recruitment and interview plan

Case Study 2_Group 1 Selection Process

Case Study #2: Designing a Selection Plan

POLS 543 Human Resource Management

November 5, 2014

Rabita Reshmeen Banee

Kyle Clymore

Andrew Cohler

City of Orlando, FL


Step 1: Sorting Applicants Based on Essential Duties and Required Skill Set

This section reviews the essential duties for the position of Economic Development Director for

the City of Orlando, FL along with the skill set needed to perform the duties, which is the basis

for sorting applicants. The rationale for each skill set will also be discussed in this part of the

paper.

The first essential duty is to manage the goals of the Economic Development Department and

communicate goals to Mayor and City Economic Development Board. Since this position

belongs to top of the hierarchy, and requires management and guidance of employees as well as

communication with the Mayor and Board, the best-fit skill set for that essential duty includes

organizational skills, communication skills, and interpersonal skills. Organizational skills are

required to make sure that the director can manage the organization's goals properly and can

guide the employees accordingly. Organizational skills are also important for a better decision-

making process. The Economic Development Director is also responsible for presenting the

goals to the city Mayor and City Economic Development Board. This responsibility highly

requires a good communication and interpersonal skill because the director must be able to

communicate properly with the Mayor and convince the mayor for approving the goals for the

Economic Development Department.

The second essential duty includes implementing outreach and giving presentations to outside

constituencies. In order to implement any goals of the organization, it is very important to

communicate with the coworkers, stakeholders and other concerned people in a professional

manner. Therefore, communication skill is one of the required skills for the duty. The director


also needs to give presentations to outside constituencies. Therefore, public speaking aptitude is

the topmost required skill for that duty.

The third essential duty is to supervise/evaluate division staff of the Economic Development

Department. The required skills for this essential duty are interpersonal and verification skills.

This is because the director has to get involved with the employees to supervise and provide

them proper direction. Verification skill is important to evaluate an employee appropriately in

terms of his/her performance and contribution to the organization. It is also important to make

sure that the director is not biased while evaluating an employee.

The fourth essential duty consists of monitoring senior HR functions within the Economic

Development Department and providing general motivation to all staff levels. Leadership skill is

one of the required skills for the duty because the director must possess leadership qualities such

as the ability to delegate, commitment, and confidence to monitor the HR functions accurately.

Interpersonal skill is important for the director for motivating the employees in achieving goals.

It is also important to make the employees feel that they are involved in the development process

of the organization. A good interpersonal skill of the director can help the cause largely.

The fifth and final essential duty involves analyzing laws and data in creating economic

development policy. The required skills are verification skills and math skills to perform this

duty effectively. To analyze laws and data, math skill is crucial. Because properly analyzing the

data set would give positive result for making economic development policy. Moreover, in order

to interpret the laws and data for better policy making, it is very important for the director to

possess verification skill.


Step 4 - 5: Ranking for Essential Duties and Percentage of Importance

Rank Essential Duty % of Importance Rationale

1

Manages the Goals of the Econ. Dev. Dept. and Communicates Goals to Mayor and Board

35%

- The director can best decide the goals of the organization and can manage them accordingly.

- Being the head of the Economic Development Department, the director, unlike other employees, is solely responsible for maintaining liaison with the Mayor and Board. So, it is ranked first for the volume of work. - The ranking and amount of work required for performing the duty requires 35% of importance.

2 Analyzes Law and Data in Creating Econ. Dev. Policy 25%

- Policy making is a very crucial duty for the director in order to achieve the set objectives. The director must solely be involved in policy-making process.

- The director has to play a big role here along with the coworkers playing some minor roles. So, it gets second priority. - In terms of the ranking and amount of effort needed, the percentage of importance is given 25%.

3 Supervises/Evaluates Division Staff 20%

- Supervising/evaluating the employees is the task of the managers and director. The director must be involved in the process for a better outcome.

