This anonymous interview is with someone who hires for a:
√ Public Library
Title: Senior Library Assistant
Titles hired include: Library Assistant
Who makes hiring decisions at your organization:
√ A Committee or panel
Which of the following does your organization regularly require of candidates?
√ Online application
√ Cover letter
√ Resume
√ References
√ Oral Exam/Structured interview
√ Other: Covid Vaccinations, Working with Children & Police Clearances or willingness to get them
Does your organization use automated application screening?
√ No
Briefly describe the hiring process at your organization and your role in it:
HR will screen the applicants that meet qualifications. 2 people from the library will review the remaining applications and select 3/4 to interview. Panel of 3 will interview the candidates and select 1 for a background check which is done by HR.
Think about the last candidate who really wowed you, on paper, in an interview, or otherwise. Why were they so impressive?
Positive Attitude
Do you have any instant dealbreakers?
Negative Attitude
How many pages should each of these documents be?
Cover Letter: √ Two is ok, but no more
Resume: √ As many as it takes, but keep it reasonable and relevant
CV: √ As many as it takes, but keep it reasonable and relevant
What is the most common mistake that people make in an interview?
Don’t answer the question
How can candidates looking to transition from paraprofessional work, from non-library work, or between library types convince you that their experience is relevant? Or do you have other advice for folks in this kind of situation?
find a volunteer role at a library
When does your organization *first* mention salary information?
√ It’s part of the job ad
What does your organization do to reduce bias in hiring? What are the contexts in which discrimination still exists in this process?
Decisions are not left to 1 person, both for selecting interview candidates and for hiring decisions.
Additional Demographics
What part of the world are you in?
√ Australia/New Zealand
What’s your region like?
√ Urban
√ Suburban
Is your workplace remote/virtual?
√ Never or not anymore
How many staff members are at your organization?
√ 11-50
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