What does the Garda recruitment process involve?
The competition for the selection of Garda Trainees attracts a very high number of applicants. Accordingly, the selection process to become a Garda Trainee is comprehensive, with candidates required to undertake a range of relevant assessment tests and exercises over a number of selection stages. These tests and exercises are designed to identify candidates suitable to be a Garda Trainee, with the potential to become an attested member. Therefore, only the highest performing candidates at each particular stage will progress to the next stage. The numbers called forward to each stage of selection will be determined from time to time having regard to the number of places to be filled in the Garda College.
Applications
When a new Garda Recruitment campaign is launched applications are taken by the Public Appointments Service on their website www.publicjobs.ie. The Public Appointments Service is the centralised recruiter for An Garda Síochána and they will process the candidates on their behalf. Eligibility criteria and requirements are outlined at the start of a campaign in a booklet called ‘Notes For Candidates’ which is a downloadable document.
The Stages of Recruitment
Stage 1
Garda Online Assessments
Applicants are firstly invited to complete a series of online assessments. These assessments are completed at home and remotely proctored (supervised) on a laptop or PC. See here for how to prepare for Stage 1 of the Garda Campaign
Stage 2
The Competency Based Interview
A competency based interview is a highly structured interview where candidates are informed in advance of a number of key competencies. The competencies which are predefined by the interview board are key skills deemed necessary to serve effectively as a member of An Garda Síochána. Examples of the competencies could include ‘Problem Solving’, ‘Resilience’, ‘Motivation for the Role’ etc. During the interview candidates are asked to give examples of instances when they displayed each of the competencies effectively. Most people pick examples from their previous work experience, voluntary experience, educational experience or a hobby that that they enjoy. All candidates are assessed on the same competencies to ensure that there is fairness in the selection process.
Stage 3
The Physical Competence Test & Medical Examination
This is the final stage of the Garda recruitment process and passing cannot be taken for granted, even if you consider yourself fit and healthy as the physical competency test is very challenging. Applicants must pass all elements of the test and there is strictly no deviation from the format of the test. The Department of Justice released figures in January 2023 showing that more than 1 in 6 Garda recruits failed the fitness test (Lally, 2023), rising to more than 1 in 3 based on reports at the end of February 2023 (Sheehan, 2023).
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