Police recruiting candidate lists are being marketed as a quick fix for the staffing crisis, but many agencies are learning the hard way that a list of names is not a recruiting strategy. Police recruiting candidate lists may look like progress on paper, yet they often produce little to no hiring impact unless the department runs a targeted campaign tailored to its agency and a proven recruiting system.
The Police Recruiting Scam
There aren’t many serious players in the police recruiting industry, and most are simply marketing companies taking advantage of what agencies may not know. A significant problem is when companies pitch an existing candidate pool or falsely guarantee a number of interested candidates.
We talk to agencies every week, and many have been “burned” by this and sometimes question our methods. We love the question because it gives us an opportunity to discuss why Safeguard Recruiting is different and how we’ve achieved success across the country.
The Candidate List
There are a few ways that companies are abusing law enforcement agencies. One, they require every interested candidate to register an account across their advertising campaigns. Those registrations are then sold to other agencies.
The problem is obvious: If someone expresses interest in one agency, they aren’t likely to be interested in another. In addition, our data shows that requiring registration at an early step in the hiring process will run off 90% of your candidates. One of the largest companies aligned with government HR departments does this and charges over $20,000 per year.
Can you imagine spending thousands only to receive these spam lists, with your own candidates sent elsewhere as well? You don’t have to imagine it. Research your application, and if there is a requirement to register, you can bet that is exactly what is being done!
The more common abuse is when agencies hire a company to run targeted ad campaigns. If the company’s goal is to make as much money as possible, they can direct those campaigns to the least effective and cheapest individuals… meaning those 100 interested candidates aren’t interested at all.
Sadly, this is the norm in our industry.
Bulletproof Your Recruiting Efforts
We guarantee police recruiting candidates and have three specific plans for agencies of all sizes. We also don’t require a contract, and we place our clients on a monthly package, where they can move from. plan to plan or stop the campaign altogether. You won’t see anyone else doing this, and our guarantee isn’t a bait-and-switch.
With 500+ police recruiting campaigns under our belt, we understand what our clients can expect based on their spend. Safeguard Recruiting targets advertising campaigns to the client’s desired location and the type of candidate they require. We also only send candidates who meet the agency’s minimum hiring standards.
In addition to targeted advertising, we handle all creative and administrative work behind the scenes and nurture each candidate, keeping them warm and ready for a recruiter to contact them.
The truth is, this is bad business. We don’t always make money on every campaign, but that is not our primary goal.
We make promises, and we keep them!
Our team has over 100 years of law enforcement experience, and Safeguard Recruiting was formed, not to make the most money but to provide departments and communities with the law enforcement professionals they deserve.
Cynics Among Us
The marketing industry isn’t particularly ethical, which is why we aren’t a marketing company. We aren’t just saying this…we’ve been victims as well. We’ve spent money on the latest SEO promises, website optimization, and advertisements, and have seen no benefits. It took us a while to figure it out, but if a marketing company solves your problem, there is no need for the marketing company, so they play a game.
You may see more website traffic, and you may see a list of names, but unless you are hiring more, like us, you are being played.
Safeguard Recruiting is a recruiting company. Yes, we incorporate marketing materials into our police recruiting, but we guarantee your success with a specific recruiting system that has proven itself time and time again.
You have a right to be nervous about using anyone to help with the most important role in any agency…police recruiting, and you should walk towards that decision with a little bit of cynicism.
We welcome it and encourage you to reach out to discuss your recruiting needs.
