MERIT SYSTEM HIRING GUIDE
MARCH, 2019
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Topic Area Page Number
Options for filling a position 3
County planning phase 4
Merit System posting guide 5
Merit System role in testing and referral 6
Types of eligible lists available 7
What other lists/options are there? 8
After you have received the eligible list 9
What do the test scores mean? 11
Conducting effective interviews 13
Requesting supplemental eligible lists 18
Background investigations 19
Making the job offer and recording appointment 22
Appendix Page Number
Scoring criteria for the interview process A-1
Rating scale A-2
Suggested e-mail to those referred A-3
Suggested e-mail to non-veterans not selected for A-4
an interview
Suggested e-mail to veterans not selected for an A-5
interview
Suggested e-mail to non-veterans who have A-6
interviewed and are not hired
Suggested e-mail to veterans who have A-7
interviewed and are not hired
Resources/websites A-9
OPTIONS FOR FILLING A POSITION
There are many options that you, as a county manager or supervisor, have in hiring staff. A position may be filled in a number of different ways, including:
• From the regular competitive or promotional eligible list
• From the transfer list (this list includes employees working in the same job classification in other counties served by the Merit System)
• From the re-employment list (this list includes employees who have resigned with satisfactory service in a county served by the Merit System)
• Reinstatement of a former employee who is not eligible to be on the re-employment list
• Transfer or demotion of an employee within your agency
• Transfer of a public sector employee covered by another merit system that meets federal requirements (e.g., State of Minnesota)
• Appointment from a higher, related eligible list
• Appointment from among those who meet certain unique job-related skills (i.e., selective certification under the rules)
COUNTY PLANNING PHASE
• Accept resignation letter of employee
• Determine if job should be filled and, if so, whether or not it should be filled in its current classification
• Inform Board, seek permission to replace position or reclassify position, if needed
• Seek reclassification of position through Merit System if significant changes have occurred to job, or if organizational changes will occur that will impact on the job classification
• If labor contract and/or county policy require posting, post job notice and send copy of job posting to the Merit System (see posting guide on next page)
• Contact Merit System to confirm test date of applicants or arrange for special testing, if needed
• Complete a Requisition from Merit System online at: https://secure.neogov.com/insight/login.cfm
• Determine who should be involved in the interview process and develop interview questions and rating criteria
MERIT SYSTEM POSTING GUIDE
Pre-posting checklist | Ideal Timeline |
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Merit System information needed to post position
- Class title /working title
- Part-time/full time status
- Hourly and monthly salary
- Online exam “must test by” date that notifies applicants of the date by which they will need to test in order to be considered
- Special requirements by county for applying, i.e. county application, resume or letter of interest in addition to Merit System online application, contact information for questions, etc.
Primary Merit System contacts for postings:
Pam Hughes Pamela.Hughes@state.mn.us Phone: 651-431-3027
Linda Ask Linda.Ask@state.mn.us Phone: 651-431-3031
Stacey Phillips Stacey.Phillips@state.mn.us Phone: 651-431-2998
Brent Boyd Brent.Boyd@state.mn.us Phone: 651-431-3026
MERIT SYSTEM ROLE IN TESTING AND REFERRAL
After the position is open for application, the Merit System staff will:
• Review applications to ensure that candidates meet minimum qualifications and notify candidates who do not meet qualifications.
• Send applicants a notice giving the details on how to access and take the online exam, if an online exam is part of the assessment process for the position; or for those job classifications that do not use an online exam process, process applications and score the experience and training ratings/scored supplemental questionnaires.
• Prepare eligible lists and refer eligible register(s) to county hiring managers
• Process appointments after the county has recorded the hiring information and enter employee information into employee database maintained by the Merit System.
• Close requisitions and registers for positions filled
TYPES OF ELIGIBLE LISTS AVAILABLE
There can be as many as eight different types of lists for a single classification. When you request candidates from an eligible list, you will usually receive names from one or more of the following lists:
Competitive lists:
• County competitive list: Candidates who reside in your county and who have passed the exam.
• Regional competitive list: Candidates who reside in your county or counties contiguous to your county and who have passed the exam.
