IV. 1. Recruitment

The aim of recruitment is to employ staff members who are competent and also have the ability to get along well with students and other members of the staff. Either attribute by itself is insufficient. Professional competency relates to training and previous experience. The ability to have good relations with others comes from experience and training, as well as being a personality attribute. No matter how competent people are, if they cannot get along with the administration and others on the staff, they will not add to an institution.

Several procedures are utilized in searching for a good staff: advertising, written announcements, letters to schools and employment agencies, and personal contacts. Each may prove effective.

A carefully written job analysis, disseminated through mass-media can be of the utmost significance in recruiting. It should be specific, clear, and describe the institutions and tasks to be performed.

A brief announcement, usually not more than a page or two, may prove effective. This should be clearly written and should list details about the position and institution, so that those who are interested in the opening will be sure to apply. It might be sent to schools throughout the country, or simply within the region of the agency offering the position. Undergraduate departments of pedagogy can be contacted, depending on the nature of the opening.

A third source is personal contact. This means talking, by telephone or in person, with contacts in schools and faculties, telling them about the opportunity and asking for suggestions and recommendations. Then those who appear to be qualified and might be receptive to an offer are interviewed.

Another major way of finding staff members is to contact a variety of placement bureaus and employment agencies that have on file CV’s of candidates for AE positions.