Dispatchers Continue to Work To Exhaustion

Well so far we have the Polygraph, Personality Indicator, MMPI, Typing, 10 member Board Interview, Video Exam, Observation, Scare Tactics, Ride Along, Personal Essay, Background Check, Surveillance Tapes, Affidavit to stay or pay, Sworn Statement for OT, Blood Signature, Secret Drug Test from DNA, Potential Pregnancy Indicator, BO detector!

For expanded targeted recruiting, consider the following:

1) Assigning a recruiting team (could be one person).

2) Carefully consider reviewing your job announcement, flyer or ad so that is it not a warning but 100% inviting – intended to sell the work and workplace benefits.

3) Expand your distribution to all local colleges, city newsletters, medical facilities, city offices and officials, police/fire/EMS responders and administration, all local free periodicals for volunteer groups, help line volunteers, YMCA or fitness gyms, and professional business groups.

Within your agency there are people who would love to do something MORE to get better trainees. What has been done successfully in many areas is to put on a FREE workshop in the evening to help people “Become a 9-1-1 Operator”. Face it, it’s an intriguing profession, but people aren’t really sure what is involved.

In your free career workshop one of your employees will speak to the rewards, challenges (not scare tactics), and preparatory advice. You can also take applications, provide a job test and get to know people who are interested in the career. And for those who are not fit or interested, they have just learned something about their own emergency number system, so it’s a WIN-WIN for everyone.

“Tell me about yourself” just doesn’t cut it anymore. Even if you ask, “How would you handle a (whatever) call?” you are asking something you will be training them for. Although there is merit in their guessing, wouldn’t it be better to ask for examples of past situations they may meet in this work? “Tell me a time you were faced with an angry person on the phone.”

In a behavioral interview ,follow with “What was the result?” “What was your emotion?” If you are told a story that’s anything but honest, the response will not hold up through follow up questions. The attached questions identify ‘job-related’ experiences, behaviors, knowledge, skills, and abilities desirable for emergency communications. The person’s professional (im)maturity will emerge.

There is no magic key. Every workplace hires people who eventually don’t fit, get fired, or can’t do the work. The hiring process is by nature a PREDICTION. Our industry has had more than it’s share of new hire turnover. Still, no magic evaluation will ‘pop out’ the perfect candidate. There are, however, many programs and processes that, when linked together, can help the right person for the job EMERGE – not magically – but naturally.

What if I could tell you there IS A WAY to improve hiring, retention and minimize turnover – or people who run screming out the door?

GO TO YOUR LOCAL COLLEGE VOTECH HIGH SCHOOL AND START A 9-1-1 CAREER COURSE.  There you go!  Cmon now, what does it take.  Well leadership or sick and tired of the same same.  (Oh by the way go to www.911careertraining.com – they can help you with a turnkey course)