Chapter 10. Hiring and Training Key Staff of Community Organizations | Community Tool Box

• Why should you develop guidelines for hiring, orientation, and training?

• How do you develop guidelines for hiring staff?

• How do you develop orientation and training guidelines?

Hiring and developing staff are important parts of building an effective organization. The people you hire need the knowledge, skills, resources, supervision, working conditions, and continuing learning opportunities necessary to carry out their responsibilities well. In this section, you will learn how to develop guidelines for hiring, orientation, training, and professional development, while later sections in this chapter discuss how to use those guidelines to design positions and carry out the hiring and training process.

Why should you develop guidelines for hiring, orientation, and training?

Why establish guidelines instead of simply hiring people and expecting them to learn as they go? Hiring and onboarding decisions affect applicants, employees, programs, organizational resources, and the people and communities connected with your work. Planning the process in advance can make it more consistent, fair, understandable, and effective.

• The ways people are recruited, interviewed, hired, welcomed, trained, and supervised help shape their first impressions of the organization and can affect their ability to succeed in their roles.
• Developing guidelines encourages you to think about your organization's values and management practices. Hiring and staff-development processes should be consistent with the kind of organization you intend to be.

For example, an organization that values participation and inclusion might use a structured but conversational interview process, make reasonable accommodations available to applicants who need them, explain the hiring process in advance, and involve relevant staff or community perspectives appropriately. The goal is to give applicants a fair opportunity to demonstrate whether they meet the job-related requirements rather than testing how well they respond to unnecessary pressure or unfamiliar institutional norms.

• Clear guidelines can make hiring, orientation, and training -- all of which require significant time and attention -- more consistent and manageable for everyone involved.
• Written guidelines can demonstrate that the organization has established fair, job-related, and consistent processes. Good documentation can also help the organization explain how employment decisions were made, respond to questions, identify problems in its own practices, and meet applicable legal or funding requirements.
• Planning ahead can reduce avoidable problems. Hiring needs, accommodations, required approvals, background checks where appropriate, onboarding paperwork, technology access, supervision, and required training are easier to manage when responsibilities have been identified before a new employee starts.
• Most important, thoughtful hiring guidelines can help you identify a qualified person for the role, while strong orientation, supervision, training, and professional-development practices can help that person perform effectively and continue developing over time.

How do you develop guidelines for hiring staff?

One of the first questions is who should help develop the guidelines. The answer will depend on the organization's size, structure, legal responsibilities, and stage of development. Hiring an organization's first employees may require different decisions from filling a recurring position in an established organization.

People involved might include the chief executive or hiring manager, human-resources staff if the organization has them, supervisors, other employees, Board members when governance responsibilities require their involvement, and people with relevant program or community knowledge. For positions that work closely with particular communities, input from people directly affected by the work may help identify relevant competencies and barriers in the hiring process.

Developing guidelines does not necessarily require a large committee to draft every sentence. One person or a small group can prepare an initial version, followed by review from the people whose responsibilities or perspectives are relevant.

External requirements may also affect the process. Applicable federal, state, tribal, and local employment laws, collective-bargaining agreements, grant or contract requirements, licensing rules, disability-access requirements, organizational policies, and other obligations should be identified before the guidelines are finalized. Requirements differ by employer, position, location, and funding arrangement, so avoid relying on outdated boilerplate.

Once you've determined who will work on the guidelines, consider the following issues.

• What does the position actually require? Identify the essential functions of the job and the knowledge, skills, experience, licenses, competencies, communication abilities, and other job-related qualifications needed to perform them. Distinguish between requirements that are truly necessary when someone starts and skills that can reasonably be learned on the job.

Avoid vague requirements based on whether someone seems like the "right type of person" or will "fit" the existing culture. Those ideas can introduce inconsistency and bias. Instead, identify observable qualities that actually matter to the work, such as reliability, collaborative problem solving, respectful communication, sound judgment, or ability to work effectively with the people and communities involved.

For example, a position providing clinical services related to adolescent sexual health may require specific credentials and clinical knowledge. The organization may also need someone who communicates respectfully with young people, protects confidentiality, understands appropriate boundaries, works effectively across cultural differences, and can explain health information clearly. Those requirements should be connected with the work itself rather than assumptions about what demographic characteristics an employee should have.

• What can you afford? Determine whether the position will be full time, part time, temporary, seasonal, or another lawful classification; what salary or wage range the organization can support; what benefits are available; and whether applicable wage, overtime, pay-transparency, leave, funding, or other requirements affect the position. Compensation should also be considered in relation to the responsibilities and qualifications required.
• What will the hiring process look like? Determine who will participate at each stage and who has authority to make the final decision. Questions include:
  • Job description and selection criteria. Who will define the essential functions, qualifications, salary range or compensation structure, reporting relationship, work location or remote expectations, and standards by which applicants will be evaluated?
  • Application and interview format. Will the process include structured interviews, work samples, demonstrations, or other job-related methods? How will candidates request reasonable accommodations? What information should applicants receive beforehand?
  • Timeline. When must the position be filled, and is there enough time for posting, recruitment, screening, interviews, references or other checks, approvals, an offer, and an appropriate transition?
  • Recruitment. Where will the position be advertised so that qualified people have a reasonable opportunity to learn about it? What information must or should be included under applicable equal-employment, accessibility, pay-transparency, funding, licensing, or other requirements?
  • Screening. Who will review applications, and how will reviewers apply the same job-related criteria consistently? What records of the process need to be maintained?

Use clear, job-related selection criteria and a consistent process. Structured interview questions and documented evaluation criteria can improve fairness and make it easier to compare candidates on the qualifications that actually matter.

Employment decisions must comply with applicable nondiscrimination requirements. Avoid questions or criteria that unnecessarily seek information about protected characteristics. Before a conditional job offer, disability-related inquiries and medical examinations are generally restricted under federal law. Make reasonable accommodations available during the application and interview process when required.

If the organization uses background checks, determine whether the information is relevant to the job, apply standards consistently, follow applicable federal, state, and local requirements, and use required notice and authorization procedures when a third-party consumer report is obtained.

• How many interview stages are actually necessary? Use enough stages to make an informed decision without creating unnecessary burden for applicants or staff. Clarify who participates and what each stage is meant to assess.
• How will the final decision and offer be made? Determine who has hiring authority, how references or other final checks will be handled, what approvals are needed, how compensation will be finalized, and what will happen if the preferred candidate declines.
• How will other applicants be notified? Communicate decisions promptly and respectfully once the organization is ready to close the search.
• What employment documentation and onboarding steps are required? Depending on the position and jurisdiction, this may include an offer letter or employment agreement, employment-eligibility verification, payroll and tax forms, required notices, benefits enrollment, confidentiality or intellectual-property agreements, background or credential verification, and other documentation. If the organization uses an introductory or evaluation period, explain its purpose and make sure the policy is consistent with applicable law and other employment agreements.
• How will the hiring process be evaluated? Review whether recruitment reached qualified applicants, whether criteria were applied consistently, whether candidates encountered unnecessary barriers, whether the timeline was realistic, and whether the process produced useful information for making the decision.

If your guidelines address these questions, you will have established the general shape of your organization's hiring process. Review them periodically as laws, organizational needs, technology, labor-market conditions, and experience change.

How do you develop orientation and training guidelines?

Staff development can be thought of in three related areas. Orientation, or onboarding, helps new employees understand the organization, their role, important policies, and the people and systems they will work with. Training develops the knowledge and skills needed to perform particular responsibilities safely and effectively. Professional development supports continuing learning and growth throughout a person's work with the organization.

Strong organizations pay attention to all three. The exact amount and form of learning will vary by position, but employees should have access to the information, practice, feedback, and resources necessary to do their work successfully.

Orientation

New staff members need timely orientation regardless of their previous experience. Someone may know the profession well but still need to understand this organization's mission, policies, systems, expectations, community relationships, and way of working.

Orientation may include:

• The organization's structure and general functioning -- governance and management roles, supervision and reporting relationships, communication channels, organizational policies and procedures, applicable rules or regulations, and how major decisions are made.
• The organization's mission, vision, values, strategy, and intended community impact. Staff should understand the mission the organization actually states and operates under, rather than being expected to discover an unstated "real" mission.
• The position itself -- essential responsibilities, performance expectations, schedule, work location, decision-making authority, compensation and benefits, resources, technology, required documentation, and how the role connects with other positions.
• Supervision -- who provides it, how often meetings or check-ins occur, what decisions employees may make independently, when consultation or approval is required, and what responsibilities the employee has if they supervise others.

Effective supervision combines accountability and support. Supervisors should communicate expectations, monitor performance appropriately, provide timely feedback, help solve problems, recognize good work, address concerns, support learning, and make sure employees have the information and resources needed to perform their responsibilities.

Supervision should not be reduced either to surveillance or to informal mentoring. Organizations need clear standards and accountability while also creating opportunities for coaching, reflection, professional growth, and constructive discussion.

• The people the employee will work with, including colleagues, supervisors, program participants, community members, partner organizations, vendors, funders, and others relevant to the role.
• Day-to-day systems and logistics -- workplace or remote-work procedures, schedules, payroll, benefits, leave, facilities, transportation or parking when relevant, communication platforms, records systems, cybersecurity, equipment, information technology, emergency procedures, safety, and whom to contact when assistance is needed.
• Workplace culture and expectations -- how people communicate, collaborate, give feedback, raise concerns, handle disagreement, support accessibility, respect boundaries, and maintain a professional and inclusive working environment.

Organizational culture should not be treated as a set of unwritten practices that employees simply have to accept in order to "fit in." Long hours without reasonable boundaries, exclusionary hierarchies, inaccessible meetings, disrespectful communication, or other harmful practices should not be normalized merely because they are longstanding.

Orientation should explain legitimate expectations clearly while the organization also examines whether its workplace practices are respectful, lawful, inclusive, sustainable, and consistent with its stated values.

• Understanding of the people and communities the organization serves or works with, including relevant strengths, experiences, priorities, barriers, and community knowledge. Avoid assuming that a short orientation makes someone an expert on a community; continuing relationships and learning are important.
• Understanding of the broader context in which the organization operates -- community history, policies, partners, funders, institutions, resources, relationships, and other conditions relevant to the work.
• Required workplace policies and protections, such as nondiscrimination and anti-harassment requirements, reasonable-accommodation procedures, confidentiality and privacy, safeguarding, ethics, conflicts of interest, information security, emergency procedures, workplace safety, and reporting concerns where relevant.

Training

Regardless of previous background, new employees need to understand how their existing skills apply to this particular role. They may also need to develop new knowledge or skills because the organization's methods, systems, population, regulations, technology, or expectations differ from those of previous workplaces.

Training guidelines should identify which learning is required for everyone in a particular role and which should be tailored to an individual's prior experience and demonstrated needs.

Training may address:

• Job-specific knowledge, methods, and technical skills
• Required licenses, certifications, or continuing-education requirements
• Organizational procedures and documentation
• Communication and collaboration
• Accessibility and reasonable accommodation
• Confidentiality, privacy, records, and data security
• Safety and emergency procedures
• Ethical responsibilities and professional boundaries
• Nondiscrimination, harassment prevention, and respectful workplace expectations
• Relevant legal, contractual, grant, or regulatory requirements
• How the organization works respectfully and effectively with the people and communities connected with its mission

Language matters as well. Organizations use different terms for the people they work with -- for example, participants, patients, students, members, residents, customers, or clients. Explain the terminology the organization uses and why, while remaining willing to reconsider language when people directly affected by it find it inaccurate or disrespectful.

Professional development

Learning continues throughout a person's working life. Professional development can help staff strengthen existing skills, learn new approaches, respond to changing technology or regulations, prepare for new responsibilities, and improve the organization's work.

Depending on resources, organizations may provide workshops, coaching, conferences, courses, certifications, professional memberships, mentoring, communities of practice, tuition assistance, paid learning time, internal leadership opportunities, or other forms of support.

Access to professional development should be considered across the staff rather than reserved only for senior employees or people whose schedules make participation easiest. When possible, provide compensated time and other support needed to participate in learning that the organization expects or strongly encourages.

Some organizations work with employees to develop individual learning or professional-development plans. These may identify skills to strengthen, learning activities, organizational support, and goals for the coming year. Review the plan periodically and revise it as the employee's responsibilities and interests change.

In forming guidelines for orientation, training, and professional development, consider several questions.

Who will conduct the learning?

Training may be provided internally by supervisors, experienced staff, subject-matter experts, people with relevant lived or community experience, or peers. External options may include professional trainers, consultants, colleges and universities, professional associations, community organizations, government agencies, funders, online learning providers, or other qualified sources.

Choose trainers based on the subject and the knowledge or skills required rather than assuming one person should conduct every part of orientation.

When will orientation and training take place, and how long will they last?

Essential orientation should begin before or soon after the employee starts so that they know how to work safely and responsibly. Not every topic needs to be covered on the first day. Staging onboarding over several days or weeks can reduce information overload and allow new employees to connect what they learn with actual experience.

Job-specific training may begin immediately for responsibilities that must be performed safely or correctly from the start. Other learning may make more sense after the employee has gained some experience and can identify questions or situations that require deeper instruction.

Set reasonable expectations for when required training should be completed and establish continuing refreshers or updates when necessary.

What forms will training take?

Training may combine several approaches:

• Instructor-led learning in person or online
• Planned tours, site visits, and community orientation
• Reading, videos, online modules, guided research, or other self-directed learning
• Job shadowing, mentoring, coaching, or supervised practice with experienced staff
• Workshops, seminars, webinars, professional meetings, or conferences
• Peer-learning groups, communities of practice, or learning circles
• Direct supervisory feedback and coaching
• Simulations, case discussions, role plays, demonstrations, or practice using actual workplace systems

Informal learning may include:

• Conversations with supervisors, colleagues, community members, participants, partners, and people from other organizations
• Learning through supervised work and reflection
• Reflective notes, journals, learning logs, or other methods for considering what has been learned
• Visiting or collaborating with other teams, programs, or organizations

The way training is designed should be consistent with the organization's approach to learning and the needs of the people being trained. If the work requires collaboration, problem solving, or application in complex situations, training should provide opportunities to practice those skills rather than relying only on lectures or reading.

What materials and systems need to be prepared?

Useful resources may include an employee handbook, organizational chart, mission and strategy information, policies and procedures, compensation and benefits information, nondiscrimination and accommodation policies, safety guidance, technology instructions, community information, program materials, role-specific procedures, required forms, relevant research or standards, and contacts for questions or assistance.

Materials may be digital, printed, video, audio, or provided in another format. Make them organized, current, secure where necessary, and accessible to the employees expected to use them.

How, and by whom, will training be evaluated?

Evaluation should consider more than whether employees enjoyed the training. Depending on the purpose, ask:

• Did participants understand the material?
• Can they apply the knowledge or skill in their work?
• Do they have the tools, time, supervision, authority, and resources needed to use what they learned?
• Did the training improve performance, safety, quality, accessibility, participant experience, or another intended result?
• What content or delivery methods should change next time?

Employees, trainers, supervisors, and others affected by the training may all provide useful information. Evaluation methods might include discussion, surveys, skills demonstrations, observation, work review, follow-up interviews, or analysis of appropriate performance measures.

How will the evaluation be used?

Evaluation is useful only when the organization acts on what it learns. Review findings, identify needed changes, assign responsibility for making those changes, and incorporate improvements into future orientation and training.

In Summary

Hiring, orientation, training, supervision, and professional development all contribute to building a capable and sustainable staff. Clear guidelines help organizations make employment decisions more consistently, give applicants a fair opportunity to demonstrate relevant qualifications, and ensure that employees receive the information and support needed to perform their roles.

Good hiring guidelines begin with the actual requirements of the position. They use job-related criteria, comply with applicable employment requirements, provide reasonable access and accommodation, document important decisions, and avoid relying on vague ideas about personality or "culture fit."

Good onboarding and training practices do more than show employees where things are. They explain the mission, responsibilities, supervision, workplace systems, policies, community context, and ethical and legal requirements of the work. They also provide opportunities to practice, ask questions, receive feedback, and continue learning.

Finally, these guidelines should be reviewed rather than treated as permanent. Employment law, technology, organizational needs, community expectations, and effective practices change. An organization that regularly evaluates and improves the way it hires and develops staff is better positioned to support both its employees and its mission.

You understand why you should develop guidelines for hiring, orientation, and training:

___The ways people are hired and trained constitute their first impressions of the organization.

___It will make you think about your plan and philosophy for the organization.

___It makes the hiring and training processes easier and less stressful.

___It's important to have them to show funders, potential employees, and the community.

___It helps to be better prepared for "surprises" that may occur.

___Guidelines make it more likely you will be able to find and hire the right person for the job, and that he or she will do it well.

