Make the Right Hire

This course will be held online via Zoom from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The cost of hiring and training new employees impacts local government budgets and services, and the wrong hire or promotion can lower the morale and productivity of an entire workgroup or organization. This course will help you make the right hire the first time. You will learn how to navigate the various legal issues around recruitment and selection and the keys to designing a defensible selection process that measures the key competencies required for the job. You will examine the emotional intelligence factors most linked to on-the-job success. You will learn how to write interview questions and develop selection processes to elicit more valid information from job applicants. You will also get an overview of recruitment strategies and tips for effective reference checking. Participants are encouraged to bring a job description for a position applicable to their work and organization for use in the class.

Topics covered in this class include:

  • How to apply the EEOC’s Uniform Selection Guidelines to ensure legal and defensible hiring practices
  • How to design a selection process to measure the competencies required for the job
  • Common hiring mistakes and how to overcome these to make good hiring decisions
  • How to write effective interview questions to elicit more valid information
  • Emotional intelligence factors that impact on-the-job performance and how to evaluate these during the selection process.
  • The importance of reference checks and how to navigate the roadblocks
  • An overview of recruitment strategies used for developing a quality applicant pool

Members of Civic Federal Credit Union (Civic) and Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU), who are local government employees, are eligible to apply for a scholarship towards tuition for conferences, classes, and seminars offered by the School of Government. There are four deadlines to submit applications:

  • March 1 (for courses starting between April 1 and June 30)
  • June 1 (for courses starting between July 1 and September 30)
  • September 1 (for courses starting between October 1 and December 31)
  • December 1 (for courses starting between January 1 and March 31)
  • Online
    January 23
    View Scholarship Information

    Members of Civic Federal Credit Union (Civic) and Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU), who are local government employees, are eligible to apply for a scholarship towards tuition for conferences, classes, and seminars offered by the School of Government. There are four deadlines to submit applications:

    • March 1 (for courses starting between April 1 and June 30)
    • June 1 (for courses starting between July 1 and September 30)
    • September 1 (for courses starting between October 1 and December 31)
    • December 1 (for courses starting between January 1 and March 31)
    View Cancellation Policy
    Course participants who cancel their registration on or before January 15, 2025 will receive a full refund. No refund will be made for cancellations on or after January 16, 2025, but you will receive a transferrable credit to be used within 12 months. Click here to view the School’s full cancellation and refund policy.
    $495.00
    Registration and payment for this course grants access for a single attendee. In order to register a group of attendees, please register each person individually. If you have questions, please contact our registration office at registration@sog.unc.edu or 919.966.4414.
There are no materials avaliable for this course at this time.
For all registration questions, resetting passwords, or login issues please contact:

Dale Zuckert

Assistant Registrar
919.966.4414
For questions regarding course details, including location, schedule, materials, and continuing education credits, please contact:

Julia Hermanas

Marketing Coordinator
919.962.2771
Adjunct Instructor, Center for Public Leadership and Governance
Professor of Public Administration and Government; Director of Strategy, Programming, and Research, Center for Public Leadership and Governance