USER S GUIDE. A Guide for Working with the PST System & Managing Continuous Eligibility Lists

Transcription

1 USER S GUIDE A Guide for Working with the PST System & Managing Continuous Eligibility Lists

2 1 Table of Contents General Information. Page 2 Acknowledgements... Page 2 Let s Get Started.. Page 3 Help, what do I do with these names from PST?... Page 5 What s an Oral Board?.. Page 8 I have all my test scores, now what? Page 10 But wait, what about Veterans Preference? Page 11 Now that I have the ranked list, what s next?.. Page 13 Can I Post the Eligibility List on the Agency s Website? Page 16 Do I have to hire the candidate ranked #1?. Page 17 Can I disqualify and remove applicants from the list? Page 19 Appeal Process Page 20 Role of Examiner during Appeals Process.. Page 21 Success! We hired a new employee. Am I done? Page 22 I m buried in paper, what can I toss? Page 22 Are there additional resources available? Yes!.. Page 23 What is PST Investigations?. Page 26 Can PST help us with promotional testing? Yes!. Page 27 Appendix Page 30 Authorization for Release of Information Interview Panel Orientation Guide Sample Oral Interview Question Scoring/Dimensions Sample Oral Interview Questions Veterans Scoring Criteria Status (Preference) Declaration Applicant Score and Ranking Letter Top Ranking Applicant Score Moving to Background Process Sample Agency Hiring Standard Sample Background Investigation Checklist Applicant Disqualification Letter Acknowledgement of Applicant s Request to Withdraw Model Civil Service Rule: Continuous Testing Model Civil Service Rule: Subscription Testing Services

3 General Information This manual has been written to give a general outline of using Public Safety Testing for pre-employment testing. It is not meant to be all inclusive or completely instructive. This should serve as a guideline that will assist you in working more efficiently and effectively with the PST System. Agencies should always observe employment best practices and their own policies and procedures when developing recruitment and selection systems. At a minimum, equal employment opportunity guidelines should form the basis for any sound employment selection process. This document has attempted to provide a logical bridge between PST and established Civil Service rules and regulations. Actual processes may vary by organization, however, they should be consistent with any state & federal regulations that may be applicable to your agency. Acknowledgements The initial version of this User s Manual was developed by Ms. Linda Swanson 1. We are grateful for her work and her contribution to this effort. This version of the manual was edited by Anne Compaan 2, who is employed at PST as part-time Executive Assistant. Our goal is that this manual is continually improved upon and revised to best serve our client agency representatives. To that end, we ask and encourage you to send in your suggestions and ideas for improvements, new topics, and updated procedures. Thanking you in advance! 1 Linda Swanson is an independent HR/Data Consultant. She retired the end of 2007 after 28 years with the City of Longview. As the Senior Human Resources Analyst and Civil Service Examiner/Secretary for the city, Linda specialized in personnel budgeting, benefits, labor negotiation data preparation and analysis, and public safety civil service exams and promotional testing. Following her retirement from the city, she partnered with the employment law attorneys of Summit Law Group to assist their clients with bargaining data for contract negotiations and arbitration exhibit preparation. She has further assisted Public Safety Testing with authoring a User s Guide, contracted with the Association of Washington Cities to assist smaller agencies in the state with human resources issues, and been a presenter at WAPELRA Fall Conference and AWC Labor Relations Institute. Her strong human resource background provides her with experience to work with human resource organizations to build strategic business partnerships with their internal customers. She is a consultant, an educator, and a coach, dedicated to transferring her expertise to her private, non-profit and government sector clients. 2 Anne Compaan retired in mid-2014 after a total of 30 years of public service at the City of Mill Creek and the City of Edmonds. She was HR Specialist at Mill Creek, where she also served as the Civil Service Secretary/Examiner. Anne has extensive experience in civil service procedures and has proctored many law enforcement oral board interviews. Prior to Mill Creek, she served as Executive Assistant to the Police Chief at Edmonds PD, and she also spent several years as a police officer in Southern California. Anne has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and joined PST in

4 Let s Get Started What should I do first? Welcome! You ve made the decision for Public Safety Testing to conduct your initial preemployment testing. Make sure you double check your agency rules and procedures. Your rules must allow for a third party to conduct your testing and you should have a provision that provides for establishment of continuous eligibility lists (See Appendix for examples of such rules). Many agencies have Civil Service rules or guidelines that specify how testing will be conducted and how eligibility lists will be established. Your agency s current practice may provide for conducting entry level testing to include written, physical agility and oral interview and with the scores from those elements establishing a single eligibility list. Your rules likely also require certification by the Civil Service Commission or an approving Board. Most eligibility lists expire either from the department exhausting it through the background process or one year from the date the list was certified. Many Civil Service rules also allow for an extension of the list, if it has not been exhausted, for an extended period time or until a new list can be developed. Continuous testing through PST is probably different than what you have done in the past. The ability to maintain a continuous list means you will always have the most up to date list of qualified applicants ready for consideration. As you continually receive names of interested applicants who have passed the written and physical agility tests with PST, you can then complete your final testing, list establishment and selection processes. Use of the continuous list means it will not expire and you will always have an active current list of candidates. Under continuous testing, the eligibility list itself never expires, only the names on the list expire (we ll explain in more detail later). As you establish and revise your new rules and procedures for maintaining a continuous eligibility list, it is important to make it clear to candidates how long they will remain on the list (one year from certification), and how often they are able to retest with your agency. Many candidates retest with PST in the hopes of bettering their scores to 3

