CCP 03-10-2003 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Page Four . City of Arden Hills For example, if a larger number of candidates (e.g., 10-15) are selected after the initial screening, the City may wish to use essay questions, preliminary phone interviews, or other cost effective techniques to gather information that would help them make distinctions among candidates for inclusion in a pool of 4-6 semi-finalists or finalists. If the initial screening process narrowed the pool to a small group of highly qualified candidates, eliminating some or all of these steps and moving directly to "Finalist Assessment and Interviews" could save time and expense. Step Five: Finalist Assessment and Interviews. This step presumes the City has confidently narrowed the pool of candidates to a small, manageable number (no more than 4-6) well qualified final candidates. We propose three activities for this phase: I. Baekground Cheeks: MDA would conduct background and reference checks for the candidates remaining in the pool. The purpose ofthe background/reference checks wonld be to verify information about the finalists to ensure that they could compete as legitimate candidates for the position. The background checks would include verification of education, credit history, employment, salary, etc., and reference checks of the candidates' work habits, successes, and performance. . 2. Exeeutive Assessment. During this step, MDA would conduct in-depth executive assessments for the remaining candidates. MDA's objective in conducting candidate assessments is to gain as clear a picture of an individnal's strengths as is possible along several dimensions of executive leadership and management effectiveness. These typically include leadership style and strengths, problem-solving and decision-making effectiveness, achievement orientation and initiative, interpersonal style, planning and organizing, and personal adjustment and adaptability. These dimensions would be further focused and refined by the job description and required qualifications for the position. The assessment process MDA uses is based on a multi-method, multi-observer approach. That is, we ask individuals to participate in several different types of tests and exercises during their assessment process with us. These include tests of intellectual ability; personality and interest measures; a structured interview with a psychologist; and work simulation or "assessment center" exercises such as an in-basket, role-play, or case study. More specifically, the tests and exercises that comprise our assessment process are: Paper-and-Pencil Testing. A series of psychological and problem-solving tests that are standardized and well-validated. Personality and psychological tests are used to help understand an individual's traits and characteristics related to interpersonal, occupational, and managerial style; as well as an individual's motivational pattern and keys to job satisfaction. The intellectnal ability tests are measnres of logical problem solving and cover areas such as deductive and inductive logical reasoning, vocabulary, reasoning by analogy, etc. . Workstyle Interview. Secondly, information about an individual is gained through an interview conducted by an MDA psychologist with the candidate. The intcrview is behaviorally based and focused on past career achievements and background, and the candidate's experience, skills, and successes in the various dimensions related to occupational success. It is not a clinical interview.