31st International Symposium on Public Personnel Management

Quality candidate assessment can pose challenges for organizations. Mr. Amarasari continued,“There is only a coincidental correlation between the ability to deliver well in an interview and todeliver well on the job.” That number is about 14% or one in seven hires. In order to hire the rightcandidate, employers should assess the core requirements of the job and focus on behaviors aswell as skills and credentials.Options for assessment include conducting group interviews, using tests that are legallydefensible and predictive of success, using a wide variety of interviewing techniques andimportantly, communicating a realistic job preview before hiring.A good recruiter with a high emotional intelligence or “EQ” can often be beneficial in recruitinggood employees. Studies have shown that it is not the degrees or skill that predicts success but agood job match and that success hinges on the person’s “fit” with the job.Candidate onboarding plans are also an important step. Mr. Amarasari suggested that recentgraduates should be treated like experienced hires. There should be orientation goals, jobrotations, and structured training.Next Mr. Amarasari described the process of building talent. One of the benefits of buildingtalent is that it gives employers the opportunity to build the skills it needs. It also increasesemployee loyalty. Workforce planning is also important when building talent. Someorganizations target 80 percent of internal hires for leadership positions. This can also be a wayto reengage employees who are nearing retirement.Mr. Amarasari concluded with a discussion of retention strategies noting a recent survey showingthat most employees are not fully engaged in their jobs. A good employer will motivate theiremployees. Some retention strategies include focusing on workers’ needs such as flexibility,challenging work assignments, as well as competitive salaries and performance-based pay.The participants then divided into three groups and discussed the topic. The participants in groupone began with a discussion of why it is important to recruit, select and retain top talent in thepublic sector. The answer: Because at the end of the day we need an efficient, proactive andtransparent public service comparable to our private sector counterparts.In terms of recruitment, one organization uses scholarships to send new hires to a university. Thisis a desirable position and helps to attract top talent. Another organization engages in successionplanning where each of the top level jobs has two potential candidates identified to fill it and suchis the case down the line.Some challenges discussed include: poor public image, some public sector jobs are notchallenging, limited talent pool, budget constraints and political pressure as well as competitionwith the private sector, and headhunters targeting key employees.4