Interview Schedules

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

During the transition into post-pandemic realities, the San Bernardino County Library (Library), as with many employers, saw an increase in the number of vacancies due to resignations, retirements, etc. With retention in mind, the Library has worked to fill vacancies, of varying capacities, throughout its 32 Library Branch locations, and Administration office. In the past, the Library would schedule first interviews on one day, and second/final interviews on a separate day. This scheduling process often led to second interviews being scheduled one to two weeks following the first interview, at times resulting in losing candidates to other employers. The additional time for the second interview would also delay the filling out of paperwork, background check, and fingerprint scheduling, causing the hiring process to be slow and prolonged. Additionally, the extended interview and onboarding process deterred quality candidates who were looking to start working immediately. To remain competitive with other organizations, and move to hire within a shorter timeframe, the San Bernardino County Library implemented a new process of conducting second interviews the same day as first interviews. The new procedure resulted in the hiring process (application to onboarding) taking two to three months, whereas in the past the process could take four to six months. The implementation of this process has resulted in the hiring of higher quality candidates due to the Library’s ability to compete with private sector hiring timelines.