3P1 Hiring Employees

• Recruiting, hiring, and orienting processes that result in staff and administrators who possess the required qualification, skills and values (3.C.6)
• Developing and meeting academic credentialing standards for faculty, including those in dual credit, contractual, and consortia programs (3.C.1, 3.C.2)
• Ensuring the institution has sufficient numbers of faculty to carry out both classroom and non-classroom programs and activities (3.C.1)
• Ensuring the acquisition of sufficient numbers of staff to provide student support services
• Tracking outcomes/measures utilizing appropriate tools

Recruiting, Hiring, and Orienting Processes that Result in Staff and Administrators Who Possess the Required Qualification, Skills, and Values (3.C.6) 

See Figure 3P1.1 and the Hiring Process description below.

Capture and Develop

Whether Southeast Tech is hiring for a new position or the replacement of a current position, the process begins by capturing the input from those sources working closest to the position itself. This includes the immediate supervisor and those employees directly linked to the new or replacement position.

During the input process, Southeast Tech reviews the specific credentials and skills required by other colleges or organizations with similar positions, as well as changes that have occurred in the field. Minimal criteria for all faculty and staff have been established and are required as follows:

Faculty:  Southeast Tech full-time faculty are required to meet the following criteria (3.C.2):

• Hold a degree appropriate to their field and/or appropriate work experience (3+ years) as determined by the Institute. (General Education instructors teaching transferable courses must have a master’s degree and 18 credits in the specific field.);
• Have three years of relevant work experience as determined by the Institute;
• Maintain instructor credentials as determined by the State of South Dakota (renewed every five years).
  • Contracted full-time faculty, mainly in health-related programs, must meet the requirements/qualifications in bullets one and two, but are not required to participate in state credentialing; however, these individuals must maintain any specific career-related licensing or credentialing requirements associated with their career field;
  • Part-time faculty, including Dual Credit part-time faculty, must meet the requirements/qualifications in the field they will be teaching as listed in bullets one and two, but are not required to participate in state credentialing.

Staff: Qualifications for staff differ according to position and are specified in each job description as identified through the input process.

The results of this input process are job descriptions that meet the needs of the Institute, accurately describe the positions and duties, and assure the Institute has determined the appropriate qualifications for all positions. Prior to submitting the new or updated job description to the Human Resources Department, the signature of the administrator in charge of the designated area is required to indicate that the job description has been reviewed and potentially revised.  The Human Resources Department also reviews the job description and assures that the requirements/qualifications meet the Institute’s expectations, and that the job description includes all the necessary requirements for posting (3.C.6).

Decide

The decision regarding the hiring of replacement positions where funding for the position has already been established generally occurs quickly and only requires the approval of the President and the immediate supervisor.  This allows for a quick response to the immediate need to fill a vacant position and assure that the Institute’s already established high quality of services and instruction is not impacted.  However, depending upon the needs and confines of the Institute, the President or the administrator overseeing the position can delay, remove, or request changes to the replacement position.    

A more formal process is required for the hiring of a new position.  The immediate supervisor must officially request the position, including information on position purpose, connection to Institutional goals, job requirements and responsibilities, expected outcomes, salary placement, impact on revenue and budget, etc.  The document is submitted to the Human Resources Department to assure all required information has been provided.  These requests are submitted as part of the Annual Planning (4P2) process and are included as part of the budget review. The Southeast Tech Administrative Team then meets to determine which positions will be brought to the Southeast Tech Council and Board for consideration and final approval. This allows for all positions to receive equal consideration and assures that the requests are prioritized according to Institutional strategic goals. It also provides the opportunity to combine or adjust requests prior to final submission and assure appropriate funding is included in the new budget. Those positions not moved forward in the budget can be submitted again for future consideration.

Once the request is approved by Southeast Tech’s Administrative Team, final approval is required by the President, Southeast Tech Council, and the Sioux Falls School Board as part of the Annual Planning process (4P 2 ). 

Deploy - Hiring

Throughout the hiring process, Southeast Tech’s Human Resource Department and the immediate supervisor work together to complete the hire.

