Concerns about the Admin Assistant Hiring Process
Jul 21, 2016 18:26:30 GMT -7
dorothykeeler likes this
Post by Admin on Jul 21, 2016 18:26:30 GMT -7
Administrator's Note: The following letter to the GLA Board by Regina Wunsch was recently published via the Glastonbury Landowners for Positive Change.
To the Board Members of the GLA
I am requesting that pertinent items regarding the hiring of a new administrative assistant that were omitted at the June board meeting be addressed at the July board meeting. (See attached Landowner Agenda Item Request Form)
1. Given that the GLA is offering $15/hr. (almost $17/hr. GLA cost) although only $12.50/hr. was budgeted, $15/hr. for the basic clerical work that is expected is high and the absence of an attached resume to justify the expense
A Who were the applicant’s previous employers?
B What was the last date of employment?
C Were references given—how many?
D Were any of the employers and references contacted? What was the feedback?
E Of all the skills listed on the resume, which ones does the GLA actually need for the job duties advertised?
2. As it is not standard practice to pay benefits to part time employees unless they are on a schedule
A What is the employees work schedule—days per week, hours per day?
B If sick pay is offered, what are the requirements: signed note by employee? Doctor’s note?
C If holiday pay is offered, the employee should be on a 5 day schedule as one does not pay holiday pay, if the employee is not scheduled to work on a given holiday.
D How will compliance with the schedule be monitored and therefore eligibility be handled? Who will be in charge?
3. As the applicant apparently has 5 children ages about 1/12 to 10 or 11 years of age and is homeschooling the school age children
A What are the child care arrangements that the applicant is committing to, to ensure that all hours billed to the GLA are hours solely dedicated to GLA work and do not include child care/ homeschooling interruptions?
B How will this be monitored and who on the board will be responsible for this?
C It should be clearly stated in the contract that leaving the children under the supervision of the eldest sibling does not meet the requirements of acceptable child care to avoid any misunderstandings. Has this been done?
4. As the GLA does not have an office and the employee is working at home with GLA equipment and supplies
A Has the board verified that the applicant has a dedicated home office that is separate from the family area and can be locked to ensure that the children do not have access to GLA equipment, supplies and other materials?
B It should be clearly stated that should any damage to GLA equipment occur, it may result in termination of the employee. Has this been done? Has this been done?
Montana law prohibits employees from paying for damages to company equipment regardless of the reason for the damage or if the employee offers payment himself. In the latter case it is the employer’s responsibility to inform the employee of the law and refuse the offer. According to Montana law the only options the employer has is to terminate the employee to avoid future damage or to keep paying for any future damage.
5. Training, Probationary Period and Oversight
80 hours of training for the basic duties required of this job are excessive by industry standards, especially as this is the second “round” and the job procedures should have been refined during the training period of the previous employee.
A Who has developed the training matrix and procedures for the tasks required for the administrative assistant position?
B What are the training benchmarks—skills to be achieved within a given specified timeframe?
C Is the training process being reviewed to see how it can be made more efficient and less costly?
D Who is overseeing the training process and monitoring the progress of the employee?
E How long is the probationary period?
F What is the review schedule for the probationary period? What skills are expected to be mastered at the time of each review? Who is doing the reviews?
G What skills must be achieved by the end of the probationary period to ensure employment?
H Who will the applicant be reporting to once the probationary period has been successfully completed? Who will be monitoring the job performance?
I What is the ongoing review schedule for the employee regarding job performance? Who will do the reviews?
J Has the applicant been informed that it is expected that she updates the procedures for all tasks required of her position, if they change?
The information under item#1 should be put into the employee file. Items #2-#5 should be included in the employment contract. Has this been done?
If I understood the board correctly, it was stated at the June board meeting that the board advertised the position with the Job Service and there was only one applicant. I would like to suggest you consider trying Craig’s List. We have not had much success finding skilled labor or professionals through the Job Service for about a year and have switched to only posting openings on Craig’s list this year. This has yielded not only a large number of applicants to choose from, but also very qualified ones.
