“I coordinate and manage all recruitments for permanent staff.”

This anonymous interview is with someone who hires for a:

√ Public Library

Title: Senior Library Manager for Recruitment and Onboarding

Titles hired include: Managers (location and department), Librarian, Library Assistant, Interns, IT staff (desktop support, IT Manager, IT Specialist)

Who makes hiring decisions at your organization:

√ Library Administration

√ The position’s supervisor 

√ A Committee or panel

√ Employees at the position’s same level (on a panel or otherwise)

Which of the following does your organization regularly require of candidates?

√ Online application

√ References

√ Proof of degree

Does your organization use automated application screening? 

√ Other: I’m not sure. County HR does all of the initial screening, and I believe it’s done manually.

Briefly describe the hiring process at your organization and your role in it:

I coordinate and manage all recruitments for permanent staff. A supervisor/hiring manager will inform me of a vacancy. My department coordinates gathering information from the supervisor about schedule and anything special they may want mentioned in the job ad. Me and my department staff submit the request to post to county HR. The hiring manager puts together their interview panel of at least three people and decides on questions. Those details are required by county HR when posting a position. Once the job posting closes to applications, my department coordinates getting all the applications to the hiring manager who can then screen the applications and decide who they will interview. Once interviews are complete and a selection is made, the hiring manager contacts references and my department coordinates the background check and education verification. Once those are back and are satisfactory, the hiring manager can make a verbal offer. Once a verbal offer is accepted, my department drafts and sends the official offer letter to the hiring manager and candidate for signatures via DocuSign. I work with our HR rep to determine salaries for all hires.

Think about the last candidate who really wowed you, on paper, in an interview, or otherwise. Why were they so impressive?

Impressive candidates are usually the ones who are prepared and have done their research. They learn what they can about our library system, and visit the location to which they are applying. They are prepared to answer any question asked and can provide concrete, real world examples. They can “go off script” and participate in a genuine conversation about the position, their experience, the system, state of librarianship in general, etc.

Do you have any instant dealbreakers?

It usually depends on the position. For part-time staff, it’s usually that they cannot work the schedule. In all instances, red flags about how they handle customer service or conflict (soft skills).

What do you wish you could know about candidates that isn’t generally revealed in the hiring process?

Interpersonal skills are so important in a public library job. It’s hard to really get to know someone’s strengths in a short interview.

How many pages should each of these documents be?

Cover Letter: √ only one!  

Resume: √ Two is ok, but no more 

CV: √ We don’t ask for this  

What is the most common mistake that people make in an interview?

Not listening carefully to the question being asked, and not thinking about the question behind the question. Candidates should consider questions from the standpoint of, “what is the organization trying to learn about me with this question?” “What relevant information can I share that will help them make an informed decision that I am the best person for the job?” There is a balance to it, as well, and candidates should not ramble on for too long. Bring notes to the interview so that you can cover all of your points succinctly.

Do you conduct virtual interviews? What do job hunters need to know about shining in this setting?

Yes, we conduct virtual interviews. Job hunters should treat a virtual interview just as they would an in person interview. Dress professionally, make sure your environment is conducive to the interview (check your background, tech, noise, etc), have your notes with you, smile and make eye contact with the camera. If there is more than one person on the panel, make sure that you are addressing them by name if you are asking questions.

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?

It’s all about transferable skills and experience. This is where the cover letter and resume are important. One mistake that job hunters make is when they are applying for multiple jobs, they send out almost the exact same cover letter and the same resume without tailoring it to the job they are seeking. We have received countless cover letters addressed to the wrong organization.

For someone seeking to transition to public library work, it’s important to focus on “people skills”, customer service, experience working with children or adults as applicable, and experience presenting to diverse groups. Working in teams and collaborative work are very important. Having the ability to weather change, being flexible and adaptable, being solution-oriented and having leadership skills–and being able to back this up with real life examples from current or past jobs, or in school.

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?

Our application has no demographic information, so we cannot make conclusions about candidates ahead of time. We try to put together diverse hiring panels–diverse in gender, race, ethnicity, positions, etc. Our questions are approved in advance by HR so that we are not asking anything illegal or discriminatory. In the end, we are all human and personal bias will still come into play. All we can do is strive to mitigate it.

What questions should candidates ask you? What is important for them to know about your organization and the position you are hiring for?

Thoughtful questions are always appreciated! Candidates should ask whatever is important for them to know about an organization. What opportunities are there for me to grow and develop in this job? What are the organization’s values? What is their mission? Do those values align with my own? What does a typical day look like? Will I get off-desk time? If so, how many hours per week average? How many hours will I spend on the desk? Ask about benefits. In the public library, we cannot pay as much as a private company, but usually benefits are good such as a pension and 401(k), paid time off, holidays, etc. Ask about leadership styles. How are decisions made? What kind of input and participation will I have in system initiatives/projects? How does the organization communicate with staff? How would the panel members describe the culture of the organization?

Additional Demographics

What part of the world are you in?

√ Southeastern US 

What’s your region like?

√ Urban

√ Suburban

Is your workplace remote/virtual?

√ Some of the time and/or in some positions

How many staff members are at your organization?

√ 201+

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