Is Your Professional Recruitment Process the Best that it Can Be?

1. David S. Clurman Assistant Director of Residential Education University of Maryland, Baltimore County MACUHO Annual Conference October 28, 2011 Is Your Professional Recruitment Process the Best that it Can Be?

2. Who is in the room? • Who am I? • Why am I presenting this topic? • What do I know about staff selection? • Who are you? • Why are you here? • What role do you play in recruitment of professional staff on your campus?

3. About UMBC • Carnegie Class: Doctoral/Research-Extensive Institution • Fall 2010 Enrollment: • 10,210 Undergraduates • 2,678 Graduates • Residential Population: 3,875 (1,116 first-year) • 2011-2012 Tuition w/ Room & Board: $19,488*

4. UMBC Residential Life staffing structure

5. about UMBC’s selection process -screening • We create a screening committee that is diverse • Unqualified applicants are screened out prior to reviewing applications • Each qualified candidate is reviewed by two people • Each candidate gets rated • Screening committee identifies top candidates for phone/conference interviews

6. about UMBC’s selection process - the interview packet • Job description • Organizational chart of office and division • Office mission and values • Information about our professional staff • UMBC student profile • Costs for students • Rights & Responsibilities pamphlet • Maps of campus and residential area

7. about UMBC’s selection process -early interviews • 1st round interview questions – 30 minutes • Note any follow-up areas if there are • 2nd round interviews are dependent on time and staff availability (at conferences only) • Identify top 3-4 candidates to bring to campus

8. about UMBC’s selection processfood & travel • We pay for all travel and meals • Accommodations are in an on-campus apartment • 1-2 staff members take them to dinner at a local restaurant • Breakfast and lunch are in the campus dining hall • Any expense forms are completed while on campus • We will pick up/drop off at local travel hub

9. about UMBC’s selection process -campus interviews • Candidate will meet with: • Student leaders • Community Directors • Other Residential Life staff • Campus Partners • Assistant Directors of Residential Education • Director of Residential Life • Vice President of Student Affairs

10. about UMBC’s selection process -campus interviews • Day overview • Candidate will also have tours of campus and at least one CD apartment • Short breaks are scheduled into the day • No presentations • Water is provided • Bathrooms are pointed out • Day review • Review benefits and timeline

11. about UMBC’s selection process -follow-up • References are contacted • Candidate is notified: • If the selection timeline is altered • If they were not selected for the position • Once candidate accepts the position, all other applicants are notified that the position has been filled

12. the selection process – job descriptions & postings • Is the description accurate to the current tasks this position is currently responsible for? • Is the vacancy anticipated or confirmed? • Will you list the salary? • What are the minimum qualifications? • Will you accept applications directly or do they need to go through HR? • What is the deadline that applications will be considered? • What is required for the application (cover letter, resume, reference letters or just contacts)? • Where will you post the opening? • Who will be on the search/screening committee?

13. What others are saying about employers What are some of the best/worst things you have seen an employer do when conducting a search process (type of communication, phone interviews, on-campus interviews, travel plans, accommodations, etc.)?

14. the selection process –communication - best “Send candidate itinerary in advance [with names and titles] so they know who they are going to meet – this gives them an opportunity to prepare specific questions too.” “Offering their cell phone number so the candidate can get in touch with the employer easily.” “Responding to emails/voicemails in a timely manner.”

15. the selection process –communication - worst “Little to no communication.” “Emailing late in the evening (shows the person works late and [has] no work-life balance.” “Employers taking about their personal lives in excess (i.e., drinking bingers, legal troubles, and medical issues).” “Telling a candidate that they will be removed from the process if they make a follow up phone call to inquire as to their status.”

16. the selection process – meals & travel - best “If reasonable and needed, arrange to pick up the candidate at their transportation hub (airport, train station, bus station, etc.” “ On campus interview – allowed my partner to come the night before to see the campus/ apartment. Two of the staff took us both out to dinner.” “Love eating at local restaurants that are not chains.” “Booking travel for the candidate, which saves trouble with reimbursements.”

17. the selection process – meals & travel - worst “No breaks at all – lunch is an interview as well.” “During lunch and before interview sessions would begin, the employers were telling inside jokes and taking amongst themselves instead of listening to me or engaging me in the conversation.” “Not providing reimbursement for travel unless the candidate is offered the job AND accept the job.”

18. the selection process – interview - best “Asking for feedback about the interview process in case something strange had happened during the day that the candidate is concerned about.” “Provide an interview host so that the candidate has a consistent person they can check in throughout the day.” “Don’t take them on a campus tour in the rain.” “Offering the candidate a bottle of water…”

19. the selection process – interview - worst “Have multiple candidate for the same position on campus on the same day and set it up so they run into each other.” “Have the primary interview session be with a group of 10-12 people.” “Telling me that I answered a question incorrectly and then proceeded to tell me what I should have said, even though the person asked for my personal opinion.”

20. the selection process – interview - worst “Worst are when there’s a lot of confusion about the day and folks at the work site don’t seem to even know that a search is taking place that day.” “Making the candidate wait an hour for a schedule interview without any sort of apology.” “Not allowing the candidate to interview and/or meet any students.” “Not coaching the interview team.”

21. the selection process – miscellaneous - worst “Change the position description between the time of application and the on campus interview.” “Mixing up candidates (thinking you phone interviewed someone when you did not).” “Asking a candidate to do a phone interview on the spot.” “Not have group interview folks introduce themselves so I knew who they were/what they did at the institution.”

22. group sharing • What are some of the best things you have seen regarding a selection process?

23. the use of technology • First interviews prior to Placement Exchanges • Offer Skype or phone • Downfall – sometimes it doesn’t work well • Email • Quick response (build time into your schedule) • Include pertinent info in signature • Thank You’s • If using email for sustainability purposes let people know • You Tube • “Day in the life” video • Exploring the residence halls, campus, etc…

24. Where to post? • Jobs.Studentaffairs.com • HigherEdJobs.com • Chronicle.com/Jobs • Academic360.com • Tedjob.com • Others?