5 change their ranking on eligibility lists. PST rules state that a candidate may not test for your agency more than once every six months. Additional documents to examine for possible conflicts with continuous lists and third party testing might include city municipal code, county code, state statute, or collective bargaining agreements. For most agencies the collective bargaining agreement will not be an issue as collective bargaining agreements, as a rule, do not address entry-level hiring, but it doesn t hurt to double check your contract articles addressing hiring or promotional opportunities just to make sure there are no limitations or conflicts. The following is an example of a section from the City of Mercer Island Civil Service Rules that describes continuous testing and eligibility lists (other rule examples included in Appendix): SECTION 7: CONTINUOUS TESTING A. The Secretary/Chief Examiner, following approval by the Commission, may establish any eligibility list for use by applicants tested through and certified for eligibility through this continuous testing process. B. Continuous testing shall mean a written examination or a standardized physical fitness/agility test conducted pursuant to set and commonly applied standards whose results shall be valid for a period of one calendar year from the date of certification to a Continuous Testing Initial Eligibility list. Continuous testing may, at the discretion of the Commission, be offered through the Secretary/Chief Examiner or pursuant to a subscription testing agreement. C. Entry level applicants certified pursuant to a continuous testing process shall be placed on a Continuous Testing Initial Eligibility list. Certification shall be in accordance with the rules and regulations of this Commission. D. Lateral applicants certified pursuant to a continuous testing process shall be placed on a Continuous Testing Initial Eligibility list. Certification shall be in accordance with the rules and regulations of this Commission. E. Applicants placed upon this eligibility list shall be subject to such other testing processes as the Commission shall direct, including but not limited to oral boards or any other testing process conducted by the Commission or by a subscriber. F. The names of candidates certified to this eligibility list shall remain on the list until either certified to a secondary hiring list following an oral board or other testing as established by the Commission, the expiration of one year from the date of testing or until the candidate has been hired by another public safety organization. Names may be removed upon written notification by the candidate, upon the written notification of another public safety employer or an entity providing subscription testing. 4

6 Help, what do I do with these names from PST? Once PST confirms scores, you will receive notification that you may have new scores available. See PST s How to Navigate the PST Website, which is available at and includes step-by-step instructions. The list will include the names of applicants who have indicated interest in your agency and have completed and passed the testing elements conducted by PST (written exam & physical ability test). First, check the information from PST to ensure demographic information for each candidate is complete. It is very important that you communicate with the candidates that you have received their test scores and give them information about what your next steps in the testing process are (i.e., oral board interviews). Many agencies use a form letter or for this purpose. If you have an estimate or actual date of pending oral boards, give them that information, too. You can also send any additional forms that your agency requires to be completed (i.e., agency application form, if you require copies of education transcripts if agencies have degree requirements, DD Form 214, and/or additional supplemental information). It is important to make this next step of your process easy (and very specific) for the candidate to ensure a response. This may be your first contact with the candidate and you want to make sure that they know your agency is interested in them as a potential hire. In today s age of electronic communication, is an appropriate, and may even be the most expedient way to communicate with the candidate. This is an excellent time, if you haven t already done so, to convert your agency application and any other documents you require for the hiring process to electronic documents so that they may be sent as attachments to your . The candidate can then be instructed to complete the documents by a specified date and them back to you. If your agency requires live signatures on documents you can annotate in the recruitment file and have candidates sign their forms when or if they are invited to the agency to participate further in the testing process. 5

