[IPAC-List] Written Communication Exercises

[Mudd, Jordan W.]

Hello All,

 

My agency currently gives a handwritten memo-writing exercise as part of
the promotional process for many of our higher level public safety
positions . The exercise is designed to measure the written
communication skills of our applicants including grammar, spelling,
punctuation, syntax, etc. This exercise has worked well in the past.
However, the department's method of communication has improved with
technology causing handwritten and typed memos to become obsolete. 

 

I am curious to see how other agencies measure (if at all) written
communication skills of their candidates while taking into consideration
technological changes in the job. Does your agency allow candidates to
use computer word processing programs for such exercises? Another
related issue is the candidate's availability to resources they would
have on the job (e.g., spell/grammar check, internet, etc.). Can such
resources be allowed without losing our measurement of the candidate's
written communication skills? Perhaps this is something that is best
left to be addressed by the hiring agency after the promotion is made
and a performance deficiency is discovered.

 

Mr. Jordan Mudd

Louisville Metro Government

Civil Service & Police Merit Boards
517 Court Place, Suite 501
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
T 502.574.3687  F 502.574.1041