Recruitment Best Practices

Southern Territory Headquarters Human Resources Department

Debra ElderEmployment Manager

Successful RecruitmentHiring the “right” person for the “right” job

Adhering to all applicable Federal/State employment laws, as well as TSA policies/ procedures, throughout the recruitment process

AND

Federal Legislation

• Civil Rights Act/Title VII• Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)/ADAAA • Executive Order 11246/Affirmative Action

Federal Legislation

On the basis of:• Race• Color• National Origin• Religion• Gender

Employment Conditions:• Recruiting• Compensation• Promotion• Training• Disciplinary

Action/Termination

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Prohibits Discrimination

Federal Legislation

• Equal Employment Opportunity Act• Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act

(VEVRAA)• Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA)• Civil Rights Act• Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act (GINA)• Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

Title VII Amendments and Expansion

Affirmative Action Plan Compliance

• Typically required only as a result of specific Federal/State contracts containing Executive Order 11246

Southern Territory AAP Compliance (as of 4/1/2014)• THQ• ALM• FL• GA• KT• NCV• NSC• TX

EEOC Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Criteria

• The EEOC Uniform

Guidelines on Employee

Selection Criteria apply to all

selection procedures used to

make employment decisions,

including interviews, review

of experience or education

from application forms, work

samples, physical

requirements, and evaluations

of performance.

• The guidelines are

designed to aid in the

achievement of our

nation's goal of equal

employment opportunity

without discrimination on

the grounds of race, color,

sex, religion, national

origin, disability, age (40

or older), or veteran status.

Employee VS Independent Contractor

• The IRS regulates who may work as an Independent Contractor (IC) and broadly bases its requirements on three factors:

1. Behavioral controls (who has the right to direct the work--the employee or employer?);

2. Financial controls (who has made a financial investment in the work and stands to make a profit or loss?); and

3. The demonstrated relationship of the parties (written contracts that indicate employment, employee benefits, participation in employee meetings, etc.).

When these factors are reviewed and the employer is found to have the main control over the relationship, the worker is considered an employee and cannot be classified as an Independent Contractor.

Employee Turnover

• Employee turnover is COSTLY

• The cost per hire within organizations of 1,000 or less employees is estimated in excess of $3,000, with an average “time to fill” of 29 days.

Source: 2011-2012 SHRM Benchmarking Database

Job AdvertisementsAll open positions should be advertised• Generally, post positions on TSA Careers website• Positions may be posted internally only as

appropriate• Utilize information from standardized job

descriptions for job posting• Advertise open job positions on all relevant job

boards, including “Outreach Resources” as necessary

Social Media

Online technologies are bringing once private information to the public

sphere.

Despite some advantages of using social networking

websites as a recruiting

resource, there are also many disadvantages.

Social Media

should not be used as an

applicant screening

tool.

Staffing Agencies/Recruiters

• Negotiate fees in advance• Obtain contract placement terms in writing (e.g. fee

percentage, number of hours required to eliminate buy-out fee, replacement guarantee, etc.)

• If “Direct Hire,” notify Agency of AAP compliance requirement in writing (as applicable).

Utilizing a Staffing Agency or Recruiter may be a viable resource to identify qualified applicants for regular full-time/part-time and temporary needs.

Reasonable Accommodation• Employers must provide

applicants/employees with

reasonable accommodation

when it is needed to enable a

person to apply for a job,

perform job duties or enjoy

the benefits and privileges of

employment that are enjoyed

by employees without

disabilities.

• The obligation to provide

reasonable accommodation and

ensure equal opportunity for

individuals with disabilities

extends to the use of on-line

application systems and testing

kiosks, as well as the availability

of an HR Representative who

can provide assistance in

utilizing such systems when

requested by the applicant.

Pre-Employment Screening Assessments

• Professionally developed tests

can be used to assist with the

applicant selection process, as

long as the tests are fair and

nondiscriminatory.

• Tests should relate to required

skills (e.g., software

applications, writing ability,

typing, spelling/grammar,

filing, etc.)

• Do not administer personality tests.

• Be aware of the legal requirements that apply when tests and other assessment instruments are used as part of the applicant selection process.

Five Common Mistakes Hiring Managers Make*1. Using Subjective Criteria: Rather than "screening-out"

applicants based on an initial gut feeling, or un-predictive criteria

such as GPA, the address on the resume or the sound of a name,

the Hiring Manager should make sure that the job-evaluation

process is as structured, job-specific and objective as possible.

This will give them the chance to hire great people that might not

have even been considered otherwise.

2. Checking Social Media: Social Media profiles often contain

pictures of applicants, as well as a plethora of information that is

irrelevant to the job. Research has repeatedly shown that images

and other irrelevant information can unconsciously undermine

rational decision-making.

Applicant Selection

Five Common Mistakes Hiring Managers Make

(continued)*3. Too Much Chatting:  During the interview, it is common for

the Hiring Manager to slip into monologues about the

opportunity, the company, the culture and other job-attributes.

While this can be an important part of getting acquainted, it's

important to give the applicant ample opportunities to talk. The

more job-relevant information a company has about the

applicant, the more likely they are to base their hiring decision

on objective criteria, rather than on incomplete (and possibly

biased) impressions. A good rule while interviewing is 80

percent listening and 20 percent talking.

