Maximizing the application blank as a
summer employee recruitment tool

by Nick DiGrino
Craig Dalquist

Each winter and spring leisure service agencies begin recruitment of large numbers of summer employees. The quality of most public recreation summer offerings rely heavily upon the skills and attitudes of bright young indigenous leaders. There is little hope for salvaging the program that falters at the critical face-to-face leadership level. Recruitment is as important to the success of the recreation practitioner as it is for the major college coach and sometimes, competition for the "blue chip" summer employee becomes just as competitive.

A dilemma faced by many practitioners is created by large numbers of applicants coupled with limited time and fiscal resources for adequate screening. Considering the amount of time and expertise necessary for interviewing, testing, and reviewing informal and standardized references, the application blank may be a valuable tool for the initial screening of summer employment prospects. According to an excellent study by Brademas, Lowrey, and Wallen, reported in the May/June 1981 issue of this publication, 96.5 percent of the responding public recreation agencies in Illinois required prospective seasonal and part-time employees to complete an application form. In reviewing application blanks from various Illinois park districts, the authors of the present article found that forms varied greatly in content, with no observable differences in relation to agency size or number of seasonal employees hired. In many cases, the application blank provided very little insight regarding job related qualifications.

With increasing financial demands and continued concern for accountability, the potential value of the application blank for fast and accurate recruitment of quality seasonal employees deserves in-depth study. The Illinois Parks and Recreation Foundation recently supported a preliminary research effort by these authors to explore such potential. Specifically, the study included identification of personal attributes associated with high level summer employee performance along with examination of the appropriateness of the weighted application blank (WAB).

Numerous studies have revealed the application blank to be a valuable predictive device in the selection of employees. Unfortunately, in far too many cases the employer either merely scans the blank for items considered pertinent or uses the information only as a point of departure for the employment interview. As Fleichman and Berninger point out, "much of the wealth of information in the application blank is going to waste, or worse is improperly used. In actual fact however, there is sufficient evidence to indicate that, properly validated and used, the application blank can markedly increase the efficiency of the company's selection procedures".¹

If the application blank is to significantly contribute to the screening process, the employer must be familiar with the validity of specific items relative to the job for which the candidate is applying. When a single application blank is used for all summer employees, significance should be attached to items based on the nature of the particular job. Shorter forms, geared to specified jobs or job categories, represent an alternative approach. One example of job categories is: parks and grounds maintenance, general program supervision, aquatics specialization, and arts and crafts specialization. Success is obviously dependent upon the practitioner's ability to analyze the job and assess the applicant according to personal attributes associated with strong performance. The well developed application blank is not designed to replace the personal interview, but if there are identifiable job related criteria that require prerequisite levels of measure, then the application blank can save the candidate as well as the employer a great deal of unnecessary screening time.

The agency seeking to maximize use of the application blank may want to consider adoption of the WAB. This approach provides a deliberate method for determining which personal factors are important in specific job slots, and using them in selection criteria. By determining the predictive power of each item on the application blank, it is possible to assign numerical weights to each possible response. Weights can be totaled for each applicant and a minimum total score established, which when used in the screening process, will eliminate the maximum number of undesirable candidates with a minimum loss of desirable candidates. This method seems particularly valuable when:

A. Large numbers of applicants are seeking few positions.

B. A thorough knowledge of the work requirements are known.

C. The applicant's personal (job related) attributes

Illinois Parks and Recreation   24    March/April 1982

Dr. DiCrino is Assistant Professor of Recreation and Park Administration at Western Illinois University, where he coordinates the undergraduate practicum and graduate internship programs. Before attending Texas A & M University in 1974 to pursue a Ph.D., he held the position of Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Eastlake, Ohio. Dr. DiGrino is professionally active in IPRA and NRPA.

can be stated and quantified relative to levels of success or failure.

D. Unreasonable personal staff bias or external pressures exist for hiring the unqualified or less qualified applicant.

It is interesting to note that the WAB technique has been proven effective with seasonal nonrecreation employees, even when job descriptions differed significantly. In examining a number of summer application blanks from three reputable public recreation and park agencies in Illinois, certain personal attributes were found to correlate with employee's performance ratings, absenteeism, and early dismissal/quitting. Results were limited due to the relatively small number of applications analyzed, potential difference between agencies represented, judgment in rating employee's performance, and major differences among application blanks used by the agencies. For the applicants in this study, age was not significantly related to job performance, although the amount of formal education was. Depth and breadth of job related experience was found to be only slightly related to performance - yet strongly related to absenteeism. Another factor that was found to correlate with positive job performance was the number of spelling errors appearing on the blank (expressed as a percent of the total number of words).

