Recruiting Hiring Onboarding

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Recruiting Hiring Onboarding

• Presenter Terri Higgins, PHR
• Associate Director, Henricopolis SWCD
• Associate Director, Loudoun SWCD

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Before we get started Cards on the table
are for your questions. We will cover
this material more quickly so we can answer your
questions at the end.
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Recruiting
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Recruiting

• Crafting Job Descriptions
• Why it needs to be your first step
• Determining FLSA Status
• Now and pending changes
• Sourcing Candidates and Advertising
• Internships/Volunteers
• Great opportunities and possible landmines
• Writing Job Ads
• Problematic/Discriminatory Practices
• Newest gotcha tactics
• Part-time v. Full-time status

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Recruiting

• Impact of recommended practices
• Maximizes the Districts ability to meet its
  operational needs and goals with the best
  qualified employees
• Objective recruitment and selection practices
  minimize the Districts exposure to claims of bad
  hiring, discriminatory/disparate practices
• Broad use of all available adverting resources
  increases the vacancys exposure to broader
  audiences of potential/qualified applicants and
  creates larger more diverse applicant pools

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Crafting Job DescriptionsWhy it needs to be your
first step

• Update (or create) to clearly identify exactly
  what you need - reflect what the job really
  entails and how youd like it to grow
• Tasks, duties, responsibilities (TDR) did they
  change - could they change to better serve your
  District
• Knowledge, skills, abilities (KSA) what does
  someone need to have or know, or be able to do to
  successfully perform the TDR
• Soft skills and goals customer service,
  flexible, interpersonal and communication
  skills, problem solving skills, team player,
  etc.
• Use it to create your job advertisement
• Use it to develop TDR/KSA questions
• Use open-ended behavioral-based questions
  targeting TDR/KSA and identified soft
  skills/goals to accurately assess candidates
  match/fit
• Use it to develop a scoring tool
• One for assessing applicants one for
  interviewees
• Connects employees to District's goals/needs
• Important for your new millennial workforce and
  onboarding
• Use it in the evaluation and goal setting
  processes
• Use it to determine the positions FLSA status

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Fair Labor Standards Act Determining
StatusWhat we know today

• Exempt only if meets ALL the test criteria for
  one of the WHD/DOLs FLSA exemption tests
• Non-exempt overtime paid at one-and-one-half
  times the employee's regular hourly rate for all
  hours worked over 40 in your standard 7-day work
  period
• Comp time for Exempts
• Comp time for Non-exempts
• Equivalent of earnings (1½ hours comp time per
  hour worked)
• Prior notification and voluntary agreement with
  employee
• Test forms use the WHD/DOL forms to make a
  determination of exempt status
• Combination - Employees who perform a combination
  of exempt duties can still be exempt (29 CFR
  541.708)

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Fair Labor Standards Act Determining
StatusWhat we know today

• Minimum salary basis
• At least 455/week 23,660/annually
• Not subject to reductions based on
  quality/quantity of work performed
• Specific/limited allowable pay reductions for
  exempt employees
• Do NOT go by job titles
• Do NOT go by paying employees on a salary basis
  (can still be non-exempt)
• Exemption Tests
• Executive
• Administrative
• Professional Learned/Creative
• Computer Related (special salary and duties test)
• Highly Compensated (over 100k/year and performs
  office non-manual work consistent with one or
  more exemption classes)

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Fair Labor Standards Act Determining
StatusChanges are coming

• Salary level criteria
• Salary will be set significantly higher chatter
  has it around 42,000/annually
• STILL Specific/limited allowable reductions for
  exempt employees
• Do NOT go by job titles
• Do NOT go by paying employees on a salary basis
  (can still be non-exempt)
• Same Exemption Tests
• BUT Expected requirement for exempt work to
  exceed 50 of work efforts
• BUT Expected to include language about
  concurrent duties
• BUT Expected to include language about primary
  duties (guidance?)
• STILL Not subject to pay reductions based on
  quality/quantity of
• STILL Specific/limited allowable reductions for
  exempt employees
• Proposed changes with the OMB now
• Plan to reevaluate FLSA status based on the new
  FLSA criteria (likely late 2015 or 2016)

