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Apri l 2013

Hiring Professional

Staff in Residence

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OACUHO!!

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Hiring Pro Staff

As the weather warms up and the students move out the job postings start to come in. From facilities to program-ming, this issue will give you some insight to what some

of the hiring managers are looking for.

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WESTERN UNIVERSITY Make sure your hiring processes get the attention they deserve. With full days and a never-ending “to do” list, there can be a tendency to rush the process of selecting and hiring new Housing professionals, especially if you think a po-tential candidate may get snapped up by another institu-tion. My advice … slow down! Consider the math. Hir-ing an RLC at an average salary (with full benefits) for a three-year contract, then providing an investment of your time in training along with a few learning /development opportunities, will cost you ¼ million dollars! Your hu-man capital warrants the same scrutiny you‟d give to $250,000 capital expenditures in renovations. For your institution‟s talent management, make sure you‟re hiring the best possible person equipped with the necessary competencies to do the job well. It‟s not only outcomes that warrant attention, but also an individual‟s style and approach. Remember … the soft skills are the hard skills to learn. Though she or he may be able to get the job done, is it a person who you, yourself, would like

to work alongside each day? Trust your intuition. It‟s usually not wrong. Certainly the old adage of past performance being a good indicator of future behaviour still holds true. Pay attention to values and watch for them during the selection proc-ess. Values influence attitudes which, in turn, influence behavior. Attitudes aren‟t easily changed and they can have a significant impact on a team. The applicant‟s val-ues need to align with your own department‟s values and culture; otherwise, it won‟t be a good fit for either of you. In selecting new residence life professionals, keep in mind that being a stellar RA or Don doesn‟t necessarily equate to being an excellent RLC. It might … but the job requirements, skills and abilities may be quite different. Think through the strengths (and possibly weak areas) of other members of your team, and seek to build both bench strength and breadth of experience and skills. Lastly, consider your longer-term residence system goals. Trust me, a good hire pays dividends over the long run as you build a strong, capable team one person at a time.

Peggy Wakabayashi Director of Residences

WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY

Hiring is one of the most crucial functions that a manager will perform in the course of their duties in any industry, I would argue that the importance of the right hire is even more crucial when full time, live in, residence life staff are involved. I have spent the last 15 springs recruiting, inter-viewing and hiring for those exact positions and I have learned a few lessons along the way. The Laurier resi-dence life program has benefited from my successes in this area but by the same token has been set back by hir-ing the wrong person at the wrong time on a few occa-sions. For me, the most important aspect of hiring this particular person is to find the candidate that is a fit with the particu-lar culture on campus. Laurier is a unique place, as all post secondary campuses are, the ability to fill a vacancy with the right personality to compliment the culture is cru-cial to the success of the candidate and the program long term. There are dozens of qualified candidates available each cycle but that does not mean they are all predis-posed to be successful on any particular campus, fit has always been the most crucial element for Laurier. Evaluating a candidate‟s ability to fit into and more impor-tantly compliment the campus culture has been a learning

process for me. The interview process has evolved into a carousel of stations with unique activities for the candi-date at each one. For me the most critical aspect of the process is the one on one interview with the candidate where I try to get to know them on a personal level. I really want to get a feel for their personality; their back-ground and hobbies; I want to know what makes them tick. If I have done it right I will have an understanding of their ability to adapt and compliment the culture, their fit with the current team and what unique qualities they can bring to Laurier. The interview process is crucial because this person is not only being evaluated to work at the institution but to live here as well, they must be willing to engage the com-munity on multiple levels in every way. I am looking for someone who will be successful in that context, someone who can‟t wait to open their apartment door in the morn-ing to start their day engaging students in their commu-nity, even after a long night on call or attending residence programs. So much is predicated on the right person to lead the community and the interview process is crucial to finding the right fit. Chris Dodd Director, Residence

