Chapter 5 Selection and Placement
- 2. Learning Objectives ■ After reading this chapter, students will be able to: ■ Identify the candidate information typically being sought by the application form. ■ Identify the types of background checks that should be conducted on school employees. ■ Discuss the importance of the physical setting and the psychological atmosphere to the conduct of the employment interview. ■ Describe how the interviewer’s interpersonal skills, listening skills, and questioning techniques influence the interview process. ■ Describe the process by which employment offers are finalized in education.
- 3. You hire a problem and you will have to fire a problem. - Redeker, 1998
- 4. ■ The selection process represents one of the quickest ways to initiate change and improvement in a school organization. ■ Every vacancy offers an opportunity to improve the quality and effectiveness of the organization. ■ A well-planned and carefully executed screening and selection procedure can identify individuals who will have the potential to bring new life into the organization. However, a poorly planned or hasty selection can precipitate a potentially endless flow of personnel problems. ■ The employment of the wrong person can reduce the effectiveness of instruction and jeopardize existing working relationships among staff members, and require costly remedial support. ■ Moreover, staffing a position with an inappropriate or ill-prepared person can cause serious professional and personal problems for the individual.
- 5. ■ Because of the critical importance of selection decision, screening and selection must be conducted in ways that ensure the highest probability for success. ■ The goal of the selection and placement process is to produce, in a cost-effective manner, a highly productive workforce committed to the attainment of school district goals. ■ The selection discussed in this chapter was designed to improve the reliability of selection decisions through the use of valid screening and selection criteria and process. ■ The process is designed to enable administrators to choose from a pool of applicants the person or persons who best meet the selection criteria established for the position. ■ The process begins with the establishment of selection criteria and ends with the notification of unsuccessful candidates.
- 6. The importance of selection and placement ; ■ To fairly and without any element of discrimination evaluate job applicants in view of individual differences and capabilities . ■ To employ qualified and competent hands that can meet the job requirement of the organization ■ To place job applicants in the best interest of the organization and the individual. ■ To help in human resources manpower planning purposes in organization. ■ To reduce recruitment cost that may arise as a result of poor selection and placement exercises.
- 7. Establishment of Selection Criteria ■ The purpose of establishing “specifically tailored” selection criteria is to hire “only those candidates who are superior in talent, experience, and potential for growth.” ■ The process by which the criteria are developed vary, but the recommended practice is that it begin with current job holders. ■ Other typically involved in the establishment of the selection criteria are the immediate supervisor and human resources personnel. ■ Ultimately the selection criteria will provide the basis for the rating of candidates by those reviewing application materials and conducting interviews.
- 8. Managing the Application Process ■ An application form must be completed by all applicants for a position in a district. ■ An application for provides the school district with the means and opportunity to gather basic but important data in a cost-efficient and time-saving manner. ■ According to human resources experts, not even the applicant resume provides the same benefits as the completed application form: a resume is really a person’s own promotional piece where the application helps get information about a candidate that is needed to see if he or she really fits what a district is looking for. ■ At a minimum, the application for professional positions will seek information regarding the applicant’s educational background, work experience, certifications held, conviction record, and other personal data.
- 9. Managing the Application Process ■ The application will normally conclude with a sign-off section in which the applicant: (1) affirms to the truthfulness of the information given and to an understanding that falsification or misinformation may result in disqualification or dismissal and (2) gives permission for the district to verify all information and to contact references. ■ It is also common as part of the application process to ask applicants for professional positions to submit a written statement for their person philosophy of education or to respond to other specific question which seek applicant’s position on various aspects of educational theory or their response to a job-related issue or problem.
- 12. Initial Screening of Applicants ■ The initial screening of applicants involves the reviewing of the application forms and supporting materials against the selection criteria to determine if the applicants meet the minimum qualifications for the job, and, if applicable, assessing the quality of the written exercise. ■ In some districts the initial screening may also involve some form of assessment to attempt to predict the applicant’s to potential for teaching or administrative success. ■ There is a list of acceptable and inacceptable person questions for Application and Interviews.
- 14. The Preliminary Interview ■ Depending on the initial screening of applicants, depending on district practice and the number of applicants remaining in the applicant pool, the selection process may move directly to an interview of the candidates identified as most qualifies, or a preliminary interview may be used as an additional screening device. ■ The purpose of the preliminary interview is to eliminate from the applicant pool those who do not meet the profile and qualifications the district is seeking and to make some preliminary assessment of the candidate’s success in the position. ■ The preliminary interview also provides the applicant an opportunity to receive answers to questions about the position or school system. ■ The preliminary interview is usually conducted by human resources department personnel and may take place on campus, at job fairs, at district offices, on the telephone, or through the use of interactive video. ■ After the preliminary interview, only the most viable applicants remain to be evaluated.