• Statewide competitive list: Candidates who have passed the exam for the class.
Promotional lists:
• County promotional list: Candidates who work in your county human services agency and who have passed the exam.
• Statewide promotional list: Candidates who work in any county human services agency and who have passed the exam.
Lists of current or former employees
• Layoff list: Employees who have been laid off from your agency in the class of your job opening.
• Reemployment list: Employees who previously worked in the class of your job opening in your county or another county and who want to return to work in the class.
• Transfer list: Employees who are currently working in the class of your job opening in another county human services agency and who want to transfer to your county.
WHAT OTHER LISTS/OPTIONS ARE THERE?
There are other kinds of lists from which you may be able to choose. Two of these are merely ways of screening candidates who are already on competitive or promotional eligible lists (so that you may find someone who fits the specialized needs of your agency).
• Related list referral: When no list exists for your vacancy, or if there is an incomplete list, you may choose to look at the names on a related list (e.g., Mental Health Worker list for a Social Worker opening).
• Selective certification: If the position requires unique job-related skills that the exam did not test for, you may be able to justify a selective certification. For example, if a Social Worker position requires that the candidates meet certain qualifications to manage a caseload (such as QDDP), the Merit System will send you the list of names of candidates from the Social Worker list who meet the QDDP qualifications.
• Transfers from other merit systems: These are employees working in the same or comparable classification for another jurisdiction, such as the State of Minnesota. They are not on an eligible list, but have applied to the Merit System and the Merit System has verified that they are eligible for transfer into the job class of your opening.
If you would like to consider any of these options, please contact the Merit System office at dhs.merit.system@state.mn.us
AFTER YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE ELIGIBLE LIST
How many names are referred?
The number of names depends on whether you have received a competitive eligible list or a promotional eligible list. On a competitive list, you will receive the top 15 scores, all candidates who are tied to the 15th score, and all candidates within five points of the top score referred. You may request referral of all scores with 90 and above and within 10 points of the highest score. This may be appropriate when the exam process is a rating of education and experience. See “What do test scores mean?” for more information. On a promotional list, you will receive the top 10 scores, all candidates who are tied to the 10th score, and all candidates who are within five points of the top score referred. Again, you may request referral of all scores of 90 and above and within 10 points of the highest score referred.
Selecting from the eligible list
Once you receive the eligible list, your initial reaction may be to act quickly to begin contacting candidates for interviews. Before you do that, there are a few things that you should know about the eligible list.
Merit System rules do not require that you interview everyone referred. Some considerations:
• Does county policy require that you contact or interview everyone on the list?
• Is there someone on the list who is entitled to be considered for the job by virtue of the county’s labor contract language, county policy language, or layoff provisions of the Merit System rules?
• What do the test scores mean? (See next section of this guide)
• Will you be able to get more names referred if you need them?
Management in your agency may have established policies on how to use the referred lists. You should check your county/agency policies and/or human resources office to see if there are any procedures that you need to follow in considering candidates referred. In addition, if you are working in a county where there is a collective bargaining agreement, there may be language in the contract that specifies who gets interviewed and considered. For example, frequently union contracts require that you consider employee seniority in hiring or promoting. And, if you have an affirmative action plan that has identified disparities, you most likely will need to take that into consideration in deciding which of the candidates will be offered interviews.
WHAT DO THE TEST SCORES MEAN?
Test scores may be a consideration in deciding the order in which you will offer candidates on the list interviews. Before drawing any conclusions about the amount of importance to give to the examination score when making your selection decision, it is advisable to ask the following four questions:
1. What kind of exam was used--was there an online examination, scored supplemental questionnaire, or an experience and training rating? The type of examination given for each class is listed on the examination announcements which are posted on the Merit System’s website. The answer to this question will help you decide what accounts for the differences in scores. On a multiple-choice test that the applicant takes online, the more questions the applicant answers correctly, the higher the score. If the test is an experience and training rating, the applicant will often respond to questions on a supplemental questionnaire included as part of the application. Generally speaking, an applicant will receive a higher score if he or she possesses a relevant degree and/or several years of job related experience. For some examinations, however, a "factor-based" experience and training rating is used. These ratings more easily permit consideration of qualitative attributes of training/experience. Factor-based experience and training ratings require that applicants complete a questionnaire which asks them to describe experience they have had in several job-related areas or functions. Based on the description of their experience, applicants are placed into the following categories: Best-Qualified, Well-Qualified, Qualified, or Not Qualified.
