Recruitment and selection in public service

1

Recruitment and selection in public service

Agata Austen-Tynda, PhDChair in Public ManagementUniversity of Economics in Katowice

2

Agenda • Precursors to Successful Recruitment and

Selection• The civil service staffing process (recruitment and

selection)• Public service motivation• Trends in recruitment and selection• Best practices in improving recruitment selection

process

3

Definition Definition Recruitment can be defined as:

all activities directed towards locating potential employees

the attraction of applications from suitable applicants.

The aim of recruitment is to get the best person suited to the job based on objective criteria for a particular job

4

Why is recruitment and Why is recruitment and selection so important?selection so important?

Reversing the Erosion of the Public Service Ethic Personnel has long been perceived (and even

defined) in terms of control, rather than service to the broader organization

Civic Culture and Tradition Sound recruitment and

selection practices also depend on complementary HRM systems

5

Why is recruitment and Why is recruitment and selection so important?selection so important?

Costs of mistakes: engaging incompetent, underqualified, unmotivated employees; employing another person requires repeating the process and generates costs

Element of PR strategy

6

Rules of recrutiment and Rules of recrutiment and selectionselection

Commonality Openess Competitiveness Legality Non-discrimination Constancy of criteria Neutrality Objectivism Transparency Personal data security Acting without delay

7

The civil service staffing The civil service staffing processprocess

Planning and approval for staffing

Position announcement

Selection of recruitment strategies

Selection of „tests”

Screen, interview, and checks (reference and other)

Final selection / Negotiate and hire

Postselection considerations

Recruitment

Selection

8

Employer recruitmentEmployer recruitmentElements influencing effectiveness of recruitment:

The breadth and quality of the process The size of the labour pool and the location of

jobs Offered pay and benefits Job quality and requirements of the position Organizational image

9

Applicant’s perspectiveApplicant’s perspectiveAvoiding cold, unthoughtful and dilatory treatment:

Timing to minimize anxiety Feedback to optimize scarce job search

resources Information that makes distinctions Enthusiastic, informative, and credible

representatives

10

Planning and approvalPlanning and approval1. Taking review of the need for the position to take

into account the following: strategic and operational plans for the

organization funding current staffing structure targets for diverse staffing profiles across all

levels; current staffing and skill levels; anticipations in terms of new positions,

restructured positions, eliminated positions how the needs for the position might best be met

11

Planning and approvalPlanning and approval

2. Labour market survey: trends in terms of

availability, salaries, education levels

12

Title and agency affiliationSalary rangeDescription of duties and responsibilitiesMinimum qualificationsSpecial conditionsApplication proceduresEqual opportunity employmentClassificationCareer potentialSpecial benefitsTime and place of applications

Position announcement

13

CapabilitiesCapabilities Technical skills – knowledge and abilities connected with

particular job position policy development and analysis, improved systems for monitoring and evaluation and

systems to improve financial management; planning, budgeting reporting.

Other criteria: Diversity and broad representation of minority and

protected class PSM

14

Manager Ministerial and Manager Ministerial and Parliamentary Services (516394)Parliamentary Services (516394)

Applications Close:– Friday, 12 September 2008. Salary:– $76,007 per annum. Community and Health Services (Public Sector) Award,

Administrative and Clerical Stream Level 10. Permanent full-time day work. Location:– Hobart. Enquiries to Sharon Trueman, Department of Health

and Human Services, phone (03) 6233 3761, email [email protected].

You are encouraged to apply online (below) or forward your hard copy application quoting the vacancy number to: Recruitment Services, Human Resources, Department of Health and Human Services, GPO Box 125, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001.

mailto:[email protected]

15

Duties: Manage the operations of the Ministerial

and Parliamentary Services function including provision of high level co-ordination, information and advice services to the Department and to the Minister including the timely preparation and provision of high quality correspondence, briefings, speeches and other documents for and on behalf of the Minister.

16

Desirable Requirements: High level analytical, conceptual, strategic, research

and creative skills and the ability to understand the political, social and organisational environment in the context of the health and human services sector;

identify relevant issues and priorities and make sound judgements

high level interpersonal skills including written and oral communication skills, negotiation and conflict resolution skills;

the ability to develop, manage and maintain collaborative stakeholder and client networks; and to work collaboratively with senior executives and peers to achieve common goals and objectives.

17

Who should work in public Who should work in public service?service?

Public service motivesRational Participation in the process of policy

formulation Commitment to a public program because

of personal identification Advocacy for special or private interest

Norm-based A desire to serve public interest Loyalty to duty and to government as a

whole Social equity

Affective Commitment to a program from a genuine convinction about its social importance

Patriotism of benevolence

18

Public service motivationPublic service motivation1. attraction to policymaking2. commitment to the public interest3. social justice4. civic duty5. compassion 6. self-sacrifice

19

Analysis: CandidatesAnalysis: Candidates

Who is the ideal candidate for the agency? What has attracted qualified candidates to the

agency? How did those qualified candidates learn about

openings? Why is the pool of qualified candidates shrinking? What is the value system of the new generation

and how can the agency package itself to show potential candidates that the agency has what they desire?

20

Recruitment strategiesRecruitment strategies Job postingElectronic postingPersonal contact recruitmentRecruitment by mailHead-huntingNoncompetive recruitmentDevelop a recruiting DVD

21

Recruitment strategies: Recruitment strategies: PartnershipsPartnerships

University/college/high school communications, art and computer science programs

Student Interns

Professional production companies and advertising agencies

Other city departments or agencies to advertise

22

Analysis: recruitment strategiesAnalysis: recruitment strategies

What has worked or not worked in terms of recruitment strategies and advertising in the past?

Are signing bonuses or other incentives important? How can current employees be ambassadors for the agency

and help recruit qualified candidates? What recruitment materials does the agency already have

and how current are they? Does the agency have a recruitment website and how many

hits is it generating? Has the agency used paid advertisement in the past and, if

so, what value did it ad to the recruitment process? What strategies is the agency using to attract the interest

of grade school up to high school students?

23

Selection criteriaSelection criteria Electoral popularity – policy-making jobs Patronage – designating officials or employees

without a requirement for a formalized application process

Merit based-system – using processes that analyze job competencies and require open applicaton procedures

Seniority – internal candidates; provides sense loyalty

Representativeness – minorities should get positions in areas of underrepresentation

24

Selection criteriaSelection criteria Selection criteria should be expressed in terms of:

Essential – requirements that are critical to successful performance in the position without which a person could not be appointed; and

Desirable – requirements that would enable the person to perform at a higher level in the position, but without which the person could still be appointed.

The total number of essential and desirable criteria shall not exceed 10.

25

Selection criteriaSelection criteriaSelection criteria shall:

be written in simple and clear language; be specific and not overlapping or repetitive; be based on the real requirements of the position; not be excessive in number (i.e. not more than 10 in

total) not discriminate unlawfully either directly or

indirectly against applicants not favour either internal or external applicants; and be consistent with the classification standards of the

position.

26

Screening Screening Retention Survey found that nationally small

agencies took an average of 6.84 weeks to conduct the screening processes, while large agencies took an average of 11.51 weeks (U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Hiring and Keeping Police Officers)

GOAL: reduce this time so that valuable candidates are still available

27

ScreeningScreeningDiscriminating among the qualified and the unqualified

Identifying most highly qualified candidates

Confirming the qualifications and ability of the chosen candidate; it may include the first period of employment

Screening particular candidates; results in offering position to the best candidate

28

Principles of the screening Principles of the screening A fair set of screening criteria The criteria must be in line with the job content and

appointment as well as advertised requirements Applicants should be clear on the criteria that apply The criteria should apply to all applicants in a

consistent manner Any waivers should be fully motivated and approved Declarations should be made of whether any

candidate is related to or friends of an official in the component where the vacancy exists

The various activities of the screening process should be documented and put on record

29

Initial reviewing and testingInitial reviewing and testing Education and experience

evaluations Letters of recommendation Self-assessment General aptitude and

trait test Performance test for

specific jobs

30

Reducing the pool: interviewReducing the pool: interview1. Plan how it should proceed: persons, place,

roles2. Prepare list of written questions asked of all

candidates3. Use a work sample as part of the process

Critique or evaluate sth Solve a problem Deliver oral presentation, etc

4. Explain basic facts about the position5. Use the job description and advertisement

guides to ensure that the focus is on essential job functions

31

Reducing the pool: interviewReducing the pool: interview6. Set up interviews in private

job-settings where distractions are unlikely

7. Concentrate on listening to applicant’s answers and take notes during the interview

8. Be careful that no oral commitments or suggestions about employment prospects are made

9. Complete your evaluation notes when impressions are fresh

32

Reducing the pool: interviewReducing the pool: interviewSubjects to Avoid

Marital status Children and other dependants Religion Politics Ethnic origins

33

Final selectionFinal selection1.Keep a list of all applicants considered for final

selection.2.Identify fair selection criteria for the final selection

phase. 3.Ensure that the criteria are in line with the

advertised requirements as well as the job content.