- Since managers can help the director in this process, this gets third priority.

- The amount of work required for this duty should be fair with 25% of importance.

4 Implements Outreach and Presentations to Outside Constituencies

12%

- Implementing the policies and plans are more of a teamwork rather than sole responsibility for the director. - Once the policy is created by the director, different divisions work to implement those. Therefore, it can be ranked number 4.

- 12% of importance is required for the selection process for this duty.


5 Monitors HR Functions and Staff Motivation 8%

- The director's major responsibility is not monitoring the HR functions and motivating staffs since HR managers are there to do that. The director is responsible for ensuring the HR managers do that properly. So, it gets 5th priority.

- 8% of importance is enough to evaluate this essential duty.

Step 1-5: Summary:

The following table summarizes the steps that have been discussed above. The first step requires

listing and reviewing job descriptions, the second step requires identifying the skill set necessary

for the duties, the third step involves identifying the methods of verification, the fourth step

entails the ranking of the essential duties, and the final step requires to put a percentage of time

needed to perform the duties.

Essential Duty from Job Description

Related Skill Needed/ Identified from the Essential

Duty Listed

Method of Verification (Test Used)

Ranking for

Duty/Skill Set Needed

Percentage of

Importance

Essential Duty #1 Manages the Goals of the Econ. Dev. Dept. and Communicates Goals to Mayor and Board

Organizational Skills; Interpersonal Skills; Communication Skills

Letters of Recommendation; Writing Sample; General Mental Ability Test; Interview; CV/Resume

#1

35%

Essential Duty #2

Implements Outreach and Presentations to Outside Constituencies

Public Speaking Skills; Communication Skills

Interview; Work Sample Test (Video Evidence of Past Public Speaking); CV/Resume

#4

12%


Essential Duty #3 Supervises/Evaluates Division Staff

Interpersonal Skills; Verification Skills

Management Work Experience (CV/Resume) #2 25%

Essential Duty #4 Monitors HR

Functions and Staff Motivation

Leadership Skills; Interpersonal Skills

Psychological Test; (CV/Resume); Letters of Recommendation

#5

8%

Essential Duty #5

Analyzes Law and Data in Creating Econ. Dev. Policy

Verification Skills; Math Skill.

Education Evaluation; General Mental Ability Test #3 20%

Section 2: The Interview Process

Interviewers

The interview for the Economic Development Director will consist of a structured interview and

an unstructured panel review along with a group lunch. The unstructured interview will depend

on whether the candid performed satisfactory on the structured interview.

Conducting the structured interview will be the Chief Administrative Officer as well as a Human

Resources Hiring Manager from the Chief Administrative Office. The chief administrative office

oversees the operation of seven departments that make up the City of Orlando. The Officer of the

department reports directly to the Mayor. In Florida, Human Resource departments are

decentralized (Walters, 2002). Hence, we have chosen to use the HR department that directly

oversees the Economic Development per the organization chart. The structured interview,

according to Berman et al. (2013), fosters the most validity. It is important for the process to

contain validity so each candidate is judged using a measurable and equal scale of comparison.

The questions in the structured interview will be open-ended. It is important that the candidate


can explain their answers comprehensively. Our team is not looking for yes or no answers during

the formal interview. The complete list of the 10 questions that will be asked by the Chief

Administrative Officer during the structured interview are listed in the appendix.

The Second part of the interview will be unstructured and consist of the seven managers that

make up the sub departments under the Economic Development Director. During the panel

interview, each director is free to ask unstructured and structured questions for a period of 1

hour. Following the panel interview will be a group lunch. These sup-departments include;

Business Development; City Planning; Code Enforcement; Community Redevelopment;

Downtown Development; Permitting Services; and Transportation Planning (City of Orlando,

2014). The rationale for this type of interview, discussed in Berman et al. (2013), is to assess the

candidate’s energy, ability to handle social situation, fit in the organization, charisma, and ability

to listen. It is important for our team to increase morale of the department by including the

subordinates of the new position in the interview process. It is also imperative that the

subordinates and director can work as a team to advance the goals of the department.