You know how to develop these guidelines:

___You have decided who will develop the guidelines.

___You know the kind of employee you want, what the hiring process will look like, and what you can afford.

___You understand what orientation, training, and professional development all entail, and the differences between them.

For training:

___You know who will conduct the training in each area.

___You know when and for how long the orientation and trainings will take.

___You know what forms of training will take place.

___You know what materials need to be prepared for the training.

___You know how, and by whom, the training will be evaluated.

___You know how the evaluation will be used.

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

Job descriptions and selection criteria help organizations and job applicants understand what is expected from a person in a particular position and provide a framework for determining whether applicants have the qualifications and competencies needed to perform the work. This section provides a guide for preparing job descriptions and selection criteria that accurately reflect what your organization needs and support a fair, consistent hiring process.

Why it's important to carefully develop a job description and selection criteria before you advertise a position

There are a number of reasons why clear job descriptions and selection criteria are important.

• They define the position for the organization, potential applicants, supervisors, and employees. A job description should clarify the position's purpose, essential functions, major responsibilities, reporting relationships, and working conditions. It can also help distinguish responsibilities that belong to this position from those assigned elsewhere in the organization.

A clear job description can be an important tool for supervision and performance management. When expectations are not being met, the supervisor and employee can use the description to clarify responsibilities, discuss what is happening, identify needed training or resources, and establish reasonable expectations for improvement.

If performance concerns continue, the organization can use the job description along with policies, performance records, feedback, and other relevant information to document and address the issue through its established procedures.

• They help potential applicants decide whether the position is a good match for their qualifications and interests. The clearer you are about the work, minimum requirements, compensation, schedule, location, and other important conditions, the easier it is for applicants to make an informed decision about whether to apply.
• Developing a job description and selection criteria forces you to clarify your thinking about the position and the organization. Organizations sometimes discover while writing a description that a proposed job includes too many unrelated responsibilities, requires resources they do not have, duplicates another position, or needs to be structured differently.
• A clear job description and selection criteria make recruitment and interviewing easier. Interviewers can ask questions and use work samples or other methods that relate directly to the competencies the position actually requires.
• Most important, they increase the likelihood that you will hire a qualified person whose demonstrated abilities match the work. Clear expectations reduce the need to rely on impressions, assumptions, or vague ideas about whether someone seems like the "right kind of person."

Preparing a job description

Job descriptions and selection criteria are closely connected, so it often makes sense to develop the job description first. Begin with what the position exists to accomplish and the essential functions required to accomplish it. From there, you can determine which qualifications and competencies are actually necessary.

There are three broad parts to preparing a job description:

1. Choosing an accurate job title.
2. Defining the essential functions and major responsibilities of the position.
3. Writing a concise overview of the position, including its purpose, reporting relationship, schedule and location requirements, travel if any, supervisory responsibilities, compensation or salary range where appropriate, benefits, and other important working conditions.

Choosing a job title

A job title may sound like a small detail, but it communicates useful information about the role. A good title helps applicants, employees, partners, and community members understand the position's function and level of responsibility.

Choose a title that accurately reflects the work. Consider:

• The primary function of the position
• The actual level of decision-making authority
• Whether the person supervises staff
• How comparable positions are described within the organization or field
• Whether the title will be understandable to applicants and community partners

Avoid inflating a title simply to make a position appear more prestigious or attractive. A title such as Director should reflect responsibilities and authority reasonably associated with that level. Accurate titles also make compensation comparisons, organizational charts, and reporting relationships easier to understand.

For the sake of example, let's develop a job description for a position called Community Health Educator.

Developing the essential functions and major responsibilities

Begin by asking what the position fundamentally exists to accomplish. An essential function is a core part of the job rather than every activity the person might occasionally be asked to perform.

Ask:

• What results is this position responsible for producing?
• Which duties are central to why the position exists?
• Which responsibilities require particular knowledge or expertise?
• How frequently is each function performed?
• What would happen if a particular function were not performed by this position?
• Which tasks are important but could reasonably be reassigned or handled another way?

Distinguishing essential from marginal or occasional duties can help with recruitment, supervision, workload planning, and reasonable-accommodation decisions.

Basic competencies for the position

What does the Community Health Educator need to know and be able to do? Some competencies may come from education or professional training, while others may come from work, volunteer, community, or lived experience.

Depending on the actual program, relevant competencies might include:

• Health-education, teaching, presentation, and facilitation skills
• Ability to provide appropriate health information, navigation, and referrals within the scope of the position
• Knowledge of relevant community and public-health issues
• Knowledge appropriate to the program's focus, which might include communicable disease, sexual health, substance use, behavioral health, chronic disease, nutrition, maternal health, preventive care, or access to health services
• Proficiency in a particular language when that proficiency is genuinely needed to communicate effectively with the people the position serves. In this example, the organization might determine that professional proficiency in both English and Spanish is required or preferred based on actual service needs.

These are examples, not requirements for every community-health position. Determine what this particular job actually needs.

Relevant experience might also demonstrate:

• Community outreach and engagement skills
• Knowledge of the community and its strengths, priorities, organizations, and resources
• Experience working respectfully and effectively with the people and communities the organization serves
• Understanding of relevant health-care, public-health, insurance, social-service, and community-resource systems
• Understanding of social, environmental, economic, and systemic factors affecting health
• Knowledge of referral resources and procedures

The position may also require transferable competencies such as:

• Organization, scheduling, documentation, and records-management skills
• Ability to use or learn the digital systems, communication tools, databases, and other technology required for the work
• Clear written and verbal communication
• Ability to communicate appropriately and professionally across different settings and audiences
• Ability to build respectful working relationships, listen effectively, manage disagreement constructively, maintain appropriate boundaries, and collaborate with colleagues and community partners

Major responsibilities and activities

Once you understand the essential functions, identify the recurring responsibilities that carry them out. You do not need to list every minor task that could possibly arise. Include enough detail for applicants and employees to understand the scope of the work.

A Community Health Educator's responsibilities might include:

• Develop and provide accurate, accessible, culturally responsive health education through presentations, workshops, digital resources, printed materials, and other appropriate methods. Topics may include communicable disease, sexual health, substance use, behavioral health, nutrition, chronic disease, preventive care, and other issues within the program's scope.
• Conduct outreach with communities experiencing identified health disparities, access barriers, or other conditions relevant to the program.
• Provide health information, resource navigation, and appropriate referrals within the scope of the position and the employee's training or professional credentials.
• Develop, maintain, and distribute accessible health information through organizational sites, community partners, websites, social media, digital communication, or other appropriate channels.
• Recruit, train, and support peer educators, community health workers, ambassadors, volunteers, or other community participants when those roles are part of the program.
• Provide public information or subject-matter input at community meetings, hearings, advisory groups, or other forums when authorized to represent the organization.
• Plan or support community health events and outreach activities identified in the organization's annual work plan.
• Develop and maintain working relationships with relevant health, human-service, educational, public-health, and community organizations.
• Collaborate with other staff and partners to develop and improve strategies for serving the community.
• Participate in professional development needed to maintain and strengthen knowledge and skills relevant to the position.
• Maintain accurate program, outreach, referral, and other records using the organization's approved information systems and privacy practices.
• Complete required documentation and reports accurately and within established timelines.
• Participate in staff meetings, supervision, and other coordination activities required for the role.
• Participate in organizational committees or advisory activities when those responsibilities are reasonably connected with the position.
• Perform other related duties consistent with the purpose and level of responsibility of the position.

Some responsibilities may change as programs, technology, funding, or community needs change. Review job descriptions periodically instead of relying on a broad catch-all statement to cover major changes in the position.

Writing the capsule description

Once you've identified the title and major responsibilities, write a concise overview of the job. It should explain why the position exists, the general scope of its work, where it fits in the organization, and important employment conditions.

A capsule description might include:

• The position's primary purpose
• Who it reports to
• Whether it supervises others
• Full-time, part-time, temporary, or other status
• Normal schedule and any genuine evening or weekend requirements
• On-site, remote, hybrid, or field-work expectations
• Required travel
• Salary or wage range and benefits where appropriate or required

Here's an example:

The Community Health Educator develops and provides accessible community health education, conducts outreach, connects people with appropriate information and resources, and builds partnerships that support the organization's community-health goals. The position works with community members and organizational partners to identify information and access needs and to improve the reach and usefulness of health-education activities.

The Community Health Educator reports to the Program Director. This is a full-time position and may include occasional evening or weekend activities and local travel. The organization will identify the salary or wage range, benefits, work location, schedule expectations, and other major employment conditions in the position announcement.

Before finalizing the description, ask:

• Does the position have a coherent purpose, or have unrelated jobs been combined into one role?
• Can one person reasonably perform the essential functions and major responsibilities in the available working time?
• Does the organization have the staff support, compensation, technology, space, funding, training, and other resources necessary for the position?
• Are the schedule, travel, location, and availability requirements genuinely necessary and reasonable?
• Is the reporting relationship logical based on the work and organizational structure?
• Does the supervisor have sufficient authority, expertise, time, and organizational support to supervise the position effectively?
• Is the position actually designed to accomplish what the organization needs?
• Have essential functions been distinguished from marginal or occasional tasks?
• Have unnecessary education, physical, language, transportation, schedule, or other requirements been removed?

If some answers are no or uncertain, revise the position before recruitment begins. Problems that are visible in the job description are generally easier to correct before someone has been hired into the role.

Developing selection criteria

Selection criteria should follow directly from the job description. They describe the evidence you will use to determine whether an applicant can perform the position successfully.

It can be useful to distinguish four categories:

1. Legally or professionally required credentials
2. Job-specific knowledge and skills
3. Transferable competencies needed to perform the work
4. Observable work behaviors relevant to the position

Selection criteria should be explicit rather than "spoken and unspoken." If a characteristic affects whether someone is hired, ask whether it can be stated clearly, measured reasonably, connected to the actual work, and applied consistently to every applicant.

Avoid relying on whether someone simply "feels right," shares the hiring committee's personality or politics, dresses like current staff, comes from a familiar social background, or seems like someone everyone would enjoy spending time with. These impressions can introduce bias without providing reliable evidence of job performance.

Selection criteria may be identified as required or preferred.

• Required qualifications are genuinely necessary for someone to be eligible or ready to perform the role, such as a legally required license or a skill that cannot reasonably be learned after hiring.
• Preferred qualifications would strengthen an applicant's readiness but are not necessary for entry into the position.

Keep required qualifications to what the job actually needs. Unnecessary requirements can exclude capable applicants without improving performance.

Education and other formal credentials

Some positions require particular degrees, licenses, certifications, or registrations because of law, professional regulation, reimbursement requirements, funding conditions, or the technical nature of the work. A licensed physician, nurse, attorney, clinical social worker, or other regulated professional must meet the legal requirements that apply to the work they perform.

Other positions may not require a particular degree even when formal education could be useful. Ask:

• Is the credential legally required?
• Does the funding source or professional standard require it?
• Is there evidence that the credential provides knowledge genuinely necessary for this position?
• Could equivalent knowledge have been gained through work, military service, community experience, apprenticeships, certificates, training, or another route?

Avoid requiring a degree primarily because it appears more prestigious or because other professionals may take the employee more seriously. If the work can be performed successfully through equivalent experience or training, consider recognizing those alternatives.

For the Community Health Educator, the organization might prefer or require education in public health, health education, community health, social work, education, or a related area depending on the program. It might instead accept an equivalent combination of relevant education, community-health experience, training, and demonstrated competencies. The appropriate requirement depends on the actual work.

Job-specific skills and knowledge

These are the competencies directly connected with performing the position's essential functions.

For the Community Health Educator, examples might include:

• Ability to develop and deliver accurate health-education activities
• Facilitation and presentation skills
• Knowledge of community health and the particular health issues covered by the program
• Ability to provide appropriate resource navigation and referrals
• Experience with outreach or community engagement
• Ability to interpret and communicate health information clearly

Decide which competencies must be present when the person starts and which can realistically be developed through orientation, training, supervision, and experience.

Don't lower genuinely necessary standards because the hiring committee personally likes an applicant. At the same time, don't reject a strong candidate merely because their experience followed a different path from the one you expected. Evaluate the evidence of whether they can perform the work.

Transferable skills and knowledge

Many positions require competencies that are not unique to a particular field but are still important to successful performance.

Examples include:

• Knowledge of the community or experience working effectively in communities with similar characteristics
• Relevant experience from another field or setting
• Proficiency in a particular language when required to perform the work effectively
• Ability to work with relevant public, health-care, educational, nonprofit, governmental, or other systems
• Writing, facilitation, presentation, or public-speaking skills when required
• Knowledge of a particular evidence-based, theoretical, educational, organizing, or practice framework when that knowledge is actually relevant to the position
• Communications or public-engagement skills
• Ability to use or learn relevant technology and software
• Administrative, documentation, and records-management skills
• Organization, planning, and time-management skills

For the Community Health Educator, the organization might reasonably seek strong communication, organization, documentation, community-engagement, and digital skills, along with knowledge of relevant local health and service systems. If professional Spanish proficiency is necessary for the work, state the level and purpose clearly rather than assuming that someone from a particular background will possess it.

Don't assume that an applicant automatically has a skill because of a degree, age, occupation, or other characteristic. If the skill matters, identify it and assess it appropriately.

Observable work behaviors and other job-related attributes

Many jobs require more than technical knowledge. Reliability, initiative, collaboration, judgment, adaptability, and respectful communication can all affect performance. The challenge is to describe these characteristics as job-related behaviors rather than vague personality preferences.

Examples might include:

• Initiative: identifies necessary work and moves appropriate tasks forward without requiring unnecessary direction
• Respectful communication and collaboration: works effectively with colleagues, community members, participants, and partners and handles disagreement constructively
• Reliability: follows through on commitments and communicates when circumstances affect deadlines or responsibilities
• Patience: remains effective when work requires repeated explanation, problem solving, or adaptation
• Sound judgment: recognizes when independent action is appropriate and when consultation, referral, or approval is needed
• Adaptability: responds constructively to changing circumstances while maintaining appropriate standards
• Commitment to the work: demonstrates an understanding of and willingness to support the organization's mission and professional responsibilities

Avoid using appearance, body type, race, ethnicity, sex, national origin, disability, age, religion, or other protected characteristics as substitutes for job competence. If a physical activity is essential, describe the activity itself rather than the type of body you imagine performing it. For example, state that the position regularly transports or moves specified equipment if that is actually an essential function.

Similarly, don't assume that a person of a particular sex is inherently better suited to counseling survivors of sexual or domestic violence or that someone must share the race or ethnicity of program participants to establish trust. Define the actual competencies required -- such as trauma-informed practice, confidentiality, professional boundaries, communication, cultural responsiveness, and relevant credentials -- and evaluate applicants on those criteria.

If travel is required, describe the travel. For example: "Ability to travel to community sites throughout the county several times each week." Require a valid driver's license or use of a personal vehicle only when driving itself is genuinely necessary and no reasonable alternative meets the position's needs.

Be particularly cautious with "culture fit." Wanting employees who treat colleagues respectfully and collaborate effectively is reasonable. Wanting people who dress, speak, think, socialize, or come from backgrounds similar to current staff is not the same thing. Selection criteria should help you predict job performance, not reproduce the existing staff.

Applying your selection criteria

Once the criteria are established, decide how you will obtain evidence for each one. Different qualifications may be assessed through:

• Application or résumé review
• Structured interviews
• Work samples
• Writing or presentation exercises
• Job-related demonstrations
• Credential verification
• References when appropriate

Ask substantially comparable questions of applicants being considered for the same position and use a consistent evaluation process. Interview scoring guides or other structured tools can help reviewers distinguish evidence from personal impressions.

Applicants may need reasonable accommodation in order to participate equally in an interview, test, or job demonstration. Explain how applicants can request accommodation and evaluate their ability to perform the essential functions of the job rather than making assumptions about disability.

Ultimately, good selection criteria should:

• Be manageable: include enough criteria to distinguish among applicants without creating a list of unnecessary requirements
• Be consistent with applicable legal, licensing, contractual, funding, and organizational requirements
• Be related to the position's essential functions and actual responsibilities
• Be explicit enough that applicants and interviewers understand what is being assessed
• Be applied consistently
• Allow appropriate recognition of equivalent education, experience, training, and transferable skills
• Avoid unnecessary barriers that do not improve the organization's ability to identify a qualified employee
• Describe the competencies of someone who could perform the position effectively rather than a preferred personality or demographic profile

In Summary

Preparing a job description and selection criteria before recruitment begins is an important part of hiring. A strong job description identifies why the position exists, its essential functions, major responsibilities, reporting relationships, working conditions, and the resources and authority associated with the role.

