VALUING PEOPLE, CATEGORY FOUR
4P1. How do you identify the specific credentials, skills, and values required for faculty, staff, and administrators? How do your hiring processes make certain people you employ possess these requisite characteristics?
The Human Resources and Payroll Services Office (HR) uses standard hiring credential guidelines as well as market analyses to determine appropriate job classifications and staff groupings for classified and professional staff. Working with hiring managers, HR identifies specific credentials, values, knowledge, technical and interpersonal skills, and abilities required to perform job duties.
In collaboration with academic administration, HR ensures that occupational and academic faculty meet state and career and technical standards/certification, as well as Criterion 3b for accreditation as defined by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Career and technical faculty are those who teach in programs and courses directly related to jobs in their occupational area. Academic faculty are those who teach courses in subject areas such as math, social sciences, English, and science. Adjunct faculty must meet the same credential requirements as full-time faculty.
The hiring process manual is available online as well as through the HR Office. The document clearly defines the procedure to select and hire new employees who can demonstrate the specific credentials and skills required (see
Figure 4P1.1). Prior to HR posting vacancies, the position description is reviewed and updated by the appropriate vice president before being approved by the president. All postings include SFCC’s mission and vision.
The search committee and interview format, including questions, are approved by the HR director. The HR Office coordinates all hiring and provides a checklist so that proper hiring procedures are consistently and systematically followed.
The HR director provides guidelines to search committees including information related to legal/illegal questions, personnel regulations and policies, and other board policies. Sample interview questions and standard formats are provided. Performance-based interview questions are developed to assess the candidate’s attitude and knowledge about student centeredness, the college’s vision and purpose, and quality customer service. Additional questions are asked to ascertain the candidate’s integrity, professionalism and commitment to continuous quality improvement.
Credentials and skills must be commensurate with the posted job description. HR staff screen applications to ensure that minimum credentials are met.
Prospective faculty as well as professional and classified staff undergo formal interviews conducted by search committees; candidates for faculty positions must also make a discipline-specific teaching presentation. Various other assessments, such as writing samples, portfolio reviews, and skill assessments are also utilized. References are checked for the final candidate or candidates. Applicants meet with both the appropriate vice president and the president prior to a recommendation being made to the board.
Throughout the process, the college’s mission, vision and expectations are shared with the candidates. It is very important to both the college and the candidate that there is a good “fit” in terms of institutional culture and purpose.
Figure 4P1.1 SFCC hiring process
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