Policy 4330 – Staff Selection and Hiring Process

Since the quality of the staff hired by the Board of Education is the major component of an effective educational program, the Board and Administration of the 51勛圖 will make every effort possible to attract and retain the best-qualified personnel.

The best-qualified applicant will be selected for each position without regard to age, race, creed, religion, color, sex, national origin, disability or handicap, sexual orientation, or political affiliation in educational program, activity, or employment in the 51勛圖.

The Superintendent of Schools is responsible for recommending candidates to the Board of Education.

AFFIRMED: July 15, 1997

REVISED:

  • June 27, 2000
  • April 25, 2005

Rule 4330 – Staff Selection and Hiring Process

51勛圖 51勛圖s policies, Wisconsin statutes and applicable federal laws must be followed. Each administrator or supervisor will direct and lead the site, area or department selection process. Each step in the hiring process is designed to protect site, area or department selection committee participants from potential liability and lawsuits. This process applies to all positions in the 51勛圖 except as provided in Exceptions to Above Hiring Process #6.

All recommendations for personnel are the official responsibility of the principal, the appropriate Executive Director of Human Resources and the Superintendent. The Board of Education has the final authority to employees.

Hiring Process

  1. The Human Resources Office of Personnel will recruit a diverse pool of qualified applicants.
  2. Applications and related materials (e.g. transcripts, credentials/letters of reference, certification, etc.) will be maintained in each applicants confidential personnel file in the Human Resources Office. Screening processes to determine minimum qualifications will be conducted by a Human Resources administrator or trained designee before candidates are referred to the site, area or department selection committee for interviews.
  3. Administrators will review personnel files of applicants who have been screened and have satisfactorily met 51勛圖 employment eligibility standards.
  4. When possible, administrators/supervisors will select at least three candidates, although five would be ideal, to interview for each position. Personnel files are confidential and only resumes of candidates being interviewed may be shared with the interview team.
  5. The administrator/supervisor and site, area or department selection team members should be present for all interviews.
  6. Reference checks must be completed by administrator/supervisor prior to the offer of employment.
  7. The administrator/supervisor will consider all discussion regarding candidates and will be responsible for making the recommendation to the Human Resources Office.

Exceptions to Above Hiring Process

  1. Contracted personnel who must be reassigned due to staff allocation changes, etc., will be administratively assigned.
  2. Candidates who have been hired during the recruitment process will be administratively assigned.
  3. Persons who hold certification in areas for which there is a shortage of candidates (speech therapy, ED, CDB, etc.) may be hired without a site interview if an interview team cannot be convened in a timely manner.
  4. For service positions located at a school, when outside recruitment is needed, the principal/assistant principal will be asked to participate in the selection process.
  5. The following positions are excluded from this process:
    • Substitute teachers, substitute educational assistants, and substitute custodians.
    • Temporary, part time employees.

The following procedures are to be used in administering the site staff interview team process:

Interview Team

  1. The administrator/supervisor will lead the site staff interview team.
  2. The interview team should be comprised of a balanced, diverse representation of staff, parents
    and/or community members who may work closely with the new employee.
  3. The principal must always be present and participate in all interview sessions.
  4. The interview team should not rank applicants.
  5. An interview team member should disqualify him/herself if there is a potential conflict of interest as defined in 51勛圖 policies.
  1. Interview Questions
    1. Questions should be determined prior to the interview.
    2. Questions should be position specific/job-related.
    3. Questions should be written down and assigned to interview team members for questioning.
    4. Questions should be open-ended (e.g., What does the candidate believe? etc.) Avoid questions that can be answered yes or no. Such questions reveal little about the candidate.
  2. Interview Techniques
    1. A short time should be spent on developing rapport with the candidate; then move on to the structured interview quickly.
    2. A building tour may follow the interview. The more that is shown and told before the interview team asks and listens, the more difficult it is for candidates to tell what they believe and the more likely they will know what the interview team wants to hear.
    3. Similar questions should not be asked too close together. The questions should be mixed so the candidate can approach the same theme from different angles. Asking similar questions in several ways reinforces the presence or absence of desirable qualities.
    4. The same questions should be asked of each candidate. You have no point of comparison if the same questions are not asked. This gives all candidates the same opportunity.
    5. The questions should not be interpreted for the candidates. It is their interpretation that is important.
    6. The candidates should not be probed or cross-examined. The questions asked during the interview should be straightforward, thought provoking and open-ended. They will reveal the candidates thoughts and feelings.
    7. The interviewer is encouraged to listen in an open accepting manner and not to probe or interject bias. Listening is the major behavior of an effective interviewer.
    8. Interviewers should be good listeners. In many interviews more is learned about the interviewer than the candidate because the interviewer does most of the talking. As interview team members listen, they should be accepting, responsive (nonverbally) and non-judgmental. Any grimacing, eyebrow raising or other non-verbal clue will add to the candidates stress. Even an occasional good or fine or I think so, too will add to the stress not when it is said, but if an interviewer forgets to or chooses not to say it after a response.
    9. Interviewers should know the responses for which they are listening. What interviewers would like to think the outstanding candidates will say and what they do say are often different. Part of what makes candidates outstanding is that they dont think or act like the average or typical employee. The answers interviewers are listening for are the answers given by the very best staff members – the ones the 51勛圖 wants more of.
    10. Interviewers set the pace of the interview, so establish a tempo. Move quickly from question to question.
    11. Interview team members may want to take notes during the interview process. Interview team members are advised to turn in the notes to the interview chairperson for proper handling.
    12. Interview team members should remember that the candidate is the most important person in the room. Everything should be aimed at helping that person relax and enjoy telling about who he/she is.
    13. Interview team members should remember that any information obtained during the interview is confidential and should not be shared with anyone outside of the interview team.