Module 4 Discussion

Discussion: Staffing Decisions

In Chapter 7 of your course text, the authors lay out a series of guidelines and suggested procedures for directors to follow as they recruit, interview, and hire candidates for positions in their child development centers. In this Discussion, you will consider this information in addition to your own prior knowledge in determining “best practices” for child development center staffing. Reflect on the following:

• Based on what you learned this week and your own experiences, what would you consider best practices for the director of a child development center to follow when hiring and making staffing decisions? Specifically:
  • Who would you invite to be on the hiring committee? Why?
  • What specific questions would you ask during interviews, and why?
  • How would you handle disagreements among members of the hiring committee with regard to candidates (e.g., two members prefer a candidate with a strong educational background, and two others prefer a candidate with a friendly disposition)? Who would make the final decision, and why?

With these thoughts in mind, follow the instructions below to post your response to this Discussion topic.

By Day 3 of Week 7:
Post a description of what you consider to be best practices for staffing a child development center, with particular respect to who ideally should be on the hiring committee, specific questions that should be asked during the interview (at least three), and how disagreements among members of the hiring committee should be handled. Be sure to include a rationale explaining the reasons behind your ideas.

By Day 7 of Week 8:
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings. As you read their responses, note those to which you would like to respond with advice, questions, comments, and/or encouragement.

Respond to two or more of your colleagues’ postings in any of the following ways:

• Build on something your colleague said.
• Explain why and how you see things differently.
• Ask a probing or clarifying question.
• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.
• Offer and support an opinion.
• Validate an idea with your own experience.
• Expand on your colleague’s posting.
• Ask for evidence that supports the posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Reflect on what you learned in this activity and/or insights you gained this week.