Selection criteria should grow directly from that description. They should identify the credentials, knowledge, skills, transferable competencies, and observable work behaviors genuinely needed to perform the job rather than relying on intuition, appearance, personality similarity, cultural "fit," prestige, or demographic characteristics.

Be especially careful about requirements involving education, language, transportation, physical abilities, schedules, and previous experience. Ask whether each requirement is actually necessary and whether equivalent ways of demonstrating competence should be recognized.

Finally, make the selection process consistent and evidence-based. Structured criteria, accessible recruitment and interviews, reasonable accommodation, clear documentation, and thoughtful evaluation can help an organization identify qualified candidates while treating applicants fairly.

The goal is not to find someone who looks like your idea of the perfect employee. It is to understand the work clearly enough to recognize a qualified person who can perform it well and contribute effectively to the organization's mission.

___You understand that a job description explains, in general terms, what the job is about, specifies who supervises the position, lays out the tasks the person is expected to perform, and provides the standard by which an employee can be evaluated .

___You understand that selection criteria is a list of skills, personal attributes, credentials, and other characteristics that a person needs to do a particular job in a particular organization.

You understand why it's important to develop a job description and selection criteria before you advertise a position:

___They define the position for the organization, for potential applicants, and legally.

___They give potential job applicants a sense of whether they should apply for the job.

___The act of developing job descriptions and selection criteria forces you to clarify your thinking about the position, the kind of person you want for it, and the organization itself.

___Having a clear job description and selection criteria will help you write the copy to advertise the position, and will make the interviewers' task easier as well .

___A clear job description and selection criteria make it more likely that you'll hire the best person for the job.

You understand that there are three parts to the task of preparing a job description:

___Choosing the job title.

___Developing a list of specific duties and responsibilities that the position requires.

___Composing a capsule description of the position.

___You understand that a better job title can attract better candidates and serves to define the position and to define the place of its holder both in the organization and in the community.

You understand that a list of specific duties and responsibilities includes:

___Basic elements of the position, job-related skills and personality traits, skills acquired through experience, and non-specific skills, traits, and abilities.

___Specific activities required for the position.

___You understand that the capsule description is a two or three sentence description of the job and its purpose, as well as any other major responsibilities the job entails.

___You understand that selection criteria may include education and other formal credentials, job-specific skills and knowledge, non-job-specific skills and knowledge, and personality attributes and traits.

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

Why is advertising important?

You're looking through job postings online because you're interested in community work and would particularly like to use your social work training. As you scan the results, you find several positions that might interest you.

Community Program Staff. Full time. Some evenings and weekends. Apply online by April 5.

Youth Leadership Program Coordinator. Community organization seeks a full-time coordinator to develop and facilitate leadership opportunities with local young people. Responsibilities include program planning, facilitation, community partnerships, outreach, and evaluation. Experience in education, social work, youth development, community organizing, or a related area preferred. Some evening and weekend work required. Flexible scheduling available within program needs. Benefits and salary range provided in the full posting. Apply by April 5 through the organization's website.

Community Benefits Navigator. Full-time position helping community members understand and access public benefits and related services. Responsibilities include resource navigation, documentation, community outreach, and coordination with partner organizations. Relevant social-service experience required; supervisory or administrative experience preferred. Salary range, benefits, schedule, location, and complete qualifications are available in the full posting. Apply online by April 5.

Which posting gives you the clearest idea of what you would actually be applying to do? The first tells you very little. You don't know the purpose of the job, what qualifications are expected, what organization is hiring, what the work involves, or whether the position makes sense for you.

The other two postings provide much more information. They describe the purpose of the position, major responsibilities, qualifications, schedule expectations, and how to find the complete application information. They also give applicants some indication of the organization's work and approach.

A job posting is therefore more than an announcement that a position exists. It is part of the hiring process and often one of an applicant's first interactions with your organization. Its wording and distribution affect who learns about the opportunity, who understands what the organization needs, and who decides to apply.

• A job posting is often the first impression a potential employee receives of your organization. If the posting is confusing, incomplete, inaccessible, or inconsistent, applicants may reasonably wonder whether the organization operates the same way. A clear and accurate posting demonstrates that the organization has thought carefully about the position and the hiring process.
• A well-written posting helps qualified applicants decide whether the position is a good match. Applicants should be able to understand the work, minimum qualifications, compensation, schedule, location, and major expectations without having to guess what the organization really wants.
• Job advertising has legal and organizational implications. Recruitment and advertising practices should comply with applicable federal, state, tribal, and local employment requirements as well as any grant, contract, licensing, or organizational requirements that apply to the position. Avoid language that expresses a preference for or discourages applicants because of legally protected characteristics.
• Qualified applicants have to know that the opportunity exists. Where, how, and for how long you advertise can significantly affect the applicant pool.

What do you have to take into consideration for the ad?

Before writing or placing the posting, think about both the information applicants need and the recruitment strategy necessary to reach them.

• Recruitment budget. How much can you spend on recruiting, and which channels are likely to reach qualified applicants? Costs might include online job boards, professional or trade associations, specialized nonprofit sites, social-media advertising, recruiters, career fairs, print advertising, or other outreach.
• Audience and reach. Which recruiting channels are used by people with the qualifications you need? Is this primarily a local position, or can applicants come from a broader geographic area? Is remote or hybrid work possible? Do you need to reach people in a particular profession, field, or community?
• Accessibility. Can applicants access and complete the application using common devices and assistive technology? Is there a clear way to request reasonable accommodation for the application or interview process?
• Time. How long will the position remain posted? Give people enough time to learn about the opening, review the requirements, prepare appropriate materials, and submit an application.
• Effectiveness. Track which recruitment sources produce qualified applicants. A free channel is not necessarily useful if it reaches almost no appropriate candidates, while an expensive posting may not be worthwhile if lower-cost channels work better.

Don't assume that one channel is automatically best. A community organization may use several channels at once, such as its website, a nonprofit job board, professional networks, community partners, workforce agencies, social media, and targeted outreach to organizations whose members may have relevant experience.

Broad outreach can help make sure that people who have historically been overlooked or who are outside your organization's existing networks have a reasonable opportunity to learn about the position. The goal is to broaden access to the opportunity, not to exclude applicants or make hiring decisions based on protected characteristics.

Does particular information or wording have to be included?

Possibly. Applicable employment laws, government contracts, funding agreements, collective-bargaining agreements, licensing requirements, or organizational policies may require particular information or notices. Salary-range and pay-transparency requirements also vary by jurisdiction.

Don't rely automatically on old boilerplate such as "EEO/AA." Determine which requirements currently apply to your organization and position and use accurate language. An organization may also choose to state its commitment to equal employment opportunity and reasonable accommodation even when a specific form of statement is not legally required.

Make sure the posting matches the criteria you will actually use.

If you identify a qualification as required, it should genuinely be necessary for entry into the position unless circumstances or applicable procedures justify a change. If a qualification would be useful but is not essential, identify it as preferred.

Use the same basic job-related criteria throughout recruitment, screening, interviewing, and selection. If the criteria change during the search because you learn that the original requirements were unrealistic, document the change and consider whether the position should be reposted so applicants are evaluated under a fair process.

What should be included in a job posting?

The amount of detail depends on the recruiting channel, but applicants should be able to find the information necessary to understand the opportunity. A short social-media announcement may link to a full posting rather than contain everything itself.

The full posting will often include:

• An accurate, recognizable, and searchable job title
• A concise description of the position's purpose and major responsibilities
• Required and preferred qualifications
• Full-time, part-time, temporary, seasonal, or other employment status
• Work location and whether the position is on-site, remote, hybrid, or primarily field-based
• Schedule expectations, including genuine evening, weekend, on-call, or travel requirements
• Anticipated starting date when useful
• Salary or wage range and major benefits where appropriate or required
• The position's reporting relationship and supervisory responsibility, if relevant
• A brief description of the organization's mission or work
• Information about reasonable accommodation in the application process or a clear way to request it
• Application instructions and a deadline, first-review date, or indication that applications will be considered until the position is filled

Include enough information about the organization to help applicants understand the context of the work. You might describe the organization as collaborative, community-based, participant-centered, research-oriented, or another accurate term if that description has real meaning in the workplace.

Avoid using language primarily to attract applicants who share the existing staff's personality, politics, social background, or worldview. Employees need to be able to carry out the organization's mission and work constructively within legitimate organizational expectations; they do not need to resemble the people already employed there.

Be straightforward about major working conditions. If regular evening meetings, substantial local travel, field work, or a particular on-site schedule are genuine parts of the job, tell applicants early. If scheduling flexibility, professional development, remote work, advancement opportunities, or other features are available, describe them accurately rather than using vague promotional language.

Application requirements

Ask applicants for the information you need at the stage when you need it. A résumé or application and a few job-related questions may be enough for initial screening. Some positions may also justify a cover letter, portfolio, work sample, or other material.

Consider the purpose of each requirement:

• A résumé or application can document relevant employment, education, training, and experience.
• Short application questions can help applicants explain experience or competencies not apparent from a résumé.
• A writing sample may be appropriate when writing is an important part of the job.
• A presentation, simulation, or other work sample may be useful when it closely reflects an important job function.
• References may help verify relevant experience and performance and can often be requested later in the selection process rather than from every initial applicant.

Avoid unnecessary application requirements that consume significant applicant time without providing information you actually use. If you require a work sample or exercise, make sure it is reasonably related to the position and that applicants know what it is intended to assess.

Use plain language. Don't deliberately use unexplained abbreviations, professional jargon, or insider terminology to screen out people who are unfamiliar with the organization's way of speaking. If knowledge of specialized terminology is genuinely required for the job, assess that knowledge directly.

What are the different forms of job advertising?

Recruitment may use paid or unpaid channels, and many organizations use several at the same time. The most useful channels depend on the position, geographic area, profession, labor market, and people you need to reach.

Possible channels include:

• The organization's website or careers page
• Large online job-search platforms
• Job boards specializing in nonprofit, public-service, health, education, social-service, or other relevant work
• Professional associations and credentialing organizations
• State or local workforce-development systems and employment services
• Colleges, universities, technical schools, apprenticeship programs, and alumni networks
• Community organizations and partner agencies
• Email newsletters, professional networks, and appropriate online communities
• Social-media and professional-networking platforms
• Internal job postings
• Direct invitations encouraging qualified individuals to consider applying
• Employee, Board, partner, and community referrals
• Professional conferences and meetings
• Community postings in locations used by potential applicants
• Career fairs and hiring events
• Local or regional newspapers and other print publications when they reach an appropriate audience
• Radio, television, podcasts, community media, or other channels when they are appropriate to the search

Referrals and word of mouth can be useful, but don't rely on them exclusively. If nearly everyone in your existing network has similar professional, social, geographic, or demographic backgrounds, recruiting only through that network may unnecessarily narrow who learns about the position.

Internal candidates can be valuable, and promotion from within can provide continuity and development opportunities. Decide in advance whether a position will be filled through an internal search, an external search, or an open search available to both. Don't advertise publicly if the organization has already made an undisclosed decision to appoint a particular internal candidate.

How do you place job ads to attract qualified candidates?

Place postings where people with relevant qualifications and experience are reasonably likely to see them, while also considering whether your usual recruiting channels unnecessarily exclude people outside your existing networks.

For a locally focused position, community organizations, regional job boards, local educational institutions, workforce agencies, and local professional networks may be especially useful. For specialized or difficult-to-fill positions, you may need to recruit regionally or nationally through professional associations, specialized job boards, conferences, search firms, or other networks.

If your organization wants to broaden participation by people from communities historically underrepresented in a field or organization, expand the places where you advertise and develop relationships with organizations, schools, professional associations, and networks that can help more qualified people learn about the opportunity. Keep the position open to qualified applicants and apply the same lawful selection criteria to everyone.

Be cautious about recruitment practices based explicitly on race, ethnicity, sex, age, disability, religion, national origin, or other protected characteristics. Employment law limits when such characteristics may be considered, and narrow exceptions should not be assumed.

Using technology in recruitment

Many employers use applicant-tracking systems, automated résumé screening, online assessments, chatbots, targeted advertising, recorded interviews, or other technology to recruit and screen applicants.

Technology can make recruitment more efficient, but it does not eliminate the organization's responsibility for the hiring process. Before using a tool, consider:

• Whether the application process is accessible to applicants with disabilities
• Whether applicants have a way to request an accommodation or alternative process
• Whether automated criteria actually relate to the job
• Whether the system could screen out qualified applicants because of irrelevant characteristics or inaccessible design
• What applicant information the system collects and how that information is stored, shared, and protected
• Whether human review is available when an automated result appears inaccurate or inappropriate

If a vendor supplies recruiting or screening technology, don't assume that using an outside product transfers responsibility for employment decisions to the vendor. Understand how the tool is being used and whether it supports a fair and accessible process.

How long should you advertise?

There is no universal number of days appropriate for every position. Consider how difficult the position is to fill, how many channels you are using, whether applicants need substantial preparation, internal or funding requirements, and how urgently the organization needs someone to begin.

State a clear application deadline or first-review date. If applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled, say so. Avoid unnecessarily short deadlines that make it difficult for qualified applicants to learn about the position and prepare materials.

Monitor the applicant pool during the search. If you receive very few qualified applications, don't automatically lower essential standards or select from an inadequate pool. Consider whether the title, salary, requirements, advertising channels, application burden, work arrangements, or deadline are limiting recruitment and whether the posting should be revised or extended.

In Summary

The wording of a job posting and the places where it is distributed can have a major effect on who learns about the opportunity and who decides to apply. A strong posting accurately describes the work, distinguishes required from preferred qualifications, explains important employment conditions, and gives applicants clear instructions for applying.

Modern recruitment often uses a combination of organizational websites, online job boards, professional networks, workforce systems, community organizations, educational institutions, referrals, social media, and other channels. Traditional print or broadcast advertising may still be useful when it reaches the people you need, but it is one option rather than the default.

Recruitment should also be fair and accessible. Advertising and outreach should not discourage applicants because of protected characteristics, and the organization should provide reasonable access to the application process. Broadening recruitment networks can help people who might otherwise never hear about the opportunity without turning protected characteristics themselves into hiring criteria.

Finally, think of advertising as the beginning of the selection process. The job posting should match the job description, the selection criteria used in screening and interviewing, and the actual conditions of employment. Clear, accurate, accessible advertising gives both the organization and applicants a better basis for deciding whether the position is the right match.

You understand why it is important to be careful when advertising your position:

___It is often the first impression a potential staff member will get of your organization.

___Advertising that is carefully written and distributed can attract those you want to apply, and discourage those whom you don't want.

___Advertising has legal implications for many organizations, especially those with public funding.

___In order to apply for a job, the ideal applicant has to know about it.

___You understand that practical considerations for writing and placing an ad include cost, what is most important to you, necessary information, and the necessity of following your own requirements.

You understand that a job ad or posting usually includes:

___A catchy title or headline

___A brief description

___Basic qualifications

___Full or part-time status

___Job location

___Starting date

___Actual salary and benefits, or a phrase like, "competitive salary and benefits"

___How to apply and an application deadline

___You have considered all of the different ways of posting or advertising the job.

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

• How do you prepare for a job interview?

• How do you conduct an interview?

• What do you do after the interview?

The way you conduct an interview for a position is important and takes thought and preparation. The interview may be one of an applicant's first substantial interactions with your organization and will often influence both the organization's assessment of the candidate and the candidate's assessment of the organization. Preparing carefully can help you obtain useful, job-related information and make the process more consistent, accessible, and fair.

This section discusses how to prepare for interviews, conduct them, evaluate the information you receive, and follow up with candidates afterward.

How do you prepare for a job interview?

There are many ways to organize an effective hiring process. Whatever structure you choose, several principles can strengthen it:

• Use the same job description, essential qualifications, and major selection criteria throughout the process unless you formally revise them.
• Give candidates being considered for the same position substantially comparable opportunities to demonstrate the competencies being assessed.
• Use an interview format appropriate to the position and accessible to the candidate. Interviews may take place in person, by video, by phone, or through another appropriate method. Don't assume that physical presence provides more valid information about a person's ability to perform the job.
• Train interviewers on the job criteria, questions, scoring process, legal and ethical boundaries, accessibility, and documentation expectations before interviews begin.

Choosing interviewers

The first question is who should participate in screening, interviewing, and selection. Some organizations give hiring authority to one manager; others use an interview panel or hiring committee. A group can be helpful when several perspectives are genuinely relevant to the position, but simply having more interviewers does not automatically eliminate bias.

