201 – Application and Hiring Process

You are here:

I. Purpose

Purpose The purpose of this policy is to establish procedures for the application and hiring process with Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO).

II.  Policy

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) employs new personnel in many entry-level, professional, and medical positions. Applicants who have good moral character and comply with employment laws and regulatory guidelines may be considered for employment.

A. Application:

The application process begins with an applicant submitting an online application through the HCSO Recruiting website from a personal or public computer or a computer located in the HCSO Recruiting Office.

http://www.harriscountyso.org/Recruitment/RecruitDefault.aspx

B. Cost:

All costs involved in the application process, travel expenses, parking fees, etc., will be paid by the applicant. The physical and psychological are paid by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office with the exception of HCSO Reserves.  They pay for both.

C. Confidentiality of Applicant Files:

All information in an applicant’s file is confidential and may not be revealed to persons (including other employees) not directly involved in the application process.

III. Procedure

All applicants for employment will be treated fairly in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws, Harris County personnel regulations, and HCSO Civil Service regulations with regard to processing and employment.

A. Application review – Applicants who meet the minimum standards will be scheduled for some or all of the following tests as appropriate (in no specific order):

1. Reading comprehension (deputy and detention officer)

2. Typing (clerical and communications)

3. Physical ability (deputy and detention officer)

4. Polygraph examination

5. Background Investigation

6. Personal interview

7. Psychological evaluation

8. Medical evaluation

9. Drug Testing

B. Application: A work history application will be given to those who successfully complete the initial testing phases. The applicant files of those who successfully complete the testing phases are submitted to the HCSO Administrative Review Board (ARB) at the completion of processing. The decision to offer employment is made by the ARB exclusively.

C. Qualifications: Applicants for licensed positions (detention officer, deputy, communication officer, and certain medical personnel) must meet Texas requirements for licensure. No applicant may be employed by the HCSO who does not meet applicable standards.

D. Notification: Approval for employment is contingent on successful completion of all phases of testing. An applicant will be notified if he or she does not meet the HCSO standards for employment. The HCSO does disclose the reasons for not offering employment.

E. Training: All newly-employed personnel will attend “New Employee Orientation” to review HCSO:

1. Policy,

2. Procedures,

3. Personnel regulations,

4. Code of Ethics,

6. Jail facilities, operations, and chain of command,

7. Training, and

8. County property.

F. All newly-hired detention officers will be required to complete detention officer training successfully to obtain a Texas county jailer’s license. All newly-hired deputies will be required to complete a modified training academy and other training as required, including:

1. Use of force,

2. Ethics,

3. Bias-based profiling,

4. Cultural diversity, and

5. Crisis intervention training (CIT).

G. All newly-hired Professional staff members, regardless of assignment, will receive mental health training. Mental health refresher training will be required on an annual basis.

Revision

This policy has been revised on the below listed dates:

April 21, 2009

December 14, 2011

December 16, 2013

July 20, 2016

June 7, 2021

Was this policy helpful?
How can we improve this policy?
Next 202 – Discrimination in the Workplace
Categories
Table of Contents