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Chapter
6
Effectively Managing Staff and Contractors
GOALS:
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To communicate the necessity of good human resources
practices as a pre-condition for effective facilities maintenance
management
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To describe best practice strategies
for effectively managing staff |
Why bother to put energy into managing your staff? Because they are the
people who make the day-to-day decisions that determine how your facilities
work. Their preparation and support will determine whether or not facilities
are run properly, efficiently, and safely.
Hiring Staff
 Times
are changing. It used to be that maintenance and custodial work was categorized
as "basic labor." Today, however, most maintenance jobs demand specialized
skills and training. For example, staff working in a modern boiler room
need to be trained in computer use to operate the building's heating and
cooling systems. This change in the expectations requires a corresponding
change in the selection and training of maintenance personnel. Selecting
the right staff requires that time and energy be put into identifying
the needs of the organization, developing accurate job descriptions, envisioning
the characteristics of "ideal" employees, and verifying each applicant's
qualifications.
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Someone on the hiring team must have command of the technical
aspects of the position. The superintendent can't accurately evaluate
whether a candidate knows a great deal about HVAC repair, or just
a little more than the hiring committee knows. Unless a committee
member can verify expertise, the organization won't find out how
much (or little) the candidate knows until the person is already
on the job!
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Job Descriptions
See Appendix F for a model job description
for a custodial worker.
A good job description accurately
identifies the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by an individual
to meet the expectations of the job. It also describes the type of person
the organization wants to hire into its ranks.
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The Tale of the Unhappy "Groundskeeper"
Jack enjoyed being outdoors. He'd
always liked picnics and parks, so it didn't surprise him when he
realized that an office job just wasn't his cup of tea. He was surprised,
however, when he didn't even like his job as a "groundskeeper" at
the local high school. Jack had thought that he'd love the job-he
had visions of working in the sun, cutting grass, maintaining gardens,
trimming trees. Instead he found he had to spend most of his time
in the shop tinkering with mowers, leaf blowers, and power saws-while
his "field personnel" got to use (and break) the equipment out under
the sun. Shouldn't someone have told him in advance what a groundskeeper's
job was in the school district? He probably wouldn't have accepted
the position but, at least then, he wouldn't hate his job.
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Components of an effective job description include:
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Duties
and responsibilities. If the organization needs someone to run
a leaf blower for 40 hours a week, it shouldn't advertise a position
that would stir the interest of someone who wants to be a gardener.
The aspiring gardener will likely resent the misunderstanding every
time he or she has to ask the real gardener to step aside in order
to clear the grounds of leaves. As this resentment builds and the
employee either quits the job or begins to perform in a lackluster
manner, both the employee and employer will likely regret the miscommunication.
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Working conditions. What are the days and
hours of employment? Where, and under what conditions, will the work
be accomplished? Are there exceptions to these conditions? For example,
will a custodian be expected to arrive at school early on winter mornings
to shovel snow? If so, the job description needs to state clearly
that the job requires travel in inclement weather. |
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Physical requirements. Many maintenance
and custodial tasks require considerable physical strength (e.g.,
one might reasonably be expected to lift 50 pounds to waist level
in order to dispose of the trash). The requirements of the job must
be documented and included in the job description so as to meet the
requirements of federal, state, and local laws designed to protect
the employment opportunities of physically challenged applicants.
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To comply with equal opportunity laws*, the hiring process (including
advertising job openings) may neither intentionally nor inadvertently
screen out disabled or minority applicants. Thus, employment standards
must relate to the actual job assignments, not to beliefs, desires,
or prejudices about the job. The following guidelines can help in
making employment decisions.
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All employment requirements must be related
to the duties actually required of a person in the position.
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Hiring standards should not automatically
eliminate applicants whose speech, dress, personal habits, or
lifestyle differ from those of the predominant group. |
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Education and other requirements (e.g.,
licenses or certificates) must be justified by objective assessments
of their relatedness to performing the job. |
*Visit http://www.eeoc.gov for
more information about the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
and employment laws.
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No matter how much forethought goes into the preparation of a
job description, the text must allow some flexibility for the organization
to adapt to changing circumstance. One way of accomplishing this
is by including standard language in all job descriptions that reads,
for example, "and other duties as may be assigned." This leaves
the organization much needed flexibility in adapting staff responsibilities
to meet the ongoing (and potentially changing) needs of the organization.