7 A useful tool available for you to help screen applicants is the PST Personal History Statement (PHS). Candidates are asked by PST to complete their PHS with PST within one week after successfully testing with PST. The PHS is data rich and is available to you from PST at no additional cost. Many agencies use the PHS to further screen in/out applicants even prior to the oral board. You can view the PHS at In order to screen out applicants at this early stage based on the PHS, you need to be able to show that the decision to do so was based on some pre-published criteria or job requirement such as the candidate s admission in the PHS that he/she met one of your published automatic disqualifiers. This is a good reason to describe to the candidate, up front (and on the PST website), what your specific requirements are, including any automatic disqualifiers. Once a date for oral board interviews has been established, you will need to further communicate the date and outline any steps in that process to each individual invited for an interview. Setting up and scheduling interviews may be done by phone or you may also want to do that through electronic communication. Whether by phone or e- mail, document your phone calls and/or be sure to keep a return receipt or a read response by to clearly detail that the candidate was contacted. Many agencies have rules that allow for a disqualification if the candidate is non-responsive during any phase of the testing process. Keeping a written record of your attempts to contact the candidate will make it easier to record the disqualification should a candidate choose to appeal. The following is an example of a letter that could be sent as an attachment. It communicates further testing information and instructions for candidates. The enclosure documents noted in the letter could also be attached to the . 6

8 (DATE) (APPLICANT NAME/ADDRESS) Dear (NAME): Thank you for your interest in employment with (AGENCY), and congratulations on completing your testing with Public Safety Testing (PST). We have received notice of your successful completion of the written and physical ability testing process through PST, and we are now getting ready to schedule oral board interviews for (DATE(S)). We currently have _#_openings (OR NO OPENINGS) and are very interested in meeting you and having you continue in our testing and selection process. It is our hope that you will be able to come and interview with us so that we can get to know you better and you can learn more about us. What we need from you now are the following items. Please complete and return these items to me in the enclosed selfaddressed envelope on or before (DATE). (AGENCY) Application (enclosed with this letter) (OPTIONAL DEPENDING ON IF YOUR AGENCY POSITION REQUIRES A COLLEGE DEGREE) Proof of Education - please provide official or unofficial transcripts of college courses you have completed, or a copy of your college diploma; to reflect that you meet the (AGENCY S) minimum education requirement (WHATEVER THAT IS). (If you need to order transcripts please have them sent to: (CONTACT INFORMATION), and send a note with your application that they have been ordered.) Signed Authorization for Release of Information Form (enclosed with this letter) (AGENCY) Applicant Position Review (enclosed with this letter) If you have not completed your Personal History Statement (PHS) with PST, please do so as we will be accessing it through our PST website account in the near future. If applicable, Veterans Scoring Criteria Eligibility Declaration (enclosed) signed and returned with a copy of your DD214 When your application materials have been received, I will review them to make sure that you have met the minimum qualifications, (see attached applicable sections from the Civil Service Rules & Regulations or AGENCY REQUIREMENTS) and then call you to schedule an interview on (DATE). The interviews usually take approximately (TIME) minutes and are scheduled on a on a first-come first-served basis. If you have a conflict and cannot make either of these dates, please feel free to make a note on your application materials when you return them and I will see what I can do to accommodate your schedule. Thank you again for your interest in pursuing a career with the (AGENCY). I look forward to receiving your application materials and meeting you. If you have any questions about this letter, our department, or the selection process, please feel free to call me at (PHONE NUMBER) or send an to ( ADDRESS) Sincerely, Enclosures 7

9 What s an oral board? An oral board is the agency s opportunity to meet the candidate and conduct a structured interview. Each agency will need to determine how often it wants to conduct oral boards (i.e., monthly, quarterly, semiannually, etc.). This decision will most likely be influenced by one or more of the following: Department turnover - How often are you filling positions? Do you have a continuing need for candidates to fill several vacancies? If so, oral interviews scheduled more frequently ensures a continually refreshed list of ranked candidates ready to continue into the background process. Agency specific hiring needs - Do you have a grant or staffing emergency that requires additional staffing? Again, a refreshed current list may be desirable. Your ability to support testing processes - Are you the sole individual responsible for agency testing and assigned many other duties and responsibilities or are there sufficient staff resources to assist you in conducting the interviews monthly, quarterly, etc.? Availability of candidate pool provided by PST - Are you being flooded with names of applicants each time you receive names from PST or do you need to wait until you have 10, 25, 50 applicants? Some agencies may receive more candidate names from PST than can be effectively processed at one time. In this case a cut off score (or break point) may need to be established to determine which candidates move to oral boards (unless your rules specifically indicate so, you are NOT required to interview every candidate that meets your minimum qualifications). When deciding break points, to determine who gets an interview, make sure to interview all candidates that are tied at the break point. Ability to meet candidate processing timelines - What is your turnaround time for getting candidate applications and other required hiring documents back from candidates? Do you have time to process those forms before scheduling the next round of oral interviews? When selecting your oral interview panel, a good general rule to follow (and really a best practice in Human Resources), is to select an odd number of panel members (3 or 5 are good numbers). Be sure to select from a diverse mix of individuals. That mix might 8

