SECTION 4. RECRUITMENT AND HIRING

4.1 Posting and Advertising

All vacant positions not to include the Mayor's Office and City Council Office must be posted for a minimum of seven (7) working days, in accordance with the City of Haverhill's Affirmative Action Policy, Collective Bargaining Agreements, and Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 31, Section 29. At a minimum, all postings should contain the following information:

1. Date posted, job title, location,
2. Any special qualification, licenses or physical requirements
3. Any Criminal Offender Record Information
4. Any Drug and Alcohol Testing requirements
5. Whether the position is permanent or temporary, if temporary the projected duration of employment, whether the position is full-time or part-time, the deadline for receipt of applications, and where a Job Bid form or application may be obtained.

If the position where the vacancy occurs is promotional, the Department doing the hiring must mail a copy of the job notice to any employee who, during the entire period of posting, is on sick, military or vacation leave, or on an approved leave of absence.

All vacancies will be sent to the following locations by the Human Resources Office for postings:

1. HR Webpage – www.ci.haverhill.ma.us/departments/hr
2. All City Departments
3. Human Resources Department, Room #306, City Hall
4. Central City Hall, (1st Floor, next to elevator)
5. Haverhill Public Library, 99 Main Street
6. Citizens Center, 10 Welcome Street
7. DPW Garage, 500 Primrose Street
8. School Department, 4 Summer Street, #Room #104
9. Water Office, 500 Primrose Street
10. Water Maintenance Department, Amesbury Road
11. Water Treatment Plant, Amesbury Road
12. Wastewater Treatment Plant, 20 South Porter Street

In addition, all entry level positions, and those that are open to the general public, will be distributed to:

1. ValleyWorks Office-Haverhill
2. NECCO
3. Community Action
4. Haverhill Gazette
5. Eagle Tribune

Other community and social service organizations will also be notified of job openings for the purpose of broader recruitment.

4.2 Interviews

Once a posting deadline has been closed, the Human Resources Department will record pertinent data on all the applicants, and will notify the Department Head of the status of the applications, by providing a list of all the job bids and applicants for the position. If the position is considered as Civil Service under Labor Service, a labor list will be generated for the position title. Together, the Human Resources Department and the Department Head will set up an Interview Board to conduct the interview process.

The Interview Board will review the applications to select qualified candidates for an interview. All resumes and applications shall be reviewed for candidates who appear to meet the minimum qualifications, i.e. overall experience (such as demonstrated work history), education, special training, appropriate licenses, civil service eligibility, and seniority status.

During the interview process, all candidates will be informed of the following: (a) whether the position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement; (b) whether the position is covered by M.G.L. Chapter 31 Civil Service, in which case, the selected candidate must be certified from an eligible list and will be considered to be provisional until the appointment is approved by Civil Service; (c) whether the position is permanent or temporary, if temporary, the duration of the vacancy and; (d) if the candidate's appointment is subject to any additional conditions (i.e. physical or psychological examination, drug and alcohol testing, police background check or the obtaining of licenses or certifications).

Once the interview process has been completed, the Interview Board through the Human Resources Department will conduct post-interview inquiries on one (1) or up to three (3) candidates. This inquiry will include but not limited to checking the candidate's employment references. A police background check may also be conducted which includes a Criminal Offender Record Information check from the Criminal History Systems Board.

Upon the conclusion of the interview process, a hiring package will be forwarded to the Mayor by the Human Resources Department for approval. This package includes:

1. Names of the top three (3) candidates for the position
2. City of Haverhill Applicant List Form and recommendation from department
3. Copy of the job description
4. Any Civil Service Paperwork

No candidate should be notified of an appointment until the Mayor has signed the Personnel Action Form. At the completion of this step the Human Resources Department will notify the Department Head who will make a conditional offer of employment to the selected candidate. This conditional offer will be valid up to the time the selected candidate has passed any pre-employment physical and drug/alcohol or psychological examinations required by the City of Haverhill. In the event that the candidate should fail the required testing, the offer of employment shall be withdrawn by the City of Haverhill.

4.3 Testing

All official and public safety positions within the Civil Service framework are filled by the selection of candidates from a Civil Service List. The list is established based upon the results of a written examination administered by the Department of Human Resources Division. One Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108. If no list exists for the position title, a provisional appointment is made until a test has been given by the Department of Human Resources Division. Visit the HRD Website at: www.mass.gov/hrd.

The Human Resources Office registers all interested persons for up-coming Civil Service examination. Once a Civil Service test is announced in the category you selected, an official notice will be sent to you from the Human Resources Office.

You must register for all Labor Service positions within the City of Haverhill. There is no test administered for Labor Service positions. Only a registration of applicants takes place. You will be notified through the mail of your appointment for an interview.

If additional licensing or testing is mandated either by state or federal regulations while employed, you will be required to obtain the required licenses and/or pass applicable examinations to fulfill any requirements. Please refer to your individual contract for additional details and for a fee re-imbursement schedule.

4.4 Orientation

All new part-time and full-time employees will attend an employee orientation program in the Human Resources Department as soon as a job offer has been made and accepted. The Supervisor of Benefits in the Human Resources will conduct this benefit orientation for all new employees. Employees will be asked to complete all necessary paperwork, including medical benefit plan enrollment forms, appropriate state and federal tax forms, and work eligibility in the United States, etc. Part of the orientation process will be devoted to Customer Service Training for all new hires. Each new hire will participate in a training that emphasizes the importance of providing excellent customer service to all our internal and external customers. Employees should use the orientation process to familiarize themselves with the City's policies and benefits.

It is the responsibility of the Department Head to ensure that a departmental orientation be conducted to cover an introduction to the particular duties of the job, the work environment, and the employees of the department.

4.5 Personal Growth & Professional Development

A. Training
City wide in-service training opportunities for employees will be advertised as courses are offered locally or elsewhere. In many instances, there are no fees associated with this training, however, in some instances; employees may be responsible for certain fees associated with the training. All fees should be posted along with the training announcements. Employees who are required to complete a more extensive training program as assigned by their Department Head will do so at the expense of the City.

B. Educational Tuition Re-imbursement
The City will reimburse full-time employees for tuition as agreed upon in the respective contractual agreement, provided that: the employee has worked for six (6) consecutive months, and remain with the City for at least one (1) year after completion of the course. The course must offer classroom instruction at an accredited educational institution. Correspondence courses are not acceptable.

Costs other than tuition, (such as registration, or lab fees, books, transportation, etc. are not reimbursable). It should be understood that employees will not be reimbursed for any specific expenses for which they have been reimbursed by another source.

Employees will attend those courses on their own personal time. However, if a conflict exists between the course and the employee's work hours, every effort will be made to accommodate attendance.

Request for reimbursement is made prior to enrollment. Employees must pass the course with a grade "C" or better. The course is related to employment within the City of Haverhill.

Educational reimbursement requirements are covered in contracts with city employees. This does not apply to uniform forces of the police and fire departments. Please refer to your individual contract for differences in benefits associated with tuition reimbursement.

4.6 Job Classification

All new and current employees are assigned a job title in accordance with the City Classification Plan, and perform duties in accordance with the job description.

The Classification Plan designates the rate of pay established for each position. City employees fall into nineteen (19) classifications. The number of step raises varies from group to group. Each position has an established salary range. An employee normally begins at the entry step of a range, except that the Mayor may authorize entry at a rate higher than the minimum. The classification groups are as follows:

Please refer to your individual contract for the rate at which step increases are allowed for your position title.