DAS Reinvents process for State Police Trooper Trainee Application and Delivers Outstanding Results

What do you get when you inject technology into an antiquated job application system?

You get results which saves the state of Connecticut time and money while providing more qualified candidates who reflect the diversity of our state.

After administering the 2019 State Trooper Trainee Application and Exam under a redesigned process the Department of Administrative Services saw positive results across the board:

•             Simple digital recruitment with a built-in exam

•             Savings of over $69,000 in staff-related costs

•             Elimination of 23,000 sheets of paper

•             17% increase in qualified applicants

•             33% increase in female applicants

•             30% increase in minority applicants

•             105% in veteran applicants

For years, the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) and the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) have worked together to construct the application system for State Police Trooper Trainees.  DAS handles the administrative side and establishes the pool of qualified candidates.  DESPP trains them and turns those that survive the rigorous process into state police officers.

There have been incremental improvements over time, but in 2017 the job application system was overhauled and the online JobAps Applicant Tracking System was initiated, allowing for a more modern way to apply for state jobs. 

Now, with the addition of the JobAps technology, the majority of labor-intensive tasks and old-fashioned mailings are handled through an email or in the background programming of the JobAps system.  Once an applicant submits his/her application, they receive a pop-up message and an email that they successfully submitted their application.  Following the closing date, applicants are sent an email informing them they are eligible to move on to the next step in the process. No more mailings.  No more waiting. No more driving to an exam site.

In addition, DAS and DESPP have greatly expanded the use of social media platforms including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and themuse.com to help advertise the opening of the job application.

The results speak for themselves.

Thanks to this great team effort, DESPP is well-positioned to hire a new class of state troopers to help protect our state and to ensure that class represents the people they put their lives on the line every day to serve.

See chart below:

Old Process	New Process