10 include subject matter experts, ethnic and gender diversity, community members, department representatives, and individuals who understand your organizational values. You may have civil service rules that address the composition of the interview panel. Once your panel members are selected, make sure that they are oriented and trained adequately in the use of your questions and scoring matrix. You want to ensure that selection criterion is applied consistently, that raters know what responses are job relevant and how to objectively measure the responses given by candidates to the structured interview questions. The Appendix contains several documents that may be useful in conducting oral interviews and for use with oral interview panels. 9

11 I have all my test scores, Scoring Matrix for Determining Ranking now what? The scores you receive from PST will typically be for the written exam. Commonly (depends on your civil service rules), a candidate s total score for ranking on an eligibility list is made up of two parts written test and oral interview. Each agency will determine a numeric score and weight to apply to each of the test elements (written exam and oral interview). The physical agility test has no numeric value since it is a Pass only, therefore you will not apply a scoring weight to this element. The weight of each of the two elements can be determined by each agency depending upon the importance it desires to place on the various testing elements. For example, one agency may find that the oral interview process has more value in predicting a candidate s successful performance in the organization than the written test, therefore it weights the written test at 30% and the oral interview at 70%. Another agency may decide that it wants to weigh each of the elements equally giving a 50% weight to each. Your ultimate goal is to make sure that your scoring matrix is consistent, job relevant and applies points based on objective position criterion, and meets the needs of the department. For consistency in your testing process over time, it is important to state upfront, within your civil service rules or your hiring guidelines, how your test elements will be weighted and what the minimum passing score will be (i.e., minimum of 70% is passing). You will also need to determine if that minimum passing score will be applied to each individual testing element or will it be applied to the overall aggregate score. Once your oral boards are completed you can then develop a spreadsheet which applies your test element weights with the candidate s individual scores and establish the candidate rank order. 10

12 But wait, what about Veterans Preference? If you are a public agency in Washington State you should familiarize yourself with the state statute that gives qualified candidates an additional 10% or 5% (depending upon established criterion) to their total score to complete their ranking. The following RCW references are specific to Washington: , , and Agencies outside of Washington more than likely have similar rules that give veterans preference for public sector employment. The scores you receive from PST are raw test scores PST does not factor in any veteran points, so it is your responsibility to do so. Agencies should document clearly with signed statements from the candidates their desire to exercise their veteran s scoring criteria status (formerly veteran s preference) and require candidates to document eligibility with copies of DD214 forms. A sample veteran s preference declaration form is included in the appendix documents. Once veteran s scoring criteria is determined, the additional points need to be added to the spreadsheet for documented, qualified candidates and the list needs to be re-ranked. Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington (see link below) provides an excellent resource document for further research on this topic. Within that article is also a link to an Attorney General opinion about how the first appointment limitation has been interpreted. Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington Service.aspx (scroll down the page to the Veteran s Scoring Criteria Status section) Agencies in other states may have similar statutes outlining preferences that may need to be given to veterans. We encourage you to verify with appropriate state and federal agencies to confirm before your final ranking is completed. 11

13 Examples of Veteran s Scoring Criteria Status Scenarios Recently-Discharged Veterans Already on Eligibility List A recently discharged veteran that is on your eligibility list may be able to now claim veteran s scoring criteria status, which would result in a re-ranking of your list. Example: A candidate on active duty military is placed on your eligibility list following testing. Since they were not yet discharged (and did not possess a DD 214 or other form of discharge verification), no scoring criteria points were factored into his/her scores. The candidate is eventually discharged sometime prior to his/her expiration date on the ranked eligibility list and the veteran now qualifies for, and subsequently claims, veteran s scoring criteria. According to a state Veterans Outreach Recruiter 2, you should add the appropriate percentage and re-rank the eligibility list. This reranking should not impact any names already certified/forwarded to the hiring authority. See RCW (4). Percentage Added Until Veteran s First Appointment A veteran who has already gained his/her first appointment is no longer eligible to claim veteran s scoring criteria status in future appointments. Example: A candidate who was eligible for veteran s scoring criteria and was hired by another agency is now placed on your eligibility list following testing. According to a state Veterans Outreach Recruiter 2, once they gain their first appointment in a state, county or municipal government, or other political subdivision of the State of Washington, they are no longer eligible to claim veteran s scoring criteria status in future appointments 3. Note: In its AGO 1974 No. 22 dated October 30, 1974, the Attorney General concluded that RCW , as amended, does not permit the use of the veterans' preference in connection with an application by a veteran for covered public employment once the veteran has received the offer of a first appointment because of prior use of the preference. We believe this to be true regardless of whether such subsequent application for employment is for a position with the same state agency, municipal corporation or political subdivision as before, or one different from the public employer which offered the first appointment. As always, it is recommended that you consult your legal counsel as appropriate. Additional Resources Washington State also provides some resource documents regarding veteran s scoring criteria on their website at: andveteransoutreach.aspx 2 Mr. Tom Rawlings, WA State Department of Enterprise Services, tom.rawlings@des.wa.gov; phone: If you have an employee who is called to active military service, see RCW (3) regarding use of veteran s scoring criteria status until the first promotion only. 12

