Some experts feel that it is negligent not to conduct psychological testing of entry-level law enforcement candidates. Stanard & Associates, Inc.'s Police Officer Personality Evaluation is most commonly used as an assessment tool prior to hire. In the long run, this type of testing will have the greatest impact on hiring those best suited for law enforcement careers. Agencies that have incorporated our Police Officer Personality Evaluation into their selection process report that they have very few problems with their officers.

There might be some worry about the legality and use of personality tests to screen out candidates who are unlikely to be successful on the job, but the process is legal and widely accepted by the courts and the public. Our police officer personality evaluations not only screen out those obviously not suited for law enforcement, but also identify those with the traits that make for the best officers.

Even though we feel an agency is on comfortable legal ground using our Police Officer Personality Evaluation (psychological examination) as a pass/fail tool, some choose a rating system that categorizes their candidates as above average, average, borderline or poor. At the same time, they recognize that standards cannot be lowered just because there are fewer qualified candidates out there. These agencies sometimes switch to a pass/fail format after gaining some experience with the psychological testing process.

Our psychological evaluation consists of a battery of mental ability and personality tests, as well as a writing exercise and an in-depth interview by an experienced licensed psychologist. Findings are given to the agency in a brief report (Appendix II) which includes extremely valuable information that not only identifies top candidates, but also identifies candidates who could create serious problems if hired. We normally include a definite Recommend or Not Recommend statement at the end of each report, and policing agencies adopting this approach, avoid hiring candidates we do not recommend.

Our reports will provide you with the data you need to make better, more accurate hiring decisions. They offer the potential to not only help you avoid hiring problem employees, but to ensure that you select the candidates best suited for police work. Unlike many police psychologists, our goal is to recommend the person best suited for the job. We don't simply identify those with mental and emotional problems and recommend against hiring them. In this regard, our standards for recommending someone are higher than you may have encountered from other police psychologists.

The process for conducting Police Officer Personality Evaluations for entry level hiring is provided in the flow chart shown above.

Home | Public Safety Solutions | Employee Survey Solutions | Contact Us | About Us