Page 251 - Fundamentals of Management Myths Debunked (2017)_Flat

250 Part 3 • Organizing
cASe ApplicAtion 3
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HRM in the Hong Kong Police Force

he Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), established in the Basic Law (BL) test. In 2010, a psychometric test was
1841, currently has a workforce of around 40,000 per- introduced to assess candidates’ personalities. An extended in-
Tsonnel. While recruiting Europeans had ceased in 1994, terview (or assessment center) that requires group discussion,
the organization’s policy continues to focus on recruitment presentation, and management and leadership exercises is also
throughout the year and looks at hiring “high caliber” individu- conducted to gauge competencies such as communication,
als for the roles of inspectors and constables. The Hong Kong judgment, and confidence. Then, a panel interview, physical
Police College, which was established in January 2006, is fitness test, an integrity check, and a medical examination are
designed to run nine-month courses to provide comprehensive organized.
training for inspector-level candidates. 81 The Police College is responsible for training and develop-
Despite the need for more officers and the continuous ing the new recruits. Its Foundation Training Centre organizes
recruitment, the Force is extremely selective and it isn’t very stringent training programs for recruits with a focus on founda-
easy to join the force. HKPF believes that the people are its tional knowledge and skills.
greatest asset. While serving in the force, and after receiving Due to the demanding work, police officers in Hong
promotions, an officer’s access Kong are paid a little more
to professional development than the civil servants in other
programs increases. Officers at Hong Kong Police departments. Newly recruited
the middle management level Force . . . fighting for TALENT constables are paid between
are trained in leadership and $31,000–$34,000 HK (around
commanding critical incidents. US $3,999–4,387) while new
Officers in the Force are only granted increments if their perfor- inspectors and senior inspectors receive between $67,000HK
mance is considered satisfactory or better. –$76,000 HK (around US $8,645–9,806) upon successful
Based on its belief that every individual is a big asset to the completion of standardized police examinations.
organization, the Hong Kong police force spends considerable After graduation, officers are assigned to a specific
resources and effort in acquisitioning and training, it adopts unit or formation for a few years. Then they regularly rotate
and implements sophisticated human resources management through posts in different units or districts, getting a well-
(HRM) practices. rounded career development opportunity. Each officer builds
Acquisition of the right people begins with the recruitment more relationships, develops greater confidence in their
and selection for entry-level posts, mostly police constables and po- job-performance, and gains a holistic view of the force. This
lice inspectors. The human resources branch, under the personnel also enables the police organization to achieve better coordi-
wing, is actively engaged in publicizing the recruitment program nation, succession planning, and suffer less from corruption
with the help of various mediums and organizations, includ- in the local communities.
ing schools and universities. The Hong Kong Police Mentorship As a result, a learning culture, which is an important part
Program (PMP) seeks to attract interested undergraduate students of the HKPF’s strategic HRM framework, is developed.
and enroll them in a mentor-mentee program with members of the
Force; the mentors serve as role models to the prospective recruits. Discussion Questions
The PMP participants usually have a higher success rate in secur- 7-22 Identify the environmental forces that affect the current develop-
ing full-time posts in the Force after graduation than those achieved ment of various HRM activities in the Hong Kong Police Force.
through other recruitment channels. 7-23 What are the advantages or disadvantages of the police men-
The selection process of the police officers tries to iden- toring program for the force and the prospective candidates?
tify various core competencies in each candidate, like com- 7-24 Evaluate the reliability and validity of one of the written tests
munication, judgment, confidence, and leadership. used in the selection of the police officers.
Candidates who apply for the post of police inspector 7-25 The Hong Kong Police Force successfully nurtures a learning
have to pass a written examination, which includes English culture in the organization. Identify various training and devel-
and Chinese language proficiency tests, an aptitude test, and opment activities that help to shape the culture.