Peter, its interesting that you posted this, as I have been spending
much of the past 3 days scoring applications for a position we have open
in our division (non-records related). I get asked to do this a lot, as
I am reasonably good at it, and was coming across a common problem that
I wanted to point out to people.

Like many large organizations, Multnomah County does not rely on resumes
for job applications, instead having a structured system that generally
entails an initial screening of minimum qualifications (years of related
work, educational attainments, needed credentials). Applicants that pass
that phase then get scored on their answers to a series of narrative
questions. This is generally the phase I am involved in. Once scored and
ranked, the top candidates are then interviewed. Note that the only
point at which a resume actually plays a role is after the interviews:
if a number of candidates are closely ranked, then the resume may be an
element that plays into the final decision. 

This is not particularly unique to Multnomah County - this kind of
process is fairly common in both public and private sector HR systems.
The reason is related to the hundreds of applications received for every
job opening. Such volume necessitates a fairly structured system that
ensures consistency and fairness so that we are comparing apples and
apples. Resumes alone would not allow for this consistency on such a
large scale.

The most common mistake I see in the process relates to the narrative
questions. These questions generally want the candidate to demonstrate
knowledge and experience, not simply state it. For example: In answer to
a question regarding retention scheduling, simply saying that you have
done it for x number of years is not sufficient. Saying how you did it -
mentioning, for example, how you analyzed the operational needs, legal
and fiscal requirements, and potential historic value of the records
being scheduled - actually demonstrates knowledge. Maybe you had to
research HIPAA requirements. Perhaps your schedule resulted in
significant volume reductions in a given operation. These kinds of
details, which don't have to be long, can really make a difference, as
they demonstrate knowledge and experience.

I'm amazed at how many people pass over these types of questions with
the most cursory answers, assuming their qualifications/resumes speak
for themselves. They don't. You may have the best resume in the world,
but given the process described above, if you don't pay attention to the
narrative questions and demonstrate knowledge, you probably won't get
too far in the process.

Dwight Wallis, CRM
Records Administrator
Multnomah County Records Management Program
1620 SE 190th Avenue
Gresham, OR 97233
phone: (503)988-3741
fax: (503)988-3754
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