A panel might include:

• The position's supervisor or hiring manager
• A staff member who will work closely with the person hired
• A person with technical or professional knowledge relevant to the position
• A community member, program participant, partner, or other person whose perspective is directly relevant to the work, when appropriate

Keep the group large enough to provide useful perspectives but small enough to conduct a manageable interview. All participants should understand the position, confidentiality expectations, applicable hiring criteria, and how their input will be used.

Decide in advance who has authority to make the final hiring decision. A collaborative organization may choose to give panel members equal input, while another organization may use the panel's ratings and recommendations to inform a decision made by a hiring manager or chief executive. Either approach can work if responsibilities are clear before interviews begin.

Consistency also matters. Using the same interviewers for every candidate can be useful when practical, but it is not always possible. If panel membership changes, use the same interview structure, job-related competencies, questions, scoring standards, and interviewer training so candidates are evaluated through a comparable process.

Choosing applicants to interview

Use the application materials and the selection criteria established for the position to determine whom to interview. The purpose of screening is not to interpret an applicant's personality or personal circumstances from a résumé but to determine whether the available evidence shows that the person meets the qualifications you intend to assess.

Before screening begins, reviewers should understand:

• Which qualifications are required
• Which qualifications are preferred
• What evidence may demonstrate each qualification
• How equivalent education, training, work, volunteer, military, community, or lived experience will be considered
• How the organization will document decisions

Avoid making assumptions about unexplained résumé gaps, short periods of employment, changes in career direction, or other circumstances that the applicant has not explained. Those patterns may have many causes. If a matter is genuinely relevant to the job, the organization can ask an appropriate job-related question later rather than guessing.

A structured screening system can help reviewers focus on the same qualifications. For example, an organization might use a rating guide showing whether each applicant meets, exceeds, or does not yet demonstrate particular criteria. If different criteria are weighted differently, identify the reason before reviewing applications rather than adjusting weights after seeing particular candidates.

Don't award points for characteristics unrelated to the work. Residence in a particular neighborhood, for example, should not be used merely as a substitute for community knowledge or trust. If knowledge of a community is relevant, evaluate that knowledge directly. If residence is genuinely required by law, funding, or the essential nature of the position, state that requirement clearly.

Evaluate application materials according to their purpose. If strong writing is an essential part of the position, a cover letter or writing sample may provide useful evidence. If writing is not important to the job, small errors should not become an informal test of commitment or competence.

Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation in the application or assessment process. Do not assume that spelling, formatting, communication style, or another characteristic reveals how much an applicant cares about the job or how well they would perform unrelated responsibilities.

Reviewers should document job-related reasons for screening decisions. Notes should identify relevant qualifications and evidence rather than whether the reviewer personally "liked" or "disliked" an applicant.

Other decisions to make

• How many people will you interview? There is no ideal number. Consider the number of qualified applicants, available time, the importance and complexity of the position, and the usefulness of interviewing additional candidates.
• How many interview stages will you use? One well-designed interview may be sufficient for some positions. Other positions may justify a second stage, particularly when it assesses additional job-related competencies or includes people who have a legitimate reason to participate in the decision.

A later stage may include a job-related work sample, presentation, writing exercise, simulation, case discussion, or other assessment. Use these methods only when they provide relevant information that the interview does not already provide. Keep the assignment proportionate to the hiring decision and avoid asking applicants to produce substantial unpaid work that the organization intends to use.

• How long will each interview be? Allow enough time to ask the planned questions, permit appropriate follow-up, give the candidate information, and answer the candidate's questions. Interviews for complex or senior positions may require more time than those for more narrowly defined positions.
• What questions will you ask? Develop a consistent set of core questions tied to the competencies identified in the job description and selection criteria. Behavioral questions may ask candidates to describe relevant past situations, while situational questions may ask how they would respond to realistic job circumstances.

Examples might include:

• "Tell us about a time you had to explain complicated information to someone unfamiliar with the subject. What did you do, and what was the result?"
• "Describe a situation in which you disagreed with a colleague or community partner about how to approach a problem. How did you handle it?"
• "Suppose you are responsible for a project that is behind schedule because an important partner has not completed its part. What would you do?"

Open-ended questions can provide useful information, but they should still have a clear connection to the job. Very broad questions such as "Who are you?" may produce interesting conversation but make it difficult to compare applicants fairly or determine what competency is actually being assessed.

• What questions should you avoid? Avoid questions about protected personal characteristics or other matters that are not relevant to the hiring decision. Before a conditional job offer, employers generally should not ask whether an applicant has a disability, the nature or severity of a disability, medical history, medications, or other questions likely to reveal disability-related information. Ask instead whether the candidate can perform specific job functions and assess the qualifications required for the work.
• How will candidates request reasonable accommodation? Explain how applicants can request accommodations for interviews, work samples, testing, or other parts of the selection process. An accommodation should provide equal access to the assessment rather than change the job-related competency being evaluated.
• How will you schedule interviews? Balance organizational efficiency with reasonable access for candidates. Video or phone interviews can reduce travel barriers, while in-person interviews may be useful when there is a legitimate reason connected with the job or hiring process. Tell candidates in advance about the format, expected length, participants, and any assessment activities.

How do you conduct an interview?

An interview has two purposes. It gives the organization an opportunity to gather job-related information about the candidate, and it gives the candidate an opportunity to learn enough about the organization and position to decide whether they remain interested.

As you plan the interview, ask:

• How can we give each candidate a fair opportunity to demonstrate the competencies required for the position?
• What information does each candidate need in order to understand the organization, position, and hiring process accurately?

Establishing an atmosphere

A professional, respectful interview environment usually produces better information than unnecessary intimidation. Nervousness during an interview is not necessarily evidence of how someone will perform in the actual job, and deliberately trying to rattle applicants can introduce irrelevant differences into the assessment.

If a position genuinely requires performance under particular pressure, use a job-related simulation or situational question designed to assess the relevant competency rather than trying to create generalized stress.

For in-person interviews, consider:

• Physical accessibility
• Privacy
• A comfortable and professional setting
• Clear directions and arrival procedures
• Transportation and parking information when useful

For remote interviews, consider:

• Providing the meeting link and instructions in advance
• Whether the platform is accessible
• What to do if the connection fails
• Whether telephone participation or another alternative is available when needed
• Protecting privacy and confidential interview information

Interviewers should be attentive and respectful. Avoid judging a candidate on clothing, eye contact, speaking style, physical mannerisms, camera background, or other characteristics unless a particular behavior is genuinely relevant to an essential job competency.

Nuts and bolts

Most interviews will include introductions, an explanation of the process, core questions for the candidate, relevant follow-up questions, information about the organization and position, and time for the candidate's questions.

• How will you rate responses? Develop rating criteria before interviews begin. Ratings should be tied to the competencies the questions were designed to measure and to the content of the candidate's response rather than to general impressions such as whether someone seems relaxed, funny, charismatic, familiar, or "down-to-earth."

For example, a communication question might be rated according to whether the candidate:

• Identified the audience's needs
• Explained information clearly
• Adapted the approach appropriately
• Checked for understanding
• Described the result and what was learned

Train interviewers in advance on what each question is intended to measure, how the rating scale works, appropriate follow-up questions, note-taking, confidentiality, reasonable accommodation, and subjects that should not be discussed.

• Who will do what? Decide who will welcome the candidate, explain the interview structure, ask each core question, watch the time, provide organizational information, and explain next steps. Follow-up questions should clarify job-related responses rather than turn into unrelated conversation about someone's personal life.
• What information will you give every candidate? In general, provide:
  • An accurate description of the organization's mission, goals, work, and current priorities
  • A clear explanation of the position and its major responsibilities
  • Relevant information about the communities, programs, or context connected with the work
  • The organizational structure and reporting relationship for the position
  • The salary or wage range, benefits, schedule, work location, remote or hybrid expectations, travel, and anticipated starting date if these have not already been clearly communicated
  • Any important conditions of employment that candidates should know before accepting an offer
  • What happens next in the hiring process and approximately when candidates can expect an update
• Will the interview include another assessment? You might use a presentation, writing exercise, simulation, technical demonstration, or another job-related activity when it adds useful information. Tell candidates what the assessment is intended to evaluate and provide reasonable accommodation where required.

Group exercises involving several applicants can sometimes assess collaboration or facilitation, but they should be used only when interaction with others is actually relevant to the job. Establish evaluation criteria in advance and avoid turning the exercise into an informal personality contest.

Interviewers should take concise, professional notes about responses and evidence. Notes such as "described three examples of resolving partner conflict and explained the outcomes" are more useful than labels such as "great personality" or "seemed weird."

What do you do after the interview?

Once interviews are complete, use the evidence collected to determine which candidate best meets the established requirements.

When several interviewers are involved, it can be useful for each person to complete their ratings independently before the group discusses candidates. This reduces the chance that the first or most confident speaker will shape everyone else's judgment before individual observations have been recorded.

The group can then discuss significant differences in ratings, referring to candidates' actual responses, work samples, qualifications, and the established criteria. The purpose is not to argue until everyone likes the same person; it is to reach an informed decision through the process established by the organization.

Be aware of common sources of bias, including:

• Giving disproportionate weight to the most recent interview
• Favoring candidates who share interviewers' backgrounds, interests, communication styles, or career paths
• Allowing one especially strong or weak characteristic to dominate the overall evaluation
• Comparing candidates primarily with one another instead of with the job requirements
• Giving excessive weight to confidence or charisma when those qualities are not what the position requires

If additional information is genuinely necessary to distinguish between finalists, consider a second interview, reference checks, or another job-related assessment rather than making the decision through intuition alone.

You may also identify more than one candidate whom you would be willing to hire. If the first candidate declines, you can consider another qualified finalist without automatically repeating the entire search.

References and background checks

If references are part of the process, contact them at an appropriate stage and use consistent job-related questions. Depending on the organization and position, you might ask about:

• The applicant's responsibilities
• Quality and reliability of work
• Relevant skills and competencies
• Supervision or collaboration
• Eligibility for rehire, where the reference's organization provides that information

Don't ask references to provide information that would be inappropriate to ask the applicant directly, such as protected medical or family information.

Background checks should be conducted only when relevant and in accordance with applicable law and organizational policy. Criminal-record information should not automatically disqualify an applicant unless the policy is lawful and appropriately related to the position.

When a third-party company supplies a background report for employment purposes, additional requirements may apply regarding disclosure, authorization, providing copies of reports and rights notices, and adverse-action procedures. State and local laws may impose additional restrictions.

Making an offer

Once the organization has identified its preferred candidate and completed any checks that must occur before an offer, or determined which checks will be conditions of the offer, contact the candidate and explain the offer clearly.

Give the candidate a reasonable period to consider it. The appropriate amount of time depends on the position and circumstances rather than a fixed one- or two-day rule.

Confirm the offer in writing. Depending on the organization, the written offer may identify:

• Position title
• Supervisor
• Salary or wage
• Benefits
• Employment status
• Schedule and work location
• Anticipated start date
• Any lawful conditions that remain to be completed
• An introductory or evaluation period if the organization uses one
• Other important employment terms

If no candidate meets the organization's requirements, it may be better to revise or reopen the search than to hire someone simply because the position needs to be filled quickly. Before reposting, consider whether the salary, qualifications, title, schedule, work location, advertising channels, or hiring process made it unnecessarily difficult to attract qualified applicants.

Notifying other candidates

Once the organization is ready to close the search, notify other candidates promptly and respectfully. The appropriate method may be phone, email, an applicant-tracking system, or another agreed form of communication.

Candidates who invested substantial time in multiple interviews may appreciate more individualized communication, while a concise message may be appropriate for people who applied but were not interviewed.

If the organization provides feedback, keep it connected with the stated selection criteria and the candidate's demonstrated qualifications. Avoid personal labels such as saying someone was "obnoxious," did not seem to fit the culture, or was simply less likable.

For example, appropriate feedback might explain that the selected candidate demonstrated more extensive experience with a required program model or that another applicant's examples showed stronger experience supervising a comparable team.

Don't promise detailed individualized feedback unless the organization has the capacity and a consistent process for providing it.

In Summary

A strong interview process begins before the candidate enters the room or joins the video call. It starts with a clear job description, job-related selection criteria, trained interviewers, consistent questions, and an evaluation system that identifies what the organization actually needs to learn.

Interviews should give candidates a fair opportunity to demonstrate relevant competencies while also giving them accurate information about the organization and position. In-person interviews are not inherently better than phone or video interviews, and personal chemistry, physical presence, appearance, or resemblance to existing staff should not replace evidence of job performance.

Structured behavioral and situational questions, consistent rating criteria, appropriate work samples, careful documentation, reasonable accommodation, and professional interviewer training can make comparisons more meaningful and reduce the influence of unsupported assumptions.

After interviews, evaluate candidates against the position rather than simply against one another. Check references and backgrounds appropriately, make offers clearly, and communicate respectfully with people who were not selected.

The goal is not simply to hire someone the interview team likes. It is to gather enough reliable, job-related information to identify a qualified person who can perform the work effectively and to conduct the process in a way that reflects the standards and values of the organization.

You understand why the interview process needs to be considered carefully:

___The interview will be, for most applicants, their first face-to-face exposure to the organization.

___The interview often sets the tone for what the job itself will be like.

___The form of the interview will have a great deal to do with what you actually find out about the applicants.

Before the interview:

___You have chosen interviewers.

___You have decided how many people to interview.

___You have decided how many levels of interviewing you plan to do.

___You have decided how long each interview will be.

___You have decided what questions you will ask of all candidates.

___You know what questions you should not ask.

___You have chosen applicants to interview.

___You know how you will schedule the interviews.

___You have worked to establish a comfortable atmosphere.

___You have decided how you will rate applicants' interview performance.

___You have decided who will do what in each interview.

___You have decided what information you will give to all candidates.

___You have decided if there will be any other aspect to the interview besides conversation.

After the interview:

___You have checked references.

___Call your first choice and offer her the position.

___After a candidate accepts, call other interviewees and tell them the position has been offered to someone else.

___Send an individually-addressed form letter out to those who applied but weren't interviewed, explaining the position has been filled.

___Send a letter to the person who took the job stating the terms of employment and (possibly) a contract to sign.

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

• What are personnel policies?

• What are general policies?

• Why are hiring and employment status procedures important?

• What are everyday policies and procedures?

If you've reached the point of developing personnel policies, your organization has taken on an important responsibility: creating clear and fair expectations for the people who work there. Employees and volunteers are central to most organizations, and thoughtful personnel policies can support effective work, consistent decision-making, respectful relationships, and a healthy workplace.

What are personnel policies?

Personnel policies establish expectations, responsibilities, protections, and procedures affecting people who work for an organization. They help explain how employment decisions are made, how people are expected to work together, what employees can expect from the organization, and what procedures apply when questions or problems arise.

Personnel policies do not replace applicable law, employment agreements, collective-bargaining agreements, grant or contract requirements, or professional standards. They should be reviewed for consistency with those requirements and updated when the law, organization, workforce, technology, or nature of the work changes.

What do personnel policies include?

Personnel policies vary significantly among organizations. They may address relationships among employees and supervisors, hours and schedules, compensation and benefits, leave, performance, nondiscrimination, safety, privacy and confidentiality, technology, use of organizational resources, discipline, complaints, and many other matters affecting employees and organizational operations.

Not every subject needs the same level of detail. Some topics may require formal Board-approved policies, while others may be handled through administrative procedures, employee handbooks, supervisor guidance, or role-specific protocols.

What do personnel policies look like?

Personnel policies should be written in clear, understandable language and organized so employees can find the information they need. Organizations may maintain an employee handbook, a secure digital policy library, printed materials, or a combination of formats. Policies should have clear effective dates and version control so employees and supervisors know which rules are current.

Employee handbooks often include information about the organization's mission, employment practices, compensation and benefits, workplace expectations, reporting procedures, leave, safety, technology, and other policies. More detailed procedures may be maintained separately so they can be updated without rewriting the entire handbook.

When developing or revising personnel policies, seek input from people who administer the policies and people affected by them. Existing workplace practices can provide useful information, but don't preserve a practice merely because it has been used for a long time. Ask whether it is fair, lawful, workable, consistent with the organization's mission, and appropriate for current conditions.

Personnel policies should also reflect the organization's values in the way employees are treated. A community organization that values respect, accessibility, participation, accountability, and inclusion should consider how those values appear in its hiring, supervision, compensation, workplace, and complaint procedures.

Personnel policies can be grouped in many ways. For purposes of this section, we'll consider three broad categories:

• General Policies address organization-wide expectations and protections, such as equal employment opportunity, harassment prevention, workplace substance use, technology and information security, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, safety, political and public activities, and employee concerns.
• Hiring and Employment Status Policies address recruitment, hiring, orientation, classification, compensation, benefits, personnel records, performance management, advancement, corrective action, separation, and related matters.
• Everyday Procedural Policies address schedules, leave procedures, remote or hybrid work, overtime, payroll, dress or safety requirements, security, technology, travel, records, and other recurring aspects of work.

