Agenda - Council - 10/12/1999 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Cas, # 10 DISCUSSION ITEM: DEVELOPMENT OF HIRING PROCEDURES By: Joyce Pruitt Hottinger, Administrative Services Manager Background: City Council requested earlier in the month that the Personnel Committee develop specific hiring procedures to be followed during recruitment for municipal positions. To begin with, it is important to keep in mind that the City may choose to train and promote existing employees to fill anticipated job openings and new .positions. There is no requirement to post City jobs for open applications. However, open competitive hiring practices are advisable to avoid possible discrimination claims. It would be advisable that if a work force, or even a segment of the work force, such as the supervisory staff, is dominated by a particular class, the City avoid word of mouth recruiting as it can tend to perpetuate the existing composition of the work force. Also noteworthy, Ramsey labor agreements stipulate that the City must post a union covered position internally for a designated amount of time before external posting. Initial Thoughts At the time the job vacancy occurs, the City has an opportunity to review the position and perform an objective needs assessment. The needs assessment allows the City to analyze the duties and responsibilities and also verify that the position description accurately reflects these responsibilities. Obviously, the qualifications for the .job must be appropriate for the specific positions and reflect bona fide occupational requirements. Staff should consider application addendum materials and testing components to be used for the applicant recruitment process. Overview of general rules regarding advertising It is advisable to develop recruitment policies, which are standard, objective and centrally determined and reviewed. Council may also want to consider including a disclaimer within a. policy, which would allow for City Council, at its discretion, to bypass any formal hiring process when a unique situation arises. This case is to serve as a brief overview of topics Council may want to discuss during development of a general recruitment policy. It is imperative to remember that the Minnesota Rights Act prohibits the use of advertisements or notices for employment that express a preference or limitation with respect to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, disability, age, sexual orientation, or status regarding public assistance. Additionally, there are federal anti-discrimination laws under the Equal Opportunity Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, which must be adhered to. The phrase "Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer" should be included on all advertisements. At one time, a question was raised regarding prohibitions on smoking for non-protective service positions. The State also has a smokers' rights law, which prohibits job discrimination against those who lawfully use tobacco off the employers' premises during non-working hours, unless such use relates to a bona fide occupational qualifications reasonable to the job. An exception to