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Educational requirements. Some positions
demand knowledge and skills that are best verified by the completion
of certain academic work (e.g., a degree in accounting might be a
job requirement for the manager of the maintenance department's budgeting
and accounting). |
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Credentials and licensure. Licenses are
required to operate certain pieces of equipment (e.g., a bus driver
needs a commercial drivers license), while other tasks and duties
might require licensure or credentialing that is independent of equipment
used (e.g., electricians). |
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Equipment used. Some equipment works better
when it is handled skillfully (e.g., a floor sweeper), whereas other
equipment is dangerous to the user and others when it is not handled
properly (e.g., power saws, forklifts, and chemical dispensers). Employees
should be made aware of these risks and be required to demonstrate
expertise before being permitted to use potentially dangerous pieces
of equipment. "Demonstrating expertise" may require a license or other
credential, or the employing organization may provide the required
training. Even if a tool isn't particularly dangerous, the organization
benefits if it is used properly so that the task gets accomplished
effectively. |
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At-will versus unionized position. Depending
upon local conditions (e.g., state laws, labor agreements, and the
size of the organization), some positions may be limited to personnel
who either belong or do not belong to a union. If an employee does
not belong to a union, he or she may be designated as an "at-will"
staff member-a person who has no expectation of continued employment
and may be dismissed at any time without cause or reason. The terms
of employment must be spelled out clearly at the onset of the hiring
process. |
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Channels of authority. You want to know
who your boss is, right? Well so does your staff. Employees should
always know whom they report to and who has the authority to direct
their efforts. A clear channel of authority starts with an accurate
job description and an unambiguous organizational chart. |
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Evaluation mechanisms. Just as everyone
wants to know who the boss is, most people want to know how their
performance will be measured. For example, will custodial staff performance
be measured by spot checks of their work, by school staff customer
service surveys, or some other process? The organization should clearly
communicate to employees what evaluation mechanism will be used. |
Selecting the Right People
The qualities of an "ideal" staff member should be identified before the
interview process begins. Doing so requires an accurate assessment of the
culture of the organization and the personalities of the people with whom
the newly hired person must interact. Some general qualities of effective
employees are described below, but many more can be developed. From a practical
perspective, it may be helpful to take notes during the interview about
how well the applicant matches the various qualities that have been identified
as desirable in the position.
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Mapping: The Art of Using Your Entire Brain
In the Staff Selection Process
Mapping is a concept that combines
left and right brain perspectives on managing. The goal of mapping
is to focus on the desired traits of the new employee throughout
the interview process. Here's how it plays out. Say your district
is
interviewing for a supervisor of maintenance. Before candidates
are interviewed, write down the specific characteristics that the
new supervisor of maintenance should demonstrate. Share this with
the selection committee and see if they have traits or characteristics
to add or delete. This process will help each member of
the selection committee to develop a clearer idea of the profile
that best matches
the "ideal" candidate. Next, prepare an interview worksheet that
lists the ideal characteristics. During the interviews for the position,
each committee member can take notes about whether (or to what degree)
the applicant exhibits the ideal characteristics. The results might
very well help to inform your decision-making regarding the selection
process.
See Appendix H for an example of
how mapping can be used to identify
knowledge, skills, and abilities that a supervisor of maintenance
should possess.
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Dotting Your I's and Crossing
Your T's
Once
a person has been identified during the interview process as the preferred
candidate for a position, additional screening is required before an offer
of employment can be extended. These essential tasks include:
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Reviewing references. While there is no
need to talk to all former employers (for most positions), an applicant's
most recent employment should be verified. In addition to providing
information about a person's job performance, references can verify
information provided by the applicant on resumes, employment applications,
and during interviews. Some applicants may choose to supply character
reference; these can be valuable, but should be accepted in lieu of
a reference from past employers only if the person does not have prior
(or recent) work experience. |
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Performing a background check. While contacting
an applicant's references is one form of checking a person's background,
performing a "background check" has a very specific meaning for people
who will work with or in the vicinity of children. Background checks
are conducted by local, state, and national authorities to determine
whether an individual has been convicted of a criminal offense. Several
states require that all prospective employees in schools and school
districts undergo a fingerprint-driven criminal history check. Thus,
hiring committees should work with the district's Human Resources
Department to ensure that all required procedures are followed in
accordance with best practices and/or state and local laws as applicable.