What are general policies?

General policies address organization-wide expectations, protections, responsibilities, and procedures affecting the working environment.

These may include:

• Equal Employment Opportunity and Reasonable Accommodation. Policies should prohibit unlawful discrimination in recruitment, hiring, compensation, assignments, training, promotion, discipline, termination, and other terms and conditions of employment. They should identify how employees and applicants can request reasonable accommodation and how the organization responds to those requests. Applicable federal, state, tribal, and local requirements may protect additional characteristics or impose additional obligations.
• Anti-Harassment and Anti-Retaliation. The organization should explain prohibited harassment and retaliation, provide more than one reasonable way to report concerns when possible, protect confidentiality to the extent practical and lawful, investigate concerns promptly and impartially, and take appropriate corrective action. Policies should also protect people from retaliation for making good-faith reports or participating in investigations.
• Alcohol, Drugs, Cannabis, and Impairment in the Workplace. Clearly define prohibited workplace conduct, including working while impaired when that creates safety, performance, or other legitimate concerns. If the organization conducts testing, employs people in safety-sensitive positions, receives funding with drug-free-workplace requirements, or imposes restrictions on off-duty conduct, make sure those requirements are consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law. Policies should also address lawful prescription medication, treatment or recovery issues, accommodation where applicable, and the consequences of policy violations.
• Technology, Electronic Communications, and Information Security. Policies may address organizational devices, personal devices used for work, email, messaging, internet access, cloud services, remote access, social media, approved software, artificial-intelligence tools, cybersecurity, passwords, multifactor authentication, phishing, confidential information, data storage, monitoring where permitted, and reporting lost devices or suspected security incidents.
• Contracts, Purchasing, and Authority to Bind the Organization. Clearly identify who can sign contracts, approve purchases, accept obligations, establish partnerships, authorize spending, or otherwise make commitments on behalf of the organization. Less formal arrangements, such as shared events, donated services, facility use, or collaboration with another organization, may also require defined approval procedures.

Related policies should distinguish between employees speaking or acting on behalf of the organization and employees expressing personal views in their individual capacity. If the organization is subject to restrictions connected with tax-exempt status, government funding, lobbying, political-campaign activity, confidentiality, or another legal obligation, describe the actual restriction rather than using a vague requirement of "political neutrality."

Policies governing employee speech, social media, or public discussion should also be reviewed carefully so they do not improperly restrict legally protected activity concerning wages, hours, working conditions, or other employment matters.

• Confidentiality, Privacy, and Records. Employees should understand which information is confidential, who is authorized to access it, how it may be used or disclosed, how records must be stored and transmitted, what rules apply to remote work and personal devices, how suspected privacy or security incidents are reported, and how information is retained and destroyed. Policies should reflect the specific privacy and confidentiality laws, contracts, professional duties, and ethical requirements that apply to the organization's work.

Some employees may have legal reporting duties that create exceptions to ordinary confidentiality. Those duties vary by profession, service setting, and jurisdiction and may include reporting suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, threats, or other circumstances defined by law. Policies should identify the actual rules that apply and explain those limits accurately to employees and, where appropriate, to the people receiving services.

• Conflicts of Interest. Define actual, potential, and perceived conflicts that may affect organizational decisions. Employees and other covered individuals should disclose relevant conflicts, and the policy should explain who reviews them, when recusal or another safeguard is required, and how the decision is documented.
• Political, Advocacy, and Civic Activities. Clarify what employees may do as part of their job, when they are authorized to speak for the organization, what tax, funding, lobbying, campaign, or ethics restrictions actually apply, and how employees should distinguish personal political participation from organizational activity. Policies should not unnecessarily restrict lawful personal activity or other legally protected employee conduct.
• Safety, Health, and Workplace Violence Prevention. Establish procedures appropriate to the hazards employees actually face. These may address emergency response, injuries and illness, field work, home visits, working alone, transportation, severe weather, hazardous materials, ergonomics, workplace violence, threats, de-escalation, emergency communications, and reporting unsafe conditions. Training should be understandable to the employees expected to use it.
• Tobacco, Nicotine, Vaping, and Smoke-Free Workplace Rules. State where smoking, vaping, or other covered use is prohibited and what rules apply to buildings, vehicles, grounds, remote work while representing the organization, and breaks. Policies should comply with applicable law and address any accommodations or treatment resources the organization provides.
• Complaints, Grievances, and Reporting Concerns. Employees should know how to raise concerns about discrimination, harassment, retaliation, safety, wages, supervision, ethics, policy violations, working conditions, or other employment matters. Provide an alternative reporting channel when the normal contact person is involved in the concern. Explain how reports are reviewed, what confidentiality can and cannot be promised, and how retaliation is prohibited.
• Relationships with Participants, Community Members, and Partner Organizations. Policies should establish respectful, ethical, and culturally responsive conduct and appropriate professional boundaries based on the nature of the work. Depending on the organization, this may include confidentiality, dual relationships, gifts, social media contact, transportation, physical contact, financial relationships, home visits, mandatory reporting, and other boundary questions. Avoid assuming that either friendship or emotional distance is appropriate in every setting.

What are hiring and employment status policies, and why are they important?

These policies govern important parts of the employment relationship and explain what employees and the organization can expect from one another. They should support fair, consistent decision-making while recognizing that applicable law, contracts, collective-bargaining agreements, funding requirements, and individual circumstances may affect particular cases.

Employment policies can also express organizational values. A group that describes itself as collaborative, inclusive, or community-centered should consider whether its compensation, supervision, workplace access, communication, advancement, and complaint procedures support those values in practice.

Some of the most common hiring and employment-status policies cover:

• Hiring procedures and orientation
• Job classification, title, and compensation
• Benefits, leave, deductions, and travel
• Personnel records
• Performance management and reviews
• Promotions and internal opportunities
• Workplace concerns and corrective action
• Separation and termination

Hiring Procedures & Orientation

Hiring and onboarding shape an employee's understanding of the organization from the beginning. Policies should identify who has hiring authority, how positions are approved and advertised, how applicants are evaluated, what checks or documentation may be required, how offers are made, and how new employees are oriented to their responsibilities.

Orientation should give employees the information and tools necessary to begin safely and effectively. Depending on the position, that may include the organization's mission and structure, the job description, supervision, payroll, benefits, leave, technology, information security, safety, confidentiality, nondiscrimination and harassment policies, accommodation procedures, required training, and community or program context.

Some organizations use an introductory or evaluation period during the first months of employment. If your organization does so, explain its purpose, duration, performance-review process, benefits implications if any, and what happens at its conclusion. An introductory period does not eliminate legal rights or automatically allow termination without regard to discrimination, retaliation, wage-and-hour law, protected leave, contracts, collective-bargaining agreements, or other applicable requirements.

Job Classification, Title, and Compensation

Job titles should accurately reflect the position's function, level of responsibility, authority, and relationship to other roles. Avoid using an inflated title as a substitute for appropriate pay or organizational authority.

Compensation policies may establish salary or wage ranges, job classifications, procedures for setting starting pay, internal-equity considerations, market information, differentials, increases, promotions, and any pay-transparency requirements that apply.

Compensation decisions should use defined, job-related factors rather than personal negotiation alone. Depending on the organization, relevant factors may include responsibilities, required qualifications, experience, market conditions, internal equity, performance, available funding, and collective-bargaining or contractual requirements.

Benefits, Leave, Deductions, and Travel

Clearly explain which benefits apply to which employees, eligibility requirements, enrollment procedures, employee and employer contributions, and where employees can obtain current plan information.

Policies may address:

• Health, dental, vision, and other health-related benefits: eligibility, enrollment periods, employee contributions, dependent coverage, and where employees can find current plan documents.
• Disability and income-protection benefits: what programs are offered, eligibility, waiting periods, employee contributions, and how claims are initiated.
• Travel and expense reimbursement: which expenses are reimbursable, authorization requirements, documentation, lodging and meal rules, mileage or vehicle reimbursement, use of organizational vehicles, travel time, and reimbursement deadlines. If mileage is reimbursed using an external rate, identify how the organization determines and updates that rate rather than hard-coding an outdated amount into the policy.
• Vacation or paid time off: accrual, eligibility, approval procedures, scheduling, carryover, payout where applicable, and any restrictions required by law or policy.
• Sick, family, medical, parental, bereavement, military, jury-duty, voting, and other leave: identify organizational benefits separately from leave rights required by applicable federal, state, tribal, or local law.
• Retirement plans, such as a 401(k), 403(b), pension, or other plan where offered
• Life insurance and other voluntary or employer-sponsored benefits

Deductions

Explain legally required deductions and any voluntary deductions the organization offers, including the authorization process where required. Payroll deductions must comply with applicable wage, tax, benefit-plan, garnishment, and other requirements. Employees should receive clear information about how deductions affect their pay and whom to contact with payroll questions.

Personnel Records

Personnel records should contain information needed for legitimate employment, payroll, benefits, performance, compliance, and administrative purposes. Policies should define what records are maintained, who is allowed to access them, how access is authorized, how long different records are retained, how records are secured, and how they are disposed of.

Sensitive records may require separate storage or access controls. Medical or accommodation information, background-check information, payroll and tax information, investigation materials, and other records may be subject to particular confidentiality or legal requirements.

Employees should also know whether and how they may review or request corrections to their records under applicable law or organizational policy.

Performance Reviews

Performance-management policies should explain how employees receive expectations, feedback, coaching, and formal evaluation. The process may include regular supervision throughout the year as well as periodic formal reviews.

Policies may clarify:

• Who provides formal evaluations and who may contribute relevant information
• The job-related standards or objectives used to evaluate performance
• Whether self-assessment, supervisor observation, work results, participant feedback, peer input, or other appropriate evidence is considered
• How often formal reviews occur and how ongoing feedback is provided
• How reviews connect with goals, development, compensation, promotion, corrective action, or other employment decisions

Performance standards should focus on the work rather than personality preferences or protected characteristics and should be applied consistently to employees performing comparable responsibilities.

Employee Rights and Workplace Conditions

Employment rights and employer obligations come from many sources, including federal, state, tribal, and local law, collective-bargaining agreements, employment contracts, funding requirements, and organizational policy. These may address wages, overtime, nondiscrimination, reasonable accommodation, protected leave, workplace safety, organizing and concerted activity, whistleblowing, privacy, military service, and other matters.

Personnel policies should explain organizational procedures without suggesting that the handbook is the only source of employee rights. When a legal right or contractual requirement provides greater protection than the handbook, the organization should follow the applicable requirement.

Promotions and Internal Opportunities

If advancement opportunities exist, establish a fair and understandable process. Policies may address:

• Career pathways or levels within job families
• The qualifications, performance, experience, competencies, or other job-related factors used in promotion decisions
• How promotions affect title, responsibilities, classification, and compensation
• How employees learn about internal opportunities and express interest

Apply advancement criteria consistently and review whether informal sponsorship, access to development opportunities, or other workplace practices create unnecessary barriers for some employees.

Workplace Concerns and Corrective Action

Workplace problems can involve performance, communication, supervision, workload, safety, health, accessibility, technology, workplace relationships, or personal circumstances affecting work. Personnel policies should identify where employees can go for assistance and what processes are available.

Depending on the situation, responses may include coaching, clarification of expectations, additional training, workload adjustments, mediation, reasonable accommodation, protected leave, employee-assistance resources, technology or process improvements, or formal corrective action.

Supervisors should focus on observable performance, conduct, and workplace requirements rather than attempting to diagnose an employee's physical or mental health. Employees who need accommodation or protected leave should be directed to the appropriate process while their privacy is respected.

Separation and Termination

Personnel policies should explain the organization's general procedures for resignation, retirement, layoffs or reductions in force, end of temporary employment, discharge for performance or conduct, and other forms of separation.

When performance or conduct problems can reasonably be corrected, an organization may use coaching, documented expectations, warnings, performance-improvement plans, or other forms of progressive corrective action. The policy should not promise a particular sequence in every situation unless the organization intends to be bound by it.

Some serious misconduct may justify accelerated action or immediate termination, subject to applicable law, organizational policy, employment agreements, and collective-bargaining requirements. Avoid universal rules stating that any arrest or felony conviction automatically requires dismissal. Where criminal-history information is relevant, consider the actual legal requirements and relationship between the conduct and the employee's position.

Policies should also address who has termination authority, documentation, return of organizational property, final pay and benefits information, access termination, records, confidentiality obligations that continue after employment, and any appeal or review process the organization provides.

What are everyday policies and procedures?

These policies structure recurring aspects of working life. Individually they may appear routine, but together they strongly affect whether employees understand expectations, can perform their work efficiently, and experience the workplace as fair and sustainable.

Work hours, scheduling, and flexibility

Explain ordinary work schedules and the flexibility the organization permits. Policies should address how hours are recorded where required, expectations for availability, breaks, remote or hybrid work, alternate schedules, and procedures for requesting changes.

• What paid and unpaid leave is available, and what eligibility and notice procedures apply?
• How are vacations, planned absences, unexpected illness, caregiving responsibilities, and schedule coverage handled?
• Is remote or hybrid work available for some positions? What technology, security, location, scheduling, availability, expense, and performance expectations apply?
• Are compressed, flexible, or alternative schedules permitted, and who approves them?
• How are additional hours handled for exempt and nonexempt employees? If compensatory time is available under applicable law, who is eligible and how is it earned and used?

Overtime

Overtime policy should reflect the employee's legal classification and applicable federal, state, local, contractual, or collective-bargaining requirements. Under federal law, covered nonexempt employees generally must receive overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Additional state or contractual rules may apply.

• Which employees are classified as exempt or nonexempt, and how is that classification determined and reviewed?
• Who may authorize overtime, and how should employees report situations in which additional work is necessary?
• Are there operational limits on scheduling overtime, consistent with applicable law and employee safety?
• How must all hours worked be recorded and reported?

A policy requiring advance approval for overtime does not necessarily eliminate the organization's obligation to pay for compensable overtime that it required or permitted an employee to work. Address unauthorized overtime through the organization's management process rather than by failing to record or pay legally compensable time.

Payday and Payroll

State when employees are paid and how wages are delivered, such as direct deposit, payroll card, check, or other lawful methods available to the organization. Explain how employees receive wage statements, update tax-withholding information, report payroll errors, change bank information, and authorize voluntary deductions.

Payroll frequency, final-pay timing, permitted deductions, wage statements, direct-deposit requirements, and other rules may vary by jurisdiction. The organization should establish its payroll system around the requirements that actually apply rather than assuming one schedule or method works everywhere.

Dress, Uniforms, and Appearance

If the organization has dress or appearance requirements, connect them to actual workplace needs. Relevant considerations might include safety equipment, sanitation, uniforms, identification, interaction with the public, professional responsibilities, or particular program settings.

Apply standards consistently and provide religious or disability-related accommodation as required. Avoid appearance rules based mainly on stereotypes about what particular communities expect or on preferences unrelated to the work.

Physical Security, Workplace Safety, and Cybersecurity

Security policies should reflect the organization's actual risks and protect employees, participants, facilities, equipment, funds, records, and information. Rather than relying on assumptions about particular neighborhoods or individuals, use a risk-based approach.

Policies may address:

• Protection of cash, equipment, identification documents, organizational property, and employees' personal property
• Storage, transmission, access, retention, and secure destruction of confidential or sensitive information
• Access to offices, program areas, equipment, keys, badges, alarm systems, and restricted spaces
• Lone-worker procedures, home visits, field work, after-hours work, emergency contacts, workplace violence, transportation, and other personal-safety considerations
• Password management, multifactor authentication, device security, phishing, software updates, approved applications, remote access, data backups, access privileges, and reporting suspected cyber incidents

Employees should receive training appropriate to the risks and systems they actually use. Policies should also define who responds when an incident occurs and how access, services, or records will be restored or protected.

Records, Forms, and Administrative Workflows

For recurring forms, approvals, records, or digital workflows, explain what must be completed, who is responsible, when it is due, who approves or receives it, where the record is stored, who may access it, and how long it is retained.

Review administrative requirements periodically. A form or approval step that once served a useful purpose may become unnecessary as technology, staffing, regulations, or organizational processes change.

In Summary

Personnel policies establish the rules and procedures that shape the employment relationship and everyday workplace. They help employees understand expectations, provide consistent ways to handle common situations, support legal and ethical compliance, and communicate what kind of workplace the organization intends to create.