Interview Process

The structured into will consist of open-ended questions. Preceding the questions, the Chief

Administrative Officer and the Human Resources Representative will give a brief description of

the position, explanation of job duties, and introduction to the City of Orlando. The interview

will be conducted in a private conference room where distractions are unlikely. All questions

will be asked to all candidates. Follow-up questions are acceptable. The interviewer will use a

rating system to rank the answers of each candidate. During the interview, the Chief

Administrative Officer will ask all candidates whether they can perform all the essential


functions without reasonable accommodations so comply with the ADA Act (Berman et al.,

2013).

Questions and Rationale

1. Please highlight your prior work experiences.

Rationale: We want to know the history of the candidates work experience to determine if they

have the correct experiences for the job. Follow-up questions may be used to find out why they

left certain jobs.

2. Through your preparation and research prior to this interview, what problems do see within

the City of Orlando Economic Development Department? How will you go about fixing them?

Rationale: It is important to the team that the candidate has prepared thoroughly for the

interview. If they have done their research we want to see that understand some of the issues

facing our city and how they will handle them.

3. Please tell me about a time you faced a significant crisis. How did you handle it?

Rationale: We want to know how the candidate thinks through decisions and whether they can

solve problems.

4. Please tell me about a professional qualification you have earned and how it helped a

previous employer?


Rationale: We want to know how the candidate will take their qualifications and apply them to

our organization. Our team believes that a qualification is only useful when the recipient

understands how to apply the skills.

5. Please tell me about a time when you had to make a quick and important decision. What were

the results?

Rationale: We want to understand the applicant’s process of thinking. Is that thinking in line with

the organization? Has the applicant been faced with critical decisions in the past?

6. What makes you the best candidate for this job?

Rationale: This question is important to understanding how the applicant views himself or

herself in the workforce. We want applicants to be able to talk about themselves sincerely

without being cocky or narcissistic. This is the candidates chance to describe the strengths they

bring to the table that may not be visible on a resume or another form of application.

7. What is your greatest failure, and how did you learn from it?

Rationale: This is a chance to test the candidate’s honesty. We can also discern what the

candidate feels is most important in their depending on the failure they describe. The most

important part of the question is whether the candidate can learn from their mistakes.

8. What is your style of leadership?

Rationale: This person will be leading a significant amount of people. We want to know how this

candidate handles the management of people and whether they can give us a clear picture of their


philosophy of management. Ultimately, we want to make sure that style fits in with the culture of

the department

9. Please describe your process of analysis when considering policy changes or advancements.

Rationale: Can the applicant comprehend data and make decisions based of that data?

10. Please describe your ideal work environment.

Rationale: Will the candidate be a good fit for the environmental of the department?

Section 3: Methods of Verification/Test Selection Rationale

The following section will analyze the rationale for the selection methods chosen. As per the

requirements found in the Job Announcement (see Appendix A), applicants will be required to

have a minimum level of education and management experience, which is determined through

their application and CV/Resume. It should be understood that information in the CV/Resume

underscores every Essential Duty listed in the selection process, given that the resume provides

specific information about job experiences (Berman et al., 2013).

The first essential duty of managing and developing the goals of the Economic Development

Department and communicating these goals to the Mayor and City Economic Development

Board requires organizational skills, interpersonal skills, and communication skills. Given that a

candidate will need to adequately write reports and emails to communicate with superiors, a

writing sample will be used to determine a candidate’s ability to communicate effectively in

writing. Furthermore, Letters of Recommendation will be analyzed to judge a candidate’s

organizational skills and ability to work well with superiors. Insight from past employers will be


able to help HR staff determine whether a synthesis of skills and abilities are present for this

most broad essential duty. Given the high potential needed for this senior level position,

analyzing a candidate’s abilities, work effectiveness, and work habits is important (Berman et al.,

2013).