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Sourcing Candidates Go where the action is!
Build interest and tell your story visually on
Vine, Instagram, and Pinterest
And dont overlook You Tube!
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Sourcing Candidates

• 80 of job searches occur over the Internet and
  candidates are most active on Social Media
  outlets
• Actively Seeking
• Varying motives for changing jobs questions can
  discern motives my two favorite questions
  (change/keep)
• Greater sense of urgency
• More aggressive in their search and application
  pursuit/follow-up
• Active on job boards and social media
• Passive Candidates arent looking for a job
• Open to opportunities may move for the right
  opportunity
• Requires strategy to reach and peak their
  interest they passively peruse their field to
  stay abreast
• Key is communicating critical/exciting info and
  casting wide net across multiple touch points
  stay visible even when you dont have vacancy
• Use a variety of online tools/social media to
  tell your story, whats great and happening,
  impact, why people like working with/for you

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Sourcing Candidates

• Understand who you are recruiting and your
  critical needs to identify your best advertising
  resources
• Educational requirements target educational
  sources career centers, placement centers,
  alumni networks, vocational or other training
  centers , VA reintegration/job bank
• Technical skills - use key terminology and buzz
  words and identify primary job functions central
  to the target populations KSA
• Use hash tags to generate interest and re-tweets
  (Twitter)
• Entry level jobs require use of the social media
  tools YOUR web site, related web sites (VSWCD,
  partner agencies, professional orgs, etc.),
  online job boards, Twitter, Linked In , Facebook,
  college career centers, alumni networks,
  program/dept heads at colleges
• Experience required add sources like local paper,
  local paper web site, professional organizations
  resources, VEC, Veterans Job Bank, email blasts
  (yours and other relevant networks), alumni
  networks,
• Linked In and Twitter are the most popular
  recruitment tools

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Internships

• Unpaid internships in the public sector and for
  non-profit charitable organizations, where the
  intern volunteers without expectation of
  compensation, are still generally permissible.
• Key considerations if unpaid
• Similar to training provided in learning
  environment
• Primarily benefits the intern (addl work for
  employer)
• Doesnt displace staff and works under close
  supervision
• Employer derives no immediate advantage/benefit
• Intern typically works through their
  college/program requirements to earn college
  credits for the internship
• Intern is not entitled to a job at conclusion of
  internship
• No expectation of wages for time spent in the
  internship
• Partner with high schools and colleges to create
  a proactive presence and awareness of your
  District
• Pitfalls difficult to obtain summer interns
  (lose to paid internships), preference for pay
  (intern and parents), after the fact challenges
  (intern isnt getting credit or pay)

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Volunteers

• Great for getting for getting projects done PLUS
• The relationships build a pipeline for
  word-of-mouth recruiting efforts when you do have
  a vacancy
• Volunteers may turn into viable applicants
• Use social media to advertise activities and
  recruit volunteers meetup.com then select your
  city then target topic Environment,
  Conservation, etc.
• Extension Agent groups Master Gardeners, Junior
  Gardener, Master Conservationists, 4-H
• School system PREP
• Pitfalls Expectations for preferential
  consideration

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Writing Job Ads

• Electronic ads generally hold as much info as
  needed but you gotta grab and hold their
  attention
• Twitter character limits and hash tag critical
• Maximize impact with a custom ad each time it
  creates an impression of a choice opportunity
• Skip generic wording and overly long itemized
  lists
• Highlight primary/critical duties and impact of
  work
• Provide quality information on TDR/KSA to attract
  right pool of qualified candidates and use
  relevant key words/acronyms and recognizable job
  title
• Sell opportunities for impact, training,
  visibility, mentoring, etc.
• Using a hiring range or salary range (which
  one/impact)
• Use bullet points
• Include clear instructions on how to apply and
  the deadline
• EOE statement