2. If there is an online test, what are the content areas measured and how relevant are the content areas to the specific position which is vacant in your agency? The content areas can be found on the examination announcements which are posted on the Merit System’s website. Most of the time, you should find that the examination covers the important content areas and that it is relevant to your position. However, there are some unique positions which carry with them a slightly different set of requirements or knowledges, skills and abilities. For these jobs, you will have to evaluate how to measure these other or additional knowledges, skills and abilities in the interview process. Consult with staff in the Merit System office if you have questions about the appropriateness of other evaluation tools you are planning on using during the interview process.
3. How should the differences in the examination scores be evaluated? Generally speaking, the larger the score difference between two applicants, the less likely that they have the same level of knowledge or ability. The smaller the difference in test scores, the less likely that they have a different level of knowledge or ability. A difference of 10 points or greater between the scores of two applicants can be significant. Differences of 5 points are probably not important and any differences of less than 5 points should be ignored and the two applicants should be considered equally qualified from the standpoint of examination performance. If you were to categorize applicants based upon examination score, those candidates with scores of 90 and higher would be "Best-Qualified," those with scores in the 80's would be "Well-Qualified," and those with scores in the 70's would be "Qualified."
4. What are the knowledges, skills, and abilities which have not been measured in the examination and which are critical to successful performance on the job? These, obviously, represent areas that you would want to cover in the interview process. If the position requires a number of other knowledges, skills and abilities prior to hire which were not included in the Merit System examination, it might be advisable not to screen out applicants based on score alone, since differences in these other or additional knowledges, skills and abilities might offset the differences in the examination scores. If there are a large number of knowledges, skills and abilities which were not measured by the examination for the position and which you feel are critical to successful performance on the job, consult with Merit System staff about the appropriateness of the classification and examination for your particular position.
CONDUCTING EFFECTIVE INTERVIEWS
Research indicates that interviews, taken alone, are the least valid predictor of who would be the best candidate for the job. However, you may increase the overall validity of interviews by making them as job-related and structured as possible.
What is a structured interview?
A structured interview is one in which all questions are based on job analysis, every applicant is asked the same questions, and a standardized scoring key is used to assign ratings to each question. A structured interview also will help you avoid pre-employment inquiries that are prohibited by federal and/or state laws.
Questions to avoid
Although interview questions or inquiries during the hiring process related to the areas listed below may or may not be discriminatory, you should be aware that these areas usually are the most common factors involved in charges of discrimination filed by applicants. As a result, it is advisable to avoid questions or discussion in the interview which may lead candidates to believe that your hiring decision will be based on one of these factors:
- Race or color
- Gender/sex
- Disability or need for reasonable accommodation
- Age
- Religion or creed
- Membership or activity in a local human rights commission
- National origin
- Health history or worker’s compensation history
- Status regarding public assistance
- Height or weight
- Arrest records
- Credit rating
- Marital status
- Children in household
- Pregnancy or child care arrangements
- Sexual orientation
- Health/disability of relatives
Developing a structured interview
Make sure that the position description for the job is accurate. Using that document as well as an understanding of the position as your guide, draft a core set of job-related questions. There are five types of questions in a structured interview. They are: clarifiers, qualifiers, skill-level determiners, behavioral questions, and situational questions.
Clarifiers are questions that clarify information on the applicant’s resume or application. An example: on a resume, it is noted that the applicant belongs to an organization called “IPAC.” A clarifying question would be to ask what “IPAC” is.
Qualifiers are questions that determine if the applicant can meet the requirements/demands of the position. An example: A social worker in this agency is on-call every other weekend. Will you be able to do that?
Skill-level determiners are questions designed to tap an applicant’s skill or knowledge level. An example of such a question is: What are the eligibility requirements for child welfare targeted case management services?