The second essential duty of implementing outreach and presenting economic development plans

to outside constituencies relies on a firm grasp of public speaking, which is underlined by strong

communication skills. First, the candidate’s CV/Resume will be analyzed for any past public

speaking engagements, lectures, or similar experience. Second, both an unstructured and

structured interview will be utilized to determine a candidate’s ability to speak effectively under

pressure. Finally, a work sample test simulating a public presentation will be required to judge

the candidate’s ability to speak in public. Berman notes that work sample tests have a validity

score of .54%, and given that this is one of the only duties that can be directly tested, it is

important to arrange a work sample of this crucial skill (Berman et al., 2013).

This final test can be substituted for a video presentation supplied by the candidate or a past

employer. By combining qualitative information from the candidate’s resume with practical,

observable tests meant to showcase public speaking skills, the employer will be able to judge a

candidate’s actual abilities with context of experience.

The third essential duty of supervising and evaluating management staff of the seven divisions

under the Economic Development Department banner, as well as contracted organizations,

requires both the ability to work well with others and an ability to verify results. By analyzing a

management work experience evaluation found in the candidate’s CV/Resume, the HR

department will be able to determine if the candidate has the adequate management experience

needed to effectively manage and work with senior management staff. The details found in a


candidate’s CV/Resume can determine the total time and breadth of management experience,

including how long the candidate has managed staff prior to applying for this position, how

many individuals as the candidate managed at one time, and how high up in the chain of

command was the candidate in previous positions (Berman et al., 2013).

The fourth essential duty of monitoring senior HR functions within the Economic Development

Department while providing general motivation to all staff levels requires both leadership skills

and interpersonal skills. As with previous duties, the applicant’s CV/Resume will be analyzed for

applicable management experience. In addition, HR staff will analyze Letters of

Recommendation to determine how the applicant’s personality and management style may have

influenced morale in prior positions. Lastly, a psychological test will be administered to

determine whether the candidate has a personality that predicates the qualities that underscore

motivation, including positivity, inclusiveness, and aggressive

The fifth and final essential duty involves analyzing laws and data in creating economic

development policy. Both verification skills and math skills are needed to perform this duty

effectively. These skills can be determined through the use of Educational Evaluations, including

past degrees and accreditations, which give us an idea of minimum level of mathematics and

statistics a candidate has been exposed to. While general education and experience should give

us an idea of the candidate’s verification skills, Berman notes that they have a low validity score

(.10 and .11 respectively), so a general mental ability test will be used to gauge critical thinking

and math proficiency. These high validity tests (.51) can help HR in determining a candidate’s

ability to think critically, as well as solve problems in the context of work and number problems

that correlate to the type of data and reports the candidate will use to inform economic

development policy (Berman et al., 2013).


The selection process will take place in the multiple hurdle style. The first hurdle involves

management over viewing the CV/Resume materials, including a candidate’s letters of

recommendation, writing sample, management work experience, and educational experience.

Qualified candidates will then be contacted to take part in a structured interview and the three

aforementioned tests: general mental ability, work sample, and psychological. Management will

then analyze the strongest candidates, and invite them to take part in an unstructured interview

and holistic discussion of their work experience and philosophy.


References

Berman, et al. (2013). Human Resource Management in Public Service, Paradoxes, Processes

and Problems (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Walters, J. (2002, October). Life After Civil Reform: The Texas, Georgia and Florida

Experiences. Governing Magazine , Pp. 1-48.