- 15. Background Checks ■ It has been estimated that over one-third of all applicants have lied or misrepresented themselves on their resume or on a job application. A study by the Society of Human Resource Management found that 56% of applicants had lied about degrees earned, 54% about their criminal background, 32% about degrees earned and, schools or colleges attended, and 24% about certificates of licenses (Living History, 2006). ■ To protect districts students and employees, it is important that the credentials, references, and employment histories of candidates be checked and that criminal background checks be conducted. ■ Traditionally, backgrounds checking has been a time-consuming process which could delay selection process. In recently years, as technology has improved, as more and more public records have gone online, it has become relatively simple to do a background check online (www.peoplewide.com, www.knox.com, www.informus.com, and www.conficheck.com) ■ A major consideration in conducting background checks is who will do the checking----the human resources department, the immediate supervisor, a member of the selection committee, or an external third party. ■ Background checks are usually performed in the areas of references, credentials, and criminal background.
- 16. Reference Checks ■ A reference check is an objective evaluation of an applicant’s past job performance based on conversations with people who have worked with the applicant within the past five to seven years. ■ As past performance is the best predictor of future success, it is recommended references be obtained from current and previous supervisors who can speak to the candidate’s on the job performance.A hiring mistake is costly in time, energy, and money. ■ Failure to check references can have serious legal consequences. If an employee engages in harmful behavior, which would have been revealed in a reference check, the district, University, or etc. can be held legally responsible for “negligent hiring”. ■ (Credentials Check)Transcripts and health documentation should be mailed directly to the human resources office by the school, college, university, or physician. ■ Most states prohibit individuals who have been convicted or drug-or sex- related crimes from employment in the public schools.
- 17. Reference Checks ■ Laws are generally not as specific regarding conviction of other felonies. ■ In states where criminal background checks are required, the state generally has allowed districts access to state criminal records. Under the NationalChild ProtectionAct of 1993, school districts are also given access to the FBI criminal records for background checks. (If the district has an electronic live-scan fingerprint machine, the candidate’s fingerprints can be scanned and sent via the Internet to the FBI and the state criminal records center and a response received, possibly within seconds. ■ In states in which criminal background checks are not required by state law, background checks may still be conducted through state and federal law enforcement agencies or with theTeacher IdentificationClearinghouse (TIC). ■ TheTIC is operated by the NationalAssociation of State Directors ofTeacher Education and Certification and maintains records of all teachers who have been denied certification or have their certificates suspended or revoked for moral reason in the last 15 years. ■ In addition to the information received from state or federal law enforcement agencies or the TIC, all states maintain registries of known sex offenders which can also be accessed by school districts.
- 18. DrugTest ■ Drug-use tests tend to be reliable and valid. The major controversies of drug tests includes: - Is it an invasion of privacy - Is it an unreasonable search and seizure - Is it a violation of due process Tests should be administered systematically to all applicants applying for the same job. Testing is likely to be more defensible when there are safety hazards associated with the failure to perform. Test results should be reported to the applicant, who should have an avenue to appeal.
- 19. 19 Effective Interviewing ■ Conducting an Effective Interview Plan the Interview Control the Interview Questioning Techniques
- 20. The Employment Interview ■ The most widely used selection technique. ■ The employment interview is a process of gathering information about an applicant relative to the predetermined selection criteria. ■ The interviewer(s) and the applicant engage in a developmental conversation that explores the applicant’s qualifications, skills, and experiences relative to the criteria. ■ For teaching positions, interviews are conducted by the principal of the school where the candidate will teach. However, in many districts team interviews are conducted. ■ Whoever is involved in the interview process, it is important that they should review the questions ahead of time and be trained in the district’s selection policies and procedures and appropriate interview techniques. ■ The information collected through the employment interview should be viewed with the same concern for validity and objectivity as any paper-and-pencil test used in the screening processes.
- 21. Interview Questions ■ Questions should be relevant to the position and seek information on specific skills and abilities to perform the job such as “describe your experience working with students in an academic environment and/or post-secondary degree-granting institutions”. ■ Interview questions not pertaining to the current requirements of the position are not to be used (e.g. an interview question on supervisory experience if position will not be supervising employees). ■ The use of behavioral and/or competency based interview questions is strongly encouraged as, when properly crafted, they allow the interviewer to obtain more meaningful data to determine the applicant’s ability to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the job.
