Q&A with a hiring manager

A behind-the-scenes look at what else is happening when you apply for a public health job

In last week’s episode, I explored lessons about the hiring process in public health aimed at public health employers. This week, I interviewed a hiring manager at a local public health department, to seek an insider perspective on what the recruitment process in public health looks like from the employer’s perspective. 

Photo courtesy of Secta.AI: At least this time I’m not standing in the middle of the road, thank goodness.

Thanks very much for participating in this Q&A. Please start off by telling us about your role in public health.

I work for a local health department managing our health equity initiatives and chronic disease work.  As part of my responsibilities, I am also a hiring manager. That means that I am not just recruiting, but I am also the person who will ultimately supervise the selected candidate in their new role, so I really want to make sure I find the best fit for the position and the team. I also craft the job description, within certain parameters. But, as recruitment is just one part of my job (like most hiring managers!), the process takes a little longer than I’d like. I can’t just stop all of my other projects and responsibilities to just focus on hiring. 

You have recently hired for a few vacancies. Could you please tell us about the decisions and processes that go into recruitment that the applicant doesn’t see?

We have these positions because of a federal grant that flowed through the state health department office down to us. So, we receive basic parameters around what type of position this funding is for, but have some flexibility in setting roles and responsibilities. We have less flexibility in terms of position length and pay. The grant ends in mid-2024 and although we’re looking for other grants, we can’t promise that we’ll receive them. For salary, we have a finite amount of money to last the whole grant period and we have to pay wages that are in line with how we pay other similar positions  in our department with similar years of experience to keep things fair. But, we always share the end date and salary range up front so people can choose whether it’s worth it to apply. 

We recruit for positions in two ways: there are contract positions, which are temporary roles for which we don’t offer benefits, and there are permanently funded positions, which are long-term positions for which we offer benefits and do not have an end date in sight.

For our permanently funded positions, we use the state software to track applicants. For contract positions, we work with a temp agency.  We can either ask the agency to find individuals from their pool of people, where they do an initial screening and then send resumes to the hiring manager for review. Or we can try to source applicants ourselves using tools like LinkedIn, alumni networks, and word of mouth. I like the latter since I typically get more applicants that way. 

What kind of response did you get to the ads that you posted, and what did that tell you?

I got a number of applicants for each; mostly folks right out of grad school and a lot of people with international medical degrees looking for sponsorship (which we don’t offer, because that’s standard practice within government). That response tells me two things: 

1. That there aren’t enough public health jobs for everyone who needs them.

There was a big influx of federal dollars during COVID but those positions have either ended or are projected to end in mid-2024. People likely saw the tons of jobs previously available and now, unfortunately, will have to adapt their expectations for what is actually funded. On the other hand, so many public health professionals were burnt out after COVID and left the field to either go to the private sector or do something else. So technically, there should be open jobs, but many of those burnt out were in leadership positions, not entry level. 

2. There needs to be more education and clarity about what public health departments do vs. what type of jobs exist in the nonprofit or academic world. 

Not every skillset or experience is appropriate for a job in local government. For example, I saw a lot of people with either clinical research or academic research experience. We just don’t do that type of work. That might be a better fit for a think tank, nonprofit, health system, or academic institution. But if you haven’t been exposed to the range of options, you may think that an MPH automatically means local health department. 

What can you tell us about the process behind the scenes, as you select from the applicants and narrow down the pool of applicants?

The process is different for temporary contractors vs. permanent roles. For permanent roles, there is a robust process of screening resumes, conducting interviews with a panel, administering a written exercise, then making a decision with the interview panel. Finally, we would check references. 

For a contractor, I keep things much simpler. I review resumes, then interview the best candidates. When I look at resumes, I’m considering a few things. Does their experience match the needs of this position? Do their materials contain a lot of spelling and grammatical errors? Was their email to me with their materials professional (i.e. would I feel comfortable having them contact external partners)? What technical skills do they possess (e.g. REDCap, SAS, Tableau, Canva)? How many years of relevant experience do they have? 

