Streamlining member recruitment and placement

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Abstract

Recruitment is one of the most crucial aspects of program management. A strategic recruitment process is one that connects candidates who are right for your program — those who can bring their skills to help accomplish program goals, and can grow in doing so. The Northwest Service Academy/Lower Columbia Center (NWSA/LCC) is an example of a lead agency that has recruiting responsibilities for two program centers. To streamline their process, they created a document that details the responsibilities of staff members; clarifies application and placement procedures; and specifies responsibilities of umbrella organizations and sponsors. This document can easily be adapted and utilized by other AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps*VISTA programs. Why reinvent the wheel? This effective practice was submitted by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory's EnCorps Initiative in November, 2006.

Issue

How to most effectively recruit and place members is a central issue for program management.

Action

The Northwest Service Academy/Lower Columbia Center (NWSA/LCC) has created a document that streamlines the processes of recruitment and placement. This document outlines the steps in the recruitment/placement process by:

Detailing the responsibilities of each staff member
Clarifying procedures and documentation needed for new member applications, placements, interviews, and offers
Specifying the responsibilities of the umbrella organization, individual programs, and sponsors

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Staff Responsibilities

Lead Agency. Management of outreach, Web site, AmeriCorps online application site, database, reference checks.
Program Centers (Lower Columbia Center, Mt. Adams Center). Application intake, screening, interviewing, placement.

Position Description

Lead agency support person enters information from RFP into database and enters position description information into recruitment files.
Recruitment coordinator reviews and formats all position descriptions for program centers. The recruitment coordinator notifies contacts at each program center when they are finished, so that each program center contact can review position descriptions and send them on to lead agency.
Individual Placement coordinator notifies support person about the final acceptances of sponsors.
Support person notifies staff of final individual placement positions.
Recruitment coordinator sends individual placement position descriptions to lead agency to post on Web site.

Application

Application process listed on Web site. Preferred method is AmeriCorps online application site.
Support person monitors AmeriCorps site and sends an e-mail to all applicants that notifies them how to activate their application. The e-mail states what (if any) sections are missing from their application file, and explains that
Applicants need to e-mail the center(s) of choice and attach their résumé and application number.
Support person inputs applicant information into the database and will start checking references when the application has been activated.
For applications that come directly to the program centers: center recruitment staff is responsible for inputting information into the database.

Placement

1. Lower Columbia Center (LCC) Interview
  - When application is complete, LCC activates file through the database to notify lead agency staff to check references.
  - LCC screens all applicants.
  - LCC interviews all qualified applicants and sends them a pre-interview packet. They submit placement choices and preferences during the interview.
  - If applicants are a good match to LCC, they will be sent on to sponsors for an interview.
  - Applicants may have several positions that they are interested in and staff will match the applicant with a placement that complements both her/his interest and skills.
  - LCC staff will then contact the sponsor and send the applicant's résumé via e-mail or fax.
  - LCC will send out one applicant at a time to interview at a sponsoring site. At times, when there are several applicants interested in one position, more than one applicant may be sent to sponsoring site.
  - Sponsor Interview
  - Once the sponsor receives an applicant, s/he will contact the applicant and set up an interview. If at any time the sponsor is not interested in an applicant, the sponsor contacts the Northwest Service Academy (NWSA) recruitment staff (by phone or e-mail).
  - Once the applicant is interviewed, the sponsor needs to contact the recruitment staff (by phone or e-mail) with feedback on the applicant, including whether or not there is interest in placing the applicant with her/his organization.
  - The sponsor interview process should be conducted within 1 week of receiving the résumé, to ensure a successful placement.
2. NWSA Matching Process
  
  NWSA receives feedback from both the sponsor and the applicant. If the feedback from both parties is positive, then NWSA will consider it a successful match. If the match is unsuccessful, NWSA will send out another applicant.
3. Position Offer and Documentation
  
  NWSA recruitment staff makes all position offers and declines, not the sponsor. This is to ensure consistency in the information that is provided to all applicants regarding NWSA and AmeriCorps expectations.
  
  Applicant must have all of the following in their file when before offer goes out:
  - Application
  - Two written letters/ references
  - Résumé
  - Certification Form (this comes back with acceptance packet)
  - Screening/interview Form
  - Two completed reference check forms
  When a position is offered, applicant needs to be informed verbally and/or by e-mail of the following:
  - Start and end date
  - Importance of commitment
  - What to do if something comes up that prevents them from serving
  - Correct address for acceptance packet to be mailed
  - Answers to any questions
  - Document in file
  Once a position has been successfully filled, LCC will send a confirmation e-mail to sponsor and applicant and will no longer recruit for that position.
  
  LCC staff is responsible for finalizing database entries, including what center the applicant is placed at and what position the applicant has accepted. Staff then sends e-mail to support person to remove position description from Web site.
  
  If the applicant declines the position or pulls out of the process, this needs to be indicated in the database.
  If, for some reason, the applicant is not a good match, it is indicated in the "notes" field in the database.
  
  LCC mails acceptance packet.

Context

The Northwest Service Academy (NWSA) is a part of a nationwide family of AmeriCorps members and community volunteers and has two location centers. The Lower Columbia Center is located in Portland, Oregon and the Mt. Adams Center, is located in Trout Lake, Washington. The NWSA/ LCC addresses critical environmental and educational needs, partnering with 125 community agencies, with members serving in individual placements or on field teams.

EnCorps resources carry a "field stamp of approval." Veteran program staff reviewed and recommended these tools for recruiting and developing AmeriCorps and VISTA members. The resources you download here bring a history of successful use.

Citation

From EnCorps resources at:
http://encorps.nationalserviceresources.org/resources/getting_started/recruitment_process.php

Outcome

According to Emilio N. Williams, formerly of the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps (NASCC):

"The results of your recruitment process will directly impact several areas, including morale, motivation, respect, retention, quality of service projects, relationships with service partners and community members, funding, and your ability to focus on the program rather than spend the majority of your time addressing problems."