4.Ensure that each selection committee member is provided with all the relevant information pertaining to each short-listed applicant.

34

Final selectionFinal selection5.Ensure that the interviews are conducted in a fair

and effective manner and that each candidate is weighed comprehensively against the requirements as advertised.

6.Ensure that a comprehensive motivation is compiled in respect of all the applicants interviewed.

7.Ensure that all applicants are informed about the outcome of the final selection phase.

8.Ensure that all relevant information is put on record.

35

Closing selectionClosing selectionClosing selection1.Phone call and further clarification2.Letter of intent3.Completing employment forms 4.Protocols may be available for intetested

individuals5.Number of candidates6.Names, surenames and adresses of 5 top

candidates7.Recruitment and selection criteria8.Justification of the decision

36

Trends in recruitment and Trends in recruitment and selectionselection

Procedural Changes: Eliminating arbitrary rules and regulations that

restrict the choices of hiring managers and supervisors

Adopting flexible and appealing hiring procedures. Screening applicants quickly Validating entry requirements and examinations. Instituting worker-friendly personnel policies, Creating more flexible job descriptions.

37


Improvements to the Recruitment and Selection Process:

The decentralization movement — "New Public Management" is known in many quarters as devolution, often characterized by the decentralization of HR responsibility.

Aggressive outreach efforts Current employees as recruiters

38


Use of Technology: Many scholars believe that technology will be the

most notable HRM trend of the next few decades Many large public organizations use computer

bulletin boards and electronic mail to improve recruitment process

Managers can have online access to applicants' test scores, qualifications and contact information

Software programs: to administer online examinations, track applicants, match resumes with skill sets, expedite background checks, and shepherd job candidates through a paperless staffing process

39

Best practices

National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)Problem:

• A review of the hiring practices found that job announcements were filled with jargon, lots of facts and information, and extensive list of job duties which made it difficult to identify major features and selling points of the job.

• Recruitment was passive… NNSA waited for applicants to apply.

40

Makeover: • A new look to convey the importance and excitement of their

positions, as well as why they were a great place to work • Added photos to depict the unique work environment at

NNSA.• Implemented an internet-based targeted recruitment

strategy to identify potential candidates from job boards and other locations

• They sent recruiters to fifteen universities in the South and West to recruit interns with an emphasis on diversity

• The results produced 28 qualified candidates, up from three unqualified candidates in the previous recruitment process + 30 highly qualified interns

41

Best practices

U.S. Department of EducationProblem:

• The hiring process took too long and did not always deliver qualified candidates.

• Upon mapping out the hiring process, it was discovered that there were discrete steps with over 45 handoffs between different managers, administrative officers and HR specialists.

• Managers were disengaged from the hiring process. Job descriptions were problematic. When managers could not find good candidates they had a tendency to sit on the list, until ultimately it was re-posted.

42

Makeover: • The hiring process was streamlined by eliminating

redundancies and unnecessary steps resulting in a reduction of more than half of the steps…down to 53.

• The automated process for assessing applicants has been overhauled and questions are more closely aligned with skills needed to be successful on the job.

• The process of change has not been easy and has taken a commitment of time and effort on the part of leaders, HR, managers and others involved in the hiring process.

43

Best practices

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesProblem:

• Federal law changed requiring the agency to add 500 new positions. The length of time to complete the hiring process was long and the quality of candidates was lacking.

• The automated staffing system in place was believed to be inadequate to meet the demands of the hiring needs. The agency wanted top talent and a faster process.

44

Makeover: • The agency started with an “end-to-end” mapping of the

hiring process and identified both short and long term fixes. They used focus groups to document the process, identify roles and responsibilities, and assess obstacles.

• Through the process the agency eventually reduced the number of steps in the hiring process by more than twenty percent.

• Other key things they did included better marketing positions using visually appealing, plain-English announcements, proactively targeting qualified candidates via internet, resume databases and built tools to effectively screen applicants to ensure they were a good fit for the position.

• They eventually assigned responsibility for the process to one person at the executive level.

45

10 golden rules of recruitment and selection

1.Develop a Recruitment Plan 2.Conduct Research3.Personalize the Recruitment Process4.Select and Train the Right People as

Recruiters 5.Build Strong Partnerships 6.Develop an Employee Referral Program7.Improve the Selection Process8.Develop an Advertising Plan9.Develop an Internet Presence10.Employ Effective Recruitment Strategies

46

Agata Austen-Tynda, PhDChair in Public ManagementUniversity of Economics in Katowice

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Recruitment and selection in public service