Applicant Selection

Five Common Mistakes Hiring Managers Make

(continued)*4. Asking Ad-lib Questions: During the structured section of the interview,

people often go off-script and wonder off into something that more closely

resembles a friendly discussion. During at least part of the interview ask the

questions that are prepared as well as scripted follow-up questions. The more

meaningful and standardized the information collected from applicants, the

less room there is to make decisions based on factors that matter less or

should not be considered.

5. Personal Preferences: As humans, we tend to like people who share our

personal preferences and interests, such as music, sports, television shows,

lifestyle choices and other behaviors that may not be relevant to the job.

While interviewing, keep in mind that liking the same TV shows is not related

to on-the-job performance. Hiring Managers should not let "being like me"

unconsciously sway their judgment. Source: Chad Brooks, BusinessNewsDaily Contributor

Applicant Selection

• Hiring Managers should recognize their default interview style.

Hiring Managers have a tendency to hire in their own image. It is wiser to hire people who complement the team.

Hiring Manager Interview Styles

Emotional

Intuitive

Technical

• Most Hiring Managers are a combination of Emotional plus either Intuitive or Technical.

Hiring ManagerInterview Styles

• Makes decisions based largely on first impressions, personality, appearance, emotional reactions and feelings about the applicant. Other factors might include academics, personal biases and stereotypes.

Emotional Interviewer

• Makes decisions based on gut feelings and the applicant having a few critical traits.

Intuitive Interviewer

• Makes decisions based on the possession of strong skills, experiences and methodologies.

Technical Interviewer

Applicant Interview

Source: TSA Western Territory Headquarters Newsletter

Interview Questions

Interview questions must be:

1. •Acceptable/Legal

2. •Relate to the Requirements of the Position

3. •Consistent (Ask the same core questions of all applicants)

Unacceptable Interview Questions

1. How old are you?

2. Where were you born?

3. Are you disabled?

4. What is your maiden

name?

5. Are you married?

6. What is your religion?

7. Have you ever been

arrested?

8. Have you ever declared

bankruptcy?

9. Are you a U.S. Citizen?

10. What year did you

graduate from High

School or College?

Behavioral-Based InterviewingPas

t Behavior

Best

indicator

Structured behavioral interviewing is a standardized way of obtaining information from applicants about their past behavior and performance. The premise of these interviews is that past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior.

of Future Behavior

Applicants are asked to describe a situation or circumstance, talk about the behavior or action taken and discuss the outcome/results based on their behavior or action.

Behavioral-Based Interviewing

Describe a time on any job in which you were faced with stresses which tested your

coping skills.  What did you do?

Provide an example of how you resolved a conflict with you and another person when

you disagreed with each other.

Tell me an example of a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in

order to get a job done.

Tell me about a time you had to deal with an irate customer. How did you handle the

situation?

Write legibly

Interview DocumentationAdvise the applicant notes will be taken

Do not write on the applicant’s Application or resume

Record actual responses identified by the applicant

At conclusion of interview, review notes for missing/incomplete information and

immediately following the interview to clarify any information necessary and/or to

add comments

Do not document any unsolicited personal responses by the applicant relating to marital status, family, divorce, etc.

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Interview Documentation• Include an

appropriate Disposition for all applicants not selected

Interview notes should include detailed information to support the Disposition

Post Interview EtiquetteAfter the applicant selection process is complete, call other applicants not selected (do not specify why not selected…)

Send “rejection” email/letter to applicants not selected.

Pay Rate OffersUtilize a consistent

and equitable methodology to

identify pay rates for selected applicants

Consider internal pay equity

Document and retain the rationale used to identify pay rates for applicants (as well as

promotions/job changes/transfers)

Do not use this process as a pre-employment screening tool (e.g. initiate background check for “short-list” applicants)

Background Checks

Post Offer

Pre-Employme

nt

Reference ChecksContacting an applicant’s professional references is a “best practice.”

• Contact only those references provided by the applicant (preferably in writing)

• Call employer Supervisor references

• Document all reference checks, including attempts to contact references

• Do not put too much “weight” on a single negative or positive reference response

RecruitmentDocument Retention

• Retain all documentation associated with a recruitment/ selection process according to applicable Federal/State Laws

US Employment Eligibility

• Verification of identity and U.S. employment eligibility is required of all new-hires within the first three days of employment.

• Form I-9 and E-Verify Requirement• Contact DHQ/THQ regarding immigration and

U.S. employment eligibility as soon as an immigration issue is identified.

The Applicant Said/Did What?

• Applicant warned the interviewer that she “took too much valium” and

didn’t think her interview was indicative of her personality.

• Applicant answered a phone call for an interview with a competitor

• Applicant arrived in a jogging suit because he was going running after the

interview

• Applicant checked Facebook during the interview

• Applicant kept her iPod headphones on during the interview

• Applicant set fire to the interviewer’s newspaper while reading it when the

interviewer said “Impress me.”

• Applicant wanted to know the name and phone number of the Receptionist

because he really liked her

Source: CareerBuilder