Hiring Process

Police Officer Recruitment and Selection Process

Announcement/Advertisement & Applications

1. Formal applications will only be accepted through the City’s website at www.dublinohiousa.gov. The deadline for application will be posted on the job vacancy.
2. Each candidate will be required to complete the online Employment Application.
3. Without the completion of the online Employment Application, the candidate will not be given further consideration for employment with the City.
4. Upon completion of the online Employment Application, each candidate will receive notification of receipt of the application materials as well as his/her status with respect to his/her eligibility to participate in the written examination.

Written Examination

1. A written examination will be administered to qualified candidates. Candidates will receive a raw score on the written examination, which will be weighted at a factor of 30% of the total eligibility score. The written examination will be obtained from an established, recognized, and credible test development organization.
2. In order to increase testing integrity, each candidate shall be required to show at least one source of identification containing his/her picture at the time of the examination.
3. Candidates must score at least a 70% on the written examination to move forward in the selection process, although, a passing score does not guarantee that a candidate will move forward. Candidates who receive a score of 69% or lower on the written examination will not continue in the hiring process. Candidates finishing in at least the top thirty (30) places on the written exam will be notified in writing of their progression to the next phase of the selection process within twenty-one (21) days of the written examination. (Greater than thirty (30) candidates may progress to the next phase depending upon the number of vacancies available at that time or the number of “ties” between candidates for the 30th place in the scoring.) All other candidates will be notified of their status within thirty (30) days of the written examination.

Physical Fitness Assessment

1. Each successful candidate will be required to complete a physical assessment to determine his/her readiness to enter the Police Academy of the City’s choosing or, upon hire, to move into a City field training program. The purpose of the physical fitness assessment is to ensure that a candidate possesses the general physical fitness necessary to perform the essential job functions of Police Officer at the City of Dublin. While these elements may not be directly representative of essential job functions to be performed by a Police Officer, each component does measure the candidate’s physiological capacity to learn and perform the essential job functions. Candidates who are eligible to complete the Physical Fitness Assessment will be invited to participate in the assessment at a date and time determined by the City. Candidates are required to meet the standards shown below. All standards set forth are determined to be starting benchmarks for a State of Ohio Peace Office Basic Training Academy.

To pass the physical fitness assessment of the Police Officer recruitment and selection process, the candidate must perform each component being tested and meet or exceed the standard. A score below the standard on any single exercise will be considered a failing score, resulting in disqualification in the current recruitment and selection process.

Panel Interview

Candidates finishing in at least the top thirty (30) places on the preliminary examination will participate in a structured panel interview. . The interviews are no more than one (1) hour in length and generally conducted over a 2 week period. Panel members include a representative from Human Resources, the Field Training Sergeant, and two (2) Officers. The panel interview is weighted at 70% of the total eligibility list score.

Creation of Preliminary Eligibility List

Candidates who complete the Structured Panel Interview phase of the process will be placed on the Preliminary Eligibility List in order of their combined weighted scores tabulated from the Written Examination and the Structured Panel Interview.

Continued eligibility will be conditional upon successful completion of the remaining components of the selection process as described in the remainder of this Administrative Order. Candidates who are disqualified during subsequent phases of the selection process will be removed from the Preliminary and/or Final Eligibility List, as applicable.

The Preliminary and/or Final Eligibility List will be valid until completion of the current recruitment and selection process at which time vacancy(ies) have been filled. The Preliminary and/or Final Eligibility List may also be extended for an additional period of not more than six (6) months by order of the Director of Human Resources or the Chief of Police.

Background Investigation and Record Check

The Director of Human Resources, or his or her designee, will initiate background investigation and record check procedures by forwarding on to the Police Department, at minimum, the number of candidates’ applications necessary to fill the current vacancy(ies) in rank order from the Preliminary Eligibility List.

Background investigations and record checks will be conducted by the Police Department or by an outside resource approved by the Chief of Police and the Director of Human Resources. Findings of the background investigation may be used in combination with the results of other phases of the process in determining whether a candidate should be disqualified from the process or should be given further consideration. The findings of the investigator may, also, themselves alone be used as a reason for disqualification from the process if the nature of these findings warrants disqualification.

The candidates who have successfully participated in and completed all selection process components leading up to the final interview stage of the selection process will be placed on a Final Eligibility List.

Final Interview

After the background investigation and record check phase of the selection process is complete, the Chief of Police, a Human Resources representative, and Sworn Police Bureau Commanders will interview and consider at least the three (3) highest ranking candidates from the current Final Eligibility List. These interviews are typically one hour in length.

As a result of these interviews, the Chief of Police may select one of those candidates for each available vacancy. If multiple vacancies exist, the Director of Human Resources, or his or her designee, the Chief of Police, and the Operations and Support Services Bureau Commander(s) will interview at least the number of candidates necessary to fill the multiple vacancies. The Chief of Police may consider any one of the candidates interviewed for selection.

Conditional Offer Employment

Candidates are notified that the City of Dublin is extending them a conditional offer of employment. Certain conditions must be met prior to their employment. Conditions of employment include successful completion of the following:

1. Pre-employment Police Officer Medical Exam.
2. Polygraph Examination
3. Psychological Evaluation and Interview
4. Pre-employment Drug Screen
5. Full Background Investigation
6. Appointment would be probationary in nature for a period of at least one (1) year from the beginning of the field officer training program

Conditional Offer Correspondence

Candidates receiving conditional offers will receive a verbal and written copy of the conditional offer, along with a medical form that must be completed by the Doctor at the pre-employment medical examination.

Offer Confirmation Correspondence

Once the candidate successfully completes all the conditions of employment a start date is determined, the candidate is sent a letter confirming that all conditions of employment have been met, along with the date and time of his/her swearing in ceremony.

Appointment and Probationary Period

Upon acceptance of the City’s employment offer by the selected candidate, the candidate will be appointed to the position in a probationary status for a period of at least one (1) year from the beginning of the field officer training program. If a candidate is required to attend an academy, the probationary status will begin upon appointment and continue throughout the duration of the academy and for a period of one (1) year from the beginning of the field officer training program.

Academy

It is up to the discretion of the Chief of Police if a candidate is to be enrolled into a Police Academy.

Swearing In Ceremony

New Officers are typically appointed   one (1) week prior the start of their Academy or a field training program. The swearing in ceremony is conducted on the new officer’s first day of employment.

The City of Dublin is an Equal Opportunity Employer