Hiring Process

The first stage of the application process is the advertising of applicant testing and the acceptance of applications. Written examinations are conducted as needed to establish a current pool of eligible applicants. Deputy Sheriffs are selected from the applicant pool when a vacancy or new position arises. The Roanoke County Sheriff's Office very rarely advertises each Deputy Sheriff position that needs to be filled. 

Online Job Interest Card

If you are interested in a position with the Roanoke County Sheriff's Office and you missed the most recent applicant testing, you can fill out an online job interest card with the Roanoke County Department of Human Resources and they will contact you when the next advertisement for applicant testing is posted. A Roanoke County application for employment must be filled out before the specified deadline in order to participate in the testing process. 

Testing

Each applicant must participate in and successfully pass both a written examination and a physical agility test in order to establish that they possess the required comprehensive knowledge and physical capabilities to perform the essential job functions of a Deputy Sheriff. Applicants will be discontinued from the current applicant pool should they fail to successfully complete either test and will be required to retest at the next scheduled testing date in order to be considered again for employment.

Once the testing is finished, those who successfully completed both examinations may be contacted to participate in an initial interview that will be conducted by a review board from the Sheriff's Office. This step allows for personal contact by department personnel to clarify application and Personal History form information provided by the applicant. Applicants are provided a detailed Personal History questionnaire by the Sheriff's Office at the time of testing and must return the completed form within five days to the Sheriff's Office (failure to return this form in a timely manner will result in disqualification of the applicant).

Background Investigation

Applicants are required to have an investigation conducted into their background prior to employment. The purpose of the background investigation is twofold. The first is to verify information supplied by the applicant. The second purpose is for use as a guide in determining the suitability of an applicant for the position of Deputy Sheriff. The background investigation will include verification of an applicant's qualifying credentials, as well as:

• A review of the applicant's criminal record, if any
• Verification of at least three personal references of the candidate
• Personal contact with present and past employers and neighbors
• A traffic record check and credit check
• Verification of all educational transcripts and certificates
• Verification of military history if applicable

Final Steps

Applicants go through a final interview as part of the application process. The interview is normally conducted by a Division Commander. Upon successful completion of the entire process, a conditional offer of employment may be offered to the most qualified candidate.