14 Now that I have the ranked list, what s next? Certification Your agency most likely will have a requirement that a board or commission certify the final ranking of eligible candidates. Once certified, those names can then be merged with any names remaining on your master continuous eligibility list. When you merge and combine your new list with an existing continuous list you will not be changing the rank order of any of the candidates that have already started through your background process. In some agencies, once a candidate is sent to the background investigation phase, they are placed on hold status until the candidate is (1) hired, or (2) removed from the list, or (3) passed over and returned to the master list until later expiration. Score and Ranking Notification After you have combined and merged names from your old list with your new current list, you can then notify the candidates of their final scores and ranking. You may want to also notify the remaining candidates on the master list of any ranking changes that may have occurred when the two lists were combined. The appendix contains examples of letters and notification to candidates of their ranking and instructions for the next steps in the selection process. An example of what an initial certified list might look like. 13

15 With additional oral interviews conducted on 2/22/2010, you would again have a list of names for your board/commission to certify. However, the candidate s ranking would be based on your merged or consolidated list of both the January and February lists. Also, remember that candidates that you have started into the background process are taken off the master list for the purposes of re-ranking. 14

16 Above is an example of what your revised merged Continuous Master Eligibility List might look like after consolidation of January and February lists and the three applicants who are in the background process are excluded. Notice the expiration of the candidate names on the list this list itself is dynamic and does not expire. 15

17 Can I Post the Eligibility List on the Agency s Website? Some agencies post their eligibility list some use just the candidate names and the date certified; other agencies assign a unique ID number to each candidate and post a list in ranked order that includes those ID numbers instead of names. Here is a link to an example of a list with ID numbers instead of names: 16

18 Selection Evaluation Do I have to hire the candidate ranked #1? When a department or agency has a vacancy and is ready to begin the selection process it should consult its civil service rules or agency guidelines to determine how many candidates may be forwarded to the department for consideration. Many agencies have what is called Rule of Three, or Rule of Five, etc. What this means is that the appointing authority may consider the top three or top five candidates (depending on what the rule states) for each position vacancy. Among those candidates, they may choose any one of the candidates they determine best fits the needs of the department. If you have more than one vacancy, remember that you can refer one more candidate name for each vacancy above the rule of (number). For example if you have two vacancies, and operate under rule of three, you refer four names to the department for consideration. That way when they hire for one of the positions there are still three names for consideration for the second vacancy. Each agency should establish its own order for conducting the final selection process. This order should be consistently followed for each new hire. There can be multiple elements and steps in the process but most will include a background investigation, Chief s interview, and medical examination. An example of a check list for the final selection process is included in the Appendix of this document for your use as a guide. The following is an example of some selection elements that you might include in your final selection process of candidates: 17

19 Pre-Offer of Employment - Personal history questionnaire and statement 3 Pre-job offer personality testing 4 Education & military records verification Reference contacts with appropriate signed release Comprehensive background investigation Chief s interview Post Offer of Employment Polygraph examination 5 Psychological evaluation with licensed psychologist Physical/medical exam with medical doctor Drug testing Required Polygraph Examination & Psychological Examination The State of Washington [RCW (19)] requires that candidates for law enforcement certification successfully pass a polygraph examination and psychological evaluation. This applies to fully commissioned peace officers (entry, lateral, chief, etc.) and fully commissioned reserve officers. 3 Many agencies review the Personal History Statement (PHS) early (e.g., pre-oral board) in their selection process to advance qualified candidates and disqualify unqualified candidates. The PST PHS is available to client agencies at no additional cost. 4 Personality testing is considered non-medical according to ADA standards and may be administered pre-job offer 5 Many agencies consider the polygraph examination non-medical ; therefore it may be administered pre-job offer. Check with your legal counsel as to how your jurisdiction views the polygraph (medical or non-medical). If non-medical, it may be administered pre-job offer; if medical, it must be administered post-job offer. 18

20 Can I disqualify and remove applicants from the list? Yes, there are several reasons why a candidate may need to be removed from your eligibility list (remember to check your civil service rules regarding provisions for removal from the list). Some of those reasons might include: Failure to respond at any step of the recruitment or selection process. Be diligent in documenting your attempts at contacting or trying to communicate with the candidate. You may need to produce such documentation at an appeal hearing. Twelve months have passed from the time they were placed on the list. Your list is continuous -- it does not expire; but the names on the list will expire 12 months after certification. An applicant may be hired by another agency and is no longer eligible or available. If a candidate notifies you they have been hired by another agency and you had no notice from Public Safety Testing to remove them, please relay that information on to PST. Agencies and applicants are asked to notify PST upon hire. Once notified, PST will then send out notification to other agencies that the candidate applied to so that they can remove the candidate s name from any eligibility or hiring lists. There may be times when there is a lag in notification or the candidate or agency fails to notify PST. An applicant may request to withdraw from the process or from your eligibility list for personal reasons. Again, document this request and if possible request a written verification from the applicant of their request. Or, send them a letter indicating your understanding of their request to withdraw. 19

