Recruitment and Selection in the Public and Nonprofi t Sectors 193
After r é sum é s have been screened, eligible applicants interested in the
position must demonstrate their clinical and interpersonal skills by answer-
ing behavioral - based questions to assess their personal character, ability
to think systematically, conceptualization skills, and counseling skills. The
applicants are interviewed by a team of therapists and a supervisor, and
are provided with scenarios of family situations that they will encounter
on the job. For example:
This family consists of a single mother and her two sons, ages eleven and
twelve. There have been chronic problems in school, which resulted in their
being placed out of the home in the past. Mom has a poor relationship
with the school personnel and is fearful about talking with them. Since their
return home, the children have begun acting out behaviorally again in the
school (arguing with the teacher, not following rules, refusing to complete
schoolwork, and so on). What would be your focus with the mother?Anne Goldych Dailey uses this screening procedure to hire new employ-
ees because she found that possession of an M.S.W degree did not guaran-
tee strong interpersonal and clinical skills. She believes that to be successful
in this position, therapists also need to engage people and establish effective
relationships. Such skills are not always obvious in a traditional interview
situation. Although the scenario simulations may be stressful for some can-
didates, the ability to function in stressful situations is key to effective perfor-
mance. The client population is families raising challenging youth who have
not been successful in multiple areas of their lives and are heading to or
returning from residential placement. Therapists are autonomous, spending
most of their time in the fi eld and not under direct supervision.
In - baskets are written tests designed to simulate administrative tasks.
The in - basket exercise consists of correspondence designed to be repre-
sentative of the job ’ s actual tasks. A set of instructions usually states that
applicants should imagine that they have been placed in the position and
must deal with the memos and other items that have accumulated in their
in - basket. The test is used to measure such skills as task prioritization, writ-
ten communication, and judgment.
Leaderless group discussions assess attributes such as oral communication,
leadership, persuasiveness, adaptability, and tolerance for stress. Applicants
are assembled to work on solving a problem that requires cooperation. For
example, they may be asked to compose a statement in response to charges
that the agency ’ s employees are treating clients unfairly, or they may be
asked to work on a problem involving competition, such as deciding how