Oh, hey! Welcome to the community.
In times of uncertainty, data can be our friend. Data is factual and doesn’t change. Data is interpreted and can help to articulate what is happening.
In a recent article in the ACUHO-I Talking Stick, Matt Veenas and I talked about Finding (and Building) a Good RA. Using national data from Skyfactor, seven key insights emerged that help us understand what makes a great student staff member. Four themes emerged as desirable traits in student staff members when you look at the data from the seven insights:
- Sense of Accountability
- Consistency in Actions
- Ability to Connect to Others
- Desire to Improve
These traits are not surprising. You may not have used these exact terms to describe what you look for in your student staff members, but it’s likely that you look for candidates who show these traits. It’s important to use the traits and attributes that you value in your staff and ensure you foster interest, understanding, growth, and transparency throughout your process.
The Development Cycle
The typical cycle of a student staff process is important when you consider how to select and support staff. Think about the traits and attributes that you look for in your staff members. Weave support and development of these traits in everything that you do to ensure a cohesive and coordinated process. Examine your processes and review:
Recruitment:
- What are you doing to promote and attract to candidates with these skills?
- How will you use this information?
- How will you showcase these skills in your current staff?
- How do you show value in these skills to your current staff (retention of great staff)
Selection:
- Do your rubrics show value for these traits?
- How do you assess these skills?
- What are your indicators of potential in staff?
- What questions do you need to add, edit, or remove?
- Are there populations who exhibit these traits more? If so, why is that the case?
- How can you reduce inherent biases in your process?
Training:
- How do you communicate the value of these traits?
- What are you doing to acknowledge and empower these traits?
- How do you acknowledge that staff are starting from different places yet it’s about the journey?
- What exercises can you host before the year starts to show your staff that you’re committed to their learning and development?
Staff Management:
- How does your ongoing support and management foster and support these traits?
- What processes are you using to continuously show value in these traits?
- How do you evaluate growth or proficiency in these traits?
- How do you document progress? Can your student staff see and reflect on their progress?
Staff Evaluation:
- Do your evaluations align with the traits that you’re looking for? If they don’t align, why not?
- Are you evaluating staff on a checklist of job requirements or on their personal growth and overall impact?
- What people are involved in the evaluation process?
- How are discussion and dialogue incorporated into your process to allow for a more meaningful and transparent process?
Assessment:
- How do you assess if your staff members were effective?
- Do you conduct an exit interview or provide the opportunity for departing staff to give feedback?
- What did you learn about your staff in the past year?
- Do the same traits that you valued last year still apply as the top traits for successful staff for the upcoming year?
- Do you need to change any of your processes based on your learning?
Sharing the Journey
The thoughtful and integrated approach to staff development based on your desired traits will create a meaningful development opportunity for your staff. Not all staff will start in the same place, but working together and sharing in the journey will bring your team closer together. For more information about running an effective recruitment and selection process, check out the blog post here.
Welcome to the Community. We’re glad you’re here.