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McMASTER UNIVERSITY

A Team Approach Team decisions are the backbone of the Residence Life Office at McMaster, so it is no surprise that McMaster uses a collaborative approach to recruit, select, and ori-ent new Professional staff members to our office. Four guiding principles are used to ensure the best deci-sions are made: Team Involvement, Team Evaluation, Team Deliberation, and Team Recommendation. These principles help to ensure that a fair and consistent proc-ess is experienced by applicants. It also ensures the val-ues of the office and department are upheld while reflect-ing them to those wanting to join us in completing the im-portant work we do with students. To uphold these four principles, members of the management team take part in all step of the hiring process, aside from reference checks. A hiring team at McMaster is always comprised of the Residence Life Management Team, Residence Life Stu-dent Staff, and a member of our Inter Residence Council. However, the definition of team also extends to a wide range of other individuals from across the institution who we work closely with to enhance student success. Profes-sional staff that have recently assisted with hiring have come from our Student Wellness Centre, Student Suc-cess Centre, Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, and Security Services. As a result, the inter-view panel is made up of a diverse group of professional and student staff providing a variety of perspectives and a strong assessment of the candidate‟s overall perform-ance. Each member of the interview process evaluates all candidates on a set of clear criteria and has the oppor-tunity to offer comments, observations, or questions dur-ing a team deliberation. After a review of the candidate‟s complete performance through all segments of the selec-tion process a recommended order of ranking is estab-lished collaboratively. The Residence Life Coordinator proceeds with specific reference checks and offers of em-ployment.

A $200,000 Investment in Student Money What are the things you need to know in order to confi-dently make a $200,000 investment of student money? Although it may not sound like a typical way to think about a hiring decision in essence hiring a new full time professional staff member comes down to making a deci-sion that is going to be a huge investment of student money. Therefore, it is vital to know that the decision that is made is worth the investment for both the students of today and the students of future years. Beyond Qualifications – Hire for Attitude, Train for Skill Before this investment is made, it is vital to gain as much perspective on both a candidate‟s specific qualifications as well as who each candidate is as a person. Although „what‟ someone has done is important, it is often „why‟ and „how‟ something is completed that is more important in hiring decisions. Finally, the team at McMaster also approaches each interview as an opportunity to gather new ideas and strategies to strengthen our approach to enhancing the student experience. Every selection proc-ess is viewed as an opportunity for personal and profes-sional development. There are many factors that come into play, when hiring a

new professional. A good hiring process comes down to

identifying your institutional values, precise planning, in-

viting others to help inform the best decision, and team

trust. While the first three factors can be expedited the

last factor needs to be established and maintained con-

stantly over the years. . Our approach is only possible

due to the trust that each team member has in each other

and the confidence that is shared between all members

of our group to select, orient, coach, and support the work

we do together each and every day.

Kevin Beatty

Residence Life Coordinator

TRENT UNIVERSITY

Experience matters...but does a specific type of experi-ence matter more? Some of the best and most experi-enced residence life staff will apply for your open profes-sional position. How can you tell if their experience will be the right fit for your institution? From my experience, one aspect I‟ve notice is that residence life staff coming from one system of conduct to a very different type of system of conduct (educational sanctions to a fine-based system

for example) may be challenged in their first year to adapt to that model when there are so many other variables/transitions at play. Despite a significant amount of experi-ence, if there isn‟t overlap in the models or the ability to adapt one‟s experience, during stressful times the incum-bent may revert back to their own experience or prior model. Laura Storey Director, Housing

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UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO

“Hire good people.”

This is one of the first, best, and most thought provoking pieces of advice I‟ve ever received on the topic of re-cruitment and hiring. When I heard it I remember think-ing, “Of course. That seems like a simple enough objec-tive; that‟s what I‟m trying to do. But… how do I achieve it? And what does „good‟ mean?”

For Housing professionals a sizeable, sometimes over-whelming amount of time is set aside each year for hir-ing processes. The staff numbers, additional time, and resources required to complete these tasks are signifi-cant, requiring lots of planning and balance with our other day-to-day operational obligations. Automatic email replies – Subject line: “In Staff Interviews – will re-spond a.s.a.p.”- are a common refrain in our depart-ments throughout the winter and into the early spring. There are long hours, stressors and pressure to make the best possible decisions. Suffice it to say that much is invested in to these very important processes of our pro-grams‟ life cycles.

I have been asked to share my personal experience, considerations, and lessons learned, specifically as they relate to professional staff hiring, and I will endeavor to do just (and only) that. I appreciate the limited scope since the potential number of hiring theories, best prac-tices, processes, experiences and opinions are as nu-merous and as varied as the number of hiring managers – and sadly I was never very good at Finite math. Simply put: every hiring manager has their own style and every program has its own hiring methods.