Group Member Contribution:

Rabita Reshmeen Banee Section 1: Sorting, Employee Selection Exercise Kyle Clymore Section 3: Test Selection, Employee Selection Exercise Andrew Cohler Section 2: Interview, Employee Selection Exercise


Appendix A

The Job Announcement

City of Orlando

a) Title of Position: City Economic Development Director

City of Orlando

b) Agency: Economic Development Department

c) Organization Affiliation: N/A

d) Salary Range: Min: $68,000.00 (Annually)

Mid: $91,500.00 (Annually)

Max: $115,000.00 (Annually)

e) Job Duties and Responsibilities: The essential duties of the Director of Economic

Development, City of Orlando include:

• Advises on, develops, implements, directs, and evaluates the overall goals, objectives,

policies, services, and work standards of the Economic Development Department,

and effectively communicates these goals and objectives to the City Mayor, the Metro

Orlando Economic Development Commission Board, the business community, and

the general public.

• Manages and implements outreach programs and utilizes public presentations to

secure funding and support for state/federal agencies, city/county department boards,

private businesses, grant agencies, land developers, and the general public in pursuit

of the Economic Development Department’s goals and objectives.


• Supervises, coordinates with, and evaluates the work of senior management staff of

the seven Economic Development divisions, contractors, and special projects

personnel.

• Advises staff on, and monitors the success of, various human resources functions,

including team-building exercises, employee morale, proper training, and worker

productivity.

• Reviews, analyzes, and interprets current laws/regulations and current research data

(such as field investigations, surveys, economic reports and impact studies) in

informing the creation of justifiable economic development policy and procedures.

f) Minimum Qualifications: A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in

Economic Development, Public Administration, Business Administration, Economics,

Urban/Regional Planning, or a closely related field; A Master’s Degree from an accredited

college or university in the aforementioned fields; At least seven (7) years experience in real

estate development, business/public administration, redevelopment, marketing, or a closely

related field; At least three (3) years of supervisory/management experience in the

aforementioned fields.

g) Special Conditions: Individual may have to work outside regular hours depending on the

nature of the work. Domestic and international travel may be required.

h) Application Procedure: Applicants must submit a letter of application; Curriculum Vitae;

and proof of related working experience by October 31, 2014. The materials must be submitted

electronically at the City of Orlando website.

A paper application may be mailed to:


City of Orlando

1st Floor, Employment and Recruitment

400 South Orange Avenue

P.O. Box 4990

Orlando, FL 32802-4990

or Faxed to 407.246.2019

i) Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: City of Orlando is an equal opportunity

employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin,

age, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.


Appendix B

The Job Description

City of Orlando

Job Description: City Economic Development Director

a) Job Summary:

Under the direction and supervision of both the City Mayor and the Metro Orlando Economic

Development Commission Board, the City Economic Development Director works in the

office of the Department of Economic Development. The City Economic Development

Director is responsible for coordinating an annual budget of more than $30 million;

managing nearly 200 employees encompassing seven divisions, including Business

Development, City Planning, Code Enforcement, Community Redevelopment, Downtown

Development, Permitting Services, and Transportation Planning; organizing and supervising

all major economic development initiatives across the seven aforementioned divisions;

assigning, directing, and assessing the work of key division management and staff; and

communicating with and advising a diverse body of constituencies, including the Mayor’s

Office, City Council, Executive Management, and members of both the local and

international business communities, on the initiatives of the Economic Development

Department.

b) Basic Functions Performed

The following items describe the primary duties/functions of the Economic Development

Director. These broad duties do no encompass all possible duties/responsibilities of the

position:


• Advises on, develops, implements, directs, and evaluates the overall goals, objectives,

policies, services, and work standards of the Economic Development Department, and

effectively communicates these goals and objectives to the City Mayor, the Metro

Orlando Economic Development Commission Board, the business community, and the

general public.

• Manages and implements outreach programs and utilizes public presentations to secure

funding and support for state/federal agencies, city/county department boards, private

businesses, grant agencies, land developers, and the general public in pursuit of the

Economic Development Department’s goals and objectives.

• Supervises, coordinates with, and evaluates the work of senior management staff of the

seven Economic Development divisions, contractors, and special projects personnel.