Effective policies are clear, accessible, current, and connected with the organization's actual work. They address general workplace protections, hiring and employment status, compensation and benefits, performance, leave, safety, technology, privacy, complaints, separation, and everyday procedures without trying to predict every possible situation.

Personnel policies should also be reviewed regularly. Employment law changes, technology changes, organizations grow, remote and hybrid work evolve, and new risks emerge. A rule that made sense years ago may no longer be lawful, useful, or consistent with the organization's mission.

Finally, written policy is only part of the work. Supervisors and employees need to understand the policies, the organization needs to apply them fairly and consistently, and people need safe ways to ask questions or raise concerns. Clear policies combined with responsible implementation can support both employees and the organization over the long term.

___You know that personnel policies define the treatment, rights, obligations, and relations of people in an organization.

___Your personnel policies include instructions and rules for dealing with issues and overcoming obstacles to a successful work environment.

___You will write personnel policies in clear, understandable language.

___Your personnel policies are consistent with the beliefs and mission of the organization.

___Your general policies deal with the basic structure, philosophies, and rules of the organization.

___Your organization includes all elements of the worker's employment relationship in hiring and employment status policies.

___You understand that everyday procedural policies include all the issues that surround daily operation for employees and volunteers.

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

• What is a staff orientation program?

• Why run a staff orientation program?

• What are the elements of a staff orientation program?

• How do you conduct a staff orientation program?

Imagine starting a new job in a community-based organization. You accept the position, arrive for your first day, and someone shows you your workspace, welcomes you, and then leaves you to figure out everything else on your own: who your colleagues are, how decisions are made, which technology to use, where important information is stored, what your supervisor expects, how the organization works with the community, and what you should do when questions arise.

You might eventually work these things out, but the uncertainty would make it harder to begin effectively and could create avoidable mistakes and frustration. A thoughtful orientation gives new staff members the information, relationships, systems, and support they need to begin their work with a clearer understanding of both their role and the organization.

Most organizations provide at least some orientation for new employees. It may be informal or highly structured, take place individually or in groups, and continue for a few days, several weeks, or longer. What matters is that the process is planned rather than leaving each new employee to discover essential information by accident.

What is a staff orientation program?

A staff orientation program, often considered part of the broader onboarding process, is a planned introduction to the organization, the employee's position, the people and communities connected with the work, and the systems and expectations the employee needs to understand.

Some information should be available before or immediately when the employee begins work. Other information is better introduced gradually as the employee gains experience and has enough context to understand it. Orientation should therefore be thought of as a process rather than a single meeting.

Before a new employee begins, the organization should identify what needs to happen during preboarding and the first days of work. Depending on the position and applicable requirements, this may include employment documentation, payroll and benefits information, technology access, workplace or remote-access arrangements, safety information, required policies, and scheduling.

The organization should also consider:

• What information does the employee need immediately in order to work safely and responsibly?
• What is distinctive about the organization's mission, strategy, structure, services, technology, or way of working?
• What should the employee understand about the people and communities the organization serves or works with?
• Which colleagues, supervisors, partners, community members, or other people are important for the employee to meet?
• What should the employee understand about the organization's values, expectations, and workplace culture?
• What training, accommodations, equipment, access, or other support does the employee need in order to participate fully?

None of these questions should be left entirely to chance. A staff orientation program is more than telling someone a few facts about the organization. It is a coherent introduction that combines essential information, relationships, guided experience, and opportunities to ask questions so the employee can begin contributing effectively.

Why conduct a staff orientation program?

A thoughtful orientation can benefit both new staff members and the organization.

• It helps employees begin with greater clarity. New staff members can understand what is expected, where to find information, which decisions they can make, who can help them, and how their responsibilities connect with the organization's larger work.
• It builds confidence and reduces avoidable uncertainty. Employees know that they have access to information, supervision, technology, policies, and colleagues who can help them learn the role.
• It can improve performance and retention. Employees are more likely to succeed when expectations, resources, responsibilities, and support are clear from the beginning.
• It creates reliable ways to obtain information. New employees should be encouraged to ask questions rather than expected to know everything after orientation. The process should show them where accurate information can be found and whom to contact when something is unclear.
• It helps employees build working relationships. Early introductions can help new staff understand who does what and begin collaborating with colleagues, community partners, and others relevant to their work.
• It formally welcomes new employees. A clear and organized start communicates that the organization values their contribution and has prepared for their arrival.
• It helps employees understand workplace culture and expectations. Orientation should explain how the organization communicates, collaborates, makes decisions, handles disagreement, supports accessibility, and raises concerns. It should not require employees simply to conform to every existing practice.
• It can strengthen the organization's work in the community. Employees who understand the mission, services, partnerships, responsibilities, and community context are better prepared to represent the organization accurately and work effectively with others.

A well-conceived orientation therefore addresses professional, logistical, relational, ethical, and organizational questions that affect an employee's ability to perform the job.

What are the elements of a staff orientation program?

Not every organization has the time or resources for a formal multi-day orientation. A small organization may begin with a focused first-day introduction, a well-organized set of materials, meetings with key colleagues, and scheduled follow-up conversations. The important point is to identify what the employee must know and build a realistic process for helping them learn it.

Avoid trying to cover everything at once. Prioritize information needed immediately and introduce additional material as the employee gains experience.

Orientation to most positions should include introductions to the organization, the people and communities connected with its work, the broader community or service environment when relevant, and the position itself.

Introduction to the organization

History

Employees benefit from understanding how the organization developed, why it was created, how its work has changed, and which events have shaped its current priorities. A newer organization may explain the community conditions or opportunity that led to its formation. A longstanding organization may describe major accomplishments, challenges, partnerships, leadership transitions, and changes in strategy.

Keep the history relevant. New employees do not need every detail, but avoid presenting a version so polished that it hides major events that continue to affect the organization's work or relationships.

Organizational history can also explain terms, programs, partnerships, or decisions that otherwise might appear confusing to a newcomer. The goal is understanding, not teaching employees how to become organizational "insiders."

Mission, vision, values, and strategy

New staff should understand the organization's stated mission and, where applicable, its vision, values, strategic priorities, and intended impact. Explain how the employee's role contributes to them.

Avoid relying on an unstated "real mission" that differs from the mission communicated publicly or established through the organization's governing process. If the organization believes its formal mission statement no longer reflects what it actually seeks to accomplish, that is a governance or strategic-planning issue that should be addressed directly rather than passed to employees as an unwritten agenda.

Organizational philosophy and working principles

An organization's values may affect how it works with employees, volunteers, program participants, partners, and community members; how it makes decisions; and how it approaches issues such as participation, accessibility, equity, confidentiality, accountability, and professional boundaries.

Explain these principles explicitly rather than expecting employees to infer them from longstanding habits. The organization should also be willing to examine whether existing practices actually reflect its stated values.

Methods or strategies

Some organizations allow considerable professional discretion, while others use particular program models, clinical practices, educational approaches, organizing methods, service standards, or protocols.

If employees are expected to use a particular method, explain:

• What the method is
• Why the organization uses it
• Which aspects are required and which allow professional judgment
• What evidence, legal requirements, professional standards, community input, or organizational experience support it
• What training and supervision employees will receive

Detailed instruction in the method may belong in staff training rather than orientation, but employees should understand its purpose and their responsibilities from the beginning.

People

New employees should know the people they will work with and understand their roles. Depending on the organization, introductions may include:

• Organizational leaders and supervisors who provide direction, make decisions, or oversee major areas of work
• Program, clinical, education, outreach, policy, or other staff whose work overlaps with the new employee's responsibilities
• Administrative, finance, human-resources, facilities, technology, communications, and other staff who keep organizational systems functioning
• Board members, volunteers, partners, community members, contractors, or other people the employee will interact with regularly

Employees do not necessarily need individual meetings with everyone in the organization. Prioritize the relationships they need in order to perform their role and make it easy for them to identify and contact others later.

New staff should also know who handles particular questions or responsibilities, such as:

• Payroll and benefits
• Reasonable accommodation and accessibility
• Equal employment opportunity and harassment complaints
• Safety and emergency procedures
• Information technology and cybersecurity
• Privacy and confidentiality
• Purchasing, travel, and reimbursement
• Union or employee-representation matters where applicable

Organizational structure

Help the employee understand:

• Responsibility and reporting: who supervises whom, who is responsible for major areas of work, and who has authority to make particular decisions
• Decision-making: which decisions employees may make independently, which require consultation or approval, and how significant decisions are documented
• Governance: the role of the Board or other governing body, the authority delegated to the chief executive and staff, and any meaningful roles that employees, participants, members, or community groups have in governance
• Locations and work arrangements: office or program sites, remote or hybrid arrangements, geographic service areas, and what occurs at different locations

Logistics and day-to-day routine

Orientation should cover the practical systems that allow employees to work effectively. Much of this information can be provided through a searchable handbook, onboarding checklist, secure employee portal, or other reference that employees can return to later.

• Technology and equipment. Computers, phones, approved software, email and messaging, collaboration platforms, records systems, databases, printers or other specialized equipment, remote-access procedures, security requirements, and technical support
• Materials and purchasing. How supplies are obtained, who can authorize purchases, purchasing cards or expense processes, and how equipment is issued and returned
• Time and scheduling. Work hours, timekeeping, breaks, payroll schedule, flexible or remote work, evening or weekend responsibilities, and procedures for schedule changes
• Benefits and leave. Health and other benefits, paid time off, sick leave, protected leave procedures, travel reimbursement, and where employees can obtain current benefits information
• Workplace routines. Building access, opening and closing procedures, mail and deliveries, shared spaces, emergency procedures, visitors, and after-hours access
• Everyday practical information. Parking or transportation, food and break areas, accessibility, nearby resources, and other information that helps employees navigate the work setting

If employees are covered by overtime requirements, explain how time must be recorded, when overtime requires approval, and how compensation is handled. Do not assume that additional unpaid hours can simply be exchanged for informal "comp time."

Supervision

New staff members need to know who supervises them, whom they supervise if anyone, how often supervision or check-ins occur, what decisions they can make independently, and how performance and development are discussed.

Effective supervision combines accountability and support. Supervisors should establish clear expectations, provide timely feedback, monitor important responsibilities, help solve problems, identify training or resource needs, support professional development, and address concerns fairly.

Orientation should also explain where employees can go when a concern involves their immediate supervisor or when they need assistance outside the normal supervisory relationship.

Policies and procedures

New employees should know where current policies are located and which ones are especially important to their work. Orientation may highlight:

• Nondiscrimination, harassment, and retaliation
• Reasonable accommodation
• Workplace safety
• Confidentiality and privacy
• Information security and acceptable technology use
• Conflicts of interest
• Professional boundaries
• Leave and attendance
• Expense reimbursement and purchasing
• Complaints, grievances, and reporting concerns
• Emergency and incident-response procedures

Don't simply hand employees a handbook and assume they will remember everything in it. Identify high-priority policies, explain where to find additional information, and give employees opportunities to ask questions.

Organizational culture

Every workplace develops patterns in how people communicate, make decisions, collaborate, give feedback, share information, handle disagreement, and recognize accomplishments. New staff benefit from understanding those patterns.

Orientation should focus primarily on legitimate expectations rather than teaching employees to conform to unwritten social rules. Organizational culture should also remain open to improvement. New employees may notice practices that longtime staff no longer question.

Relevant areas might include:

• Dress and presentation. Explain any actual dress, uniform, identification, safety, sanitation, or professional-presentation requirements rather than relying on unwritten expectations.
• Workload and availability. State actual expectations for hours, scheduling, deadlines, after-hours communication, and workload. Do not normalize routine uncompensated work merely because previous staff members have done it.
• Smoke-free and substance-use rules. Explain applicable policies rather than treating smoking as an informal marker of workplace culture.
• Food and shared spaces. Explain any relevant safety, sanitation, allergy, equipment, or shared-space expectations.
• Visitors, children, and caregiving emergencies. Explain any formal workplace, program, safety, remote-work, or visitor policies rather than leaving expectations unwritten.
• Work relationships. Explain expectations for respectful communication, professional boundaries, collaboration, confidentiality, feedback, and conflict resolution.

Understanding workplace culture can reduce uncertainty, but the goal is not to make a new staff member become "one of the bunch." It is to help them understand how to participate effectively while retaining their own perspective and professional judgment.

Introduction to the people and communities the organization serves or works with

If the organization's work focuses on particular communities or groups of people, new employees should learn enough about that context to work respectfully and effectively. This learning should avoid stereotypes and should continue throughout employment rather than being treated as something completed during orientation.

Who is connected with the work?

Explain who participates in or is affected by the organization's work and why. Depending on the organization, relevant context might involve geography, age, language, disability, health conditions, housing, education, employment, immigration systems, income, race or ethnicity, or other factors.

These characteristics should provide context rather than define people. Individuals within any community have different experiences, identities, strengths, priorities, and relationships with institutions.

Community data and context

Relevant information may include population size, languages, age distribution, health or economic indicators, housing, transportation, education, employment, access to services, or other data connected with the organization's mission.

Explain where the information comes from and how current it is. Data can provide useful context, but statistics alone do not explain how people experience their community.

Direct relationships are essential. When appropriate, introduce new employees to program participants, community organizations, resident leaders, partners, advocates, and others with relevant knowledge. No individual should be treated as speaking for an entire community.

Culture, identity, and community experience

Avoid presenting cultures as collections of fixed traits, behaviors, family patterns, foods, clothing, or attitudes that every member shares. Instead, help employees practice cultural humility: learn about relevant history and institutions, listen to how people describe their own experiences, ask respectful questions, recognize within-group diversity, and avoid assuming that general information predicts how a particular person will think or behave.

When language access, religious practices, disability access, community history, or other cultural factors are relevant to the employee's responsibilities, explain them using reliable information and, where possible, the perspectives of people directly connected with the community.

Strengths, priorities, barriers, and needs

Explain the specific issues the organization exists to address and the strengths and resources already present in the community. Employees should understand:

• What priorities have been identified
• Who helped identify them
• Which community assets and organizations are already involved
• What barriers affect access, participation, health, opportunity, or another relevant outcome
• Which parts of the issue the organization addresses and which fall outside its scope

Relationships between the organization and the community

New staff should understand the organization's existing relationships, including areas of trust, past challenges, significant partnerships, unresolved concerns, and commitments already made.

Discuss how employees are expected to build relationships respectfully, how community feedback reaches the organization, what professional boundaries apply, and which partners or community contacts are relevant to the employee's role.

The goal is not to learn a formula for how "people in this community" should be approached. It is to understand the context well enough to listen, communicate, and build trust with individuals and groups as they actually are.

Introduction to the community at large

Employees who are unfamiliar with the area or systems in which they'll work may benefit from a broader community orientation.

"Community" can mean a city or town, a neighborhood, a rural region, a tribal community, a cultural or social network, a group organized around a shared experience, or another population connected through common circumstances. Define the community in a way that is relevant to the organization's work.

Demographics and geography

Relevant information might include population trends, geography, languages, housing, transportation, age distribution, educational access, disability, income, health indicators, or other characteristics connected with the organization's mission.

Economic context

Depending on the work, employees may need to understand major industries and employers, housing conditions, employment opportunities, transportation, public benefits, economic development, cost of living, or other economic conditions.

Civic and social context

Explain current community priorities, major public issues, relevant policies, local decision-making processes, and historical events that affect the organization's work. Avoid reducing a community to labels such as liberal, conservative, tolerant, or intolerant.

Institutions and networks

Identify institutions and networks relevant to the work, such as government agencies, schools, health systems, businesses, nonprofit organizations, cultural organizations, faith communities, neighborhood groups, funders, media and information sources, libraries, universities, and advocacy groups.

Explain both formal authority and informal relationships where they affect the organization's ability to work effectively, without presenting one person or institution as the single "power structure" of the community.

Organizational relationships

New employees should know which organizations and individuals the organization regularly works with, what those relationships involve, who manages them, and what commitments or expectations already exist.

Introduction to the position

A good orientation makes the written job description concrete. New employees should understand what the work actually looks like, how success will be assessed, what authority they have, and where they can obtain help.

• What the job looks like in practice. Explain the balance among direct service, meetings, outreach, planning, documentation, travel, remote work, supervision, administrative work, and other recurring responsibilities. If no two days are alike, explain the major patterns and priorities.
• Responsibilities beyond the brief position summary. Employees should not discover major ongoing duties only after they start. If transportation, advocacy, court appearances, fundraising, counseling, evening events, home visits, or other substantial functions are expected, they should be reflected in the job description or formally clarified as the role develops.
• Introductory or evaluation period. If the organization uses one, explain its duration, purpose, evaluation criteria, supervision, and what happens at the end. Do not imply that legal rights disappear during this period.
• Regular performance feedback and evaluation. Explain how often formal reviews occur, what criteria are used, who participates, how employees can respond, and how reviews connect with development, compensation, promotion, or corrective action.
• Work expectations. Explain actual hours, schedule, travel, after-hours responsibilities, expense reimbursement, timekeeping, overtime, availability, remote-work expectations, community events, and other major conditions. Do not rely on unwritten expectations.

