Interview Checklist
When speaking with your AmeriCorps applicants, please inform them of the following:
- AmeriCorps service will begin with a required two-day, pre-service training August 31 - September 2, 2011
- Service at placement sites will begin September 6, 2011 and extend until July 31, 2012.
- Discuss daily work schedule and frequency of evenings and weekends.
- AmeriCorps members receive up to $12,100 taxed living stipend. Members only receive the stipend and other benefits while they are serving.
- UCA members complete 1700 hours of service within 11 months (works out to 40 hrs per week). If the candidate is in school or is looking for a second job, a full-time UCA position may be difficult for them to complete.
- Upon completion of 1700 hours, members receive a $5,550 education award (taxed) to use for tuition at qualified educational institutions or to pay off qualified student loans.
- Members receive limited health-care benefits.
- Child care benefits are available to members whose families income-qualify for assistance.
- UCA members can qualify for loan forbearance of qualified student loans while serving.
- It is a policy of UCA to provide equal employment opportunity for all people without regard to age, sex, race, color, creed, national origin, sexual orientation or religion. The policy includes equal employment opportunity to qualified individuals with disability, disabled veterans, Vietnam Era veterans and other covered veterans.
- If the member is relocating to your city, please provide them with information about available low-income housing and public transportation in your area.
- If the position requires a personal vehicle, state that expectation. In addition, state that the member will receive mileage reimbursement from your agency and note current rate.
Interview Tips
There are two perspectives in an interview: yours and the applicant's. It is important that you spend time thinking about both. Your goal should be to provide information about your program and to learn more about the candidate. An interview is not the time to convince someone to become an AmeriCorps member.
Preparation for interview
- Review application and resume - check for incomplete information as well as problems or confusion.
- Do not keep the applicant waiting/avoid interruptions.
- Keep dynamics of telephone interview in mind - how will this work best for YOU - what do you need to know and how can that be achieved.
Structure of the interview
- Set tone - comfortable but professional. Suggest that they may want to save questions until the end of the conversation as this will keep interview focused and save time.
- Set time limit - e.g., "I have blocked out an hour for this interview which should allow plenty of time for questions."
Information gathering
- Ask comprehensive, open-ended questions. It may be helpful to set up a role play of sorts i.e. Let's imagine I am your old friend from school - tell me about this AmeriCorps position for which you're applying.
- Beginning with broad questions then moving to more specific ones will help you to draw out and give specific information. i.e. from the scenario above you may move in many directions depending what the person says. It may become clear that individual doesn't have enough or accurate information about your organization or AmeriCorps and you can fill in the necessary gaps.
- If the applicant is unclear, summarize and restate what you hear to make sure you have understood the information correctly.
Providing key information
- Your applicants should be aware of key elements related to your position that is probably contained in information that should have been reviewed by applicant prior to interview, but it is essential that you discuss this with each applicant. Topics should include:
- Expectations of a full-time commitment and specific hours
- On-the-job training requirements as well as the need for out-of-town pre-service orientation.
- Discuss travel reimbursement procedures
- Provide the exact amount of the subsistence living allowance and discuss the candidate's ability to manage on that amount considering paying rent and outside loans, car insurance etc.
- Discuss cost and availability of suitable housing (especially important for out-of-town and nationally-referred applicants
- Point out taxes and deferment of student loans
- Explain other benefits that may be part of your program and how it works, e.g., medical insurance. Give applicants a written copy of the benefits so they can review them after leaving.
Closing the Interview
- Be honest and as specific as possible in describing the job and work environment. It's better that the applicant expectations are in-line regarding challenging aspects of the position
- Inform the applicant of what will happen next in the process
- If you have questions or doubts about a candidate's ability to perform required functions of the position, spell out your concerns and let the person respond, e.g., How can you do site visits without a car? or Will you be able to do night and weekend events even though you have children?