I have been involved with test writing and development in the public sector since 1992, and CritiCall is one of the best testing tools for public safety dispatching I have ever seen. Not only does it allow for customization to the individual organizational needs, it provides a built-in validation module which is extremely easy for subject matter experts and HR analysts to use and understand. Candidates frequently tell me they have never taken a test which is so closely relates to what they do on the job. After I demonstrated this product to another agency in our valley, they purchased it immediately!I’d recommend this product to any public sector organization that wants a valid and reliable tool for their public dispatching recruitment process.
Jeanne Hudgins
Senior Employment Analyst
City of Henderson (Nevada)
A CritiCall Recommendation
Dispatcher Applicant Gives Feedback About CritiCall
We receive a lot of great feedback from employers who use our pre-employment testing software. It’s not everyday, though, that we hear from a job applicant about our pre-employment testing. Today we received this wonderful email from a dispatcher applicant who took the CritiCall exam. The e-mail address, agency, and name have been removed for confidentiality.
From: **********
Sent: Friday, February 17, 2012 6:50 AM
To: Info@CritiCall911.com
Subject: Thank you
To whom it may concern,I just participated in a testing session with the ****** Police for a position as a Dispatcher. I have 6 1/2 years experience in this field. I have been actively looking for a new job in this same field. In the process, I have taken numerous different tests. For the first time I tested with the Criticall software system. I have never been impressed with testing….until yesterday! I believe that you have hit the nail on the head with this testing system. It covered ALL of the areas that are necessary for a successful Dispatcher. I was thrilled to see a spelling section (one of my pet peeves). Thank you for providing a program that should be used by ALL agencies in their hiring process for Dispatchers.
I normally don’t take the time to write to a company, but felt this time it was warranted. My husband told me I should be a representative for your company since I came home so excited about the program. I wish you success and hope to see this type of testing at the remainder of the positions I apply for.
H**** P****
____________________________
Thank you, HP! We truly appreciate your taking time to share your feedback with us.
We wish you all the best in your career!
Weld County – CritiCall 911
Dispatcher Applicant Testing
“We currently use CritiCall for the initial screening in our hiring process and are extremely pleased with the results and the software in general. I love it! The biggest reason is because it’s very hands on (computer based) so it not only tests applicants’ ability but also gives us a view of their comfort level using computers on their own and with no direction. The score reports are great because I can show the applicant — directly from the printout — what their scores are as compared to what is passing. It’s hard for anyone to argue with the results when they are right there in black and white.”
Annie LaFleur
Supervisor
Weld County Regional Communications, CO
Yolo County Communications – CritiCall
Emergency Services Dispatcher Testing
“As an ‘observer’ of the dispatch employees, I can say that the caliber of employees we have hired since implementing CritiCall has significantly improved. We’ve hired about fifteen this year and they are smart, inquisitive, motivated, excited, they learn quickly and appear to have a good work-ethic.
Prior to implementing CritiCall it was common for us to spend an entire day interviewing candidates only to have just one or two with which we were impressed enough to advance them to the background check phase; sometimes we didn’t have even one person at the end of the day! Since using CritiCall, our interview board members are advancing 70% to 80% of the candidates to the background check phase. As you recall, it took me a long time to implement CritiCall implemented, here. The benefits of using CritiCall have been validated and — having pushed for it — I feel a bit validated too!”
Marianne Wolf
Support Services Manager
Yolo County Communications Emergency Service Agency, CA
Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region – CritiCall
Public Safety Dispatcher Pre-Employment Testing
“911 is a support system that very few people think about until they need to dial 911. Our emergency communications center is the first voice of hope that anyone hears when calling for help. It impacts people in an extraordinary time of need. Our challenges and endeavors succeed because of our people involved, and by engaging the best people our organization can accomplish great deeds.
Our best assets are the people who work in our emergency communications center. The utilization of the CritiCall Pre-employment testing software affords our organization the ability to minimize the recruitment process time and ensure that our human resources are optimized so that best fit solutions are incorporated into our recruiting process. The fusion of the key characteristics, skills and traits required in emergency communication specialists is quickly identified with the CritiCall testing package.
Since deploying the CritiCall testing software into our recruitment process our turnover rate has decreased dramatically and operational performance has increased, creating greater employee satisfaction, morale, and optimal customer service to our key stakeholders and the community we serve.
In my 25 years of public safety emergency service I can say, without a doubt, that the development of the CritiCall testing software has been one of the most significant gains in the recruiting process in the arena of public safety.”
Kim Gutwin
Supervisor of Regional Communication EMS Division
Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region
Washington County 911 – CritiCall
911 Emergency Dispatcher Testing Software
“In 2000, before we started using CritiCall, we successfully trained and retained only 15% of our new hires. In mid-2001, we began to use CritiCall and our retention rate rose to 54%. In 2002, we did even better, retaining 86% of our new-hires. Believe it or not, the next year we had a 100% retention rate! CritiCall was not the only change we made …, but I consider it to be one of the most integral parts.”
Susan Kock
Training Coordinator
Washington County 911, OR
City of Wilmington – CritiCall Dispatcher Testing Software
Public Safety Dispatcher Testing
“The CritiCall testing program is an excellent tool in identifying candidates best suited for communications in our 911 communications center. Since we have implemented CritiCall as a testing mechanism, our turnover has drastically reduced.”
Sheila Martin
HR Administrator
City of Wilmington, DE
Harrison County – CritiCall 911
Public Safety and 911 Dispatcher Employment Testing Software
“We completed a hiring session earlier this month. CritiCall, as has been our practice, played an important part in the selection process. We are very pleased with the program. The quality of hires selected has improved greatly since we incorporated CritiCall into our operations.”
Jim Copenhaver
911 Administrative Coordinator
Harrison County Bureau of Emergency Services, WV
Fairborn Police Department – CritiCall 911
911 Dispatcher Testing Software
“The candidates we have now are of a much better quality than we have hired in the past so we are completely sold on the software. We believe this software will pay for itself just by the sheer fact that we aren’t putting people through a training process in our Dispatch Center and then finding out that they can’t handle the job or don’t like the job.”
Tonia S. Ward
Administrative Assistant
Fairborn Police Department, OH
City of Windsor Police Service – CritiCall 911
Dispatcher Applicant Pre-Employment Testing
“CritiCall is one of those main factors that weeds out people that aren’t suitable for the job. CritiCall saves us time by having applicants take themselves out of the hiring process. They come out of testing saying, ‘I know I can’t do this job, if that (the testing) is what it (the job) is like.’ CritiCall saves us money, because training is extremely expensive and we find out quickly who to train, and who to not. We will use CritiCall for many years to come. CritiCall is one of those tools that we cannot do without.”
Lori Powers
Director E911 Centre
City of Windsor Police Service
Windsor, ON
