The application process
The application process starts with the application form. Once completed our recruitment team will check you meet the eligibility criteria and then invite you to complete the National Sift.
If successful, you will be invited to the next stage of the selection process which is the national Online Assessment Centre and then finally an in-force assessment (strengths-based interview). You don’t need to worry about these as you will receive plenty of information before the tests.
Further information regarding the National Sift and online assessment centre national online assessment centre is provided by the College of Policing.
We aren’t going to lie – applying to join us is a fairly long and challenging process compared to some other jobs.
There's additional steps like assessments and vetting in our application and selection process. It takes time to make sure we are getting the best people who are capable of delivering a police service we can all be proud of.
Our selection process is robust and fair. We have designed this to get the best from you and give you the opportunity to demonstrate your values, experience and competencies in a variety of ways. You do not need any experience or qualifications related to policing to be successful.
The process can take several months to complete but we are committed to keeping you updated at every stage.
We only ask for information that we require so it is really important you follow the guidance at each stage and include the information requested.
As a result of the changes to our recruitment processes during the Covid pandemic, we have extended the validity of SEARCH / Online Assessment Centre results to 24 months. We’ve also shortened the time that applicants have to wait before applying again if they have scored 45 per cent or higher. Anyone in this situation can retake their assessment after three months rather than six.
The following films have been created to give you an idea about what to expect through each stage of our selection process.