Selection Criteria, Methods and Posting

In this Section:

Develop selection criteria for the position

Based on the job description for the position, develop the criteria that will be used to screen resumes and select the best person for the job.

Consider the following:
  • What skills are essential to the position?
  • How will you ensure the new employee fits the culture of your organization?
  • How will you make certain that your criteria are not discriminatory?
  • How will you ensure that your criteria are specific, measurable and job-related?

Good Practice:

Develop a checklist to guide the recruitment and selection process for your organization.

A sample Recruitment Process and Recruitment Checklist have been provided by employers working in child care as a reference.

Choosing your methods of recruitment

When deciding which method of recruitment to use, think about where your employees currently come from. Do most of them come from colleges or universities? Do they come from other ECEC sector organizations? Do they come from your volunteer base? Assessing where potential applicants usually come from can help you choose the best methods of recruitment for the position.

Internal recruitment

Existing employees and volunteers have the opportunity to apply for a new job opening.

Considerations
  • Rewards the employee/volunteer for past performance
  • Gives the employee/volunteer an opportunity for career development
  • Retains the organization's investment in the employee/volunteer
  • Reduces the amount of time necessary to orient the person to the new position
  • Reduces the costs of recruitment
  • Provides a limited number of people to select from
  • Reduces the opportunity for increasing diversity within your organization

Employee referrals

Employees recommend a person for the job opening. Some organizations have introduced employee referral programs.

See sample Employee Referral Program.

Considerations:
  • The quality of employee referrals is usually high because employees normally only refer people they are confident would be a good match for the position and organization.
  • People recruited by your staff usually have some understanding of the work of the organization.
  • People tend to recommend others with similar backgrounds. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the practice of employee referrals does not lead to a decrease in diversity within your organization.
  • There can be a tendency to feel that you must hire someone who is referred by an employee even if your assessment is that the person is not the best match.

Print advertisements

The organization posts the opportunity in a newspaper or professional journal.

Considerations:
  • You can reach a large audience in a specific area.
  • The content of the advertisement will affect the number of applicants. If the ad is general you will most likely receive more applications, but you may receive a significant number of applications from unqualified candidates.
  • This method may be expensive.

Good Practice:

Remember to target diverse networks and community agencies in order to develop a diverse workforce.

Internet recruiting

The organization posts the opportunity on an internet job site, on its own website or on professional association websites.

Considerations:
  • Internet recruiting is cost effective.
  • One study has shown that 96% of people looking for jobs use the internet.
  • Internet job postings are available to potential candidates 24 hours a day.
  • You can minimize the number of unqualified candidates by directing people to more information on your organization's website.
  • The number of applications may be overwhelming.

Internships/field placements

Upon graduation, the organization recruits students for internships or placements as part of their education.

Considerations
  • You will have a good understanding of the fit between the person and the organization, as well as their abilities.
  • The former student will have good knowledge of your organization and require less time to become productive.
  • Often first jobs are seen as a stepping stone and people move on to new challenges after a relatively short period of time.

Unsolicited resumes

Individuals interested in working for your organization send in resumes.

Considerations
  • The percentage of resumes with skills appropriate for your organization may be small.
  • How you treat unsolicited resumes may have an impact on the image of your organization – it is best to respond with courteous and frank information about whether or not the application will be kept for future reference.

Other

  • Broadcast emails to other organizations
  • Campus recruitment (especially with institutes that offer relevant social services courses)
  • Outreach recruitment targeting a specific audience to fill a specific need

Initiate the recruitment process

Your job announcement should include:
  • A brief description of your organization, its mission or purpose
  • The title and a description of the position
  • Duties and responsibilities
  • Qualifications
  • The supervising authority
  • The salary and benefits attached to the position (specify the starting salary or salary range, or say the salary depends on experience)
  • The application deadline
  • Start date
  • A request for references
  • The format in which you would like to receive the information
  • Contact information
  • Your organization’s website address

Other Useful Tools and Templates: