Human Resources - Recruitment Processes - Essay Example

The candidate must be a US citizen or must have applied for citizenship by being a permanent resident alien and must be granted citizenship within 3 years of employment from the USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services). Although the candidate need not be a resident of Los Angeles, the background requirements are related to a clean past and he/she must be shown to possess honesty and integrity. On the other hand, the qualifications for NYPD are that the candidates are police officers, traffic enforcement agents, or school safety agents and therefore there is no direct recruitment process. However, the qualifications for these positions are similar to that of the LAPD except that the candidate must be a resident of NYC and a citizen of the US while applying (NYPD, n.d, application division, para. 2).

Selection Process
The selection process is based on the following procedures.

- The written examination
While the candidates for LAPD are required to pass a Personal Qualifications Essay (PQE) which requires essays to be written that are based on decision-making ability and written communication skills, those of the NYPD are required to take a Civil Service examination conducted by the DCAS (Department of Citywide Administrative Services) and pass it (LAPD, n.d, page, para. 3).

- Oral boards
The oral interview for the LAPD is during the later stages of the selection procedure during which the candidate is required to appear before the department to assess personal accomplishment, job motivation, interpersonal skills, etc. Although the oral interview for the NYPD is also held during the later stages of the selection procedure, they are based on an analysis of medical requirements and character updates.

- Character and Background Investigation
This is one of the processes that are carried out right through the entire selection procedure of both departments. While the LAPD uses questionnaires for background verification during the preliminary stages of the interview and relies on a personal history form and an oral interview with a background investigator after the physical tests, the NYPD employs character investigation during the medical screening stage and the pre-hire interview.

- The Polygraph examination
A polygraph examination is required by the LAPD after the background investigation stage to verify the obtained information whereas the NYPD does not make use of the polygraph.

- The Psychological Examination
Psychological tests are conducted before an appointment with the LAPD. They involve written tests and oral analysis of the candidate based on background findings and how the candidate would react when under stress. The NYPD also uses written and oral psychological tests to evaluate the candidate; however, they are conducted after the character investigation and before the physical test. Read More