So, here are just a few observations and lessons I‟ve learned through my own experiences as a hiring man-ager that you are welcome to share with those consider-ing next-step opportunities or who are new to profes-sional staff hiring processes:

1) Being prepared.

Find out what they‟re about. Beyond what is written in the job description, how much do you know about the position, team, and department you are applying to? How are they structured? What do they value? What are their objectives and priorities for the year ahead; what about the next 5-10 years? How does the position you‟re applying for fit in to that bigger picture? Researching the position and taking the time to find out about your poten-tial employer will provide broader context for the job, give you an idea of how well you might complement the

program, and help develop a question set to bring in to the process for those areas you remain unsure about.

2) Authenticity.

Your responses should be well-rounded, demonstrate reflection, learning and knowledge application, and pre-sent a strong sense of self. What do I mean? Be as hon-est, open and clear about your growth areas and failures as you are about your strengths and accomplishments. This can be a challenging thing to do, but it is often an indication of self-confidence and integrity. Authenticity in your responses will help you to connect and can shape the typical back and forth interview scheme into a more valuable, informative, and relationship building dialogue between you and the hiring manager.

3) The interview environment.

As a hiring manager I believe there is (or ought to be) as much pressure to be a good interviewer as there is pres-sure on the candidate to give a good interview. It has been important for me to remember that, while I am in the position to make an employment offer, the candidate has a choice of whether or not to accept it. The truth is that we are both being interviewed. As a candidate strive to be conscious of this truth and critically reflect on whether the position, team, and program you are apply-ing to will offer the experiences and challenges you are looking for long term. The question set you developed in your preparations will be helpful here.

Staff hiring decisions are some of the most important and impactful decisions an organization can make. For me, “hire good people” has come to mean making hiring decisions based on two considerations: recruiting candi-dates with the skill set and performance characteristics that best match my program‟s mission and priorities; and ensuring that the successful applicant will have the op-portunity to regularly be challenged and to build on their professional knowledge in their new role. As a candidate, your preparation, understanding of the

position and program, ability to articulate your experi-

ences, qualities and learning both clearly and concisely

will all go a long way to helping you make a good im-

pression and ensure that the hiring manager has as

much information as possible to make an informed decision

on your candidacy.

Alex Piticco

Director, Student Development and Residence Life

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ENOP Network withwith

ENOP Network tweet-chat #5 recap

The next ENOP Network tweet-chat will be on Tues. Jan 15th from 12pm-1pm EST. The topic will be on common

learning and challenges experienced in the first couple of years in professional housing roles, and how mid- and

upper-level professionals assist/support them. The preparation document and questions will be made available by

Tues. Jan 8th. Hope you‟ll join us in the new year for more engaging discussions! On Tuesday, April 16th, the fifth

tweet-chat for the Engaging New OACUHO Professionals (ENOP) Network was held, this time on the topic of

“Transitional Documents: Sharing knowledge and lessons learned”. (View report here.) Four contributors joined for

this edition of the chat, discussing kinds of transition and end-of-year reports they had and their uses. Transition

documents are an exercise that both student staff and professionals can engage in, capturing the work from the

year, reporting on progress, and reflecting on improvements and future directions. These can be helpful for people

assuming new roles, as well as reporting externally.

The next ENOP tweet-chat will be on Tuesday, April 30th, regarding how to make the most of your OACUHO con-

ference experience. Contributors will be invited to share questions and advice about optimizing their learning and

networking effectively at a professional conference. Conference presenters will also be welcome to preview their

upcoming sessions. The recap report from the April 30th tweet-chat will be included in the OACUHO Spring Confer-

ence edition of the Pulse! Hope to see/meet many of you at the OACUHO Spring Conference in May at Queen‟s

University! In the meantime, folks are welcome to add their information to the ENOP members‟ document and join

the Facebook group.

Dan Cantiller

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OACUHO’s Living Learning

Communities Network

Are you interested in Living Learning Communities?

Interested in seeking out professional development

resources and opportunities related to Living Learning

Communities?

Living Learning Communities have been, and continue to be a

developing component within residence education programming. Through facilitating an online space for best practices dialogue, social

media engagement, and professional development

opportunities, OACUHO’s Living Learning Communities network is a

fantastic way for members to engage colleagues across the

region in exploring best practices within Living Learning Communi-

ties, share resources and discover new professional development

opportunities.

Find us on Facebook

Join the listserv: Email Shari Walsh (shari.walsh@humber.ca)

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