Recruitment and Selection in the Public and Nonprofi t Sectors 181
needs of the organization. The organization must determine its immediate
objectives and future direction, and it must forecast its employment needs
to align them with the organization ’ s strategies.
To fi ll positions, agencies have a variety of options. They can recruit new
employees, promote or transfer incumbent employees who possess the skills
necessary for the vacant positions, or provide training or educational support
to lower - level or paraprofessional employees in anticipation of future needs.
The recruitment and selection of qualifi ed and competent employees
is critical for public and nonprofi t agencies because mission - driven agen-
cies are dependent on their staffs. It is people who deliver the programs
and services that public and nonprofi t stakeholders expect; therefore, plan-
ning for and selecting qualifi ed and competent employees must be done
with strategic purpose.
Vacancies arise when employees are promoted or transferred to dif-
ferent positions within the agency or when people retire or leave to seek
employment elsewhere. Some departments or agencies may expand into
new service or program areas, requiring additional staff. Recruitment is
an ongoing process in most organizations; however, often it is not planned
and therefore is less successful than it could be. For recruitment to be suc-
cessful, planning is essential. Recruitment efforts must be consistent with
the agency ’ s mission. Employers must understand how to determine the
job requirements and where to seek and how to screen applicants so that
qualifi ed and competent individuals are selected.
This chapter discusses internal and external recruitment, applicant
screening, selection methods, preemployment testing under the Americans
with Disabilities Act, and executive and managerial recruitment and selec-
tion. An explanation of employment - test - related measurement terms is
also provided.
Recruitment
As noted in Chapter Two, recruitment must be tied to the organization ’ s
mission, and attempts should be made to anticipate the agency ’ s future per-
sonnel needs. A SHRM plan facilitates an agency ’ s ability to accomplish
its objectives. This may mean hiring individuals who possess knowledge,
skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOCs) that are different from
those of incumbent employees. This makes it possible for an agency to
implement a wide range of strategies within a short time frame in response
to external demands.