Behavioral or past-focused questions tap an applicant’s past experience. An example of such a question is: Tell me about a time that you dealt with an angry customer. What did you do?
Situational or future-focused questions usually are designed to measure an applicant’s decision-making or problem-solving skills. These are ideal for entry-
level jobs in which you don’t expect the applicant to have the experience necessary to answer the behavioral or past-focused questions. An example of this type of question is: You have been called to a home to investigate an allegation of child abuse. The father of the child won’t let you in the house and threatens you physically. What would you do?
Typical situational questions or exercises that you may want to consider incorporating into the interview process could include asking the candidate to:
• Read a set of rules or policies and apply them to a specific case
• Critique or evaluate a policy or program
• Prioritize a number of issues or problems that are typically encountered in the position
• Respond (orally or in writing) to a complaint
• Write or edit written material typically found on the job
• Deliver an oral presentation (ask the candidate to review materials prior to the interview and prepare a presentation)
Selecting panel members for the interview
It is recommended that you invite other job-knowledgeable individuals to assist you in interviewing each of the candidates. All members of the interview panel should be available to participate in all candidate interviews. To prepare the panel for conducting the interviews, the following steps are recommended:
a. Review the position description
b. Agree on and review the questions that have been developed
c. Discuss and agree on rating guidelines for evaluating answers (see Appendix for resources on setting scoring criteria and suggested rating scale)
d. Determine who will take care of introductions and conclusions
e. Decide on the order of the questions and who will ask each question.
f. Agree on procedures for documenting the interview process.
On the day of the interview
• Always start out with an introduction. Describe the position (provide candidates with copies of the position description), inform candidates that you will be taking notes, inform candidates of the length of time of the interview and that you will answer their questions about the job after you have asked all of your questions.
• Ask questions in the same order and allow each candidate the same amount of time to answer each question. Asking the same question of each candidate does not mean that you may not ask follow-up questions of each candidate, however. If the candidate’s response is incomplete, or you need clarification of a point, it is appropriate to follow up and ask the candidate to expand on his or her response.
• And, at the end of the interview, it is essential to finish with a question such as: “Is there anything that we did not ask you about your qualifications that you would like us to know about?” Inform the candidate of when selection decisions will be made and how notification of selection/non-selection will be made (make sure to include the fact that background checks will be conducted on finalists).
Scoring the structured interview
Depending on the type of question asked, there are different approaches to scoring interview questions.
• Correct/incorrect: When asking questions that are qualifiers or skill level determiners, the best scoring approach is to score the question as being correct or incorrect. These questions should be scored on a pass/fail basis.
• Typical answer approach: With this method of scoring, you have generated (with the assistance of other subject matter experts) a list of all possible answers to each question. Each of these possible answers is then given a score (usually between 1 and 5) and becomes the benchmark answer. Each applicant’s answer is compared to the benchmark answers.
• Key issues/points approach: A panel of subject matter experts (or your interview panel) determines the key issues that should be included in the ideal answer. Each applicant’s answer is evaluated in terms of how many key points that he or she mentions—again, a 1 to 5 scale can be used.
Under all of these scoring approaches, there may be some questions which serve as disqualifiers. For these questions, a wrong answer disqualifies the applicant regardless of how well they do on the other questions. And, there may be some questions that should be given more weight than others. If you would like to find out more about weighting interview questions, please contact the Merit System office. See Appendix for more resources related to establishing criteria for rating the interview responses and a sample rating scale.
REQUESTING SUPPLEMENTAL ELIGIBLE LISTS
If, after receiving the list and contacting candidates for interviews, you find that you do not have a sufficient number of candidates to interview (that is, if a number of candidates do not respond to your invitation to interview, or decline an interview), you may contact the Merit System office to be sent additional names. If there are no other names, ask Merit System staff for suggestions on how to recruit additional well-qualified candidates.
If you believe that the candidates on the list do not meet your needs (either after reviewing their resumes and applications or after conducting interviews), talk with Merit System staff to see if they can think of other options for you. Review your facts and assumptions about what it takes to do the job. Make sure that your requirements are realistic. For example, if the position is entry-level, your expectations should be in line with entry-level skills.
