science is needed. Talent Science offers just such an approach. Hiring the wrong people—people who do not have the Behav-


ioral DNA to perform well as offi cers in today’s complex environ- ment—only exacerbates the crisis. The community is insisting on more from our agencies—whether local, sheriff, or state, and using science, the law enforcement community can deliver.


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