Deployment follows a specified process with the following steps:

1. Recruitment and advertisement of the position: Coordinated by the Human Resources Department, the position is advertised in local, regional, and/or national media, depending upon the position.  The immediate supervisor and Human Resources Officer determine what method of advertisement will provide the best opportunity to find a successful candidate. Southeast Tech recruits faculty and staff through advertisements in local and regional newspapers, on the Sioux Falls School District and Southeast Tech websites, and through other appropriate venues such as district bulletin boards, job search websites, etc. Southeast Tech has also found that direct recruitment through business and industry contacts, Advisory Committee connections, professional organization memberships, and word-of-mouth significantly increases the opportunity for finding potential candidates.
2. Review of all applicants for required credentials, certifications, degrees and/or work experience: Southeast Tech’s Human Resources Department gathers and reviews all applications and records information regarding which applicants meet the requirements for the position and may be considered for interviews (3.C.2) (3.C.6).
3. Development of the interview panel: The immediate supervisor determines who will participate on the interview panel.  Besides the immediate supervisor, the interview panel may include one to three employees from within the area of the position and may include external stakeholder experts, as desired.
4. Determination of final applicants to be interviewed: The immediate supervisor and members of the interview panel review applications meeting the established requirements and determine which applicants to interview. Interviews are scheduled by the immediate supervisor or designee.
5. Development of interview questions: Interview questions are developed under the direction of the immediate supervisor with input from the interview panel and the Human Resources Department.
6. Interviews of the candidates: Candidates are interviewed by the interview panel. Southeast Tech has developed an interview rating sheet to guide the panel in determining the successful candidate and assure rating consistency among panel members. Southeast Tech’s focus on the student is a central tenant in the interview process for all hires. During this process, interview panels consider how each potential employee will blend with the culture of teaching, learning and student success at the Institute.  Southeast Tech places a strong emphasis on the ability of its faculty to be effective teachers, particularly for teaching the two-year technical student. Therefore, during the faculty interview process, Southeast Tech strives to find those individuals who not only know the technical aspects of a given field, but also have the ability to effectively communicate this information to others. Orientation to Southeast Tech also begins in the interview.  Each interviewee is given a Southeast Tech information sheet and a short overview of the Institute, including Southeast Tech’s mission, vision and values.
7. Final decision of the review panel: Once all interviews are completed, the interview panel ranks the candidates and determines which candidate will be offered the position. If the interview panel cannot determine a successful candidate, the immediate supervisor works with the Human Resources Department to determine the next step, which may include a second round of advertisements and interviews.
8. Reference and qualification checks, offering the position, and communication to all interviewees: Prior to hiring, the immediate supervisor, HR, or designee checks candidate references.  The Human Resources department and the immediate supervisor also review documentation of credentials to assure that the candidate meets the required qualifications. Should one of these requirements not be met, the immediate supervisor and the Human Resources Department determine what the next steps will be.  In some situations, Southeast Tech will hire such an applicant but will require that the new hire complete the required credentials/qualifications within a specified period of time in order to maintain employment (3.C.2) (3.C.6).
9. Acceptance of the person for the position: The immediate supervisor or the Human Resources Department contacts the successful candidate and offers the position.  If the candidate decides not to accept the position, the immediate supervisor, with input from the interview panel and the Human Resources Department, determines the next step, which may result in reopening the position or offering it to another candidate.  Fingerprinting and background checks are conducted upon acceptance.
10. Personnel Action Form (PAF): The immediate supervisor completes the Personnel Action Form (PAF) and submits the form to the Human Resources Department. This form provides the Human Resources Department with the necessary information to begin the onboarding process.
11. Communication to Interviewees and Applicants: The PAF also provides the Human Resources Department with the necessary information to communicate to the other interviewees and applicants that the position has been filled and thank them for considering Southeast Tech for employment.

Deploy – Onboarding

1. Prior to Arrival: In order to assure that onboarding of a new employee or an existing employee moving to another position is successful, Southeast Tech has developed a web-based onboarding process.  The immediate supervisor begins the process by completing the online onboarding form.  Based on the needs of the new employee and the job description and responsibilities, the immediate supervisor provides the required input to assure that appropriate actions by various departments are taken prior to the arrival of the new employee or the transition of the current employee. The online process requires the various departments to indicate when items have been completed.  This information is then made available to the immediate supervisor to assure that all prior arrival activities are completed on time.  These actions include:

• Human Resources Department (HR):  HR receives information required to assure that the new hire or change of position is appropriately entered into the Institute’s human resources software and includes employee start date, contract type, FTE level, salary placement step and lane, cost center charge out, etc.  HR then inputs this information prior to the employee beginning the position.  HR staff also prepare new employee materials (review of Southeast Tech’s mission, vision, values, accreditation, history, employee working agreements as applicable, etc.).     
• Business Office/Building Operations:  The employee’s physical location and need for office items such as a desk, chairs, office equipment, as well as building and room access, etc. are determined to assure that the physical location and building access is prepared in advance of the start date.
• Information Technology Department (IT):  IT receives information on employee hardware needs (computer, monitor, printer, etc.), software (Office, Publisher, program-related, administrative software (EX), document imaging, etc.), software access level (for security purposes), login requests, etc. This allows IT the necessary time to complete the technology needs of the employee and assure that all needs are met prior to arrival.
• Training/Mentoring:  The individuals responsible for the training/mentoring of the new employee hire are assigned and receive the necessary information regarding the position to provide time to prepare a new employee training guide specific to that position prior to arrival.