It also is possible that the job may not be properly classified. Consult with Merit System staff if you believe that the job is not properly classified. You may be getting the wrong candidates for your job because it has changed and belongs in a different classification. Review the selection process for the position and ask Merit System staff if there are other more appropriate eligible lists.
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS
After you have selected one or two finalists for the vacancy, the next step is conducting a background investigation. A background investigation includes a variety of different employee screening mechanisms, but the ones that you most likely will use include work history verification, verification of education and professional licenses, driving records and criminal conviction records. Whatever mechanisms you decide to use, you need to make sure that they are tied to the specific job requirements. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) states that any pre-employment inquiries that disproportionately screen out members of minority groups or members of one sex and are not valid predictors of successful job performance or cannot be justified by business necessity are unlawful. Under the laws enforced by the EEOC, it is illegal to discriminate against someone because of that person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. It is also illegal to retaliate against a person because he or she complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit. In addition, the Minnesota Human Rights Act, Minnesota Statutes § 363A, makes it an unfair discriminatory practice to seek or obtain from any source, information that pertains to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, disability, age, or membership or activity in a local commission unless it can be shown to be a bona fide occupational qualification or unless such information is required by law.
Recommended background checks
Here are the background checks that we recommend you conduct if you are not doing so already:
• Verification of work history. At minimum, you should verify dates of employment with former employers. In doing so, you may find instances where candidates have not been truthful on their applications/resumes. If you find that the information that you have obtained does not match the information on the application, please let the Merit System office know. Under the rules, falsifying information on the application is reason for removal from the eligible list.
Important things to remember when conducting a reference check:
- If you have not done so already, establish a policy regarding whether to use a consent form to release statements when conducting reference checks. (Check with your human resources office)
- Reference checks may be conducted by phone or writing—but, either way, you should make sure that:
- You identify yourself and your organization and indicate that you are conducting a reference check on a former employee.
- Identify the applicant and make sure that the person most familiar with the applicant’s work is responding to your questions.
- Document the identity (name, title, work relationship to the applicant) of the person giving the reference.
- Ask the same job-related questions for each of your finalists
- If conducting the reference check by phone, write down exactly what the person giving the reference says.
- Maintain a single file on all finalists for the vacancy.
- The data collected is private. This means that it is available to the applicant if he or she requests it, and that it should only be accessible to those in the agency who need to have the information to make the hiring decision.
• Verification of education and professional licenses and certification. If a degree requirement or possession of a professional license or certificate is part of the minimum qualifications for the position, the Merit System will verify the information. However, if it is not part of the requirements, you may wish to verify the information.
• Driver’s license. If the job requires transporting clients, verification of the driver’s license and information about the candidate’s driving record should be part of the background check.
• Background checks on psychotherapists as required by Minnesota Statutes, §§ 604.20-604.205. The law requires that you make inquiries of employers and former employers of psychotherapists concerning requests for and occurrences of sexual contact by psychotherapists with their patients or former patients. Social workers, chemical dependency counselors, mental health workers and psychologists are job classifications that fit the definition of psychotherapist under the law. If you would like more information on the requirements and copies of draft release forms, please contact the Merit System office.
• Background studies on county child protection workers. This is required by Minnesota Statutes, §626.559, subd. 1b. The county may complete the background study by either a) use of the Department of Human Services NETStudy 2.0 system, or b) an alternate process defined by the county (i.e., its own process for conducting a background study—such as contracting with a company who performs background checks, use of the process designed by the human resources department in the county, etc.)
NETStudy link: https://mn.gov/dhs/general-public/background-studies/netstudy-2.0-background-study-changes/
• Fingerprinting of staff who have access to federal tax information (FTI) See page 27 of the IRS publication here: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1075.pdf If you use NETStudy for all of your newly hired employees, fingerprinting is part of the process.
• Criminal history checks. It is recommended that you conduct these on your finalists. There is a free service offered by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) which contains data on criminal convictions for the past 15 years. Link to BCA website: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/bca/Pages/background-checks.aspx
Please be aware that Minnesota Statutes, §364, the Criminal Offenders Rehabilitation Act, prohibits the disqualification of candidates for public employment because of a prior criminal conviction unless the conviction relates directly to the position or employment sought.