21 The most likely reason a candidate would be disqualified is non-conformance with department hiring standards and failure to pass the background investigation. An example of agency hiring standards is included in the Appendix. You will want to make sure that the individual(s) responsible for conducting the background investigation documents thoroughly why the candidate is being disqualified. They should also be available to provide information and answer questions that your board or commission may have about the disqualification in case the candidate chooses to appeal the disqualification. Written notification should be sent to the disqualified candidate, and the notification should include information about their appeal rights as well. Documenting the applicant s removal from the eligibility list is always a good idea and can be done by letter to the applicant. Examples are given in the appendix. Appeal Process Although the agency CEO or designated appointing officer has ultimate hiring authority, many agencies provide an appeal process through their civil service commission or another board. This process provides the candidate with a neutral third party evaluation of the selection process. If an appeal process is available for applicants; the steps and procedures should be formally outlined in your rules and regulations or guidelines to make sure you have consistency in the process. When communicating the disqualification from the eligibility list to the candidate, each agency should determine the format and level of information to be disclosed. Some of the most common reasons for disqualification during the background process will come from disclosed drug use, poor work performance, disqualifying criminal history (arrests and/or convictions), or failure to disclose complete or pertinent information on the personal history statement or questionnaire that is later discovered during the background investigation. If you have an appeal process it would be appropriate at the time you notify the candidate of the disqualification to also give notice of his/her right to appeal the disqualification, the timeline for appealing and to whom he/she may appeal. 20

22 Role of Examiner During Appeals Process The civil service examiner has the responsibility to provide an unbiased factual review of the entire recruitment and testing process. Examiners should not have had any part in scoring a candidate; only in aggregating the scores from each phase of the hiring process. They will also have been responsible for review of the applicant s documents to make sure all requirements at each step of the process have been satisfied. Lastly, the examiner will have prepared the eligibility list for certification by the commission. During the appeal process, examiners facilitate dialog between the candidate and the commission. They will make sure that the department has followed consistent processes for conducting the background investigation and has documented the reasons the applicant has been disqualified. They will also document the appeals process, most likely through meeting minutes, to include the final decision by the commission/board and communicate the final decision to the applicant. 21

23 Success! We hired a new employee. Am I done? Just one final step. As you hire candidates from your list, please notify PST. NOTE: Remember to wait until the candidate has actually started on the job because, after you send this notification, this candidate s name will be removed from any other list they are on, and a separate notice will be sent to the other agencies to which this applicant applied). You can notify PST online of your new hire as follows: Log in to your PST account Search for the applicant by name View the applicant details Go to the Hire tab Enter the hire date and the start date Click on the Send Hire Notification button. Keep in mind that you will also need to go through your usual civil service process to remove this candidate from your list. I m buried in paper, what can I toss? Managing the Volume of Records & Documents As you receive scores and data from PST, complete oral interviews, process hard copies of applications and required applicant forms, you will soon discover the need to have a method of managing documents. Keeping applicant s information together in a file by rank order makes it easier to process as requests are made to send individuals through backgrounds. However, you may want to keep your documents in alphabetical order. It doesn t matter as long as you have a system that is manageable and easy for you and others that may have a need access to the information. Remember to consider how you organize electronic documents. You will have s, spreadsheets, documents and letters, so set up files and folders on your computer that help you find what you need. Having a good organizational file system set up will assist you in meeting your own agency s need for access and will also give you the ability to be compliant with state public record retention schedules by having the ability to re-create testing processes quickly if required due to a public records request, EEO complaint or other employment action. 22

24 Those of you in Washington State may want to review your references from the state archive office for retention schedules pertaining to public safety employment records. There are specific guidelines regarding how long to keep certain documents. Agencies in other states may also have state requirements for records retention that you may want to research. Are there additional resources available? Yes! PST s Website If you haven t already done so, take a look at PST s website You will notice under agency Listings that each agency testing with PST has a profile. You should regularly check this profile often to make sure that all of your department information is kept current. This would include making sure that your web links are active and don t lead potential applicants to a dead-end screen. This often happens when agencies make changes and upgrades to their websites, but links that are displayed on other websites, such as PST, are not updated to reflect changes. It is also helpful when posting information for hiring on your own websites to have a link to the PublicSafetyTesting.com website to guide candidates directly. This will assist with questions they may have about the testing process and how to apply. ListServe A ListServe is a communication tool where members with similar interests can share ideas, issues, problems, solutions, etc. PST has created a ListServe where interested members from subscribing agencies can voluntarily join (and leave at any time) and communicate amongst members when needed. This can be a valuable way to network with other agencies about their hiring and selection procedures and processes. It is easy to register and use and there is no additional cost to use this service: To sign up for the ListServe, please visit: o and complete the requested information. Your registration will be approved by a list administrator/moderator. To post issues, questions, etc. to the group of registered users, all you do is send an to pst@listserve.com. Only registered users will receive your message, and any replies will be sent to all registered users. 23