How do you actually conduct a staff orientation program?

Conducting orientation requires decisions about audience, goals, content, timing, methods, accessibility, and responsibility for follow-up.

Decide who your orientation is for. Some information belongs in every employee's orientation, while other material should be tailored to particular roles. Supervisors, employees handling confidential data, staff working in the field, licensed professionals, and remote workers may each need additional role-specific orientation.

Orientation can be individual or group-based. A group session can help new employees meet one another and can make common information easier to deliver, but don't postpone essential onboarding merely to wait for a larger group. New employees need important information when they begin.

Clarify what you want to accomplish. Identify what employees should know, understand, be able to find, or be ready to do after each stage of orientation. Distinguish essential first-day information from material that can be introduced later.

Decide on the content. Build an onboarding plan or checklist covering the required organizational, legal, technological, safety, community, and job-specific topics. Identify which topics require acknowledgment or documentation and which are primarily informational.

Choose formats and methods. Orientation may combine:

• Live discussion
• Accessible digital or printed reference materials
• Video or interactive learning
• Technology demonstrations
• Job shadowing
• Guided practice
• Simulations or case discussions
• Site or community visits
• Meetings with colleagues and partners
• Coaching and supervisor check-ins

Use multiple formats when they help employees access and apply the information. Don't assume that people fall into fixed visual, auditory, or hands-on "learning styles." Instead, choose the method that fits the content and make materials accessible to employees who need accommodations.

Invite the new employee into the process. Ask what is unclear, which relationships would be useful, what information they need, and what obstacles they are encountering. New employees may identify gaps in the orientation that existing staff no longer notice.

Use active learning where useful. Discussion, observation, demonstration, practice, and feedback can be especially useful when employees need to apply a procedure rather than merely know that it exists.

Use site and community orientation thoughtfully. Visiting program locations, partner organizations, neighborhoods, or other relevant settings can provide context. Plan these experiences with attention to safety, confidentiality, privacy, accessibility, and whether the visit actually contributes to the employee's work.

Encourage useful relationships. Introduce employees to people they will work with and create opportunities to learn from colleagues and community partners. Don't overwhelm the employee by scheduling introductions with everyone simply for the sake of completeness.

Make the orientation accessible. Ensure that orientation materials, meetings, training platforms, videos, spaces, and activities are accessible and provide reasonable accommodation where required. Accessibility should be planned rather than treated as an afterthought.

Decide who will conduct the orientation. One person should coordinate the process even when different people present different topics. The coordinator can track what has been completed, help arrange introductions, answer questions, and make sure important topics are not missed.

In a small organization, a supervisor or director may conduct much of the orientation. In a larger organization, human resources, information technology, finance, safety staff, supervisors, program leaders, and others may each cover the areas they know best.

Decide how long onboarding will continue. Orientation may include an intensive first day or first week, but learning should usually continue through the employee's first several weeks or months. Major topics can be staged so employees receive them when they are ready to use them.

• Initial orientation. Cover the information required to begin employment safely and responsibly: the role, supervision, policies, payroll and benefits processes, technology, security, emergency procedures, required documentation, and immediate work expectations.
• Ongoing onboarding period. Over the following weeks or months, continue with organizational history, deeper program knowledge, community context, professional relationships, job shadowing, required training, strategic priorities, performance feedback, and other learning that becomes more meaningful after the employee has begun the work.

If operational demands require a new employee to begin substantive work immediately, don't abandon orientation. Identify the minimum information required for that work, provide close supervision, and schedule remaining onboarding activities around the employee's responsibilities.

Evaluate the orientation each time you use it. Ask new staff what was useful, what was missing, what arrived too early or too late, and which parts did not make sense until they began performing the work.

Follow up after the employee has been in the role for a while. Someone may not know during the first week which information will ultimately prove most useful. A 30-, 60-, or 90-day check-in, or another schedule appropriate to the organization, can help identify gaps and improve future onboarding.

Recognize the transition out of formal onboarding. A welcome gathering, check-in with leadership, completion of an onboarding plan, or another milestone can mark progress, but onboarding should not end simply because a checklist is complete. Employees should continue receiving supervision, feedback, training, and development throughout their work with the organization.

In Summary

A staff orientation program helps new employees understand the organization, their responsibilities, the people they work with, the communities connected with the work, and the systems they need in order to perform effectively.

Good orientation begins with the information employees need before or immediately after starting and continues over time. It should explain the organization's mission, values, strategy, structure, policies, technology, supervision, community relationships, workplace expectations, and the practical realities of the position without overwhelming new staff or relying on hidden rules.

It should also avoid treating organizational culture or community knowledge as a set of stereotypes that employees simply need to absorb. Strong onboarding makes expectations explicit, encourages questions, supports accessibility, introduces people to multiple perspectives, and gives employees room to contribute their own knowledge and judgment.

Finally, orientation should be evaluated and improved. New staff are especially well positioned to notice missing information, confusing procedures, outdated practices, and barriers that longtime employees may no longer see. Using that feedback can make onboarding more useful for future employees and can help the organization improve the way it works overall.

___You understand what a staff orientation program is.

___You know why you should have a staff orientation program and what it will accomplish.

Before the staff orientation program:

1. You know how to conduct a staff orientation program and have:
2. Decided at whom your orientation is aimed
3. Clarified what you want to accomplish
4. Decided on the content of the orientation
5. Decided whether the orientation will be group or individual
6. Chosen your format and methods
7. Decided who will conduct the orientation
8. Decided the length of the orientation
9. Evaluated your orientation each time you run it
10. Created some sort of marker for the end of the orientation or orientation period

In the staff orientation program

___You have addressed the logistical, professional, social and philosophical factors to orient new staff members

___Your orientation program helps new staff members to fit into  the organization and do the best job they can.

___You have included an introduction to the organization's:

1. History
2. Mission
3. Organizational philosophy
4. Methods or strategies
5. People
6. Organizational structure
7. Logistics and day-to-day routine
8. Supervision
9. Policies and procedures
10. Organizational culture

___You have an introduction to the target population and community if your organization is targeted to a particular group.

___You have introduced staff members to their position by stating:

1. What the job actually looks like day to day
2. Unstated job requirements
3. Trial period
4. Regular evaluation
5. Expectations

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

Training programs help new staff develop the knowledge and skills required for their positions and help continuing staff keep their practice current as responsibilities, evidence, technology, community conditions, and professional requirements change. A well-designed training program responds to both staff and organizational needs and supports continuing improvement in the quality of the organization's work.

This section will help you think about how to plan, conduct, support, and evaluate training for people throughout your organization.

What is a training program?

A good training program is just that -- a program, not simply a one-time workshop or presentation. It is an organized approach to building and maintaining the knowledge, skills, judgment, and competencies people need to do their work effectively.

Orientation introduces a new employee to the organization, the position, the people and communities connected with the work, workplace systems, policies, and expectations. Training goes further by developing the specific knowledge and abilities needed to carry out responsibilities effectively.

The two may overlap. Some essential job training may begin during onboarding, while more advanced learning may occur after the employee has gained enough experience to understand and apply it.

Training may include learning a new skill, understanding a policy or professional standard, practicing a procedure, discussing complex cases, receiving coaching and feedback, learning new technology, reviewing current evidence, or strengthening the ability to respond to changing circumstances. It should continue as needed throughout a person's work with the organization.

What is included in a training program?

The scope of a training program should reflect the organization's mission, risks, resources, staffing, legal and professional requirements, and actual learning needs. A small community organization may not have a training department or a large budget, but it can still identify essential learning needs, use internal expertise, partner with other organizations, and build learning into ordinary work.

A comprehensive training program may include:

• Initial job training. Training for new staff who need to develop knowledge or skills required for their positions.
• Organization-specific training. Training for staff who may already have experience in the field but need to learn the particular systems, evidence-based practices, program models, technology, policies, or procedures used by the organization.
• Ongoing staff development. Continuing learning that helps employees maintain and strengthen the competencies required for their current responsibilities.
• Professional development. Learning that deepens expertise, supports career growth, prepares employees for additional responsibility, or develops knowledge and skills beyond immediate job requirements. Possibilities may include:
  • College, university, certificate, or continuing-education courses
  • Conferences, institutes, professional meetings, or webinars
  • Communities of practice, peer-learning groups, or study groups
  • Workshops or courses developed in response to practitioner needs
  • Mentoring, coaching, job shadowing, stretch assignments, and other practice-based development

Staff and professional development require organizational support. When training is required or directly connected with employees' current work, the organization should determine how wage-and-hour requirements apply and provide compensated training time when required.

Other forms of organizational support may include:

• Tuition or continuing-education assistance within established limits
• Registration, travel, lodging, or other approved professional-development expenses
• Paid time to attend required or approved learning activities
• Access to professional memberships, publications, software, certifications, or learning platforms
• Coaching, mentoring, supervision, and opportunities to practice new skills

Learning opportunities should be available equitably across the organization. That does not mean every employee needs the same training. Different positions require different competencies, risks, credentials, and levels of responsibility.

Why run a training program?

Developing and maintaining a training program requires time and resources, but it can strengthen both employee performance and organizational effectiveness.

For new staff, training can:

• Help them understand how to perform important responsibilities safely and effectively
• Demonstrate that the organization is prepared to provide the information, tools, supervision, and support needed for the work
• Increase confidence by providing opportunities to learn, practice, ask questions, and receive feedback
• Help them understand the organization's methods, professional standards, and reasons for using particular approaches
• Establish shared terminology and expectations where those are necessary for communication and coordination
• Shorten the time required to develop competence in unfamiliar responsibilities
• Increase independence while also making clear when consultation, supervision, or additional help is appropriate
• Reduce preventable errors and strengthen safety, quality, accessibility, ethical practice, compliance, and organizational reliability

For experienced staff, continuing training can:

• Strengthen and update existing skills
• Introduce current research, evidence, technology, professional standards, policies, and other developments in the field
• Provide new challenges and opportunities for learning and reflection
• Expose staff to approaches and perspectives used by other practitioners, organizations, and communities
• Support professional growth and, where appropriate, career development and retention
• Help the organization continue learning, evaluating its own practices, and adapting when better approaches become available

Training is not a solution to every performance or organizational problem. A knowledge or skill gap may require training, but inadequate staffing, unclear responsibilities, inaccessible technology, poor supervision, unrealistic workload, weak processes, or lack of resources will not necessarily be fixed by another workshop. Part of planning a training program is determining when training is actually the appropriate response.

When should you run a training program?

Initial training should begin early enough that employees do not perform responsibilities for which they are not yet prepared. Some training may be required before independent work begins, particularly when safety, confidentiality, professional practice, technology access, or legal requirements are involved.

Continuing training should occur when there is a demonstrated need rather than according to one universal schedule. Relevant triggers may include:

• Changes in laws, regulations, professional standards, contracts, or funding requirements
• Changes in technology, cybersecurity risks, or information systems
• New programs, services, responsibilities, or organizational strategies
• Changes in evidence or accepted professional practice
• Performance or quality data showing a knowledge or skill gap
• Safety incidents, near misses, complaints, or other identified risks
• Employee requests and learning needs
• Community or participant feedback
• Credentialing or continuing-education requirements

Some organizations may include brief learning activities in staff meetings, while others may provide periodic workshops, online courses, coaching, simulations, or longer professional-development opportunities. Frequency should follow the need and purpose of the training, not an arbitrary monthly or annual quota.

When participation in professional development is expected, consider employees' access to paid time, registration costs, travel, technology, disability accommodations, language access, and other practical conditions. An expectation that employees personally fund required development can create inequitable access.

Who should be in charge of the training program?

Several different responsibilities need to be distinguished:

• Who identifies required competencies and training needs
• Who decides which training is required
• Who designs or selects the training
• Who delivers it
• Who coordinates scheduling, records, accessibility, technology, and logistics
• Who evaluates whether the training worked

One person may handle several of these responsibilities in a small organization. A larger organization may divide them among supervisors, human resources, learning-and-development staff, subject-matter experts, compliance or safety staff, and other departments.

Whatever the structure, someone should have clear responsibility for coordination. Without it, required training may be missed, materials may become outdated, records may be incomplete, and learning activities may become disconnected from organizational priorities.

Determining training priorities

Training priorities may be influenced by:

• Supervisors, program leaders, human-resources staff, or training coordinators
• Organizational policies, professional standards, licenses, grants, contracts, or legal requirements
• Individual employees or teams
• Staff-wide needs assessments or organizational reviews
• Program participants, community members, partners, or others whose experience can identify gaps in organizational practice
• Outside specialists, professional organizations, regulators, funders, or training providers

A combination of these sources often produces the strongest training plan.

Organizations with similar needs may also collaborate on training. Joint learning can reduce costs, bring together a wider range of expertise, and create useful relationships among practitioners. Topics such as conflict resolution, accessibility, community engagement, supervision, safety, technology, or trauma-informed practice may be relevant across organizations even when their missions differ.

Employee participation in training decisions is valuable because people doing the work often know where procedures are unclear, what situations are difficult, and which new skills would help. Their input should have a meaningful effect on the training plan.

At the same time, staff preference cannot be the only source of training priorities. Employees may not yet know about a new legal requirement, safety risk, evidence-based practice, community concern, or technology threat. Training should therefore combine employee input with organizational responsibilities and other evidence.

Conducting the training

Training may be delivered by:

• Supervisors or internal subject-matter experts
• Experienced staff members
• People with relevant lived or community experience
• Professional trainers or consultants
• Colleges, universities, professional associations, government agencies, or other organizations
• Online learning providers
• Mentors, coaches, or peer-learning groups

Choose trainers according to the subject, the learning objectives, required qualifications, and the credibility and accuracy of the material rather than assuming that the same person should deliver every topic.

Before using outside training, determine whether it is current, accessible, relevant to your context, and consistent with applicable law, professional standards, and organizational policy. Also clarify responsibility for accommodations, technology, records of completion, and confidentiality when appropriate.

How do you actually develop and run a training program?

Four broad areas remain useful:

• Planning
• Methods
• Logistics
• Evaluation and follow-up

Planning

Begin with a needs assessment.

Before developing training, determine what problem or opportunity you are trying to address and whether training is actually the right intervention.

A needs assessment may use:

• Employee and supervisor interviews or surveys
• Performance or quality data
• Community or participant feedback
• Program evaluation findings
• Incident or safety information
• New legal, regulatory, contractual, or professional requirements
• Changes in technology or organizational strategy
• Existing competency frameworks

If the underlying problem is lack of staffing, unclear policy, inaccessible systems, inadequate equipment, conflicting priorities, or poor supervision, address those causes rather than expecting training alone to solve them.

Involve staff members in planning.

Employees can identify situations they find difficult, skills they want to strengthen, topics that are unclear, and practices they believe deserve reconsideration. New staff can also identify areas in which they feel least prepared.

Participation should be meaningful. If staff repeatedly identify a training need, either address it or explain why another approach is being used.

Develop clear learning objectives.

State what participants should know or be able to do after the training. Useful objectives make it easier to select content, choose methods, determine what should be practiced, and evaluate whether the training worked.

For example, instead of "Employees will understand de-escalation," an objective might be: "After the training, employees will be able to identify the organization's three required steps for responding to an escalating interaction and demonstrate them in a realistic scenario."

Keep content accurate, current, and relevant.

Training should reflect the best available evidence and current policies or professional standards relevant to the work. Subject-matter experts should review technical content where appropriate, and organizations should establish a process for updating or retiring training when information changes.

Schedule training around actual needs.

Training should occur early enough for employees to apply it before they are expected to perform unfamiliar or high-risk responsibilities independently. For continuing staff, consider operational schedules, workloads, time zones, accessibility, caregiving responsibilities, travel, and other factors affecting participation.

Give adequate notice when possible and build in flexibility to address emerging issues that affect the work.

Remember that you're planning a program

A training program should have structure and purpose rather than becoming an unrelated series of presentations. It might be organized around a competency framework, annual priorities, a progression from introductory to advanced practice, regulatory requirements, or the major functions employees must perform.

It should also remain flexible enough to respond when conditions change. A new technology, public-health issue, safety concern, law, program challenge, or community need may require learning that was not anticipated when the annual plan was created.