- 23. Final Selection, Offer, and Acceptance ■ The final selection of the person to whom the position will be offered depends on the type of position and the specific procedures of the school district. ■ The decision takes the form of a recommendation through the human resources department to the superintendent. Employment decisions for other types of professional positions are often made by high-level system administrators, also as recommendations to the superintendent. ■ On some occasions the superintendent may wish to interview the finalist(s) before making the final selection (if he or she has not participated in the interview process).This interview is not only to confirm the candidate’s qualifications, but to determine which candidates is the best fit for the administrative team. ■ It is also common for the superintendent, before and after the interview, to call references, especially if they are known to the superintendent, to inquire about past performance. ■ After the decision has been made, it is appropriate to contact the candidate and offer him or her the position, contingent on board approval and the receipt of any required documentation. It should be stressed that the offer is not final or legal until all required materials have been submitted and the offer has been approved by the board.
- 24. Final Selection, Offer, and Acceptance ■ If the candidate accepts the offer, a contract is drafted for approval by the board of education. ■ It is critical that the contract spell out as thoroughly as possible the duties and responsibilities of the position, direct and indirect compensation, and any other terms or conditions of employment or special consideration. ■ It is important that the time between the selection decision and the recommendation to the superintendent, and the time between the superintendent's recommendation to the board and the board’s approval, be kept at a minimum. Many good candidates have been lost because someone “dragged his feed,” was on vacation, or failed to complete the necessary paperwork in a timely fashion. ■ On the other side of the coin, it is also important that the candidate being offered the position respond to the offer in a timely manner so that if the offer is rejected, an offer can be made to the candidate ranked next in order of performance.
- 25. Notification of UnsuccessfulCandidates ■ Only after the position has been filled should all other candidates be notified that the position has been offered to and accepted by another. ■ Reasons notify unsuccessful candidates: – Candidates may want to follow up on other job opportunities with other school districts as quickly as possible. – To maintain good public relations with candidates who may want to remain in the pool of qualified persons for future consideration. ■ Notification is normally made by the human resources department through the form of a personal letter and may vary depending on whether the candidate was internal, external, or was interviewed but not offered the job. ■ Under no case should the unsuccessful candidates be told why they did not get the job.
- 26. Evaluation of the Selection Process ■ The total process of screening and selection should be evaluated on an ongoing basis by the human resources department in cooperation with the hiring department. ■ The evaluation should include all aspects of the selection process, including the technical quality of selection methods, the psychometrics of selection instruments, as well as the decision-making process. ■ The evaluation process should also be assessed in terms of the effectiveness of the system in identifying candidates who go on to become successful employees
- 27. Placement ■ The most effective means by which human resources administrators can assist the organization to achieve its stated goals and maximize employee potential is through the determination of appropriate placement of personnel. ■ Employees who are appropriately matched tot heir hobs exhibit higher levels of job satisfaction and performance. ■ One key for helping individuals reach their fullest potential and contribute most toward personal and organizational goals is to assign them to positions in which their knowledge and skills can best be utilized. ■ Position assignment requires several essential consideration: – Specific nature of the position, including role expectations, necessary knowledge and skills, and conditions under which the role is performed – The professional preparation, and competencies, and interests of the employee – The relationship of the position and the employee’s characteristics and competencies – The extent to which the assignment provides for the personal motivation needed by the employee and the extent to which success can be realized in the position – Consideration of the forces of organizational culture and informal group structure
- 28. Placement ■ Effective placement links closely with effective recruitment and selection. ■ Proper position placement is a planned process that uses objective measurements and evaluations of position needs and individual competencies to match positions and individuals. ■ Owen (1984) recommended the use of a position and personal profile to enhance the scientific approach to the placement of personnel. ■ There are several advantages associated with the profile procedure. It enables the selection activities to concentrate on the requirements of the position as opposed to personality factors, provides continuity to the processes of recruitment and selection, and can be automated to facilitate analyses.
- 29. Significance of Placement ■ It improves employee morale. ■ It helps in reducing employee turnover ■ It helps in reducing absenteeism. ■ It helps in reducing accident rates. ■ It avoids misfit between the candidate and the job. ■ It helps the candidate to work as per the predetermined objectives of the organization.