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FPC recruiters pitch digital-first 2026 strategy after reviewing 2025 outreach
Summary
FPC recruiters told the Testing and Recruiting Committee they will shift to targeted social and streaming ads in 2026, while keeping community events and bilingual materials; staff cited strong engagement on Facebook and encouraged deeper school and SRO partnerships to reach young candidates.
FPC recruiters presented the commission with a review of 2025 outreach and a plan for 2026 that shifts the office to a more digital, targeted approach while maintaining community presence.
Recruiters told commissioners the office attended 106 recruitment events last year and has already held 18 events in 2026. "We did a 106 recruitment events that FPC was present in," one recruiter said during the slide presentation, and staff highlighted a mix of college and high-school visits, career fairs, national night out events, and targeted prep sessions for exams and PRTs. Presenters said they now run recurring monthly prep sessions for written exams, interviews and physical readiness training to help candidates stay engaged.
Why it matters: staff said analysis of candidate responses shows many applicants first heard about opportunities online or through word-of-mouth, which led the team to prioritize social media and digital advertising. "Facebook as well was a very big component, so we are doubling down on that coming up," a recruiter said, and cited recent engagement numbers: "this post specifically has over 5,000 views on Facebook" with more than 120 clicks to the application link.
The 2026 plan includes targeted streaming ads during major sports events (World Cup, March Madness and Big Ten games), bilingual materials (Hmong and Spanish), bus and billboard placements, partnerships with local media and institutions (including MATC), and continued placement on job boards such as Indeed and Handshake. Staff said one video produced with a vendor ran in Spanish on Telemundo and drew community recognition in later job-fair interactions.
Commissioners urged additional school-oriented outreach and tighter coordination with school college-and-career centers. "Are you coordinating with college and career centers in high schools to show these videos and announcements?" Commissioner Evans asked. Recruiters said they already drop off flyers and posters to career centers and can explore playing testimonial videos during school announcements and in career-center sessions.
Staff also described collaboration with school resource officers (SROs) to follow up with promising police-aid candidates and to present at SRO trainings so officers can serve as ongoing contacts for students. Recruiters said that partnership helps sustain candidate interest over months as relationships develop.
What’s next: the commission received the item as a communication and no action was required. Staff said they will continue the targeted digital campaign and report back on analytics and outcomes as recruitment progresses.
