When a TVR program has a staff vacancy, it is best to fill it as soon as possible with the best possible person. This step includes information on recruiting, interviewing, and hiring staff.

Photo of a fictional job applicant and the interviewer sharing hands.

Prior to Recruiting for the Position

Here are several points to consider before advertising and recruiting for open agency positions:

Note if the position is considered part of the "key personnel" as identified in the Grant Award Notification (GAN). If it is, make contact with your RSA project officer about the position vacancy and their procedure and documentation needed for hiring approval. Whether or not the position is considered of the "key personnel," it should still be included in the grant proposal.
Meet or communicate with Human Resources (HR) to establish (or reestablish) a good working relationship.
Know the HR/personnel policies and procedures at your tribe. Do they do an internal search first? Is there a Native preference? Any other preferences?
Ask others to be a part of the hiring team. Consider including other TVR staff the new person will work closely with or those from other relevant departments.
Have a team conversation about the duties of the position and the required and preferred qualifications. Write a detailed job description based on the program’s needs. Make sure to refer back to the grant application for guidance on crafting the job description--most proposals include a proposed job description for each position.
Be thoughtful about where to advertise (e.g., tribal employment office or job board, tribal newsletter, local newspaper) to ensure you are reaching your target audience.

Recruitment and Interviewing

Here are several points to consider with the hiring team during the search:

Have a conversation about professional boundaries and confidentiality of the search.
Openly discuss personal relationships prior to interviewing/hiring – check on tribal policies/procedures regarding hiring of family members.
Develop interview questions focused on the required and preferred qualifications in the job description in order to provide an accurate assessment of fit. Make sure to include questions that focus on both “hard” skills (the technical part of the job) and “soft” skills (the personal qualities and social attributes related to the qualifications).

“Soft” skills to consider when writing interview questions, modified from "Top 10 qualities and responses to look for when interviewing a potential job candidate" from Universalclass.com, include:
- Effective communication skills
  - “Tell me about yourself.”
  - “Tell me why you feel you are a good candidate for this job.”
  - “Describe a time you had a problem with a supervisor and what you did to resolve it.”
- Positive attitude/Professionalism
  - “How does this position fit into your career plan?”
- Cooperation/Teamwork
  - “Tell me about a time when you completed a group project at your previous position.”
  - “When do you enjoy working in a group setting and when do you prefer to handle a project independently?”
  - “How would you draw upon your skills and experiences to collaboratively work with a diverse group of people?”
- Goal-Oriented
  - “Describe your short-term and long-term career goals.”
  - “How will this position meet your career goals?”
  - “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
- Flexibility
  - “Describe a situation in which you had to adjust to changes over which you had no control.”
- Dependability/Work Ethic
  - “How would you describe your work ethic?”
  - “Describe a situation in which you had to go beyond the ‘normal’ call of duty to get a job done.”
- Integrity
  - “Describe a time when your integrity was challenged at work. How did you handle it?”
  - “What would you do if an employer or colleague asked you to do something unethical?”
- Creativity
  - “Describe a time when you helped a recent project become faster, smarter, more efficient, or less expensive.”
- Organization
  - “Before you begin a new project, what steps do you take to get organized?”
  - “Describe how you organize and prioritize your workload, and how you insure the quality and accuracy of your work.”
  - “What steps have you taken (or would you take) when it appears a project will not make its deadline?”
- Intelligence, including Emotional Intelligence
  - “From everything you know about the Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation agency, share how you think you will be able to make a contribution.”
  - “What motivates you in your work?”
  - “What frustrates you in your work?”
  - “How will you continue to learn and grow in this position?”

Compile a list of questions and, if appropriate, run them by HR staff for their input.

Selecting Candidates for Interviews

Using the tribe's established processes, review applicant materials and select job candidates for interviews.

Make sure to ask the each candidate if they have any questions of the hiring team following the interview questions.

After the Interview Phase

Here are several points to consider once the interview phase is completed:

If possible, make the hiring a team decision.

Revisit the personal relationships and connections conversation, if needed, prior to a hiring decision.
Be sure to check the candidates' references. It is often helpful to have at least 2 members of the hiring team to be present during reference checks to ensure accuracy of information. Check in with HR about the necessary documentation for reference checks.
If the team does not feel there is enough information to make a hiring recommendation, conduct a second interview with the top candidates. Develop interview questions that will help you decide among them based on the required and preferred qualifications and the information gathered in the initial interviews.