Cost-per-hire for police recruits looks cheap because academy washouts and field-training failures are left out. How should HR redesign the metric?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
Cheap cost-per-hire that ignores academy washouts is a grocery receipt that skips the spoiled milk. Recruits who never make it through field training still cost the city. Put washout and FTO failure in the metric so the number tells the real yield story.
Full Explanation
Cost-per-hire informs strategy only if it captures full yield, not just application-processing or advertising spend. Police academies and field training consume substantial public resources; failures after those investments are part of the true hire cost. Exempting public safety or cherry-picking the cheapest success hides that cost. A redesigned metric that includes washout and field-training failure changes how executives judge recruiting and selection quality.