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Avoid Problematic/Discriminatory Practices

• Uniform process every qualified applicant
  should be afforded the same opportunity to be
  considered and compete in the uniform process
• Advertising practices where, how long,
  referrals cast a wide net to include all viable
  posting/advertising options, stick to deadlines
  (use the postmark or electronic time/date stamp
  to support), referrals (impact on diversity,
  access, EOE)
• Objectivity - for every requirement you should
  be able to clearly point to a TDR to objectively
  support it (job description and job ad language
  is critical)
• Same is true for each scoring tool criteria and
  interview questions
• FLSA status retest each time you review/revise
  your job description to ensure correct
  exempt/non-exempt status
• Gotcha! Lawyers chasing claims, EEOC
  investigations, set-ups

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Part-time v. Full-time status

• Full-time Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
  full-time status is defined as 30 or more worked
  hours per 7-day workweek or 130 or more hours
  worked in a month. Under ACA full-time employees
  are entitled to enroll in healthcare (medical) if
  their employer employees 50 or more full-time (or
  full-time equivalent) employees because that
  employer is required to offer affordable
  healthcare to at least 95 of its full-time
  workforce (including dependents and children up
  to age 26).
• VRS covered employment is a full-time permanent,
  salaried position with an employer that
  participates in VRS. Some part-time permanent,
  salaried state positions also are covered under
  VRS.
• VRS non-covered employment is a part-time
  position with a VRS-participating employer.
  Non-covered positions do not provide eligibility
  for benefits. Part-time positions typically
  require less than 80 percent of the hours of
  comparable full-time permanent positions.
• Full-time would be 2080 hours annually for
  40-hour full-time workweeks. 80 of that would be
  1664 hours per year (32 hours per work week).
• Full-time would be 1950 hours annually or
  37.5-hour full-time work weeks. 80 of that would
  be 1560 hours per year (30 hours per work week).

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Hiring
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Hiring Process, Tools, Tips

• Before the face-to-face interviews
• Conducting face-to-face interviews
• After the interview
• Selection and making a conditional offer
• Checking References
• Verifying education and credentials
• Letters
• REMINDER - Great resources available in the
  Personnel Manual Notebook (Annual Meeting)

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Hiring Process Reminders

• Protect the District and your candidates
• Ask only job related questions TDR/KSA
• Prepare job related questions in advance use
  open ended questions rotate who asks the
  questions
• Ask every candidate interviewed the same
  questions ask additional questions only to
  clarify a candidates answer /application
• Dont venture into any protected areas
• Other topics to avoid marital status, political
  affiliations, where they live or vacation,
  hobbies, children (or child care),
  disability/injury history, genetic history,
  spouses occupation, healthcare or benefits needs
• Avoid anything that can identify a protected
  characteristic or the candidates socio-economic
  history/status
• You only need to know if the candidate is
  qualified to and can perform the essential TDR of
  the position with or without reasonable
  accommodation

D - Disability N - National S - Sex V Veteran Status
R - Race O - Origin C Color/Creed P - Pregnancy
A - Age (status or plans)
R Religion
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Hiring Before the Interviews

• Develop a scoring/screening tool to objectively
  screen and identify the candidates who most
  closely match your job description requirements
  (TDR/KSA)
• Apply the scoring/screening tool to every
  applicant in the same manner
• Identify the top 3-5 applicants (3 minimum)
• Determine if phone screening interview is
  necessary to arrive at the top 3-5 candidates
• If yes develop set of job related questions,
  ask the same questions in the same manner to each
  phone screen candidate and thoroughly document
  responses and results
• Identify who will be conducting the interviews
  (usually a 3 member panel minimum no more than
  5 persons)
• Develop set of job-related behavioral-based
  open-ended questions for the panel to use and
  then create an interview document with the
  questions, room for notes, and three scoring
  criteria options
• Make the logistic arrangements then schedule
  interviews scheduling guidelines
• Arrange for greeting and escorting each
  candidate (and any preparatory materials/informati
  on packet)