Regina Wunsch SG 72
To the Board Members of the GLA
I am requesting that pertinent items regarding the hiring of a new administrative assistant that were omitted at the June board meeting be addressed at the July board meeting. (See attached Landowner Agenda Item Request Form)
1. Given that the GLA is offering $15/hr. (almost $17/hr. GLA cost) although only $12.50/hr. was budgeted, $15/hr. for the basic clerical work that is expected is high and the absence of an attached resume to justify the expense
A Who were the applicant’s previous employers?
B What was the last date of employment?
C Were references given—how many?
D Were any of the employers and references contacted? What was the feedback?
E Of all the skills listed on the resume, which ones does the GLA actually need for the job duties advertised?
2. As it is not standard practice to pay benefits to part time employees unless they are on a schedule
A What is the employees work schedule—days per week, hours per day?
B If sick pay is offered, what are the requirements: signed note by employee? Doctor’s note?
C If holiday pay is offered, the employee should be on a 5 day schedule as one does not pay holiday pay, if the employee is not scheduled to work on a given holiday.
D How will compliance with the schedule be monitored and therefore eligibility be handled? Who will be in charge?
3. As the applicant apparently has 5 children ages about 1/12 to 10 or 11 years of age and is homeschooling the school age children
A What are the child care arrangements that the applicant is committing to, to ensure that all hours billed to the GLA are hours solely dedicated to GLA work and do not include child care/ homeschooling interruptions?
B How will this be monitored and who on the board will be responsible for this?
C It should be clearly stated in the contract that leaving the children under the supervision of the eldest sibling does not meet the requirements of acceptable child care to avoid any misunderstandings. Has this been done?
4. As the GLA does not have an office and the employee is working at home with GLA equipment and supplies
A Has the board verified that the applicant has a dedicated home office that is separate from the family area and can be locked to ensure that the children do not have access to GLA equipment, supplies and other materials?
B It should be clearly stated that should any damage to GLA equipment occur, it may result in termination of the employee. Has this been done? Has this been done?
Montana law prohibits employees from paying for damages to company equipment regardless of the reason for the damage or if the employee offers payment himself. In the latter case it is the employer’s responsibility to inform the employee of the law and refuse the offer. According to Montana law the only options the employer has is to terminate the employee to avoid future damage or to keep paying for any future damage.
5. Training, Probationary Period and Oversight
80 hours of training for the basic duties required of this job are excessive by industry standards, especially as this is the second “round” and the job procedures should have been refined during the training period of the previous employee.
A Who has developed the training matrix and procedures for the tasks required for the administrative assistant position?
B What are the training benchmarks—skills to be achieved within a given specified timeframe?
C Is the training process being reviewed to see how it can be made more efficient and less costly?
D Who is overseeing the training process and monitoring the progress of the employee?
E How long is the probationary period?
F What is the review schedule for the probationary period? What skills are expected to be mastered at the time of each review? Who is doing the reviews?
G What skills must be achieved by the end of the probationary period to ensure employment?
H Who will the applicant be reporting to once the probationary period has been successfully completed? Who will be monitoring the job performance?
I What is the ongoing review schedule for the employee regarding job performance? Who will do the reviews?
J Has the applicant been informed that it is expected that she updates the procedures for all tasks required of her position, if they change?
The information under item#1 should be put into the employee file. Items #2-#5 should be included in the employment contract. Has this been done?
If I understood the board correctly, it was stated at the June board meeting that the board advertised the position with the Job Service and there was only one applicant. I would like to suggest you consider trying Craig’s List. We have not had much success finding skilled labor or professionals through the Job Service for about a year and have switched to only posting openings on Craig’s list this year. This has yielded not only a large number of applicants to choose from, but also very qualified ones.
Regina Wunsch SG 72