Sergeant Promotional
Process Using Q -
Genderless Voice
PRESENTED BY ABDUL D. PRIDGEN, POLICE CHIEF
SAN LEANDRO POLICE
DEPARTMENT
Both the City and SLPD
have committed to the
30x30 Initiative to
increase women in the
police department to 30%
by 2030.
It is equally important
that women represented
at all leadership levels in
SLPD.
PRIORITY
SAN LEANDRO POLICE
DEPARTMENT
Some officers have expressed a lack of
confidence in the promotional process based on
what they perceived as unfair outcomes.
In our department's history, the internal
promotional process has yielded two women
who ascended above police officer, and they
were both sergeants.
PAST
SAN LEANDRO POLICE
DEPARTMENT
We examined the promotional process to
determine how to reduce or eliminate potential
bias.
Rater interviews susceptible to bias
The pitch of an applicants'voice affects
how we see them as leaders (Anderson,
Klofstad, & Nowicki, 2016).
We then explored ways of mitigating bias.
PROCESS
SAN LEANDRO POLICE
DEPARTMENT
In our due diligence, we became aware of Virtue,
the creators of Q.
Q is a genderless voice.
Virtue can utilize their software widget to
convert applicants'audio responses to Q.
The raters would later evaluate the responses of
the applicants—all applicants will sound
identical, except for the content of their replies.
SOLUTION
SAN LEANDRO POLICE
DEPARTMENT
The San Leandro Police Deparment is a
trailblazer in policing.
Body-worn cameras
Q has never been used before.
What is the cost of complete objectivity in a
promotional process?
What is the value?
PIONEER
SAN LEANDRO POLICE
DEPARTMENT
Staff recommends City Council approve an
agreement with Virtue to use Q in the audio
response portion of our sergeant promotional
process to remove rater bias.
RECOMMENDATION
SAN LEANDRO POLICE
DEPARTMENT
Anderson, R., Klofstad, C., & Nowicki, S. (2016). How Voice Pitch Influences Our Choice of Leaders. American Scientist, 104(5), 282. https://doi.org/10.1511/2016.122.282
Segrest Purkiss, S. L., Perrewé, P. L., Gillespie, T. L., Mayes, B. T., & Ferris, G. R. (2006). Implicit sources of bias in employment interview judgments and decisions. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 101(2), 152–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2006.06.005
REFERENCES
SAN LEANDRO POLICE
DEPARTMENT