Minimum Qualifications The First Cut is the Deepestand for Some candidates, the Deadliest

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Minimum Qualifications The First Cut is the
Deepestand for Some candidates, the Deadliest!!!
MAPAC Philadelphia May 13, 2005 Will Martin
Chief Municipal Personnel Consultant New York
State Department of Civil Service
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Minimum Qualifications

• What are Minimum Qualifications?
• Where do Minimum Qualifications come from?
• What are the Professional Requirements for
  Minimum Qualifications
• What effect do Minimum Qualifications have upon
  an individuals career?
• What are some Uses and Abuses of Minimum
  Qualifications?

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What are Minimum Qualifications Used For?

• To Establish a Clear and Appropriate
  Eligibility Standard for a Specific
• Job Class

Notice the intentional use of the words, Clear
and Appropriate
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Operational Definition of Minimum Qualifications

• the lowest level of acceptable education and/or
  experience required of an individual such that
  the individual could reasonably be expected to
  satisfactorily perform the duties of the position
  

• where it is expected that an individual having
  less education and/or experience will not be
  able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the
  position

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The Standard against which Minimum Qualifications
Can be Evaluated

• Are the MQs consistent with the knowledge,
  skills, abilities, and personal characteristics
  required at the time of appointment?

• Do the MQs provide a reasonable basis for
  recruiting candidates who are likely to be able
  to do the job, but are not so restrictive as to
  exclude candidates who might reasonably have the
  ability to do the job?

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The Standard against which Minimum Qualifications
Can be Evaluated cont.

• Are they practical in the sense that they are
  obtainable in the general labor market?

• Do they take into consideration any training
  (OJT) that will be provided to incumbents upon
  appointment?

• Are they interpretable, i.e., easily understood
  by both the job seeker (the public) as well as
  the Human Resource Technician who will be using
  them to make qualification determinations?

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Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection
Procedures

• The guidelines apply to tests and other
  selection procedures that are used as a basis for
  any employment decision.
• Where cutoff scores are used, they should
  normally be set so as to be reasonable and
  consistent with normal expectations of acceptable
  proficiency within the work force.
• Minimum Qualifications Cut Off

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Developing Minimum Qualifications

• Like any and all selection devices, decisions
  regarding Minimum Qualifications must be based
  upon.
• JOB ANALYSISa systematic evaluation of the job

• The minimum qualifications are derived from an
  analysis of the entry and full performance
  knowledge, skills, abilities, and personal
  characteristics

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Developing Minimum Qualifications cont

• Care should be taken when establishing Minimum
  Qualifications to ensure that they do not present
  artificial barriers to employment

• Education or experience requirements that provide
  evidence of the possession of knowledge, skills,
  and abilities that are normally acquired on the
  job should not be factored into the Minimum
  Qualifications

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Defining Education RequirementsFormal education,
including high school, is not or should not
always be a prerequisite for all jobs

• Consideration should be given to the type and
  level of education required to acquire those
  knowledge, skills, and abilities that are not
  typically gained by experience

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Defining Education RequirementsSo, what KSAPs
are not typically gained by experience?

• Ability to Read and Write
• Technical Knowledges like Architectural Design,
  Engineering Sciences, Fundamentals of Accounting,
  etc.
• Mathematical ability
• Knowledge of Industrial or Organizational
  Psychology, etc.

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Defining Education Requirements It must be
determined if attainment of a particular level of
education is necessary

• The question isis attainment of a particular
  level of education necessary for the job?
• Graduation from High School, 2- or 4-year
  collegewhat do these Minimum Qualification
  requirements suggest is needed for the job?

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Defining Education Requirements identification
of major concentrations must be given thoughtful
consideration

• In many fields there are wide variations in the
  coursework required to complete major
  concentrations
• Specific concentrations should be specifically
  identified to the extent possible
• It may be necessary to define specific coursework
  or find it appropriate to exclude specific
  coursework

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Defining Education Requirements identification
of major concentrations must be given thoughtful
consideration

• For example. if a job requires KSAPs
  commensurate with those gained in a Civil
  Engineering degree program, the MQs should
  require training in Civil Engineering and not
  simply Engineering.

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Defining Education Requirements identification
of major concentrations must be given thoughtful
consideration

• For example, a degree in Social Science, would
  include degrees in Sociology, Psychology, or
  Economics as well as Political Science, History
  or Anthropology
• Chances are the KSAs would not include all major
  subjects it will be necessary to define or
  limit the more general heading to something more
  specific, e.g., Sociology or Psychology and not
  Anthropology, etc.