• Advises staff on, and monitors the success of, various human resources functions,

including team-building exercises, employee morale, proper training, and worker

productivity.

• Reviews, analyzes, and interprets current laws/regulations and current research data (such

as field investigations, surveys, economic reports and impact studies) in informing the

creation of justifiable economic development policy and procedures.

• Oversees and Approves all Economic Development Department marketing while holding

staff accountable to public relations standards.

• Develops plans for attracting and retaining national and international businesses, as well

as advocating for policy that maintains a favorable climate for local industries.


• Uses knowledge and understanding of local culture and demographics to advise staff,

propose policy, and manage department personnel responsible for implementing city

redevelopment and revitalization efforts.

c) Physical and Environmental Standards

This position requires the ability to sit and stand for prolonged periods of time in an office

environment. The position requires an ability to use hands and fine motor movements in

relation to office-related technologies, including typing using a computer keyboard, operating

a computer mouse, repetitive actions associated with copy machine use, dialing a calculator,

and other similar actions with associated tools. Additionally, the applicant must be able to

operate computer programs such as Microsoft Office and other writing programs in the

completion of required communications such as reports. The applicant must have sufficient

physical mobility and strength to perform basic lifting of light objects, movement of basic

office supplies and documents, and limited moving throughout the office and associated

divisions. The applicant must be able to operate motorized equipment and a personal vehicle,

and must be able to travel throughout the city jurisdiction, and occasionally to outside sites

and locations, in performance of the aforementioned duties. The applicant may be required to

work extended hours during evenings and/or weekends. The applicant must be able to

verbally communicate with clients either in-house or in outside locations, in both one-on-one

and group environments.

d) Minimum Qualifications

An applicant may meet minimum job requirements with the following knowledge, skills, and

abilities: Knowledge of economic development and redevelopment principles, methods,

techniques, programs, finance/refinance, and analysis; Knowledge of the City of Orlando’s


administrative policies and procedures; Knowledge of Florida land use planning laws and

regulations; Knowledge of demographic data regarding the City of Orlando and its

surrounding communities; Knowledge of the City’s dominant industries, target industries,

and major employers; Knowledge of the relative costs and benefits to how people and goods

move by using Florida’s unique infrastructure and geography; Knowledge of standard

management practices and principles, including project planning, problem resolution, team

building, training and evaluation;

Skills in Effective Written/Verbal Communication, both Interpersonal and Public; Skills in

Management and Leadership of staff and community;

Ability to communicate effectively and work productively with diverse populations,

including public/private sectors, elected officials, special interest groups, and the general

public; Ability to coordinate the work of subordinate staff

An applicant may be deemed qualified for the job if they meet or exceed any combination of

the following education/training and experience criteria: A Bachelor’s Degree from an

accredited college or university in Economic Development, Public Administration, Business

Administration, Economics, Urban/Regional Planning, or a closely related field; A Master’s

Degree from an accredited college or university in the aforementioned fields; At least seven

(7) years experience in real estate development, business/public administration,

redevelopment, marketing, or a closely related field; At least three (3) years of

supervisory/management experience in the aforementioned fields. A valid Florida driver’s

license is required.


Appendix C

Sample Interview Question

1. Please highlight your prior work experiences.

2. Through your preparation and research prior to this interview, what problems do see within

the City of Orlando Economic Development Department? How will you go about fixing them?

3. Please tell me about a time you faced a significant crisis. How did you handle it?

4. Please tell me about a professional qualification you have earned and how it helped a previous

employer?

5. Please tell me about a time when you had to make a quick and important decision. What were

the results?

6. What makes you the best candidate for this job?

7. What is your greatest failure, and how did you learn from it?

8. What is your style of leadership?

9. Please describe your process of analysis when considering policy changes or advancements.

10. Please describe your ideal work environment.

recruitment and interview plan

Documents

essential duty

required skills

skill set

communication skills

interpersonal skills

leadership skill

organizational skills

director case study