SORTING, SELECTING, AND ORIENTING NEW RECRUITS
BY RICHARD A. MARINUCCI
Much has been written and said about recruitment of volunteer firefighters. If you have been successful, you`ll have an adequate source of potential members. But now what do you do to ensure you are getting the best candidates, those who will become valuable and productive members of your team? The actions you take during the selection process and the probationary period will establish the framework for many years. Having a comprehensive selection and orientation program will make your organization stronger and reduce the risk of poor performance, the need for discipline, and the possibility of legal action.
SORTING AND SELECTING
If you are fortunate, you have more applications than positions available. Even if you don`t have an overabundance of candidates, you still need a method for determining if the applicants meet your requirements. Resist the temptation to take any warm body. In all cases, selecting nobody is better than selecting a problem “employee.” The purpose of a selection process is to determine if the candidate meets your preestablished criteria for the job. These criteria must be based on the actual needs of the position, including minimal educational requirements, willingness to meet residency requirements after selection, previous experiences, driving record, criminal history, physical ability, or other items important to your organization. This information is obtained in many ways and must be verified to your satisfaction. The initial information is obtained through the application and, subsequently, continues through reference and records checks, proofs of certifications or licenses, interviews, and written and agility testing.
If any form of verbal test is used, there are a few considerations. First and foremost, train your people. While everyone believes he can conduct a good interview, there are many potential pitfalls. There are good questions and others that are blatantly illegal. Some are designed to get to valuable information about the candidate as opposed to superficial questions that lead to superficial or “predictable” answers. Consult with legal counsel or your local Equal Employment Opportunity Commission office for advice on the dos and don`ts relative to oral interviews. Ask open-ended questions, and ask for examples from past history to support the candidate`s claims. For example, if the candidates state they want to be a firefighter because they like to help people, ask them to give examples of situations in which they have done something that indicates a sincere interest. For the interviews to be valid and useful, they must yield applicable information and be consistent among all the candidates. All applicants must be asked the same initial questions, although different “probes” can be used based on the answers given. Develop a written score sheet that can be used to distinguish among the candidates. The interview can provide insight into education, motivation, and personality.
If you are interested in the physical ability to do the job, an agility test may be appropriate. Make sure it is applicable to your situation. Again, you are encouraged to seek legal counsel to reduce the risk of legal challenge.
Lay out the training and meeting schedules and attendance requirements. Take nothing for granted; explain everything as completely as possible. This investment up front can prevent major headaches down the road.
When all testing has been completed, rank the candidates. If you don`t have vacancies for all the qualified candidates, you will want the most qualified.
After the offer of “employment,” a physical examination is warranted. This must be done after the offer is made to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
ORIENTATION
You now have some recruits. Hopefully, you have been able to “hire” them as a group. This is advantageous for many reasons. It helps to promote teamwork and makes training more efficient and effective. Try to get the people involved in the department as soon as possible, and make sure all your existing members make the recruits feel welcome.
Conduct an orientation session as soon as possible (and before they make their first run). This session will help establish the tempo for your new people. Explain exactly what the organization expects and what the recruits can expect in return. Introduce members of the department and offer their assistance to all. Treat the recruits as guests. They will be very nervous and not totally sure of what to expect. Do everything possible to reduce their anxiety. During the meeting, walk the new members through any required forms or paperwork. Explain in detail the operation of the department.
Provide written documents of all that is discussed. Consider using a checklist (see sample on page 18) indicating the information given, and have all recruits sign, indicating that they were given the information. If a problem develops, you do not want them to claim they were not given adequate explanations. You can eliminate the excuse “nobody told me that.” Tell the recruits you have very high expectations and they have the responsibility to meet them.
Do not let your new members respond to emergencies until your requirements have been met. This would include the issuance of all appropriate equipment and a review of all applicable rules, regulations, policies, and procedures. Some basic training is needed. This could include basic firemanship, first aid, CPR, hazardous-materials awareness, bloodborne pathogens, or whatever you may deem necessary to give the new firefighter some basic skills to provide an adequate level of service. You have a responsibility to protect your people and not ask them to do things for which they have not been trained. For example, do not ask them to use an SCBA unless they have received sufficient SCBA training.
PROBATIONARY PERIOD
As your new firefighters begin “employment,” establish a probationary period. This should be for a minimum of 12 months and be considered part of the selection process. All probationary members should be considered “at will” members. If at any point during this period your department believes recruits are not viable firefighters, terminate them. Attitudes do not improve after completion of the probationary period. Have regularly scheduled progress reports and evaluations. Let the recruits know where they stand and how to improve. This encourages two-way communication and eliminates surprises. Remember, you have made a great investment up to this point. Do what you can to make the firefighters succeed. A firefighter who develops good habits from Day 1 will yield a long-term benefit to your organization.
First impressions are very important. They may determine whether candidates should be chosen and, on the candidates` side, whether they will further consider membership in your department. Once the candidates have been selected, the first meeting will set the tone, possibly for years to come. Do it right. Establish a plan, and give the recruits and your organization the best opportunity to succeed.
RICHARD A. MARINUCCI is chief of the Farmington Hills (MI ) Fire Department. He has bachelor`s degrees in secondary education, fire science, and fire administration and is first vice president of the IAFC. He is an editorial advisory board member of Fire Engineering.