WashingtonServiceCorps

10–WeekGuidetoSuccessfulRecruitmentDevelopingaPositionDescriptionMemberEligibilityRecruitments

BestRecruitmentPracticesFindingCandidates

AssessingaCandidateEnrollmentPaperwork

Recruit from a variety of different places including colleges, high schools, community service programs, youth corps, faith based organiza ons & volunteer agencies.

Share applica ons with other programs around the state, and refer applicants to other programs when your program is full.

Target applicants who are on a career path that is relevant to your program. Na onal service offers the opportunity for people with low skills to have a high degree of re-sponsibility.

Use current members and other program volunteers to iden fy and recruit poten al applicants from their friends, families and associates.

Do not accept applicants just to fill slots. It is be er to have empty slots than to accept unqualified or uncommi ed applicants. If possible, obtain a large pool of applicants and maintain a wai ng list.

Hire a staff that reflects the diversity of the members you want to recruit. Ensure that the people doing the recrui ng can relate culturally with the people they are recrui ng.

Develop a list of program benefits for the applicant as well as a list of challenges so applicants understand what all the aspects of the program are before they begin.

Consult your program coordinator as you consider candidates. If you have concerns, it’s for a legi mate reason. We will work with you to ensure you get the best possible candidate for your project .

ThecornerstoneofanysuccessfulAmeriCorpsprogramisrecruitment.

10–WeekGuidetoSuccessfulRecruitment

WashingtonServiceCorp

Week1 UpdateWSCwithPositionDescriptionpostingforamericorps.gov.Weeks3‐4 Distribute lyerstoplaceswhereyoufeelgoodrecruitswouldbe(volunteerfairs,

colleges,coffeeshops). Post the position in local newspapers&online. This can include your company

website,idealist,volunteermatch.org,craigslist.com,collegewebsites,partneringwebsites, county& city governmentwebsites. The announcementmust clearlydesignatethepositionasavolunteeropportunitywithstipend.

Week5 Developyouron‐siteorientationplan. Securespaceandequipmentformember. Increasenumberofpostingsifyou’vereceivedaninsuf icientresponse.Week6 ReviewallWSCpoliciesregardingtimecommitment,bene itsandlivingstipend

withallapplicants. MakesureinterviewcandidatesareU.S.citizensorauthorizedtoworkintheU.S.

andarewillingtocompleteallrequiredbackgroundchecks.Questionsregardingthisshouldbedirectedtoyourcoordinator.

Makeallcandidateawareofpositionexpectationsandresponsibilities.Week7 Developinterviewquestionsandprepinterviewteam. Scheduleinterviewswithdesiredcandidates.Week8 Checkandverifycandidatestworeferences.Ifyourcandidatedidn’tapplyusing

myamericorps.gov,maintainacopyofthesereferencesforthemember ile. Selectback‐upcandidate.Notifyapplicantsoftheirstatus.Week9 Notify yourWSCprogram coordinator via email, andprovide coordinatorwith

recruit’semail,phonenumberand irstandlastname. ConductbackgroundchecksonrecruitaccordingtoWSCprocedures,whichcan

befoundonourwebsite. Supportyourcandidatewithanyresourcestheymayneedtomakethetransition

(i.e.connectiontopovertyassistanceresourcessuchasSNAP,Section8housing).Week10 Havecandidateregisterthroughmyamericorps.gov. CompleteenrollmentpacketandsubmittoWSCbydeadline.

Things to consider when recrui ng...

AmeriCorpsEligibilityRequirements

Selected members should demonstrate the skills and commitment required to successfully serve

in the posi on. This includes a 40 hours per week schedule including 1,700 hours minimum

for a full- me term of service. Members must also meet the following criteria:

WritingAStrongRecruitmentListingPositiondescriptions are an essential part of both selecting andmanaging yourmembers. These written summaries ensure your applicants understand theirrolesandwhattheyneedtodotobeheldaccountable.Also,thedescriptionservesas a recruitment device. Potential members understandably want to know asmuchastheycanaboutwhatwillbeexpectedofthem,andthethiswillgoalongwaytowardansweringtheirquestions.OVERALL: Beaccurate,clearandconcise. Writeabouttheposition,notaboutanindividualintheposition. Coverall importantpoints,butkeep itbrief.This is thebiggest challenge in

writing an effective job description. Have a one‐ to two‐line overview, listminimum and preferred quali ications, and include a few details on whatmakesthisjobbetterthansimilarjobopenings.Alwayslistthequali icationsthatarenon‐negotiabletodiscourageunder‐quali iedapplicants.

Remember,thepurposeofyourlistingistorecruityourdreammember,notsell your organization. Clearly describe your position, rather than includinggenericinformationorjargonthatwon’tgrabapplicants'attention.

POSITIONOVERVIEW: Summarize the responsibilities of the position, starting with the essential

functions. Keepitbrief‐perhaps100wordsorfewer. Donot includerequirements in thesummary;place themunderknowledge,

skillsand/orabilities.FUNCTIONS/TASKS: Functionsaremajorareasofthepositionthataredistinctlydifferentfromone

another.Forexample,grantwritingvs.dataentry. Listthemindescendingorderofimportance.INCLUDEWSCMEMBERBENEFITS: Livingstipendof$1,195permonthprovidedbyWSC(beforetaxes). Trainingandexperience. SubsidizedchildcareprovidedbyGAPSolutionsInc.(ifquali ied). HealthInsurance(limitedonlytothememberandonlyiftheyhavenoother

healthinsurance). Studentloanforbearanceandinterestaccrualpayment(onqualifyingloans). $5,775educationawarduponsuccessful completionof service commitment

and1,700hoursofservicefromtheNationalServiceTrust.Alwaysincludeacontactname,address,phonenumberandemailforrequestingadditionalinformation.