Do not use questions found on the Internet - you
will get coached answers - not valuable
information!
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Interview Tips

• Dont rush the process or the candidates endure
  the silence
• Handling a late candidate should you
  reschedule?
• Handling questions about salary, benefits, time
  off, work hours, overtime, flexible scheduling,
  work from home, salary increases
• Candidates questions they can tell you a lot
• Prepare and ask questions that target critical
  TDR, KSA and soft skills and require the
  candidate to provide a concrete example of actual
  experience/behavior
• Evaluate candidates response to each question
• Clear comprehension of the question answer
  relevant to question
• Demonstrates capability and competency performing
  or handling relevant role/situation
• Compatibility with the Districts goals, culture
  and operations
• Commitment to past roles and organizations

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Hiring part of the selection process

• Questions must be job related and designed to
  yield the key information necessary make a good
  hiring decision each candidate must be asked
  the same interview questions
• Follow-up questions to candidates response will
  vary
• Follow-up questions for red flags in resume or
  application
• Red flags phone prescreen v. during interview
• Tests must be job related to specific TDR/KSA and
  applied in the same manner to the population
  (e.g. all candidates, or all phone screenings, or
  all interviewees, or all finalists, etc.)
• Scoring tools should reflect the importance of
  the criteria or question (normally with three
  values reflecting none, meets, exceeds document
  exceeds)

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Hiring After the Interview

• Interview Panel
• Score the candidates responses
• Make notes on the candidates responses,
  qualifications to perform the job and fit with
  objective info from interview and supporting
  documentation (resume, application, etc.)
• Discuss the candidates qualifications and fit
  at the conclusion of the interview
• At the conclusion of all interviews, discuss all
  candidates, identify candidate for offer and the
  second choice, and make other determinations
  (e.g. salary offer, start date, negotiate/not,
  etc.)
• Submit the notes/tools for appropriate retention

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Hiring After the Interview

• Interview Panel Youre Determining
• Is this persons work experience relevant?
• Does this person have the requite KSA or relevant
  transferable KSA? (technical competencies)
• Would this person fit and function effectively on
  the existing team /in existing culture?
  (behavioral competencies)
• Is this person coachable/trainable are they
  willing/able to take feedback and constructive
  criticism?
• Does this person have a history of getting stuff
  done and using/managing resources well? Have they
  demonstrated ability to tackle and overcome
  obstacles?
• Does this person have the necessary internal
  drive to be successful in the position?
• Is the candidate committed to professional
  growth?
• Is this person change tolerant? (not obstinate or
  an obstacle)

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Hiring After the Interview

• Hiring Coordinator
• Collect notes/tools from interview panelists and
  file/retain appropriately
• Contact the selected candidate and advise of the
  conditional offer (salary offer within the
  advertised hiring range) conditional on the
  outcome of reference checks, verification of
  education, employment and other requirements
• Negotiate if authorized to do so only after the
  candidate initiates a negotiation
• Draft and send confirmation of offer letter
• Notify all other applicants and thank them for
  their time/interest

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Hiring Critical Steps

• Checking References
• Ask for confirmation of information for best
  results
• Confirm dates, rates/salaries, titles and duties
• Ask if eligible for rehire
• Verifying education and credentials
• Contact the educational institution directly
• Accept only official transcripts from the
  institution
• Letters
• Confirm offer in writing along with other
  information for new hire
• Thank interviewed candidates for time/interest
  and advise a selection has been made
• Thank other applicants for their interest in the
  District

On average, 70 of candidates misrepresent or
falsify the information their resumes and
applications!
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Terri Lynne Higgins
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Terri Lynne Higgins
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OnboardingYour New Employees
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Onboarding

