Rhea Seeber-Reynolds, HR Manager

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Hiring, Screening Interviewing

• Presented by
• Rhea Seeber-Reynolds, HR Manager
• Stefani Coverson, HR Manager

2
Objectives

• Recruit competent staff
• Access and apply Master Agreement, Policies and
  Practices
• Understand interviewing procedures

3
Rules and Policies

• For Washington General Service (WGS), the
  following apply
• WFSE CBA
• DSHS Policy 18.19

4
Types of Appointments

• Probationary
• Trial Service
• Transfer
• Voluntary Demotion
• Elevation
• College Career Graduate- Social Services
• Non-permanent

5
Probationary Period

• Every part-time and full-time employee, following
  his or her initial appointment to a permanent
  position, will serve a probationary period of 6
  consecutive months except that employees in any
  class for which the probationary period was 12
  months on July 1, 2005 will continue to serve a
  12 month probationary period.

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Probationary Period

• Agencies may extend the probationary period for
  an individual employee as long as the extension
  does not cause the total period to exceed 12
  months
• The Employer may separate a probationary employee
  at any time during the probationary period.

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Trial Service Period

• Except for those employees in an in-training
  appointment, all other employees with permanent
  status who are promoted, or who voluntarily
  accept a transfer or demotion into a job
  classification for which they have not previously
  attained permanent status, will serve a trial
  service period of 6 consecutive months.

8
Trial Service Period

• Agencies may extend the trial service period for
  an individual employee as long as the extension
  does not cause the total period to exceed 12
  months.
• The Employer may revert an employee who does not
  satisfactorily complete his or her trial service
  period.

9
Vehicles for Transfer

• Transfers from Certification List
• Between agencies or within same agency
• Same job class or different job class with same
  salary range maximum
• May have to serve a trial service period
• Internal Movement Permanent Employees
• Within DSHS
• Has permanent status with the State
• Employee makes written request to Appointing
  Authority (no Cert List required)
• May have to serve a trial service period

10
Voluntary Demotion

• Voluntary Demotion from Certification List
• Between agencies or within same agency
• Position with a lower salary range maximum
• May have to serve a trial service period
• Internal Movement Permanent Employees
• Within DSHS
• Has permanent status with the State
• Employee makes written request to Appointing
  Authority (no Cert List required)
• May have to serve a trial service period

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Elevations

• Elevations from Certification List
• Can be used between agencies or within an agency
• Internal Movement Permanent Employees
• Within DSHS only
• Has permanent status as a State employee
• Previously held permanent status at the higher
  level
• Employee makes written request to Appointing
  Authority (no Cert List required)

12
College Career Graduate Program other in
training plans

• College Career Graduate ProgramSS
• 6 months at CCGP
• 18 months at Social Worker 1
• 12 months at Social Worker 2
• Class Series In-Training
• Done in same or like series
• Can be multi level
• Up to 36 months max

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Non-Perm Appointments

• Fill in for the absence of permanent employee
• During a workload peak
• While recruitment is being conducted
• To reduce the possible effects of a layoff
• Incumbent must have the skills and abilities
  required for the position

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When you have a vacancy

• Speak with your Area Administrator/ Area Manager
• Consult with HRD Representative as necessary to
  strategize on hiring options based on your units
  needs
• Contact local HR Representative to initiate
  hiring process

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Hiring Strategy

• Decide how you want to announce your vacancy
• Internal movement of permanent employees
• Recruit through NeoGov (this includes both
  non-permanent and permanent hires)

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Article 4.3 Internal Movement

• Prior to certifying candidates in accordance with
  Subsection 4.1, an Appointing Authority may grant
  an administrative transfer, voluntary demotion,
  or elevation within an agency as long as the
  permanent employee has the skills and abilities
  required to perform the duties of the position.

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Internal Movement Continued

• Employees desiring a transfer, voluntary
  demotion, or elevation will initiate a request in
  writing, and appointing authorities will consider
  these individuals for an opening. Candidates
  interviewed will be notified of the hiring
  decision emphasis added

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Request for Certification

• Work with local HR Rep to initiate recruitment
  process through NeoGov
• Review Position Description Form (PDF)
• Essential functions
• Does position have specialist language?
• Are geographic location, work shift, and work
  hours (F/T vs P/T) correct?
• Update PDF if necessary
• PDF must be approved by Class Comp

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Request for Certification Continued

• Once the PDF has been approved, the local HR Rep
  can create a job announcement for your position
  in NeoGov
• Announcements are to be open for a minimum of 7
  days (for both non-permanent and permanent hiring)

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Ratio of Applicants on Certified List

• Agency Layoff
• Certification of One
• Otherwise.
• 75 Permanent State Employees
• 25 Open Competitive Candidates

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Agency LayOff

• INTERNAL
• Certification of one (most senior if more than
  one)
• Must meet Skills Abilities of position
• Must be considered
• Program determines/justifies if not hired

