Article Highlights
- The problem: Hard-to-fill telecommunicator positions
- The solution: PowerEngage, a 911 dispatch software
- The benefits: Improve candidate communication, boost agency morale, and build a positive public image
The problem: Attracting new candidates
Due to the high-stakes and fast-paced nature of emergency communications center work, your agency depends on telecommunicators with a highly-specific set of skills. Telecommunicators must be a calm presence over the phone as they collect, synthesize, and communicate vital information from witnesses to share with first responders. Today, ECCs across the country are struggling to recruit and retain candidates with these skills.
Additionally, if your agency isn’t sufficiently staffed, telecommunicators can’t effectively serve first responders and the community at large. As your average response time increases, community members spend more time waiting on hold for someone to pick up the phone. Since every second counts in an emergency, understaffing at your ECC can result in dire consequences.
Emergencies continue even as agencies remain understaffed and centers struggle with how to improve recruiting efforts to fill emergency telecommunicator positions. To ensure these emergency calls still get answered, existing staff fill scheduling gaps by working overtime. Overworked employees suffer from burnout and low morale, causing them to leave your agency – or the field altogether. These low retention rates can make it challenging to attract new talent as your agency builds a reputation for overworking its employees.
The solution: A candidate engagement platform
PowerEngage by PowerDMS, a candidate engagement platform, helps improve retention at your agency by facilitating greater employee well-being and candidate communications. This 911 dispatch software enables citizens to send positive feedback to telecommunicators after an emergency is resolved. These accolades are then shared directly to telecommunicators’ emails, so they can quickly see the impact their calls have on community members’ lives.
You can even publicly display a Positive Feedback Board on screens in your agency so everyone can see these positive remarks. Positive feedback and public recognition boosts morale in your agency by reinforcing the great work telecommunicators are accomplishing and demonstrating that your agency values your employees.
PowerDMS’s 911 dispatch software also streamlines communication between candidates and recruiters during the public safety recruitment process. Candidates can scan a QR code to immediately engage with a chat that notifies recruiters of their interest. Recruiters start a conversation and provide applicants with the opportunity to ask questions. This effective communication in recruitment demonstrates that your agency meets employee needs from day one.
The benefits of 9-1-1 dispatch software
PowerEngage improves candidate communication and engagement throughout the 911 recruitment process because the candidate engagement platform meets individuals exactly where they are. Those who feel more comfortable engaging with a recruiter through chat (as opposed to calling or emailing) are more likely to show interest and apply, ensuring you don’t miss out on any qualified leads in your 911 recruitment.
Because PowerEngage also provides regular positive feedback, employees feel appreciated and are more likely to stay at your organization. This improves 911 telecommunicator retention and decreases the need for frequent public safety recruitment efforts. High morale also builds a positive reputation for your organization, so when it does come time for ECC hiring, candidates know your agency will recognize them for their hard work.
Get started
Ready to improve your 911 recruitment processes? Schedule a no-obligation demo today to learn more about how PowerDMS’s 911 dispatch software, PowerEngage, can help.