2. Arrival: To assure that the first days and weeks of employment are the most beneficial to the new employee or the employee in a new position, as well as the department or program area, the following onboarding activities take place.  The actual order of these activities varies depending upon the position, the date of initial employment, and the needs of the department or program.

• Human Resources Department: New employees or employees new to a position meet with HR to discuss the General Employee handbook, appropriate negotiated agreement, and to answer any questions the employee may have. HR covers the following topics and others as necessary to the position:
  •        A Welcome Letter from the President
  •        Southeast Tech’s mission, vision, and core values
  •        Southeast Tech’s organizational chart
  •        A campus map
  •        Key policies and regulations
  •        Employee benefit plan
  •        Employee Code of Conduct and Southeast Tech expectations
  •        Telephone listings and voice mail user guide
  •        Payroll and calendars
  •        Collective bargaining agreement or employment rider
  •        ID Badge
• Assigned Department or Program Area: New employees or employees new to a position meet with their immediate supervisor and/or the assigned trainer to begin the job-level orientation and training. Southeast Tech has established general training areas to be covered by all departments and programs; however, much of the training is specific to the job functions of the position.
• New Full-Time Faculty Orientation: New full-time faculty take a four credit, two-year, mentoring class taught by the Academic Administrative Team. This class includes discussions and presentations on AQIP, Southeast Tech history, mission, vision and values, teaching techniques, etc. Completion of the initial training program, with documentation in the Southeast Tech administrative software, indicates to both the immediate supervisor and the Human Resource department that the employee orientation process has been completed.
• New Part-Time Faculty Orientation: Part-time faculty have similar but shorter orientation sessions that are conducted before the beginning of each fall and spring semesters and involve part-time faculty, both new and returning. Individualized part-time faculty training is provided by the Academic Administrative Team.  Part-time faculty are given the opportunity to attend the new full-time faculty training if they choose to do so; however, they are not paid for the hours in training. Both new full-time and part-time faculty receive additional support and orientation from other faculty within their program area. Veteran faculty assist new instructors with course syllabi, lesson planning, course management techniques, Southeast Tech policies and procedures, etc. 
• New Staff Orientation: New staff are oriented through the immediate supervisor or assigned trainer. This orientation is completed through direct meetings with the immediate supervisor and/or trainer, shadowing experiences with other employees, and meetings with various Southeast Tech departments.  The training is based on the employee’s job description.  A checkoff system is used to assure that all training is completed.  The immediate supervisor sends the final checkoff to the Human Resource department to indicate that the orientation and training is complete. To assist with the orientation of new employees and maintain better consistency in services, Southeast Tech is improving documentation for individual work processes, especially regarding specific job duties.  Mentors/team leaders in each area also assist with orienting the new employee.  Additionally, employee handbooks and the website support orientation (3.C.6).

Southeast Tech has a current action plan to improve all new employee initial orientation and training through an “Introduction to Southeast Tech” course to be taken by all new employees beginning 2017-2018 (3R 1 ) (3.C.6).

Evaluate

Southeast Tech has piloted evaluations of the hiring and on-boarding processes to gain the perspective of new employees and their satisfaction with hiring, orientation and initial training.  As the Institute implements the “Introduction to Southeast Tech” course, the evaluation process will become more formalized.  

Publish and Communicate

New employees are introduced at monthly meetings and in-service days. A welcome and introduction email about the new employee is sent out to all employees.  Training materials are available for review by all employees on STInet, and additional information is available in negotiated agreements, also available on STInet.  Additional training and updates are provided as part of in-service and monthly campus meetings. 

Reflect 

Southeast Tech is developing surveys of the various users of the recruiting, hiring, and onboarding process to gather data regarding their experiences and determine ways to improve the process, including satisfaction surveys of new hires. The Human Resources department will gather the information and report findings to the users as well as the Administrative Team for consideration of future improvements.  Southeast Tech also uses completion timelines for each step of the process in order to find and remove barriers in the process.

Developing and Meeting Academic Credentialing Standards for Faculty, Including Those in Dual Credit, Contractual, and Consortia Programs (3.C.1, 3.C.2)

Southeast Tech uses the process described above to assure that the necessary initial academic credentialing is developed and met by all faculty, including part-time and dual credit. Part-time faculty must meet position requirements the same as full-time faculty.  Dual credit students take coursework within Southeast Tech’s regular course offerings, which are all taught by full-time and part-time faculty hired and trained through the methods described in the Recruiting, Hiring and Orientating section.  Southeast Tech recently piloted concurrent credit enrollment where the course was taught by a high school faculty member. Credentials of the high school instructor were required to meet the same minimal requirements of Southeast Tech’s full-time faculty and was verified by the Vice President of Academics (see 1P 4  for more information on how Southeast Tech assures quality within concurrent coursework).  Southeast Tech does not have contractual or consortia programs (3.C.1) (3.C.2). 

