Port of Tilbury-Police Constable

[Auntie Linda 0]

Hi all - If you've taken (and failed) your promotion board, or are just considering it, would you like to have the interview videotaped?

An officer and I have been discussing this recently, and he thought that it would be useful so that he could play it back afterwards for 'development purposes' to see how he did and how he reacted to questions if he didn't get through.

There'd be tricky bits to consider as well of course - like whether the interviewers would have to agree to it, and whether a third party would be videoing it or whether the camera would be set up on a tripod and the candidate would have to insert their own video before the interview and remove it afterwards - not easy with hands trembling with nerves.... but he thought that it would be very useful.

Just wondering whether anyone else felt the same!  Have posted this on the Sgt to Insp thread as well so that I can ask them, too.

[Ian Hutchison 0]

Auntie Linda,

 

Video recording the interview process is a great idea. But before you do that it is important to undergo some personal development and in depth preparation for the board. During my service I sat as the Chair for many Sgt and Insp boards. I can quite honestly say that on one set of boards out of 74 applicants to Insp only about 5 were well prepared!

 

Some introspective work around personality, team working, leadership styles and understanding board technique are very important and will hold you in good stead for success at the next board.

 

In my experience there is little help from within forces to prepare for the annual round of boards and when I ran awareness evenings about board prepartion and technique they was standing room only in the seminar room!

 

Is it still the case that forces do not help people prepare for promotion or selection boards generally?

 

Ian

[Wee Man 0]

I recently failed my board and had to appeal (twice) before getting promoted. Turns out they'd added up the marks wrong, but I'd appealed on some of the comments they'd made in their feedback (they'd quoted physical characteristics etc - I had to point out that perhaps they shouldn't be doing that in this day and age).

 

Anyway, the appeals process took over two months. I couldn't help thinking at the time that if the process had been recorded then any appeal would be a lot quicker. So, I'm all for it. Don't see how it can hurt either way. If nothing else, even if I'd deserved not to pass then it would have been a useful development tool fot the next time I sat the boards.

[diddly 80]

Strange but true; you can still find it impossible to get support for boards etc. I'm on my second Pt1 Sgt's Ospre. I passed Pt1 with flying colours last time but could not get through Pt2-initially not having any idea or being able to find out about what was required. Several training units across the Met claimed they had been threatened with discipline if they ran classes. Inevitably I failed. Since leaving & returning to the Met I have learnt that if you want anything you have to go & get it so I'm investing in outside training to get me through this time. Of course the Job will be happy to accept a well-trained,clued-up officer,particularly when they get him free!

[lurpaksbone 0]

I failed my PC - SGT promotion board last year and was really gutted about it. I felt that I answered the questions accurately and when I left the room I felt confident that I had given a good account of myself. However when I met the lead assessor who was a rather obnoxious Chief Inspector for face-to-face feedback, I realised that the boards are never as impartial as they should be. One of the first things he came out with was "when I get someone sat in front of me I decide there and then if I want them to work for me as a sergeant or not."

 

Clearly when faced with such a dinosaur-like attitude from someone holding a senior post, a video taped interview would have given me evidence to support an appeal. It is not beyond the wit of man to have an interview room equipped with a couple of cameras, after all video interviews have been commonplace for certain witnesses or suspects for years.