22
Under Represented Applicants

• Includes Vietnam Vet, Disabled Vet, Person of
  Disability and over 40
• No Special Consideration
• Dont ask we WONT tell!!
• Decision to identify Under Represented status is
  voluntary

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Tools for ScreeningCertified Candidates

• Supplemental Questionnaires
• Questions must be directly related to job
• Examples of writing
• Clarification of responses to original
  questionnaire
• Review of Profiles/Resume
• Must relate to experience needed for your job
• Total experience
• Skills Screening Tools
• Phone test
• Typing test
• Commercial assessment products

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Working your Certified List

• You have your Certified List, now what?
• Work it quickly
• Contact applicants
• E-mail
• Allow reasonable time to respond give a minimum
  of 3 days to respond and identify due date in
  correspondence

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The Interview Process and Preparation

• A conversation with a defined purpose
• Information unavailable through application,
  resume, or reference checks
• Applicants opportunity to learn about position
  and organization

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Prior to the Interview

• Preparation and Considerations
• PDF
• Interview Questions/Rating Guide
• Prepare standardized interview questions
• Copy of interview questions for candidates?
• Interview Panel
• Consider diverse panel
• Location
• How many interviews?

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Prior to Interview

• Have material items ready
• Copy of PDF
• Interview questions/Rating guide
• Introductions
• Explain the process
• Length of interview
• Number of questions
• Explain if there will be additional round of
  interviews
• Notification method
• Q A at the end of interview

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Hiring Panels

• DCFS encourages hiring panels
• Check with your Area Administrator
• Coordinate hiring panel
• Maintain same panel members

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The Interview

• Be aware of your behavior
• Verbal
• Voice, tone
• Non-Verbal
• Establish positive relationship
• Convey interest in applicant
• Eye contact

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Bias

• What are your strongest biases that could
  influence you during the interview process?
• How could each of these manifest itself during
  the hiring process?
• What approach would diffuse those biases?

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Interview Questions

• Questions should be
• Combination of knowledge and behaviorally based
  questions
• Related to the position/job
• Selected prior to the interview
• Consistent for each applicant
• Legally defensible

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Interview Questions

• Questions related to the following should
• NOT be asked
• Race or Color
• Religion
• Marital/Family Status
• Finances
• National Origin
• Designing questions that comply with the ADA and
  Civil Rights Act is
• essential to good interviewing practices.

• Age
• Sex
• Criminal Records
• Disability

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Background Check

• Request background authorization form (DSHS
  03-210) if applicant is
• Moving to different class series
• Moving to different administration
• Moving from uncovered to covered position or
• Moving from uncovered to covered position in same
  class series

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Checking References

• Goal Obtain enough information to paint an
  accurate picture of past performance
• Obtain signed release from candidate
• Verify education and licensure
• If a current or past state employee, check the
  personnel file
• Beware applicant supplied references not always
  objective.

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Checking References

• Phrase questions to draw out some impressions
  from the reference person.
• Be aware of statements that can have various
  implications and be sure to ask for further
  clarification, for example
• Let me see how I can put this.
• I guess it was a big misunderstanding.

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References Sample Questions

• How long and in what context do you know ____?
• What was ______ responsibilities?
• How would you describe his/her work?
• Given the opportunity would you hire him/her
  again?
• What reservations should I have about the hiring
  him/her?
• Who else in your organization could comment on
  his/her performance?
• What were his/her reason for leaving?
• Ask in addition to questions specific to skills
  and abilities.

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Wrapping It Up

• Compile all interview data
• Ensure maintenance for 3 years based on Regional
  Procedures
• Look ahead to next steps
• Determine preferred candidate
• Check references
• Submit approval to hire
• Receive approval to hire THEN
• Contact/notify preferred candidate
• Notify other candidates

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Closing the Hiring Process

• Upon selection/acceptance of a candidate, provide
  your local HR Rep with the following information
• A list of all candidates offered an interview,
  those who declined, and those who interviewed
• A list of those candidates you felt had the
  necessary skills and abilities for the job and
  whether you were able to hire the first candidate
  to which the position was offered

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Closing the Hiring Process Continued

• Notes and questions that were asked of each
  candidate during the interview process
• The date the preferred candidate accepted the
  offered the position
• The date the preferred candidate was appointed to
  the position

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Keep in Mind

• Successful hiring takes time and thought, and,
  like most skills, it also takes practice.
• HRD is available to guide and support you through
  the process.
• Keep the information from the interview for three
  years. While in most cases it will be exempt
  from public disclosure, it is not exempt from
  litigation.

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HRMS

• Permanent state employees can only be hired on
  the 1st and the 16th of the month
• New hires can be hired anytime of the month
  however, the preference is to hire on 1st or 16th.

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HRD Web Addresses

• HRD Website
• http//hrd.dshs.wa.gov/
• HRD link to useful Management tools
  http//hrd.dshs.wa.gov/Managers/Managers.htm

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Questions

• ?