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Defining Education Requirements In some cases,
it may be more meaningful to identify the actual
coursework

• When providing alternatives to specialized
  college degree requirements, keep in mind that
  one or two years of college study may not include
  many completed courses in the declared major
• It may be appropriate to specify a required
  number of credit hours in a field or core
  curriculum, e.g. 16 credit hours in Accounting
  rather than an Associates Degree in Accounting

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Defining Education Requirements Where does one
get information about degree requirements?

• College catalogs can be used to develop
  definitions of specific curricula listed in the
  qualifications
• The definitions can be based upon the subject
  matter covered in the curricula descriptions

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College Catalog Example Chemistry and Chemical
Oceanography

• This curriculum provides a thorough training in
  both theory and practice in the fields of
  analytical, physical, organic, inorganic, and
  oceanographic chemistry.
• Those who complete this curriculum are prepared
  to teach, or to enter specialized fields in
  development, control, technical sales, and
  research in the chemical or oceanographic
  industries.

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College Catalog Example cont Communication
Studies

• Courses in communication studies can count
  toward a minor in public relations when taken in
  conjunction with specific journalism and
  marketing courses.
• Students selecting this major may pursue studies
  in business and professional communication,
  communication theory, oral interpretation,
  rhetoric and public address, public relations,
  radio and TV advertising, and similar career
  goals.

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Sources of information regarding College Studies
http//nces.ed.gov/pubs2002/2002165.pdf

• Classification of Instructional Programs
  US Department of Education
• National Center for Education Statistics 2000
  Edition
• Provides a taxonomic scheme that presents an
  updated description of instructional program
  classifications and descriptions.

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Classification of Instructional Programs US
Department of Education National Center for
Education Statistics 2000 Edition
Example 01.0102 Agribusiness/Agricultural
Business Operations. A program that prepares
individuals to manage agricultural businesses and
agriculturally related operations within
diversified corporations. Includes instruction in
agriculture, agricultural specialization,
business management, accounting, finance,
marketing, planning, human resources management,
and other managerial responsibilities.
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Sources of information regarding College Studies
http//nces.ed.gov/pubs2002/2002165.pdf

• Also provides a glossary and definitions of key
  terms, e.g., High School Diploma High School
  Equivalency Certificate Associates, Bachelors
  and other advanced degrees as well as several
  Certificate Programs of study, etc.

• This source can help to answer What field of
  study could/should be considered? Does the field
  of study claimed by candidates likely to even
  exist?

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Sources of information regarding College Studies
What about Accreditation?http//ope.ed.gov/accred
itation/ USDOE

• The goal of accreditation is to ensure that
  education provided by institutions of higher
  education meets acceptable levels of quality.
  Here you will find lists of regional and national
  accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S.
  Secretary of Education as reliable authorities
  concerning the quality of education or training
  offered by the institutions of higher education
  or higher education programs they accredit.

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Sources of information regarding College Studies
What about Accreditation cont.?www.chea.org
Council for Higher Education Accreditation
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation
(CHEA) is a private, nonprofit national
organization that coordinates accreditation
activity in the United States.
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Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
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Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
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http//ope.ed.gov/accreditation USDOE

• Lists Postsecondary Educational Institutions and
  Programs Accredited by Accrediting Agencies and
  State Approval Agencies Recognized by the U.S.
  Secretary of Education

• The database lists approximately 6,900
  postsecondary educational institutions and
  programs, each of which is accredited by an
  accrediting agency or state approval agency
  recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education

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http//ope.ed.gov/accreditation USDOE
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Sources of information regarding College Studies
What about International Institutions?
http//www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/ncfmea.html
National Committee on Foreign Medical Education
and Accreditation (NCFMEA)
The role of the NCFMEA is to review the standards
used by foreign countries to accredit medical
schools and determine whether those standards are
comparable to the standards used to accredit
medical schools in the U.S.
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Sources of information regarding College Studies
What about Diploma Mills? http//www.ed.gov/studen
ts/prep/college/diplomamills/resources.html
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Defining Experience Requirements What is of
interest?

• With respect to identifying and allowing for the
  acceptance of work experience in the Minimum
  Qualifications, consider jobs that involve the
  application of the required KASPs in the
  performance of the duties.

• Keep in mind when you develop or interpret the
  MQ that there may be a variety of jobs whose
  duties would provide experience in the use of
  similar KSAPs

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Defining Experience MQ What KSAPs are needed for
the job that are typically gained by experiential
and NOT educational factors?

• Ability to apply job knowledge, skills or
  abilities to specific job situations or problems,
  i.e., job-specific problem solving
• Demonstration of the ability to coordinate and
  direct the activities of a work group
• Ability to read Architectural Plans and Specs

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Defining Experience MQ Where can the Job Analyst
get information regarding job KSAPs?

