I know this is not directly in our area of financial concerns, but I believe you can help me with a quick survey regarding oral boards. Our City tends to schedule oral boards with 10-12 or even more applicants, usually all in one day. It has been my experience that this number is too high and as a member of an oral board it is extremely difficult to perform an adequate job. By the time the day is over it is difficult to even remember some of the specifics of each candidate. Interviews tend to be very rushed and there is more emphasis on keeping on schedule than really listening to each applicant. I personally feel that a limit of eight applicants would allow for a more productive day of interviews. So my question to you is whether your City and HR Department have a policy on how many applicants are scheduled for an Oral Board interview. Do any of you have a limit on the number of interviews and what is that number? If you have a policy, is it geared toward the level of the position? Thanks. Ken Schechter Budget Officer (805) 583-6312
