Leadership Impact
on Police Recruiting
Real Hero Report |
R
to serve always has been a challenge. Today, however, it
makers and administrators feel the only way to counter negative
by increasing salary and incentives, and sadly in some cases,
lowering hiring standards. In the short run, these kinds of
strategies may help a little, but too many police agencies continue
to have large numbers of vacancies even after implementing these
to pick up the slack and often suffer burnout and all of its negative
consequences.
educated in an atmosphere where everyone who participated in
a sport received a trophy, win or lose. Meanwhile, parents told
their growing children how special they were, whether they were
or weren’t; and teachers and college professors told them they
each had the potential to change the world overnight. Therefore,
it is no wonder that those who aspire to careers in public safety
become disillusioned when they learn in advance of applying, or
shortly after being hired, of old style managers and supervisors
who are quick to get in their faces and correct them, sometimes
old group is prone to ask more questions and expect answers, and
they are accustomed to receiving positive individual attention
is not that the newest group(s) can’t become strong, dedicated,
with them in a different way. Remember, police departments
do not have the rank of private. Privates in the military are not
Management theories have long contended that if salary and
employee motivation and productivity; however salary and
apply, nor improve morale among existing members of a police
department. In order to better attract today’s potential police
applicants to want to join, police departments must modernize
leadership and management styles to match the expectations
were effective and responsive to employee needs are rapidly
fading in modern times.
In terms of leadership style, both existing and prospective
police employees understand and accept that leadership needs
to hold police employees accountable for their job performance,
particularly regarding the way they treat the public. Nevertheless,
today’s prospective police employees are attracted to leaders who
routinely exhibit and communicate qualities such as teamwork,
mentoring, fairness in all matters internal and external, reasonable
diversity and professional demeanor. Today’s new employees tend
to be disappointed when they see a lack of these qualities and in
critical parents.
Individual leader behaviors that best resonate and motivate the
present generation of potential police employees, and for that
leaders who provide frequent, ample, detailed formal recognition
for good work make employees feel better about themselves and
their jobs. At the same time, leaders who provide reasonable
sympathetic understanding of employees’ personal (human)
problems tend to build loyalty and camaraderie consistent with
desirable family relationships. In addition, leaders who actively
work to keep employees “in the loop” regarding activities of
their organization help their employees feel they are part of the
organization rather than the hired help; it reduces rumor mills
and promotes camaraderie. When applied with consistency, all of
these kinds of leader behaviors are congruent with the perceptions
and expectations of today’s police applicants. Most importantly,
they appeal to potential applicants when they are checking out
police departments in advance of applying for employment.
Effective police leaders understand that the attitude of an
while morale is the way a group feels. Thus, strong leaders strive
to be positive, decisive and use good oral and writing skills to
communicate their positive vision of policing. They also work to
instill motivational management practices and behaviors in their
subordinate leaders in order to promote good morale, which in
larger police organizations.