ISE Awards:
Best Assessment and
Selection Process
Police Now and Talogy
Breaking Barriers in Selection
Policing has long struggled with diversity and inclusion. In England and Wales, only 8.49% of police officers identify as from a minority ethnic background (even fewer in senior ranks), and just 35.4% of police officers are female.
Police Now is committed to changing this.
It is critical that the selection process for our national graduate programmes is fair, inclusive, and accessible to all, including ethnic minorities, women, neurodiverse individuals, those with disabilities, and intersectional minority groups.
A more diverse police force is not just a moral necessity; it strengthens relationships with the communities served, driving meaningful institutional change.
Regardless of the outcome, every candidate should leave the process having gained valuable insights – about themselves, about Police Now’s mission, and what a career in policing entails.
For Every School
Our brand-new Immersive Assessment – For Every School is a unique experience never before seen in the Policing Sector. It allows candidates to step into the role of a neighbourhood police officer and take part in an interactive journey, while also helping them decide if the role and programme are the right fit for them.
The assessment is divided into different sections, and candidates will be presented with various situations and tasks they will encounter in the role.
The assessment is set in a secondary school, where the candidate, acting in the role of a neighbourhood police officer, is approached by a concerned parent about their child, Tara. The candidate will discover that explicit images of a female student have been shared among students at the school.
Candidates will encounter videos, audios and imagery as well as interacting with multiple partners (charities, schools, communities), policing colleagues or Sergeant throughout the assessment.
Immersive assessment video: Tara’s father
Immersive assessment video: Charity worker
Designing a fair and inclusive process
Police Now and Talogy’s robust, evidence-based approach ensures the solution is a fair, engaging, and inclusive experience for all.
1. Collaborative content design
A diverse cross-organisational team shaped the newly designed content, ensuring that multiple perspectives actively contributed feedback. This collaborative approach ensured the final product was well-rounded and inclusive.
2. Inclusive and accessible assessment design
The multi-method assessment included a combination of pre-validated psychometric content and bespoke, role-relevant modules. Key features include:
- Cross-device accessibility: Ensuring candidates could engage on any device.
- Clear instructions: Simple, easy-to-understand directions to guide candidates.
- No time limits: Providing flexibility for all candidates.
An alternative was also created to accommodate reasonable adjustments, although no candidates requested this, highlighting the accessibility-first approach.
3. Real-world role representation
Professional videos demonstrated a realistic review of the role the applicants would be working in, featuring a diverse mix of actors and real Police Now graduates from different genders and ethnicities. The use of real neighbourhood police officer incumbents ensured authenticity, avoiding tokenism. All multimedia included alt text and subtitles.
4. Comprehensive Candidate Resources
A detailed candidate handbook and practice assessment were provided to ensure candidates could prepare effectively, understand any required adjustments, and feel supported throughout the process. This included:
- Information on question types.
- Clear assessment criteria.
- Expectations for the process.
5. Dedicated Support and Feedback
Candidates had access to dedicated live chat support and extensive FAQs also enabled candidates to self-serve answers or receive direct assistance.
In addition, a dynamic, competency-levelled candidate report instantly provided feedback and development advice for all candidates.
6. Post Cycle Enhancements
Results
This solution has revolutionised engagement, fairness, and candidate success—resulting in 196 outstanding new NPOs ready to serve local communities.
Net Promoter Score
+
0
A dramatic rise from +60 the previous year (industry average: +36, exceptional: +50)
Completion rate
0
%
Completion rates surged from 59% to 73%, demonstrating a vastly improved experience.
Engagement rate
0
%
99% found the assessment engaging and interesting
AIR 1.0
Near complete parity
Significantly above industry standards of 0.80
This bar graph illustrates the differences across key diversity measures between Police Now’s intake and the broader policing workforce in England and Wales
Candidate feedback