Decide what areas your staff training should cover

Content will depend on the work, employees' roles, organizational responsibilities, and identified needs. Common areas may include:

• Job-specific knowledge and skills. The methods, procedures, systems, professional knowledge, and technical competencies employees need for their positions.
• Organization-specific practices. Program models, documentation systems, policies, protocols, technology, or other methods particular to the organization.
• Developments in the field. Current evidence, technology, professional standards, policies, laws, regulations, and emerging practices relevant to employees' responsibilities.
• Cross-cutting competencies. Depending on the work, these may include communication, conflict resolution, accessibility, cultural humility, trauma-informed practice, ethical boundaries, supervision, leadership, data security, privacy, documentation, or crisis-response procedures.
• Issues affecting the organization's work. Relevant community conditions, health or social issues, policy changes, funding changes, technology, public systems, or other developments that employees need to understand.
• Safety, legal, and compliance requirements. Training required because of the organization's activities, professional responsibilities, contracts, licenses, insurance, or applicable law.

Employees who already demonstrate a competency generally do not need introductory instruction in that skill unless a refresher, organization-specific procedure, or legal requirement makes it necessary. Training resources are better directed to actual gaps and changes in practice.

Determine how much training staff need, and when

There is no universal number of training hours appropriate to every employee.

• Initial training. Determine which competencies must be demonstrated before independent work begins and which can be developed gradually with supervision.
• Ongoing staff development. Determine what continuing learning is needed based on performance, changes in the work, employee goals, and organizational priorities.
• Professional development. Establish equitable opportunities for employees to deepen expertise, maintain credentials, prepare for new responsibilities, or pursue relevant career growth.

Some organizations use individual learning or professional-development plans. An employee and supervisor might identify competencies to strengthen, learning activities, available organizational support, and goals for applying what is learned.

Such plans may include courses, workshops, conferences, mentoring, peer learning, certifications, observation, reading, research, job shadowing, or stretch assignments. Review them periodically rather than treating the plan as a fixed annual contract.

Methods

Training methods should follow from the learning objectives, the content, the learners, and the work environment.

If employees must perform a skill, provide opportunities to see it demonstrated, practice it, receive feedback, and apply it in realistic circumstances. If the objective is primarily knowledge, reading, discussion, presentation, or another concise format may be sufficient.

Possible methods include:

• Facilitated discussion and peer learning
• Small-group problem solving and case analysis
• Video, digital presentations, interactive online learning, and other multimedia
• Individual problem solving or guided reflection
• Role plays, simulations, demonstrations, and scenario-based practice
• Written reflection, learning logs, or action planning
• Individual or group research
• Readings, job aids, reference guides, and searchable resources
• Presentations or lectures when they are an efficient way to convey the needed information
• Coaching, mentoring, observation, job shadowing, and supervised on-the-job practice

Avoid assigning people to fixed "visual," "auditory," "kinesthetic," "right-brain," "left-brain," or similar learning categories. People may have preferences, but the training method should be chosen because it fits the material and learning objective.

Using several complementary methods can still be useful. A policy training might combine a short explanation with a written reference and realistic case examples. A technical skill might combine demonstration, guided practice, feedback, and a job aid. The reason for using multiple formats is to strengthen understanding, accessibility, practice, and application -- not to match people to supposed fixed learning styles.

Provide opportunities for practice and feedback.

Feedback is especially valuable when employees are learning skills or applying judgment in complex situations.

Useful feedback should generally be:

• Specific rather than vague
• Focused on observable performance rather than personality
• Timely enough to inform the next attempt
• Respectful and proportionate to the learner's level of experience
• Actionable, with enough information for the employee to understand what to continue or change
• Connected with the learning objective or performance standard

Learners can also benefit from self-assessment and peer feedback when those methods are appropriate. Giving useful feedback can itself deepen understanding of a skill.

Video or audio recording can sometimes help employees analyze performance, but recording should be used only when appropriate and with clear procedures for consent, privacy, access, storage, and deletion.

Accessibility and learner engagement

Training should be designed so employees can participate meaningfully.

Consider:

• Accessible physical and virtual spaces
• Captions, transcripts, interpreters, alternative formats, or other accommodations when needed
• Clear language and understandable instructions
• Language access when employees need training in another language
• Technology access, bandwidth, equipment, and technical support
• Opportunities to ask questions and receive feedback
• Relevant examples reflecting the situations employees actually encounter
• Reasonable scheduling and breaks

Engagement does not require turning every training into a game. Use questions, exercises, discussion, scenarios, practice, or other interactive methods when they help employees process or apply the content.

Logistics

Good logistics remove unnecessary barriers so participants can focus on learning.

Location or platform. Training may occur at the workplace, another accessible facility, in the field, through a virtual platform, or through a blended format. Choose the setting according to the learning objective, privacy, safety, accessibility, technology, cost, and participant needs.

For in-person training, consider:

• Physical accessibility
• Seating and visibility
• Lighting and acoustics
• Temperature and ventilation
• Privacy and confidentiality
• Transportation and parking where relevant
• Restrooms and break space
• Food, water, and dietary needs when refreshments are provided

For virtual training, consider:

• Accessible platform features
• Captioning or interpretation
• Device and internet requirements
• Technical-support procedures
• Privacy and recording practices
• How employees will participate in practice, discussion, or assessment

Materials. Prepare materials early enough for accessibility review and participant use. Materials may include digital handouts, job aids, videos with captions, checklists, reference documents, simulations, case studies, presentation slides, equipment, or practice materials.

Keep materials current and easy to find after training. Employees are more likely to apply learning when they have access to concise reference tools at the moment they need them.

If training is open to partners or the public, communicate through channels used by the intended audience. Provide clear information about purpose, intended participants, accessibility, schedule, location or virtual access, registration, cost if any, and contact information.

Evaluation and follow-up

Training evaluation should be planned while the training itself is being designed rather than added only at the end.

Start by asking what you need to know. For example:

• Did employees gain the intended knowledge or skill?
• Can they demonstrate the competency?
• Are they applying what they learned on the job?
• What prevents them from applying it?
• Did the training contribute to the workplace result it was intended to improve?
• What should be changed before the training is offered again?

Possible evaluation methods include:

• Knowledge checks or assessments before and after training
• Demonstrations or observed practice
• Case exercises or simulations
• Participant feedback
• Follow-up surveys or interviews after employees have returned to work
• Supervisor observation
• Appropriate quality, safety, program, or performance measures
• Feedback from program participants, community members, or partners when they are in a position to observe the relevant change

Participant satisfaction can help you improve the learning experience, but satisfaction alone does not show whether learning occurred. Someone can enjoy a workshop without gaining the intended skill, or find difficult training uncomfortable while still learning a great deal.

Whenever practical, evaluate whether employees actually transfer the learning into their work after enough time has passed for them to use it.

Provide follow-up support.

Training is more likely to influence practice when employees have support after the formal learning activity. Follow-up might include:

• Supervisor coaching
• Peer consultation
• Refresher activities
• Job aids and reference tools
• Communities of practice
• Additional supervised practice
• Reminders or brief follow-up learning
• Opportunities to discuss problems encountered while applying the new skill

Also examine the workplace itself. An employee cannot apply a new procedure if supervisors discourage it, software does not support it, staffing is inadequate, policies conflict with it, or necessary equipment is unavailable. Evaluation should therefore consider both the employee's learning and the conditions that support or prevent its use.

Use evaluation findings to improve the training program. Update inaccurate or outdated material, change methods that are not working, address accessibility problems, revise learning objectives when necessary, and respond when organizational systems rather than employee knowledge are preventing effective performance.

In Summary

A good staff training program is an ongoing system for developing and maintaining the knowledge, skills, and judgment employees need to perform their work effectively. It may include initial job training, organization-specific learning, continuing staff development, and broader professional development.

Strong training begins with identifying an actual need and deciding whether training is the right response. It then establishes clear learning objectives, uses accurate and current content, chooses methods appropriate to the objective, provides accessible opportunities for learning and practice, and gives employees useful feedback and follow-up support.

Training should not be designed around fixed learning-style categories or assumptions about right-brain and left-brain learners. It should use methods that fit the content and provide employees with meaningful opportunities to understand, practice, apply, and revisit what they learn.

Evaluation should look beyond whether participants enjoyed the training. The central questions are whether they learned what they needed to learn, whether they can apply it in their work, whether the organization supports that application, and whether the training contributes to the results it was intended to improve.

Building a coherent training program requires time and resources, but it also creates an organization that is better able to learn from experience, respond to change, develop its staff, and continuously improve its work.

___You understand that staff training is learning directly related to the skills, knowledge, and strategies necessary to do a particular job.

___You know what is included in a training program.

• Training for new staff who have never done this particular work before.
• Training for new staff who are experienced in the work of the position.
• Staff development
• Professional development

___You understand that staff development is ongoing training for all staff.

___You understand that professional development is training to increase particular knowledge or to gain the next level of expertise in a position.

___ You understand why to run a training program for new staff.

• It shows them that the organization is serious about what it is.
• It makes them feel that the organization is supportive of them.
• Have proper training boosts their confidence.
• It enlists them as "regulars" in the organization.
• It shortens the time it takes them to become competent at their jobs.
• It reduces their need to ask other staff members for advice or information.
• It diminishes the chances that they'll make mistakes that cost the organization.

___You understand why to run a training program for veteran staff.

• It helps them to become continually more competent at what they do.
• It introduces them to the latest research and theory.
• It helps them to maintain interest in and enthusiasm for their work.
• It can expose them to other practitioners with different, and perhaps better, methods.
• It gives them one more reason to stay with the organization.
• It keeps the organization dynamic and healthy.

___You understand that training for new staff should be conducted as soon as possible after hiring, and ideally as part of new staff orientation.

___You understand that training for veteran staff should happen on a regular basis throughout the life of the organization.

___You understand the steps for developing and running a training program:

• Planning
• Methods
• Logistics
• Evaluation

Note: The examples that follow are from the experience of the editor of this section, and come from Lowell, Massachusetts, an old mill town with the mills long gone, a depressed economy, and a tremendously diverse population.

Example # 1: The Greater Lowell Mental Health Training Consortium (GLMHTC)

There were a number of mental health-related agencies in town, and a lot of mental health issues for them to deal with. Although there were individual working relationships across organizations, the organizations themselves each operated in its own orbit. There was no conflict, but no cooperation, either, and no incentive or structure for it.

Someone -- it's not clear who -- proposed that the group get together to talk about common training programs. We were all pretty small and poorly funded, and the training we did ranged from not very much down to none. So, that first meeting was pretty well attended -- not surprising, since most people will come to one meeting of almost anything.

More surprising was the fact that, through good leadership (and the fact that the leader had the time to devote to the project), the group stayed together. After doing a training needs assessment of the member agencies, it planned and held a variety of community-wide mental health training events. There were at least three or four, and all were well-attended. There was a reasonable fee for some of them, to make sure the group didn't lose money, and people got continuing education credits for attending.

The group went so far as to give itself a long-winded name, the Greater Lowell Mental Health Training Consortium, or GLMHTC. As a result, people working in the member agencies got to know one another better. GLMHTC published a directory of its 30 or so members, with a description of each organization's services. And it formed a working Board of Directors, which met monthly. It had fairly big plans.

As it happens, those plans never materialized. The group lasted for about three years, and then unraveled. Some of its work folded into institutes sponsored by the local university. But, in reality, jobs change and people move on; such is life. Any group like this one would have needed continued strong leadership to survive. That is hard to come by.

But I count this experience as a success, not a failure. It was good while it lasted, and it shows what can be done. Groups like this can happen if the need is strong enough and if the leadership is there. The power to create excellent community-wide training programs lies within ourselves, if we are motivated enough to utilize it.

Example #2: The Battered Women's Shelter

Our agency was involved in a lot of community outreach, and we also wanted to create more visibility for ourselves at the same time. How could we do this? Well, one way was to sponsor training programs that could attract a lot of people. But you had to have the right topic.

The right topic then in our community was domestic violence. There were incidents reported in the papers. Services for battered women in our region were just getting off the ground. In our community, though, we had no services at all. We thought we could help make them happen.

What we did was invite the organizers of a battered women's shelter in another community -- 25 miles away -- to come up and talk with us. They agreed. We publicized this event widely in the community, with the pitch that seating was limited for this important event; we asked for an R.S.V.P. from those wanting to attend, somewhat ironically, since hardly anyone had attended any of our training events before.

To our genuine surprise -- you could say shock -- we got about 100 replies. We could barely fit everyone in the room. The training event itself was a terrific success, but more than that, it prompted the development of an informal group to plan for a battered women's shelter in our own community. We learned that a well -planned training event can have impacts extending far beyond the training itself. Maybe that should sometimes be a goal.

This local group applied for a small grant to get a shelter up and running. The grant was awarded. Six months later, the shelter opened. It's been open now for more than 20 years, and at this point is one of the best-established social service agencies in the city. But it wouldn't have happened -- or at least it wouldn't have happened as easily or as soon -- without that initial training event.

Example #3: The Literacy Project's Staff Development Program

The Literacy Project (TLP) is a western Massachusetts adult literacy program that I worked in and directed for several years. It presents not a model to imitate, but rather a fairly typical example of the evolution of staff development in a small organization without a lot of money.

The Literacy Project really sponsored two strands of staff development. The organization had always allowed release time -- at the staff member's discretion -- for conferences, workshops, and other ongoing education and training. Later, as the organization's finances became healthier, TLP allowed each staff member a certain amount of funding and travel reimbursement for these ventures. That strand continued -- in later years, with some coordination -- throughout the life of the organization.

Internal staff development was always an issue for the organization, but, for the first few years, there was no real plan or schedule. Staff development offerings came as the need arose, or as a particular training opportunity became available. When the staff of 4 grew in one year to 13, and expanded to four widely separated sites, we realized that -- among many others -- the staff development issue was one that had to be addressed.

The director talked to each staff member individually about her priorities for training, and then made up a list that he circulated to everyone. At a weekly staff meeting, the staff decided on the areas they wanted to cover in the next three or four months. They also decided that staff development should be institutionalized: regular sessions would take place every other week, alternating with staff meetings.

It was left to the director to arrange and coordinate staff development. He envisioned it as staff members teaching one another, and, in fact, conducted the first few sessions himself, at staff request. Over time, people grew bored with the format, and less willing to take responsibility for preparing sessions. At that point, it became clear that the staff development program needed to be renegotiated.

The possibilities were expanded to include simple sharing of experience (not to be sneered at as a component of a staff development program, especially in an organization where staff members worked in four very distinct and different communities), and some multi-session activities on issues important to particular staff members. These included such topics as diversity, mediation, and learning and other disabilities.

The staff also experimented with a different staff development schedule, attempting to incorporate an hour of staff development activity into each weekly staff meeting. This quickly became an issue, because regular staff meeting concerns too often encroached on staff development time. A satisfactory staff development program continued to prove elusive.

Over time, some guidelines developed that moved our organization closer to the goal. Staff members decided to meet every other week without the director, in order to make sure that staff development time was just that. Several staff members collaborated with one another and with folks from other programs on participatory research projects, on the design of assessment tools, and on learner-generated curriculum. Individuals found intensive training in areas that interested them -- learning disabilities, for instance. A study circle, including the director as well as line staff, developed around learner issues and the participatory classroom.

Ultimately, the staff decided on a format similar to that of the writing groups that many of them conducted with learners. They decided on priorities for the next several months, and each took on some coordination responsibilities for a particular topic or session. Every other week, staff members met, discussed what they were doing, shared concerns, and presented papers, lessons, or activities they had agreed to prepare. Out of this grew many conference presentations and invitations from other groups, as well as significant amounts of curriculum and classroom activities.

All in all, the staff development program at TLP was never perfect, or even totally adequate to the needs of the people involved. It did, however, accomplish its real purposes, which were to expose all staff members to a range of different ideas; to make sure that everyone shared what they were doing in the classroom; to develop individuals' expertise in particular areas and their skills in working with learners; and to keep the program developing and changing in positive ways. In my last two years there, no fewer than six TLP staff members -- out of a teaching staff of eight -- were in demand as presenters and experts in the field.

Tool #1: A Sample Training Evaluation Survey

Please circle one number as a response for each question below.

1=Strongly Disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Neutral or Don't Know, 4=Agree, 5=Strongly Agree

 

1.	I found this training helpful	1	2	3	4	5
2.	I will use at least some of what I learned.	1	2	3	4	5
3.	I see how this training applies to my work.	1	2	3	4	5
4.	I understood the material well.	1	2	3	4	5
5.	I want to know more about this topic.	1	2	3	4	5
6.	I'd like more trainings like this.	1	2	3	4	5

 

Please explain what changes, if any, you might make in your work as a result of this training.

• What specific action will you take as a result of this training?
• What did you particularly like about this training?
• What would you have done differently?
• Are there related topics you'd like training in?

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.