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Verifying an Applicant's Right to Work in the United States
Employers may not specify which documents
they will accept from a job applicant. However, the Immigration
and Naturalization Service (INS) requires that documents establish
both the applicant's identity and employment eligibility. The INS
recommends either ONE document that establishes both identity and
employment eligibility from List A below OR ONE of the documents
that establishes identity in List B AND ONE of the documents that
establishes employment eligibility in List C.
List A (documents that establish both identity and employment
eligibility)
- U.S. Passport (unexpired or expired)
- Certificate of U.S. Citizenship (INS Form N-560 or N-561)
- Certificate of Naturalization (INS Form N-550 or N-570)
- Unexpired foreign passport (with I-551 stamp or attached INS
Form I-94 indicating unexpired employment authorization)
- Alien Registration Receipt Card with photograph (INS Form I-151
or I-551)
- Unexpired Temporary Resident Card (INS Form I-688)
- Unexpired Employment Authorization Card (INS Form I-688A)
- Unexpired Re-entry Permit (INS Form I-327)
- Unexpired Refugee Travel Document (INS Form I-571)
- Unexpired Employment Authorization Document with photograph
(INS Form I-688B)
List B (documents that establish identity only and must be matched
to a document from List C)
- Driver's license or ID card issued by a state or outlying possession
of the U.S. provided it contains a photograph or
information such as name, birth date, sex, height, eye color, and
address
- ID card issued by federal, state, or local government agencies
or entities provided it contains a photograph or
information such as name, date of birth, sex, height, eye color,
and address
- School ID card with photograph
- Voter's registration card
- U.S. military card or draft record
- Military dependent's ID card
- U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine card
- Native American tribal document
- Driver's license issued by a Canadian government authority
List C (documents that establish employment eligibility only and
must be matched to a document from List B)
- U.S. social security card issued by the Social Security Administration
(other than a card stating it is not valid
for employment)
- Certification of Birth Abroad issued by the Dept. of State
(Form FS-545 or Form DS-1350)
- Original or certified copy of a birth certificate issued by
a state, county, municipal authority or outlying possession of the
U.S. bearing an official seal
- Native American tribal document
- U.S. Citizen ID Card (INS Form I-197)
- ID Card for Use of Resident Citizen in the U.S. (INS Form I-179)
- Unexpired employment authorization document issued by the INS
(other than those listed in List A)
Visit http://www.immigration.gov/ for
more information about the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
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Due diligence must be demanded by board policies and met during the day-to-day
hiring process.
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Verifying Employment Status. Under the
Federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, it is unlawful
for employers to recruit, hire, or continue to employ illegal immigrants
to the United States. At the same time, it is illegal to discriminate
against work-eligible individuals solely because of their country
of origin. The employer must take three steps when a job applicant
is hired: 1) verify the applicant's right to work in this country
(within three business days of the initial date of employment); 2)
attest that written proof of the right to work has been presented
(by completing INS Form I-9); and 3) maintain records of steps 1 and
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Only after the selected candidate has satisfied all pre-hiring requirements
should an offer of employment be made. However, the new employee still
must provide certain additional information to the employer, including
the following:
Only after the selected candidate has satisfied all pre-hiring requirements
should an offer of employment be made. However, the new employee still
must provide certain additional information to the employer, including
the following:
Only after the selected candidate has satisfied all pre-hiring requirements
should an offer of employment be made. However, the new employee still
must provide certain additional information to the employer, including
the following:
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Personnel records. The employee must provide
emergency medical information, emergency contact information, home
contact information, and other personal information. |
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Payroll records. The employee must provide
a permanent mailing address, bank account routing numbers (for automatic
deposit of paychecks), tax instructions (e.g., number of deductions,
applicable taxing authority, etc.), beneficiary information for insurance
policies, and participant information for joining medical, dental,
and other insurance plans as applicable. |
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Immunization Records. Newly hired employees
may also be required to provide an immunization record and medical
history to verify that they are free from certain communicable diseases.
Since details of these requirements vary from state to state (and
even school district to school district), be sure to consult your
Human Resources staff about this topic prior to initiating the hiring
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Policies Must Support Staff Development
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New employees must be trained when they
join the organization. |
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Current employees must be trained on an
ongoing basis as a means of improving their job satisfaction
and performance. |
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