MAKING THE JOB OFFER AND RECORDING THE APPOINTMENT IN THE DATABASE
After you have made a decision about whom to hire, have made a verbal offer and have received verbal acceptance by the candidate, always follow up with a letter outlining the following:
1. Starting salary
2. Conditions of employment---full time or part time, temporary, regular, hours of work, on-call schedule, etc.
3. Probationary period required (specify length)
4. Insurance coverage issues (when health/dental insurance coverage begins, etc.)
5. Name of county contact
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
- The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) legally mandates that U.S. employers verify the employment eligibility status of newly-hired employees. Remember to complete the I-9 form.
- Send letters of rejection to other candidates. Veterans must be notified of the reasons for their non-selection (see Minn. Stat. § 197.455)
- Record the appointment as the online hiring manager in the database and generate the personnel action form.
APPENDIX
SCORING CRITERIA FOR THE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
For each question you have developed, plan a standard way to rate the answers. For example, for each interview question, use a five point scale (see next page). What would be an excellent or outstanding answer to each question? A satisfactory answer? A marginal or unsatisfactory answer? For each question, define a minimum level of knowledge and then compare it to the other levels. See worksheet below which can be used to develop a rating guide for the oral interview raters, with each question on a separate table.
Question/Factor: | |
Excellent = 5 | Notes during the interview |
Good = 4 | |
Satisfactory = 3 | |
Below Requirements = 2 | |
Well Below Requirements = 1 | |
Total Rating: | |
A-1
RATING SCALE
5 = EXCELLENT – Candidate’s performance in this factor is outstanding. Best-Qualified. This is the highest passing rating.
4 = GOOD – Candidate’s performance on this factor is clearly above the level required for satisfactory job performance. Well-Qualified. This is a higher passing rating.
3 = SATISFACTORY – Candidate’s performance on this factor is satisfactory/adequate. The candidate’s performance on this factor represents the minimum level required for job performance. Qualified. This is the lowest passing rating.
2 = BELOW REQUIREMENTS – Candidate’s performance in the factor is below the level required. This rating should be used if you have any reservations about considering the candidate’s response to this factor as satisfactory. Below Requirements or Not Qualified. This is a failing rating.
1 = WELL BELOW REQUIREMENTS – Candidate’s performance on this particular factor is either totally lacking or well below that required. Well Below Requirements or Not Qualified. This is a failing rating.
A-2
SUGGESTED E-MAIL TO THOSE REFERRED (TO DETERMINE WHICH OF THE CANDIDATES ON THE REFERRED LIST ARE INTERESTED IN THE SPECIFIC OPENING)
Your name has been referred to us from the Merit System for a County Agency Social Worker position that is currently vacant in our agency. I have attached a copy of the job description. (Optional—the starting salary for the position will be $23.00 per hour).
I am writing to you to determine if you are interested in this position and would like to be considered in the pool of candidates whose applications will be screened for a possible interview. If you are interested in this position, please let me know by no later than noon on Wednesday, February 20, 2019. You may respond by e-mail at (e-mail address) or phone at (800) 888-8888.
NOTE:
- If you are interested in this position, please be advised that you may not be in the group selected to be interviewed. We are not required to interview all of the candidates referred. We will be reviewing resumes and applications of those who express interest in this position to determine who will be offered interviews.
- Failure to reply to this inquiry may result in your removal from our future eligible lists (i.e., you may not be considered for future openings in this agency)
Thank you for your interest in employment with our county.
A-3
SUGGESTED E-MAIL TO NON-VETERANS NOT SELECTED FOR AN INTERVIEW
Thank you for your interest in our current vacancy for Accounting Technician.
We have reviewed the applications/resumes of those candidates who have indicated an interest in the position and have selected a number of candidates to interview. Although you have not been selected for an interview, I want to thank you for applying for our position. We appreciate your interest in working in the county human services system.
Best wishes in your future employment endeavors.