• The answer is ONet An Online Occupational
  Information Network, which is truly a
  comprehensive database of worker attributes and
  job characteristics
• As the replacement for the Dictionary of
  Occupational Titles, ONET provides a common
  language for defining and describing occupations
  and job requirements

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Defining Experience MQ http//online.onetcenter.
org/
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Locate Job Information in any of 23 defined
Occupational Categories
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Locate descriptions of specific Knowledges
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Locate descriptions of specific Skills
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Locating descriptions of specific Abilities
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To locate descriptions of Tasks, KSAPs, etc. for
specific jobs
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In the 1966 Movie The Graduate the future was
said to be in Plastics
In the 2005 occupation of Human Resource
Management, the future is ONet
If a Job Analyst is in the business of
Classifying Jobs, or reviewing, revising, and
evaluating Job Descriptions or developing and/or
interpreting Minimum Qualifications and is not
using ONet the Job Analyst should get with it
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When defining MQ experience, consideration needs
to be given to experience requirements from two
aspects, variety and length

• There is likely to be variety in the nature of
  experience in which an individual can be
  reasonably expected to gain the knowledge,
  skills, abilities and personal characteristics
  required at time of appointment

• How much experience is neededand how can the
  Job Analyst define the length that should be
  required?

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Type and Length of MQ experience

• If professional or journey-level of experience is
  required, that should be specified in the MQ
  statement.
• If the experience must be post-degree or license,
  that should also be specified.

• Generally, the length of experience required is
  related to the depth of the knowledge, skills,
  abilities and personal characteristics required
  of the class at the time of hire or entry
  level.

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Defining Education or Experience Requirements
What about the or closely related field concept?

• In some instances, there may be a compelling
  reason that only certain degrees or courses
  should be included
• However, in some instances it may be difficult to
  identify every possible acceptable course of
  study

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Example or closely related field of Education

• Graduation from a regionally accredited college
  or university with a masters degree in economics,
  accounting, business administration, public
  administration, planning, or closely related
  field.
• Providing for closely related majors allows
  individuals to demonstrate that their education
  curricula resulted in the learning of similar
  knowledge, skills and abilities to those listed
  in the specified fields of study

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Example or closely related field of Experience
Two (2) years of professional level work
experience, or its part-time equivalent in
economics (business trends status of business
and industry and growth potential labor supply
and demand and wages and income impact of
taxation) public or private sector finance
economic development planning or closely related
occupation.
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Defining Equivalent Combination of Education or
Experience

• Where individuals can acquire the desired KASPs
  BY SOME COMBINATION OF Education and Experience
  not simply one or the other
• Where it is reasonable to expect that
  individuals can learn the KSAP by either formal
  Education or by specific Job Experience.it is
  not necessary to list every combination possible,
  however, the equivalency equation should be
  evident by the structure of the MQ statement.

• Keep in mind, however, where there are no
  acceptable equivalent combinations, this
  equivalency statement should not be used.

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Example of or equivalent combination
If it is determined that there should be more
than one way to satisfy the minimum
qualifications, the alternatives need to be
clearly stated
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS On or before the
application filing deadline, candidates must
meet the following requirements A. Graduation
from a regionally accredited college or
university with a masters degree in economics,
accounting, business administration, public
administration, planning, or a closely related
field or, B. Graduation from a regionally
accredited college or university with a
baccalaureate degree and two (2) years of
professional level work experience, or its
part-time equivalent in economics (business
trends status of business and industry and
growth potential labor supply and demand and
wages and income impact of taxation) public or
private sector finance economic development
planning or closely related occupation or, C.
Six (6) years of professional level work
experience, or its part-time equivalent, as
defined in (B) or D. An equivalent combination
of training and experience as defined by the
limits of (A), (B) and (C).
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Regarding equivalent combination

• Whenever an equivalency statement is included in
  the qualifications and the substitution limits of
  education and experience are not clear within the
  MQ statement a note clarifying the limits must
  be used.
• Any substitution limits of education and
  experience should be established in a NOTE
  immediately following the equivalency statement.

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Qualitative criteria for evaluating Minimum
Qualifications

• They are demonstrably job related

• They are realistically focused upon day-one
  needs, i.e., minimum

• They are clearly stated and interpretable by all
  stakeholders

• They are structured in such a way as to clearly
  establish Education Experience substitution
  limits

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What are Minimum Qualifications Used For?

• To Establish a Clear and Appropriate
  Eligibility Standard for a Specific
• Job Class

Notice the intentional use of the words, Clear
and Appropriate