Factors related to job performance, turnover, and absenteeism will differ or vary in degree of importance among agencies. Weighting of factors must be based on data unique to the user's employment setting. Public agencies do possess the ability to access previous employee files to examine the relationship between application content and performance records. Such data can provide general insight regarding performance prediction, not only for screening but for training and reassignment purposes as well. With varying assistance from resources such as colleges or universities, a WAB process can be "tested" and refined until user confidence is attained. The process is not complicated.

Whether factors are used for general purposes, or developed and refined for utilization of the WAB approach, one must remain cognizant of the legal concerns associated with employee selection procedures. Rather than taking a "raw empiricism" approach to examining factors as predictors of performance, it is wise to select variables based on nondiscriminating job related criteria. In the spirit of affirmative action, some companies employ "counter balancing" techniques which add additional "weight" to selected factors in order to avoid impacting adversely on members of protected classes.

Equal employment legislation does not restrict the rights of employers to define the valid, job-related selection criteria necessary for satisfactory job performance. However, employers are required to judge all applicants for a particular job by the same criteria. Common factors to include in the application blank are:

Proficiencies - Competencies that are reflected in the job description. *Avoid nonapaplicable skills that reveal professional breadth but make no contribution to job formance.

Experience - Amount and breadth of experience should be identified. Very few previous work experiences (paid or volunteer) lack applicability. Responsibilities, unless implied by job title, should be included.

Education - Academic emphasis, class standing, and coursework or technical training relevant to job related responsibilities can be included. Reading and written communication skills are demonstrated throughout the application. Questions can be designed to enhance the provision of adequate feedback. Foreign language skills may be determined. Inquiry regarding how the foreign language ability was acquired should be avoided for obvious reasons.

Mr. Dalquist is currently completing a six month internship with the Sterling Park District. Upon completion he will have met requirements for the M.S. in Recreation and Park Administration at Western Illinois University. Mr. Dalquist received his B.S. degree in Business Administration from Monmouth College. Craig also served as assistant track and cross country coach while at WIU.

Illinois Parks and Recreation    25    March/April 1982

Arrests and Convictions - Questions are permitted which substantially relate to functions and responsibilities of the job only.

Availability of an Automobile - This is an appropriate area for questioning only if the automobile is necessary to perform the job. With distance from the work site sometimes related to absenteeism and turnover, inquiry should relate to the applicant's degree of assurance that the means for prompt and regular attendance will exist if employed.

Professional Organizations - Membership and offices held in professional organizations can be requested.

Sex-Gender can be asked when all members of the affected class are incapable of performing the job. The sex of the applicant can also be asked for affirmative action purposes.

Age - The employer may inquire if the applicant meets minimum age requirements as set by law. Relative to agency policy for driving certain vehicles, the applicant may be asked if he or she is at least 18 or 21 years of age.

Marital Status - Questions must be limited to whether the applicant can meet specified work schedules or has commitments or responsibilities that may jeopardize the meeting of work attendance requirements.

Handicaps - All applicants can be asked if they are able to carry out all job assignments and perform them in a safe manner. Needless to say, reasonable accommodations would be extended for the physical and mental limitations of the applicant.

Studies have identified dozens of personal characteristics that relate to employee performance, including number of children, number of years married, and (father's) occupation. However, this challenge confronting the cost conscious employer is to define the responsibilities associated with summer employment opportunities and recognize the "significance" of job related personal attributes that enables the confident prediction of performance levels, longevity, and absenteeism. With few exceptions, agencies have the necessary information in their files for appreciably upgrading their ability to predict employee performance. Keep in mind that this state of screening represents only one phase of the practitioner's responsibilities, and poor supervision will discredit the best designed predictive tool.

¹ E.A. Fleishman and J. Berniger, "Using the Application Blank to Reduce Office Turnover", Personnel, no. 37, 1960, p. 63.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 26 March/April 1982