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1992-12-07
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November 1992
VIDEO STRESS INTERVIEW
By
Mike Carey
Special Programs Coordinator
Guam Police Department
Promotion. Most law enforcement officers anticipate it
with relish, while managers tend to view it with mixed emotions.
On the one hand, managers receive satisfaction from the prospect
of promoting qualified officers, thereby rewarding good police
work. On the other hand, they dread having to justify every
selection, or worse, every nonselection. At the same time,
civil service commissions, unions, and other so-called "watch
dogs" lend balance and equity to the promotion of public
servants, but particularly to those employed by law enforcement
agencies, whose virtue must be "above that of Caesar's wife."
Nonetheless, justifying promotion choices can be tedious
and time-consuming. For these reasons, police managers look for
ways to tailor their promotion procedures, while adhering to
employment laws and regulations. (1) Therefore, the Guam Police
Department (GPD) retooled its approach to the promotion process
by introducing the video stress interview (VSI).
A MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUE
VSI is not some revolutionary management technique.
Rather, it blends present-day technology with well-established
management practices. This results in a fresh approach when
selecting and promoting officers.
Three primary components comprise the video stress
interview:
1) An interview board of three senior officers
2) An Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) representative,
and
3) An independent observer from another public agency.
VSI also incorporates the use of a video camera/recorder, a
standard set of questions, and a standard numerical grading
system.
INTERVIEW BOARD
The Guam chief of police chairs the board, which also
includes two other ranking officers. An EEO representative and
an independent observer from a nonlaw enforcement agency also
sit on the board. Both the EEO representative and the observer
review the battery of questions used in the selection process to
verify its validity. This review also ensures that the
questions are job-related and appropriate for candidates vying
for promotion.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
The chief drafts the questions used in the interview
process, drawing on police management course materials from a
community college. The other board members review them for
content, and a civilian staff member of the police department
checks their construction for grammar and clarity. Apart from
the chief's executive secretary, who types the questions, no one
else outside the board has access to the questions before the
board convenes.
The questions serve a twofold purpose: 1) To determine the
candidates' managerial, supervisory, and technical knowledge,
and 2) to test the candidates' ability to respond under stress.
This allows interviewers to observe their conduct in order to
determine how they handle themselves in an emotionally
fluctuating environment.
VIDEO SETUP
Before each interview begins, a police technician sets up
and tests the video equipment, then turns on the equipment and
exits the room. The video camera runs uninterrupted during all
the interviews, recording every word and action of board
members, observers, and candidates. Nothing happens off camera.
Even the date and running time appear on the bottom of the
videotape, making it virtually impossible for someone to
stop/restart the camera or edit the tape without being detected.
THE INTERVIEW PROCESS
In a recent selection process for promotion to captain, the
interview board, consisting of the chief, two police majors, an
EEO representative, and independent observer, convened at 8:30
a.m. The task before the board was to fill five open slots from
a pool of nine possible candidates. The board interviewed the
candidates in the order they appeared on the eligibility list
supplied by the Department of Administration (DoA). Prior to
the interview, DoA screened the candidates and scored them on
such factors as seniority, time-in-service, education, etc. DoA
then compiled a list of eligible candidates and provided the
list to the interview board.
The chief briefed all candidates on the interview
procedure. After the candidates indicated that they understood
the process, the individual interviews began. Each interview
ran uninterrupted.
The chief drafted seven questions for this particular
selection. The board posed each of the seven questions twice to
the individual candidates--verbatim, without explanation or
embellishment. A candidate could request to have any question
read a third time, but the board would not allow any repeats
after that. Board members alternated reading the questions.
The board allotted 35 minutes for each interview. This
meant that candidates needed to budget their time so as to
address all seven questions adequately. Once the 35-minute
allotted timeframe expired, the chairperson stopped the
candidate and concluded the interview. Most candidates finished
well within the allotted time.
Board members then graded the responses of each candidate.
The board allowed 5 possible points per question, or a maximum
of 35 points for an interview consisting of 7 questions. Then
the board computed the candidate's interview score by adding
together the scores given by each interviewer and dividing by 5.
The interview score was then added to the score given to each
candidate by DoA for a total raw score, which was then converted
to a percentage.
For promotions, the department considered a score of 60% or
better to be a passing score. If more candidates registered
passing scores than the number of promotion slots available, the
top scorers would be selected for promotion. For example, if
eight candidates obtained passing scores but only six positions
were available, then only the candidates with the six highest
scores would be promoted.
However, at a recent board for the promotion to captain,
cited previously, only four candidates scored 60 percent or
better and were promoted. The chief then asked the Department
of Administration for a new list of eligible candidates from
which to pick the fifth captain.
ADVANTAGES OF VSI
The video stress interview provides documented proof of how
candidates fare during the process. For example, after the
department posted the names of those promoted to captain, one
lieutenant couldn't believe he wasn't selected. Obviously, the
lieutenant was devastated, especially since he believed he
"aced" the interview. He simply couldn't accept the fact that
the interviewers could have marked him so low. The lieutenant
then considered appealing the board's decision to the Civil
Service Commission.
Before taking this action, however, he sought the advice of
an interviewer who was a police major. The major told him
frankly that he blew one question completely--so badly in fact
that the major, who had known the lieutenant since he joined the
department, was startled by his poor response. The major then
suggested that the lieutenant review the interview tape.
After viewing the video tape for 10 minutes, the lieutenant
couldn't believe what he saw and heard. He had studied
diligently for the interview and knew the correct answer. But,
the stress interview technique momentarily broke his
concentration, causing him to totally misunderstand the
question. Consequently, his response made no sense.
Seeing himself from the board's perspective, on irrefutable
video tape, was tough but convincing. The lieutenant,
recognizing that the board treated him fairly, dismissed any
thought of appeal. The VSI technique proved successful.
CONCLUSION
Police departments must select the most qualified
candidates for promotion. And, they must do so fairly and in a
manner that withstands critical scrutiny.
The video stress interview provides one such avenue to
police departments. It is competitive and devoid of politics.
It also provides constructive feedback to candidates so that
they can improve their performance in subsequent interviews.
More importantly, however, the video stress interview can save
talented, aspiring officers from making critical mistakes that
could tarnish their careers.
ENDNOTE
(1) This article discusses a promotional system that,
under some circumstances, might require modification to ensure
compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity law. Police
executives contemplating adoption of any revised promotional
system should consult their legal advisor.