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How to hire an officer candidate

Officer candidate hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring officers candidate in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire an officer candidate is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new officer candidate to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire an officer candidate, step by step

To hire an officer candidate, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire an officer candidate, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step officer candidate hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write an officer candidate job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new officer candidate
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you start hiring an officer candidate, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an officer candidate to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an officer candidate that fits the bill.

    Here's a comparison of officer candidate salaries for various roles:

    Type of Officer CandidateDescriptionHourly rate
    Officer CandidatePolice officers protect lives and property. Detectives and criminal investigators, who are sometimes called agents or special agents, gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes.$12-36
    RangerA ranger is responsible for protecting and conserving natural resources and environmental conditions. Rangers coordinate with environmental institutions and landowners to identify land conservation strategies to prevent destructible threats of wildfires and calamities... Show more$11-21
    Military PoliceMilitary police officers act as peacekeepers and soldiers within a community. They have more complicated duties and responsibilities than their civilian counterparts, which include enforcing military law and regulations, responding to emergency situations, and investigating crimes or any illegal or suspicious activities... Show more$12-32
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Platoon
    • Combat
    • Leadership
    • Physical Fitness Test
    • Logistics
    • Physical Fitness Training
    • Command Operations
    • OCS
    • Flight Training
    • US Army
    • Military History
    • USMC
    • Professional Development
    • Training Events
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Lead a platoon of officer candidates through physical training warm-ups and cool downs, focusing on proper technique and execution.
    • Manage procurement operations and export-import logistics operations of recreational vehicles from U.S. to Venezuela.
    • Garrison leadership positions include serving as platoon leader and squad leader
    • Apply leadership, management and supervision techniques when receiving operational orders, disseminating information and assigning mission essential tasks.
    • Complete physical testing standards as well as many academic exams that analyze leadership potential as well as mental cognitive capabilities.
    • Join extracurricular ROTC activities, such as color guard.
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your officer candidate job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An officer candidate can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, officers candidate' average salary in kansas is 49% less than in new york.
    • Seniority. Entry-level officers candidate 67% less than senior-level officers candidate.
    • Certifications. An officer candidate with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an officer candidate's salary.

    Average officer candidate salary

    $44,036yearly

    $21.17 hourly rate

    Entry-level officer candidate salary
    $25,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 22, 2026
  4. Writing an officer candidate job description

    A job description for an officer candidate role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an officer candidate job description:

    Officer candidate job description example

    No


    ** Sign On Bonus: Qualified External Candidates may be eligible for a $1500.00 Sign-on Bonus ***

    What You Will Do
    To assist the physician and other health care professionals in providing quality care to patients in the Sharp Rees-Stealy Occupational Health Program.

    Required Qualifications

    • Certification of completion of a Medical Assistant Program.
    • Experience with CAOHC and Spirometry.
    • AHA Basic Life Support for Healthcare Professional (AHA BLS Healthcare) - American Heart Association -REQUIRED


    Preferred Qualifications

    • 1 Year MA experience in related clinical area.
    • Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) - California Certifying Board for Medical Assistants -PREFERRED


    Essential Functions

    • Communication and teamwork
      Staff Development: Participates in clinical and department specific meetings, technical in-services, customer service training, and mock codes. Orients new nurse to department.
      Teamwork: Consistently acts as a team player. Demonstrates willingness to float/flex and assist in other departments/locations throughout Sharp Rees-Stealy.
      Uses positive communication skills, identifies issues, makes suggestions related to access, patient care and patient satisfaction to immediate supervisor and offers solutions for resolution in cooperation with other team members (Providers, PSRs, etc.)
      Front Desk: Provides assistance to PSRs in resolving issues related to front desk responsibilities including scheduling and telephone management. Acts as a positive role model and ensures appropriate service delivery.
      Gives and receives feedback about care and service delivery.
      Other: Performs all other duties as required by Coordinator, Occupational Health Nurse or Director. Times patient in and out on their paperwork within established timeframes.
    • Customer service
      Smiles, makes eye contact, uses warm and professional tone of voice when calling patients and escorting them to the exam room.
      Addresses all patients by first and last name, unless otherwise requested by the patient. Checks for correct name pronunciation.
      Introduces self-using first name and role/title. Wears name badge where it can be easily seen.
      Provides physical assistance to patients as indicated (e.g., getting onto exam table in exam rooms).
      Ensures patient is comfortable while waiting in exam room (offers blanket, magazines, etc.)
      Returns regularly and explains delays to patients waiting in exam rooms. Keeps PSR informed of back office events and status.
      Refrains from discussion of personal issues or patient-related conditions where patients can overhear. Consistently monitors voice volume in patient care areas. Adheres to Sharp HealthCare policies and procedures regarding confidentiality. Maintains patient privacy (i.e., occupied exam room doors are kept shut, patients information is not discussed where it can be overheard or shared inappropriately).
      Assists patients who appear to be lost or confused.
      Follows all policies and procedures for telephone etiquette and protocol (i.e., answers phone within 3 rings, announces caller before transfer, answers all phones in area).
    • Daily operations
      Telephone: Listens to patients, collects pertinent information, recognizes the urgency of the patient's problem and routes to physicians. Returns phone calls according to physician instruction. May schedule patient appointments.
      Ensure prompt and efficient return of messages according to established policy. Troubleshoots and resolves problem calls.
      Ancillary Results Management: Assumes responsibility for receiving of results, routing to provider and forwarding to medical records.
      Daily Organization: Monitors patient flow, physician schedules and completes daily tasks to ensure quality and meet service standards. Reviews charge tickets for accuracy and completeness. Follows policy and procedure for entering of OCM. Completes work within assigned hours.
      Policy & Procedure: Follows all policies and procedures. Demonstrates familiarity with nursing policy and procedure manuals. May participate in writing or revision of policies. Adhere to Appearance Standards Categories II.
      Quality Assurance: Demonstrates clear knowledge and accountability of quality regulations and standards for department. Maintains Quality Assurance book/list on unit.
      Other: Performs all other duties as required by Coordinator, Occupation Health Nurse, or Director.
      Daily Effectiveness: Demonstrates department efficiency by maintaining department standards including attendance, punctuality and completion of time cards.
    • Nursing skills
      Clinical Expertise: Demonstrates technical expertise and competency within scope of practice. May act as a clinical resource for the assigned area. Partners with physicians to continuously learn and expand clinical knowledge base. Maintains current knowledge of medications and administration techniques.
      Patient Education: In partnership with physician, provides specific educational material and individual teaching.
      Infection Control: Uses Universal precautions and demonstrates knowledge of infection control policies and procedures.
      Other: Participates in clinical projects as directed by the coordinator, Occupational Health Nurse or Director.
    • Regulatory compliance
      Follows established guidelines for infectious control policy and procedure. Annual skin test is current.
      Maintains environmental/equipment safety and reports any potential hazardous situation to Supervisor/Manager. Attends all mandatory safety training inservices.


    Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

    • Medication administration proficiency.

    Sharp HealthCare is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability or any other protected class

    Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) - California Certifying Board for Medical Assistants; AHA Basic Life Support for Healthcare Professional (AHA BLS Healthcare) - American Heart Association
  5. Post your job

    To find officers candidate for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any officers candidate they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level officers candidate with the right educational background.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your officer candidate job on Zippia to find and recruit officer candidate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    During your first interview to recruit officers candidate, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new officer candidate

    Once you've selected the best officer candidate candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new officer candidate. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire an officer candidate?

Before you start to hire officers candidate, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire officers candidate pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

Officers candidate earn a median yearly salary is $44,036 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find officers candidate for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $12 and $36.

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