Dimensions of a police recruitment program

Purpose This study identifies key features of police recruitment programs, enabling a more systematic approach to recruitment. Design/methodology/approach We reviewed academic and practitioner literature from 2010 to 2024 and interviewed 26 subject-matter experts to build a taxonomy of recruitment programs with dimensions and elements that target different levels within a police organization. Findings At the organizational level, recruitment programs need supportive leadership, a healthy organizational culture, budgeted resources, and diverse goals. At the unit level, they need strategies to expedite processes, metrics to measure progress, and an ability to continually learn from and improve upon their efforts. At the individual level, they need recruiters with the right attributes (e.g. communication skills and emotional intelligence) for the job as well as tailored training to support their work. Research limitations/implications While we sought to be systematic in our work, we cannot claim our work represents all necessary program elements and agency types. Nevertheless, our findings show how agencies can be more systematic and comprehensive in recruitment. Originality/value This work is unique in approaching police recruitment programs and their elements as a whole and in identifying how agencies view these elements. It can guide recruiters in identifying ways to best use their recruitment resources and shape recruitment programs.