A-4
SUGGESTED E-MAIL TO VETERANS NOT SELECTED FOR AN INTERVIEW
Thank you for your interest in our current vacancy for County Agency Social Worker. The position is responsible for a mental health caseload. (Insert a brief description of the qualifications for the job and the reason for those qualifications, such as “This position requires that qualified candidates have at least 2,000 hours of supervised experience delivering mental health services. This is required in order for our agency to be able to bill for services under the rules of the Minnesota Department of Human Services.”)
We have reviewed the applications/resumes of those candidates who have indicated an interest in the position and have selected a number of candidates to interview. All applications were screened for the specific experience described above. We have many well-qualified candidates who meet this requirement (many of whom have over five years of experience delivering mental health services) and we will be making a selection from among that group of candidates.
Thank you for your interest in this position. Best wishes in your future employment endeavors.
A-5
SUGGESTED E-MAIL TO NON-VETERANS WHO HAVE INTERVIEWED AND ARE NOT HIRED
Thank you for interviewing for the recent opening in our agency for County Agency Social Worker. Although your qualifications were judged favorable relative to the requirements of this position, I have selected another candidate who I believe will best meet the needs of our agency.
When interviewing a number of candidates for a position, one often disappoints all but the individual selected. I trust, however, you will understand that this has been a difficult decision, with several well-qualified candidates from which to choose. I hope that you will not be discouraged from considering other positions with our county.
Thank you for your interest in this position. Best wishes in your future employment endeavors.
A-6
SUGGESTED E-MAIL TO VETERANS WHO HAVE INTERVIEWED AND ARE NOT HIRED
Thank you for taking the time to interview for our County Agency Social Worker position. Although your qualifications were judged favorable relative to the requirements of the position, I have selected another candidate who I believe will best meet the needs of our agency. (Insert a brief description of the appointee’s qualifications and reason for selection, such as: “The candidate selected has a master’s degree and extensive experience in providing case management services to persons with developmental disabilities.”)
When interviewing a number of candidates for a position, one often disappoints all but the individual selected. I trust, however, you will understand that this has been a difficult decision, with several well-qualified candidates from which to choose. I hope that you will not be discouraged from considering other positions with our county.
Thank you for your interest in this position. Best wishes in your future employment endeavors.
A-7
SUGGESTED WORDING FOR WRITTEN JOB OFFER
We are pleased to offer you an Eligibility Worker position, responsible for a caseload of clients on one of Minnesota’s health care programs as well as food support. A copy of the position description is enclosed.
Your appointment to this position is effective on Monday, March 18, 2019. Your permanent work station will be located in the Government Services Building, 444 Minnesota Ave, Frostbite Falls, MN.
TERMS, CONDITIONS AND BENEFITS
Start date: Monday, March 18, 2019, 8:00 a.m.
Supervisor: Oliver North (800) 888-8888
Hours of Work: During the orientation process, your hours of work will be 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Upon completion of your orientation period, you will meet with your supervisor to plan your work hours.
Salary: Your rate of pay is $16.10 per hour.
Benefits: The county offers a comprehensive benefit program that includes health, dental and life insurance coverage. I have enclosed the brochure which summarizes the benefits.
Bargaining Unit: Your position is covered by AFSCME Council 91
Probation Period: You will be required to complete a six month probationary period. The probation period is considered part of the selection process and will be used to evaluate your ability to perform the duties of this position.
Again, I am very happy that you have accepted this position and look forward to working with you.
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RESOURCES/WEBSITES
1. Merit System County Resource Page: /main/id_010621
2. BCA Public Criminal History: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/bca/Pages/background-checks.aspx
3. Criminal Offenders; Rehabilitation Statute: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=364
4. NETStudy (Minnesota Department of Human Services): https://mn.gov/dhs/general-public/background-studies/netstudy-2.0-background-study-changes/
5. Veteran’s Preference Statute: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=197
6. Statute on sexual exploitation by psychotherapists: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=604
7. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: http://www.eeoc.gov/
8. U S Citizenship and Immigration Services (I-9 forms): http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/
9. IRS publication—Tax Information Security Guidelines: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1075.pdf
10. Minnesota Human Rights Act: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=363A
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