noble 2023
Pre-Hire public safety officer screening: best practices & Remote testing

I suggest chiefs consider asking the following questions about their assessment process to determine if it is in line with the IACP guidelines:

• Are your evaluations conducted after a conditional offer has been made to the candidate? (3.3)
• Are your evaluations conducted by licensed clinical psychologists trained in identifying mental disorders? (4.1)
• Are your evaluations conducted by psychologists specifically trained in pre-hire psychological evaluations of public safety officers? (4.3)
• Are your evaluations conducted by psychologists who are up to date with the research literature on psychological testing with police officers? (4.4)
• Have you provided your evaluators with a job description for the individuals they are assessing? (5.1)
• Are your evaluators reviewing test results before the interview? (7.4)
• Are the reports going only to someone directly involved in the hiring decision? (11.1)
• Are your evaluations based on on multiple sources of information (interview, background, and testing)? (11.4)

If the answer to any of these questions is “No,” then chiefs might consider updating their assessment process or finding a new service provider. If you are worried about locating one, remote testing makes it possible to receive evaluations from any experts who are licensed in your state.