1. Selection and Hiring Interviews

2. County Policy
It is the policy of the County of Ventura to assure equal employment opportunity to its employees and applicants for employment on the basis of fitness and merit without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, disability, sex, or age.
The County follows this policy in recruitment, hiring and promotion and with respect to matters of
compensation, benefits, transfers, assignments, tours of duty, shifts, layoffs returns from layoff,
demotions, terminations, training, education leave, social and recreational programs, and use of
County facilities.

3. Fairness in the Workplace
Equal Pay Act
Civil Rights Acts
Age Discrimination Act
OSHA
Pregnancy Discrimination Act
Americans with Disability Act
Family Medical Leave Act
County policy complies with requirements of State and Federal law prohibiting discriminatory employment practices. These policies are operationalized in the selection and hiring process by insuring no selection procedure has an adverse impact on the hiring, promotion, or other employment or membership opportunities of “protected classes”, such as certain ethnic or minority groups, persons over the age of 40, or disabled persons.

4. When Does the Hiring Process Start?
Hiring process starts long before the interviews; it starts when a hiring manager becomes aware they may have a vacancy.
At this point, it is time to start thinking about the type of candidate you are seeking.…
Work with personnel to insure the job posting, supplemental questions and exam process are appropriate.

5. Fast forward … Recruitment involves Specification Review
Screening criteria set up
Exam plan
Job posting
Supplemental Questions
Actual recruitment
Screening and testing
This is what happens between the time the RTH is submitted and the list is certified…

6. Procedural Overview
Once a recruitment is completed, a list of candidates are certified.
Interviews are set up and completed
Analysis and Summary sheets are sent to GSA HR indicating the selected candidate
Hiring process is initiated
Candidates and applications are sent to the hiring manager indicated on the request to hire. Candidates are notified to contact person setting up interviews. Hiring manager schedules interviews. Once done, candidate is selected/paperwork sent to GSA HR. Hiring process initiatiated…backgrounds etc.

7. List Certification
When candidates are certified, they are either sent a letter or informing them that their name as been certified.
Candidates have ten (days) from the date of the letter or to contact the person indicated in the letter.
If you actively contact all candidates, you can set up and complete interviews in a more timely manner.

8. When should you start thinking about the upcoming interviews?
? ? ? ? ? ?
When should you start thinking about the upcoming interviews?

9. Interview Preparation
Plan so that you will be able to collect the information you need.
Review the job posting or description
Develop questions that relate to the job specifications and are predictive of, or significantly correlated with important elements of job performance
Determine who should participate in conducting the interview

10. Interview Goals
Develop an accurate picture of the job and communicate that to each applicant
Create the accurate picture of GSA that will make your top candidates want to work for you.
Collect enough information on each applicant to make an informed decision

11. Goals, continued
Determine a candidate’s qualifications and general character, in relation to the job
Expose undesirable traits
Clarify information
Reveal inconsistencies

12. Interview Question Development
Prepare questions that relate to the necessary knowledge, skills, and ability required
Review job spec for elements that point to the need for communication skills and getting along with others
Make sure you have a question or questions that address the issue of working with others.
Refer to handout

13. The Interview Introductions
Describe job, work setting, schedule and possible schedule variances
Describe any special background investigation requirements, such as probation, DA, and/or Sheriff’s
Briefly describe what will be covered — job experience, education, situational questions

14. Interview, cont. Ask all candidates the same set of questions
Candidates who bring up issues of marital/familial status, race, ethnicity, or issued related to disability should be directed to other topics; the selection is to be based on the most qualified candidate for the job

15. Interview, cont.
Each interviewer must the complete the Analysis Sheet for each candidate
Make notes related job qualifications
Avoid doodling or making extraneous comments in notes
Completing the form means entering their name and the candidate’s name. Interview analysis sheets are part of the record of hiring and selection and, as such, can be subpoenaed in a legal action. (turkey story)

16. Interview, cont.
Close the interview by repeating vital information, such as the need to the successful candidate to pass special background investigations, possess certain licenses, or work various shifts.
It would be useful to include these “advisories” with the hiring and selection paperwork returned to GSA Personnel since this type of documentation is important in the event an employee initiated an action based on “when they hired me they didn’t tell me…” scenario.

17. After the Interviews… Review the interview findings
Insure the analysis sheets are completely filled in
Discuss, if applicable, interview findings
Perform reference checks for top candidate
In general, the interview practice in the county is to have 2 or 3 individuals on a panel.

18. Complete the Interview Summary
Indicate the top candidate and alternate choices, if applicable. Note the job related reasons for your selection.
A JOB RELATED reason must be given for not selecting each candidate.
Job related…related to the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to do the job well.

19. Examples of Job Related Reasons for Non-selection
Poor responses to situational questions
Has no background in….
Could not describe….
Does not know….
Not as experienced in…as desired
Could not answer several questions in the interview
Unfamiliar with….
Illicit suggestions from the audience…

20. A Word on “Personality and Fit”
Is “personality and fit” a job requirement? How is this referenced in the job specification and/or job posting?
What interview responses led you to believe the candidate would or would not work well within the environment.
It is critical to remember that the decision to pass over a candidate needs to be directly related to the requirements of the job as described in the job spec or job posting.
Must “work with”, “may be required to direct others”, “assist with training employees” all point to the issue of personality and fit. Job related situational questions “How would you handle….” can be useful, job related methods to help determine a candidate’s ability to perform in a job.
Tread carefully due to potential for unintentional discriminatory actions.

21. Questions?