Making Policing attractive in Surrey.

We undertook research to understand how to make Policing an attractive career choice and uncover the possible limitations of the current methods used to increase the number of people applying for positions in the Force.

What we did:
  • Community engagement
  • Research
  • Behavioural insights
Image for Making policing attractive
Image for Making policing attractive

The mission.

Improving recruitment in Surrey.

We were commissioned by Surrey Police to conduct research and uncover insights into residents’ perceptions, views and attitudes about the Force’s recruitment campaigns and career opportunities. We were also tasked with understanding how best to target those undecided about applying to the Force. The behavioural insights we generated from this work have supported Surrey Police to develop a brand, campaign and materials to improve and increase recruitment across Surrey, making sure residents (with a focus on women and BAME residents) are aware of and feel able to apply for opportunities within the organisation.

Image for Making policing attractive

The research.

A mixed methodology.

Following an initial scoping exercise, we launched a residents survey to explore residents’ awareness of job opportunities with Surrey Police, their experiences of applying for these opportunities, and what appeals or does not appeal to them about a career with Surrey Police. We then explored key themes further through qualitative research which included a focus group and telephone interviews.

Image for Making policing attractive

The impact.

We produced a report providing a range of insights and actionable recommendations to support Surrey Police to develop future recruitment campaigns, including:

  • How to effectively raise awareness of training and development offers
  • How to showcase the human side of working for the Force and engage residents to apply using case studies and telling stories 
  • How to effectively showcase the age range of employees with the Force
  • How to increase awareness of enabler and backline roles (such as HR and finance)
  • How to best utilise online routes to reach and engage more residents 
  • How to reframe the key message to encourage people to explore the Force’s job opportunities further.
52 job candidates/ residents interviewed
6 in-depth qualitative sessions
24 insights

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