25 Annual Business Meeting The PST All-Agency Business Meeting is held once a year in multiple locations, and often in conjunction with the fall Washington State Civil Service Conference. This is an excellent resource and opportunity for meeting other examiners/civil service secretaries, commissioners, and others who conduct testing and manage eligibility lists. It serves as an excellent networking, information sharing and problem-solving forum. Recruiting Posters Strategically developed and placed recruiting posters are one tool to enhance your recruitment efforts. You provide the agency member model(s) and we do the rest photo shoot, set up, proof development and printing. 24

26 Polygraph Examinations We work with experienced, licensed and certified polygraph examiners offering preemployment examinations that meet all state hiring requirements. Psychological Evaluations We work with licensed psychologists with experience in pre-employment testing of law enforcement, corrections, firefighter, dispatcher and other public safety candidates. 25

27 What is PST Investigations? PST Investigations conducts objective, lawful and independent investigations for our clients. Our expertise is in pre-employment and administrative workplace investigations related to public agencies, such as state, county and local governments, fire districts, school districts, utility districts, correctional facilities, 911 dispatch centers and others. Background Investigations PST provides full-service background investigation services for all positions ranging from entry level to executive level. At PST, we have a team of respected and trained retired law enforcement officers with extensive experience in pre-employment background investigations, administrative workplace investigations, and state-of-the-art interview techniques. Our expertise covers a wide range of candidates, from entry-level to mid-manager, to chief executive positions. We have conducted background investigations on the following types of candidates: Police Officer Police Chief Firefighter Financial Manager 911 Dispatcher Operations Manager Corrections Officer Police Commander Fire Mechanic Battalion Chief Police Sergeant Assistant Chief Evidence Technician Deputy Chief Communications Manager IT Manager Records Manager City Manager Fire Chief Administrative/Workplace Investigations You may find yourself in a situation where, because of the nature of the issue you are dealing with, it would be beneficial to bring in an independent, unbiased investigation. PST has the experience and services to assist in these types of delicate and important investigations. 26

28 Can PST help us with promotional testing? Yes! Promotional Testing Services Selecting the supervisors and leaders of tomorrow will often do more to shape an agency than any other decision an executive makes. Our goal is to offer the best tools available, at an affordable cost, to help you identify the best candidates. We strive to deliver a process that is fair, objective, valid and defensible. 99% of the over 500 candidates that have participated in a PST process rated their experience as fair. We have a promotional process for nearly every budget and every position; from 2 to 24 candidates, from first line supervisor to executive, and for all public safety agencies. What follows is a high-level description of our commonly-asked-for options. Please contact us with your specific needs so we can customize and provide the ideal services that you require. The Best Components A. Job Simulations that are custom-made for the agency. To the candidate, these will have the look and feel of the circumstances that the position actually performs in the organization. 98% of the over 500 candidates that PST has tested has rated the job simulations as representative. B. A Written Job Knowledge Examination to measure the candidate s grasp of the body of knowledge that is required to be successful in the position. We have a semi-customized written test for Washington State Law Enforcement and Corrections Supervisors that includes your agency s critical policies. We can also build a completely customized test that is valid and defensible or can provide off-the-shelf tests that are valid on a national scale. C. Work Performance Rating: A PST-exclusive product that is a unique method to objectively incorporate the candidate s prior work performance into the promotional testing process. Clients who add this testing element give very high feedback. This is separate from our assessment center exercises and clients determine the weight of this testing component in the testing process. This one-day long process uses evidence provided by 27