WashingtonServiceCorps

BestPracticesforSuccessfulRecruitment

Startearly. UsethenationalAmeriCorpswebsite. Postannouncementonyourorganization’swebsite. Utilizesocialmedia. Useallyourresources‐announcepositioninnewslettersandblogs. UsesiteslikeCraigslistandIdealist. Sendrecruitmentnoticestoyourcommunitypartners. Considercurrentorpastvolunteers. Postwithhighereducationinstitutions. Reviewapplicationsquicklysoyoudon’trisklosinganinterested,quali ied

candidate. Contactyourselectedcandidatesimmediatelyandscheduleinterviews Becreativeandshowyourenthusiasm. Bestrongonfollow‐up.Remembercandidatesareinterviewingyoutoo! Mostcandidateswillapplytonumerousorganizations.Whenyouseeagood

candidate,takeactionquickly. Ensurethecandidatemeetstheservicerequirements.

LocatingCandidatesStrongrecruitmentstrategiesinvolveusingavarietyoftechniquesto indand

identifyviablecandidates.Herearesomewayto indfuturemembers:

WashingtonServiceCorps

Tips for AmeriCorps Web Outreach

List each posi on separately. There are about 75,000 lis ngs that applicants can choose from on the recruitment site. The more broadly you cast your lis ngs, the more likely it is that your posi on(s) will catch a qualified applicant’s eye.

Organize each posi on alphabe cally. When an applicant searches the AmeriCorps site, posi ons that match their search parameters come up in alphabe cal order. So, a posi on that starts with an “a” will be no ced before one that starts with an “m.”

Plan your search terms or keywords. The keywords sec on of the lis ng allows you to target your pos ng to a specific audience. In this case, you want to think like a poten al applicant. Iden fy search terms that your dream applicant might use: This might take some trial and error.

If a lis ng isn’t bringing you the results you want, change it. One of the Web’s greatest strengths is its flexibility. You can create as many or as few lis ngs as you need to, and you can change or delete them as you need.

AssessinganAmeriCorpsCandidateOnceyou’vedeterminedthatanapplicantmeetstheminimumrequirementsforservice(age,citizenshipstatus,andeducation),whatshouldyoulookfor?Experiencehasshownthatthemostsuccessfulmembershaveacommitmentto service, enthusiasm formaking a difference, lexibility, and an ability torespondwelltochallenges.Someofthemajortraitsyoushouldlookforare:

Motivation–WhyapplicantwantstoserveinAmeriCorps,reasonforjoining.

Commitment–Theapplicant'sknowledgeofprogramandabilitytocompletetermofservice.

Maturity– Skills and experience, social and cultural sensitivity,abilitytoadjust.

WSCRecruitmentProcess

Establishthatyourcandidatehasthesetraitsbylookingfor

certaincues.

Whenyoureceiveanapplication,theapplicantneedstomakecontactwithintendaysandsetupaninterview.ThisisanAmeriCorpsrequirement.Makeapoint to contact applicants as soon as possible so you don’t lose quali iedandinterestedcandidates.

Planonspendingat least30minutes interviewingeachWSCapplicant. It’simportant that the applicant feels informed about thenecessary skills andexpectations.

If you currently have aWSCmember serving at your site you can includethemintheprocess,eitherduringtheintervieworhelpingtheapplicanttounderstandAmeriCorps.

Iftheapplicantisintown,havetheminterviewatyoursite.Insomesitua‐tionsaphoneinterviewwillbenecessary.

If youareunsure about an applicantpool, contactus andwe’ll extend theannouncementdeadline.It’simportantthatyouare100%certainabouttheWSCmemberplacedatyoursite.

Sample Interview Ques ons

What interests you about this posi on?

Take a minute to think about your most significant professional achievement.

What was it about you that made this achievement possible?

Describe a me when you felt most inspired in your work. What contributed to that feeling?

What is your special talent or skill? What is something unique that you will bring to this

posi on?

How does this posi on fit into your career or educa on path?

WashingtonServiceCorps

Washington Service Corps has an of icial process for enrollingmembers intheirservice. SupervisorscanaccesstheenrollmentmaterialsontheWSCwebsiteontheenrollmentformspage.Enrollmentpaperworkmustbecompletedcorrectlyandreceivedina timelymanner formembers tobeginserviceon theselectedstartdate. Incompleteand/orincorrectenrollmentpacketswon’tbe processed until corrected. This may delay the member startdate.Interestedinlearningmoreabouttheenrollmentpacket?Visitourwebsite for packet instructions. There, youwill ind detailed in‐structions for each document and Criminal History BackgroundCheckguidance.Alsobe sure to contactyourWSCprogramcoordinator formoreinformationontherecruitmentandenrollmentprocess.

EnrollmentPaperwork

Lorraine Coots lcoots@esd.wa.gov

Sidra Fields sfields@esd.wa.gov

Julie Garitone jgaritone@esd.wa.gov

Tynisia Hanson thanson@esd.wa.gov

Erika Jenkins ejenkins@esd.wa.gov

Josh Proehl jproehl@esd.wa.gov

Dave Reid dreid@esd.wa.gov