(2022) Recruitment and Retention

CO Retention: 52% CO Recruitment: 28%

In this webinar, Ret. Col. Brenda Dietzman will share short- and long-term strategies for building a diverse and capable workforce, offer ideas for attracting younger generations, and provide a blueprint for participants seeking to develop a recruitment and retention plan.

The nationwide corrections recruitment crisis has prompted agencies to adopt innovative strategies in their quest for new talent. Throughout 2023, correctional agencies turned to recruitment videos to attract fresh recruits and experienced officers looking for lateral transfers. These approaches, varying from humorous to heartfelt, aim to capture the attention of potential candidates. They showcase personal stories, promise thrilling experiences, and detail what it means to serve in the noblest profession in the world.

We measure employee retention and attraction trends, and employee perceptions of their current job climate to help organizations more effectively retain and attract top talent.

Heading into 2022, officers and leaders in the corrections sector of law enforcement find themselves at the intersection of many familiar issues to the profession and law enforcement as a whole - recruitment and retention, officer wellness and readiness, and working conditions. While these intersecting issues in corrections have been documented and studied for decades, it is the second year of a global pandemic that has brought renewed attention and, in the best cases, an urgency to address these issues.

Recruitment and retention has been one of the toughest challenges in corrections historically because of several factors. The most important reason behind this challenge is the fact that an occupation in corrections involves violence and confrontations with incarcerated individuals. Agency culture and environmental factors are directly related to retention and recruitment. Evaluating facility cultures and being mindful of generational differences are key to understanding shrinking corrections workforces.

Staff development is a broad subject, but we can begin to tackle it by breaking it down into three areas: Training: How innovative training can develop staff not only in basic recruit training, but also in on-site and online training. Mentoring: How officers can serve as role models — and they do not all have to be training instructors, supervisors, and Field Training Officers (FTOs). Building the future: How everyone can work together to develop and retain staff — as retirements happen, staff members are prepared to take their place. Training and supervisor involvement are critical.