29 documentation, and a facilitated discussion with all of the candidate s supervisors to place objective scores on these five performance dimensions: 1. Demonstrates Ethical Behavior 2. Demonstrates Agency s Mission & Values 3. Quality of Work 4. Quantity of Work 5. Demonstrates Leadership A weighting process determines the importance of the individual performance dimensions. All the supervisors contribute their scores and insights about each candidate. Clients often find that this process has collateral benefits of creating a positive and unifying perspective and is a positive experience for the leadership team. The Best Job Simulations Assessment Center Exercises PRICING Our most popular service is the Assessment Center that is often referred to as the gold standard of promotional. Candidates experience 4 or 5 job simulations that are custom built to fit the position and the agency. These are built on a foundation of a Job Task Analysis, the weighting of the 8 behavioral dimensions, and a 3 hour long workshop for candidates. The agency selects the assessors and we train them. We can help the agency find assessors and role players by querying the pool of nearly 500 assessors and role players who experienced a PST promotional process. The agency chooses job simulations from a menu of 20 options. These can be modified to fit the agency and new exercises are being added to the menu. The broad categories of exercises are Oral Presentations, Interactive Role Playing Scenarios, Critical Thinking & Decision Making, and Writing On test day, PST provides a turn-key operation by providing all the materials and will do the scoring on-site. At the end of the day, the client will receive a rank ordered list of candidates. Agency leaders will also participate in a debriefing by the assessors. The assessor s subjective recommendations and commendations about the candidates are sent to the agency shortly after the test. The agency receives an electronic copy of all the documents and files created for their project Our pricing is based on a formula that includes these questions: What is the base monthly salary for the position? How many candidates? How many exercises? 28

30 Discounts are applied when the agency uses PST for entry-level testing and/or PST conducted a promotional testing process in the last 12 months for your agency. Travel & per diem expenses are additional. PROMOTIONAL TESTING These events do not fit the rigid criteria of being called an assessment center. Agencies may choose one of these options because of budget concerns, the candidate pool is smaller or the agency is using additional testing components. The options are: A. The Multi-Component Test uses portions of three of our most popular job simulations and puts them into one hour long event for the candidate to experience. This process is appropriate for the smaller candidate pool where the goal is to rank order the candidates. B. The 2 or 3 job simulation process and this does not include many of the pre-test or post-test events in the assessment center package. The prices for these depends upon the number of candidates. When clients ask what is the ideal process? Our answer is: a. A Job Knowledge Written Test b. The Work Performance Rating c. Relevant Job Simulations We also offer other services that include additional candidate workshops, consulting services to help agencies build their own processes and on-line survey tools to help candidates identify their strengths and weaknesses, and it helps the agency better develop their potential leaders. For more information, including a detailed proposal, please contact PST. 29

31 Appendix Authorization for Release of Information Interview Panel Orientation Guide Oral Sample Oral Interview Question Scoring/Dimensions Sample Oral Interview Questions Veterans Scoring Criteria Status (Preference) Declaration Applicant Score and Ranking Letter Top Ranking Applicant Score Moving to Background Process Sample Agency Hiring Standards Sample Background Investigation Checklist Applicant Disqualification Letter Acknowledgement of Applicant s Request to Withdraw Model Civil Service Rule: Continuous Testing Model Civil Service Rule: Subscription Testing Services 30

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43 Veterans Scoring Criteria Status Declaration Applicant for Employment Veteran s Scoring Criteria Status Declaration (formerly Veteran s Preference) NAME DATE (please print) Last First MI RCW provides for veterans scoring criteria status to be added to the passing grade of certain veterans. RCW Veteran defined for certain purposes 1. I certify that: I have been released from active military service or I am in receipt of separation orders; AND I received an honorable discharge or discharge for medical reasons with an honorable record Yes No IF YOU ANSWERED NO TO ABOVE, STOP HERE AND SUBMIT THIS FORM 2. Have you been appointed to a position with a state, county or municipal government or other political subdivision of the State of Washington after you were eligible for veteran s points? Yes No If Yes : Job Title Employer Date appointed IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO ABOVE, STOP HERE AND SUBMIT THIS FORM 3. Scoring Criteria Status Claimed (check one if you are eligible): Ten percent (10%) to a veteran who served during a period of war or in an armed conflict as defined in RCW and does not receive military retirement. The percentage shall be added to the passing mark, grade, or rating of competitive examinations until the veteran s first appointment. The percentage shall not be utilized in promotional examinations. Five percent (5%) to a veteran who did not serve during a period of war or in an armed conflict as defined in RCW or is receiving military retirement. The percentage shall be added to the passing mark, grade, or rating of competitive examinations until the veteran s first appointment. The percentage shall not be utilized in promotional examinations. I certify that to the best of my knowledge I am entitled to the veteran s scoring criteria status as set forth in RCW , and that by falsely claiming veterans scoring criteria status I will be disqualified from employment with [agency name]. I also understand that, if employed, any misrepresentation of facts regarding my receiving veteran s scoring criteria status is sufficient cause for dismissal. Please sign below and attach a copy of your United States Department of Defense discharge document DD Form 214, National Guard Bureau Report of Separation & Service NGB Form 22, or other equivalent or successor discharge paperwork (DD Form 214WS Worksheet, USDVA Verification Letter, Statement of Military Service) that characterizes your service as honorable. Applicant Signature Rev 7/23/2017

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