Recruitment in a Career-banding World

Recruitment in a Career-banding World Office of State Personnel July 2008

Selection Process Posting Leveling the Position Screening Interviewing Assessing the Candidate Setting Salary Making Offer

Why is this important ? • Selection ….. based on relative consideration of qualifications using fair and valid selection criteria • Promotional priority considered if ….. eligible employee and outside applicant have “substantially equal qualifications”

How? How do we best • review applications • interview candidates • and make a selection in a competency-based HR system?

The answer is …… Behavioral-based interviewing and competency assessment focused on competencies needed to succeed in the job

Because ……. “Past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior”

“Leveling” the Position • Define the “business need” • Describe the work • Determine competency requirements. • Establish minimum T&E • Set position competency level

Posting • ID Position Competency level • Set Recruitment Range or Salary Range • Add statement to consider lower level candidates? • Add salary grade equivalency

Next in the Process ….. Screening Interviewing Assessing the Candidate

Selecting Applicants to Interview Use Applicant Selection Matrix • ID Qualified & Most Qualified • Meet Minimum T&E • ID Competencies Indicated • Select Applicants to Interview

Exercise #1 Screening the Applicants

Preparing for the Interview Use Interview Worksheet • Review application • Prepare questions based on competencies

Why spend extra time? • Spend more time listening • Consistent questions • Get consistent results • Re-use • Impress candidates !

Reviewing the Application • Develop Hypotheses about competencies • ID Unanswered Questions about competencies

Exercise #2 Reviewing the Application

Preparing Interview Questions The Art of Asking Questions • Behavior-based • Accomplishment Questions • Situational Questions • Direct Competency Probes • Open-ended questions • Tell me about …… • Describe a time when ….. • Give me an example of ……. • Legally defensible

Traditional Predictable Straight-forward answers General Behavior-based More pointed (about a specific skill, knowledge or ability) More probing Situational – What would you do? Comparison of Questions

Traditional What are your strengths and weaknesses? What problems did you face and how did you handle them? Describe a typical work week. Behavior-based Describe a decision you made that was unpopular and how you implemented it. What do you do when your work is interrupted? Give an example of how you handle it. Tell me about a time you worked effectively under pressure. Examples of Questions

Sample Question #1 “Tell me about a recent problem that came up in your job for which old solutions would not work. How were you able to solve this problem?”

Sample Question #2 “Summarize the key principles of adult education and explain how to use them in instructional design.”

Sample Question #3 “Describe a situation where you were successful in getting people to work together effectively.”

Exercise #3 Practice Writing Questions (and follow-up questions)

Setting up the Interview • Setting the Tone • Physical Arrangements • Establishing Rapport • Describing the Purpose • Describing the Next Steps

Basic Interviewing Skills • Follow-up Questions • “Peeling the onion” • Active Listening • Recording • Interpreting Results

Evaluate Responses • What did you learn about how the candidate demonstrated the competency? • Another competency? • Clear example? • Answered question? • Other concerns raised?

Responses to be wary of • Feelings or opinions • Theoretical statements • Future-oriented statements • Vague statements • Missing or more components

“Describe some projects that you have been largely responsible for in a previous position.” Candidate describes specifically how s/he was responsible for initiating & completing several major projects; talks about results. Candidate says s/he was responsible for initiating & completing several projects. Candidate says s/he worked on projects but had no part in their initiation or responsibility for their completion.

“Think about a time when you had a number of important deadlines and your manager kept requesting different changes to a report that caused you to miss your deadline. What did you do?” Candidate says s/he discussed the conflict with the manager, suggested an alternative and agreed on how to handle it better next time. Candidate says s/he told the manager about the problem and how frustrating it was. Candidate says s/he decided to just work through lunch more often because the manager didn’t like to hear criticism.

Exercise #5 Rate the Responses

Functional Competency Assessment

Initial Competency Assessment for Recommended Applicant

Exercise #6 Writing the Initial Competency Assessment

Next in the Process … Posting Leveling the Position Screening Interviewing Assessing the Candidate Setting Salary Making Offer

Setting Salary • Financial Resources - amount of funding available when making pay decisions • Appropriate Market Rate - market rate applicable to the competencies demonstrated by the employee • Internal Pay Alignment - consistent alignment of salaries for employees who demonstrate similar required competencies in same banded class within work unit or organization • Required Competencies - competencies & associated levels required based on organizational business need

Pay Based on Competencies Contributing Journey Advanced Comp 1 X Comp 2 X Comp 3 X Comp 4 X Overall X recommended salary for Ann Petrie Max Min JMR ARR CRR 37

Finishing the Process … Posting Leveling the Position Screening Interviewing Assessing the Candidate Setting Salary Making Offer

QUESTIONS?

Recruitment in a Career-banding World