Because most of my positions require a lot of writing, I also ask for a writing sample to gauge their ability to translate complicated ideas into simple language. For that sample, I’m looking at formatting of the document and clarity of writing and ideas. Relevant content is a bonus, but honestly, you can teach someone new content fairly easily. Excellent writing and communication skills are much more difficult.

Attention to detail is also really critical for almost any position. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve posted the application instructions in the job ad or in a social media post and people just email saying, “how do I apply?” That wouldn’t disqualify someone from a role but it does put up a yellow flag that this person may not pay attention to details.

For contract positions, I review all the resumes, determine who I would interview, then email the top candidates to set up a virtual session. I tell some of the applicants no immediately if they are really not a good fit. Others, I wait on to see how the initial interviews will go. I try to get this process done in a few weeks, but scheduling challenges when I have a lot going on already are the biggest hurdle. If I’m including colleagues on a panel interview, the scheduling issue is compounded.

Then, once someone is selected, I do reference checks. After that, the individual gets processed by HR. That means a background investigation and getting set up with a contracting agency. That part takes the longest and can be about a month, which we know is tough for the candidate since you don’t get a formal, written offer until you clear the background investigation. While most of this is just relevant for contractors, the time gap on background investigation and offer letter is the same for a contract or permanent role. 

What are some common issues that you see in candidate resumes or cover letters?

Firstly, tons of spelling and grammar issues. That is an automatic no-go for me. I don’t want to consider a candidate who lacks attention to detail - those skills are hard to teach. Another is being very vague in resume bullets. Something like, “supported stakeholders,” doesn’t tell me much. But if you say something like, “Managed logistics for stakeholder meetings including providing tech support, arranging interpreters, and recruiting volunteers,” that demonstrates your actual skills in staying organized. 

A common issue I see in cover letters and in interviews has been a focus on what this job would do for the candidate. Explaining your motivation as, “this would be a great opportunity to get some experience and learn,” is totally appropriate for an entry-level, permanent position because there would be ample time for training and experience. For the long-term, I’d rather invest time and energy into someone who is open-minded and eager to learn rather than someone who comes in only willing to use the skills they already have. But for a job that’s only 6-9 months and requires several years of experience and an MPH, I need you to hit the ground running immediately. We just don’t have the time for me to invest 3 months of training.

For the interview, I always ask, “why do you want to work for our organization?” This is your opportunity to show that you have done your research. I’m not expecting people to recite our mission statement or have combed through every detail, but even sharing one thing that you picked up would be valuable. Even if your real reason is, “I just want to move to the area,” maybe don’t say that. Yes, multiple people have said that to me. 

How do you help someone to grow, despite budgetary constraints?

I see growth as more of a practice than a monetary investment. Yes, we try to send people to paid trainings when appropriate and when we can afford it. But, there are tons of free webinars and tools online that people can access if encouraged. Don’t wait for your supervisor to send you a bunch of training opportunities! Sign up for listservs from organizations like Trust for America’s Health, the de Beaumont Foundation, and the Kaiser Family Foundation. They send out details on free events and webinars ALL. THE. TIME. If you see one that aligns with your interests or areas where you want to go, forward it to your boss and explain why you’d like to attend. If they’re not a jerk and you’re not working in a crisis, they’ll probably say yes! But, be prepared that they might ask you to share notes with the rest of the team so they can benefit too.

My biggest piece of advice would be to take the opportunity to speak up when you have an idea or suggestion. It doesn’t have to be out loud in a big meeting if that makes you nervous. Maybe send an email after, or pull someone aside, or have a quick call. Even if it doesn’t always work out, it’s excellent practice sharing your thoughts.

I am very grateful to the hiring manager who spoke with me to share their insightful perspectives on the hiring process within a local public health department, and provided a window into what happens behind the scenes of a recruitment process.  

Join me to continue the conversation in Notes or Chat or Comments or Threads.

• How do these insights reflect on your experiences of applying for a public health job? Do they shed any light in helping you to understand your experiences?

• What questions would you like to ask a hiring manager who is recruiting for a public health role?