Selecting the Best Candidate: Successfully Screening Resumes

1. Selecting the Best Candidate: Successfully Screening Resumes Voices of the Staff Conference for Supervisors June 26, 2009 Deborah Orlowski, Ph.D. orlowski@umich.edu

2. Employee Selection Process • Position Analysis • Develop and Post Position • Determine Selection Criteria • Decide Upon Interviewing Process • Read Resumes • Conduct Interviews • Check References • Make the Offer

3. Position Analysis • Organizational issues • Present/future departmental needs • Defining position duties • Career navigator • FLSA compliance

4. List of skills sets of ideal candidate Based on competencies needed for position Note:Each department has their own minimum qualifications that can be used as a screening tool. Department Qualifications

5. Selection Criteria Definition: Skills, knowledge and attributes needed for the job. • Guides determination of which candidates meet qualifications • Established before position posted • Relevant, understandable, defensible • Aligns with job posting • “Extent and Relevance of….” • Documents how decisions are made • Also in line with UM Core Competencies

6. UM Core Competencies • Advancing the Mission • Building Relationships/Interpersonal Skills • Communication • Creative Problem Solving/Strategic Thinking • Development of Self and Others • Leadership/Achievement Orientation • Quality Service • Adapting to Change

7. Create Assessment Grid Individually: • Decide which job you wish to focus upon In your group: • Look at your job posting • Using the grid given to you, fill in 3 quantitative and 3 qualitative requirements for your job. • When asked, share with rest of class

8. Structure the Process Develop process and follow uniformly • Who’s collecting resumes /designing process? • Who’s reviewing resumes? • Timeframe • Base review on selection criteria, which is based on job description/competencies • Decide on key 3-5 must have competencies • Assessments sheets for each team member

9. For the Team’s Consideration • Give time adequate time to review resumes. • Review - “yes,” “no,” or “maybe”—based on the criteria in the assessment grid. • Keep in mind when reviewing resumes: • How do qualifications map to the requirements in the job description? • What is the candidate’s work history? Linear, side-steps, quick, slow? • Red flags ? • Will candidate fit into organization?

10. Review the Resumes – Objectively! • Create grid to assess resumes: competencies, accomplishments, experience, education, other • Screen to include, not exclude • Consider AA goals if any • Focus on qualifications related to essential tasks • Be wary of gaps, sloppiness • Look for length of time in various positions • Do not read anything into the resume • Make sure biases aren’t influencing selection decisions

11. Resume Review Meeting • Compare resumes in the “yes” pile -- same resumes? • Agrees on those not right for the position. • Discuss pros and cons of “yes” or “maybes.” • Goal is 8-12 candidates to phone screen or interview • Phone interviews save time and money by eliminating questionable candidates

12. Assessment Grid • Use the selection requirements • Job criteria in the left-hand column & top 5 – 7 characteristics of ideal candidate • Rate candidates: do skills & experiences exceed, meet, or don’t meet criteria? • Ranking scale 1 – 5, with 5 being the highest • Compare totals to rate candidates against one another

13. Resume Choosing Exercise • In your groups, complete the Assessment grid for each candidate • Of the candidates presented, choose one candidate to bring in for an interview • Be prepared to discuss why you chose the candidate you did

14. Processes in this presentation were developed jointly by the University of Michigan’s Staff HR and Human Resource Departments. The Assessment Grid was inspired by Bridgestar, an Initiative of the Bridgespan Group and found on the Bridgstar website at www.bridgestar.org.