• Why its important
• Onboarding basics
• Key onboarding practices
• Before the first day
• The first week
• Follow-ups
• REMINDER - Great resources available in the
  Personnel Manual Notebook (Annual Meeting)

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Onboarding why its important

• No second chance at a first impression
  want/need to feel valued
• Recruitments and training are expensive in many
  ways (hard dollar costs, disruptive to
  productivity, morale, impacts whole team)
• Take advantage of the honeymoon phase - new hires
  decide in their first six months how long they
  are going to work for you especially the new
  millennial workforce
• Drives immediate and long term engagement and
  commitment when connections are established
  positively and early in an orchestrated and
  supportive way, and results in long term
  positive/productive working relationships
• Accelerates job knowledge
• Accelerated proficiency when done well - within
  weeks, its hard to tell the difference between
  new and seasoned hires
• Reduces stress for new hire, rest of the staff,
  partners
• Reduces/manages turnover tenure continues to
  fall
• Effective onboarding prevents avoidable mistakes
  down the road

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Onboarding - why its important

• Gives your new employees the support they need to
  succeed if they succeed you succeed!
• On the job training (OJT) and feedback is crucial
  
• Half of the hourly (non-exempts) new hires leave
  their jobs in the first year citing lack of OJT
  and feedback and not feeling valued or connected
  with the job/people
• Without a structured on-boarding process more
  than half of salaried workers fail or opt to
  leave within the first 18 24 months

Results of Effective On-Boarding Practices
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Onboarding essential basics

• Essential basics support the new employee and
  facilitate their integration into the workplace
  and community of partners and stakeholders
  onboarding basics address
• Compliance lowest and most basic level -
  ensures that the new employee is taught and
  understands the basic policies, practices and
  requirements of the position and District
• Clarification ensures that the new employee
  understands new jobs TDR and related performance
  expectations including roles/relationships with
  other staff, officials, partners and other
  stakeholders and identifies resources/tools
  available to the new employee it s about how
  they fit into and relate to the Districts big
  picture operations.
• Clarification telling them what they need to
  know before they need to know it makes it
  possible for new hires to concentrate on
  mastering TDR rather than angst/uncertainty.
• Clarification especially important for
  millennials creates clear line of sight between
  their role and the District goals/mission and
  identifies impacts resulting from their efforts
  makes them feel valued and increases
  engagement/commitment especially if it comes
  early from a District Chair or Board Member
• Culture provides the new employee with the
  Districts norms formal and informal so they
  know how to navigate within the organization and
  with its partners/stakeholders appropriately
• Connections establishes vital interpersonal
  relationships and information networks critical
  to the employees success in the position and
  with its partners/stakeholders

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Onboarding - Key onboarding practices
Prepare for the first days activities in advance
Prepare a survival guide with policies,
procedures, forms, etc, in one handy binder
Provide a copy of the onboarding plan including
follow-up plans
Provide job description, discuss expectations,
training, resources
Coordinate an initial meeting with staff and key
officials, partners, stakeholders
Follow-up frequently week one, then scale back
gradually to monthly, quarterly
Regular follow-ups provide feedback and clarity
and get the new hires feedback
Maintain two-way communication with ongoing
feedback
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Ongoing onboarding
Have a plan to follow-up regularly, provide
feedback, and get the new hires feedback

• Effective Onboarding It may initially take a
  village and it does take some time but it
  yields big results
• Makes a great first and lasting impression
• Reduces turnover costs improves productivity
  and retention
• Improves employee job satisfaction, engagement,
  commitment
• Gets and keeps employees informed and aligned
  with the Districts operational needs/goals
• Fosters positive and productive interpersonal
  relationships

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Questions Anyone?

• We will take your cards first and then any
  questions from the floor
• My contact information if you have any additional
  questions I can help with
• Terri Higgins
• Day 804-501-5241
• Email terri.henricopolis_at_outlook.com
• Cards with me today if you want one