The South Dakota Department of Education’s Credential Board, comprised of two representatives from each of the four state technical institutes (one administrator and one faculty member) oversees the credentialing process, publishes statewide standards, and reviews the standards annually to ensure currency and accuracy.  The Board is the final authority for any credential disputes that cannot be resolved at the local level and therefore makes all final decisions regarding credential refusal, suspension, or revocation.

Southeast Tech’s Credential Committee oversees the internal process of assuring full-time faculty maintain their state requirements for continued credentialing.  An initial 2-year credential is granted by the state for all new faculty.  Renewal credentials occur every five years after the two-year credential.  All full-time faculty must have a current post-secondary credential stating the subject areas they are qualified to instruct. During the initial two-year credential, new faculty must complete specific training established for new faculty.  Once completed, each five-year renewal requires faculty to complete 150 hours of training, education or other experiences that has been approved by the Credential Committee. The Credential Committee maintains records of these hours and alerts faculty who have upcoming credential renewal dates.  Should a faculty member be in a position where there is a concern regarding a credential, the Committee alerts the immediate supervisor for follow-up.  Full-time faculty must maintain their credentials or are not allowed to continue as a full-time instructor.

Ensuring the Institution has Sufficient Numbers of Faculty to Carry Out Both Classroom and Non-Classroom Programs and Activities (3.C.1) AND Ensuring the Acquisition of Sufficient Numbers of Staff to Provide Student Support Services

The Southeast Tech Administrative Team uses Institutional data (including Institutional and program enrollment, retention and graduation rates, changes in required technology and learning within given programs, ratios of staff and faculty to students, etc.), and information gathered from department and program budget and planning meetings to assure the Institute has sufficient numbers of faculty and staff to provide for student academic and non-academic needs.  This information is gathered and presented as part of the Annual Planning process (4P 1 ) and is used to determine personnel needs and adjust personnel as necessary. At a minimum, Southeast Tech ensures that each program has at least one full-time faculty member overseeing and guiding the program (3.C.1).

Southeast Tech also recognizes the need to be prepared for personnel changes that occur due to retirements and departures. To better prepare for these job changes, Southeast Tech administration continually works with faculty and staff to determine what changes may be coming in the near or distant future so that the Institute can better meet these challenges. For example, Southeast Tech is expecting that within the next two to three years, a significant change in faculty, due to retirements, will take place. Southeast Tech is already preparing for this.

Sudden changes, such as long term illnesses, death, or employee terminations, create additional Institutional challenges. To meet these challenges, Southeast Tech relies on its stakeholders to help the Institute.

This has included:

• Hiring previous employees to fill positions temporarily;
• Reassigning job responsibilities and calling upon current employees to assist in other areas;
• Working with Advisory Committees to find outside resources to provide support;
• Hiring part-time assistance through temp agencies.

Tracking Outcomes/Measures Utilizing Appropriate Tools

Through 2012, Southeast Tech conducted an institutionally-developed Campus Climate Survey every other year. In order to provide the Institute with comparison data as well as set targets/benchmarks to national means, Southeast Tech switched to the Noel-Levitz Employee Satisfaction Survey in 2014, conducting the survey again in 2016.  (The Institute will continue to conduct the survey every other year.) 

The survey serves as Southeast Tech’s main measure of its recruitment, hiring and orienting practices.  Currently, the Institute is developing additional measures that more directly relate to satisfaction with the immediate recruiting, hiring and orienting processes; however, these measures are still in the development stage and are set for a Fall 2017 implementation.

The current measures used for recruitment, hiring, and orienting practices are (Noel-Levitz survey questions):

• The Institute Consistently Follows Clear Processes for Selecting New Employees (Table 3R1.1)
• The Institute Consistently Follows Clear Processes for Orienting and Training New Employees (Table 3R1.2)
• I am Paid Fairly for the Work I Do (Table 3R1.3)
• The Employee Benefits Available to Me are Valuable (Table 3R1.4)

Southeast Tech has chosen to set its Institutional target at the highest National Mean score of the 2014 and 2016 survey years.  The purpose of setting the target at this level is to provide the Institute with a target/benchmark that is meaningful and represents a significant achievement.

The tables in 3R1 reflect the 2014 and 2016 results for full-time employees.  In 2014, 56% of faculty and 46% of staff responded to the survey.  In 2016, 44% of faculty and 36% of staff responded.  While these participation percentages are solid, the Institute has set 50% of faculty and 50% of staff participation rates as its future target.