A. Review your selection process, including criteria and interview questions, with your Human Resource Consultant.
B. Decide what criteria (knowledge, skills, abilities, job-related experience) you will measure in your interviews or other selection processes with the candidates. Determine which selection process will best measure a given criterion. For example, reference checks are often better than interviews to determine whether an employee’s attendance was acceptable.
C. Make sure all criteria are related to this particular job.
D. You may wish to consider diversity, cultural or linguistic expertise, and under-representation of protected groups as part of your selection criteria, but do not include questions related to race, sex, marital status, national origin, religion, age or disability.
E. Prepare your job-related questions or other selection processes. (Illegal questions or inappropriate processes and tests subject you and the City to discrimination claims). Your Human Resource staff is available to review these with you.
F. Conduct interviews and/or other selection processes, such as simulations, tests, and work demonstrations. Remember your selection process will give each applicant an impression regarding the City’s professionals, so you can use this as an opportunity to build good public relations.
G. Consider working with your Human Resource Consultant to develop valid and reliable testing processes other than interviewing; such processes are particularly important for jobs requiring physical skills and work processes.
H. Make sure you have a signed approval from the applicant(s) to check for references. You may also request the “Authority to Release Information Form” from the Human Resource Division.
I. Check references for only the top 1 to 3 candidates. (The Human Resource Division does not typically verify experience, education or check references. The hiring authority is expected to do so or arrange for qualified staff to do so.) Ask factual questions when checking references such as:
1. Were these his/her duties?
2. How was this person’s attendance?
3. How did this individual’s productivity compare to others?
4. Describe the applicant’s strengths and challenges.
5. Follow up on questions asked in the applicant interview. For example, if you asked the applicant to describe a presentation he or she made, you might ask a reference to describe a presentation the applicant made.
J. If the top candidates work for Salt Lake City Corporation currently, or if they worked full-time or in a regular part-time position for the City within in the past seven years, you may schedule an appointment to review an employee’s personnel file by calling, 535-6615. We strongly encourage this review. Some supervisors have failed to review files and hired poor performers whose performance was clearly documented in employee files when they worked for other City work units.