The United States is experiencing a human capital crisis at all levels of government. Even among graduates of public affairs programs, the interest in joining the public sector is dwindling as Baby Boomers retire and Millennials look elsewhere to make an impact on society.
Simple Changes to Job Ads Can Help Recruit More Police Officers of Color
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For public services to be delivered more effectively, the government workforce needs to diversify. Studies have shown that when public servants more closely match the communities they serve, outcomes improve, either because the public servants themselves act differently or because beneficiaries respond to them differently. For police forces across the country, the need is particularly urgent since almost 75% of officers are white. So how do we encourage more and different people to apply for public sector jobs, and to the police in particular? One option is to learn which kinds of messaging are more likely to bring in applicants of color. In one study, recruitment messaging that emphasized challenging work or career opportunities were more successful in attracting applicants of color than messaging about serving the community.