Advertise AmeriCorps position(s). Conduct interviews as promising candidates are identified.

Wednesday, July 13thLet program director know if you have few to no prospects/applicants.

Wednesday, July 20thSite Supervisor Training, 10:00 AM EDT

Gotomeeting.com

Wednesday, July 27th Deadline to complete individual interviews and nominate candidates to attend Homes for All group interviews. After this date, Homes for All reserves the right to transfer the position to a Site on the waiting list if sufficient progress has not been made towards filling the slot. We will do everything that we can to assist you.

Tuesday, Aug. 2ndSoutheastern Kentucky Group Interview 10-12 EST

Clay County Public Library

211 Bridge Street. Manchester, KY

Wednesday, Aug. 3rd Central KentuckyGroup Interviews 10-12 EST

Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky

306 W Main St. Suite 207 Frankfort, KY

Tuesday, Aug. 9thNortheastern Kentucky Group Interviews 10-12 EST

Rowan County Public Library

175 Beacon Hill Drive, Morehead, KY

Thursday, Aug. 11thWest Kentucky Group Interview 10-12 CT (11-12 EST)

Central City Public Library

108 East Broad Street, Central City, KY

Friday, Aug. 12thMember paperwork must be submitted to Homes for All staff (please do not wait for this date, if you have paperwork earlier).

Monday, Aug. 22nd Skype Group Interview (IF NEEDED)

Gotomeeting.com (information to follow)

Recruitment Guidelines & Suggestions

Basic Process

The success of our program is dependent on recruiting Members who are a good fit for both the AmeriCorps program and the agencies where the Members will serve. Homes for All program staff and Service Sites will share responsibility for recruiting Members.

  1. Advertising the Positions

Service Site responsibilities: Advertise your AmeriCorps position(s) through whatever channels were described in your site application. You may request that candidates submit cover letters and resumes directly to you, but please also ask candidates to complete an electronic application and submit it the Homes for All program through the AmeriCorps website. (See Tips section of this document.)

Homes for All program responsibilities: Post recruitment notices on Idealist.org, the HHCK website, some university job and internship websites, and in some local papers. (Our ads will be fairly generic, so it would not necessarily be redundant for you to advertise for the specific positions at your agency through some of the same outlets.)

  1. Reviewing Applications

Homes for All responsibilities: Forward applications received through the AmeriCorps website to Service Sites that might be a good fit.Beginning with the 2016-2017 program year,members will not be able to serve at a site where a family member is the Executive Director or Site Supervisor.

Service Site responsibilities: Review applications and set up interviews with promising candidates. Let HHCK know if you have not received applications from any promising candidates by Wednesday, July 13th, so we can ramp up our efforts to assist you.

  1. Service Site Interviews

Service Site responsibilities: Conduct interviews and select top candidates to proceed to the Homes for All Group Interview phase. Send group interview nominees to by Wednesday, July 27th. After this date, HHCK reserves the right to transfer a position to a Site on the waiting list if sufficient progress has not been made towards filling the slot. We strongly encourage submitting the names of your top two or three candidates for each position. If you only submit one name, and that candidate chooses to pursue a different opportunity or is rejected by Homes for All, you will find yourself in a tricky situation in terms of filling your slot.

  1. Homes for AllGroup Interviews

Homes for All responsibilities: Conduct group interviews with candidates nominated by Service Sites. The group interviews serve two primary purposes: 1) program staff get to know candidates and observe how they interact with others in a group setting and 2) candidates learn more about the program—including training and travel requirements—so they can determine if it’s something they want to commit to for a year.

Homes for All reserves the right to eliminate candidates from consideration, though we do so rarely and only when we have serious concerns about a candidate. Typically, we simply communicate our feedback—both positive and negative—to you and allow you to choose which candidate(s) you want to invite to join the program.

Service Site responsibilities: After receiving feedback from the group interview process, inform Homes for All Corps staff which candidate(s) you wish to invite to join the program. Please do not extend invitations yet.

  1. Checking References

Service Site responsibilities: Check references on the finalist(s) you hope to invite to join the program. When complete, submit reference check forms to Homes for All. This step must be completed before offers to join the program are extended.

  1. Extending Invitations to Serve

Service Site responsibilities: Site Supervisors will invite chosen candidates to join the Homes for All Program. Candidates should be made aware that the offer may be revoked if their background checks reveal violent felonies or other convictions that program staff and/or Service Sites find concerning. No one listed as a sex offender on the National sex Offender Registry may serve in an AmeriCorps program. Please inform HHCK as soon as a candidate accepts (provisionally) an offer so that we can order necessary background checks. We ask that Site Supervisors assist us in obtaining other necessary paperwork from their Members.

HHCK responsibilities: Order background checks on candidates who have accepted positions. If a background check reveals a conviction that renders a candidate ineligible to serve, we will promptly inform you so you can select an alternate candidate.

Background Checks

A criminal record does not necessarily prevent a candidate from serving as an AmeriCorps Member. We will not accept candidates who have been convicted of violent felonies, sex offenses, or embezzlement, but most other convictions will not automatically eliminate a candidate from consideration. We cannot send copies of background checks to Service Sites, but we are able to provide Members with copies of their own background checks.

Two types of background checks will be conducted on all Members. Some Members will also need a third background check.

  1. Sexual Predator Checks

HHCK will conduct these checks through the National Sex Offender Public Website early in the recruitment process, generally before we forward an individual’s application to a Service Site. We also must complete these checks on all Site Supervisors.

  1. State Criminal Records Check

HHCK will only request these checks on individuals who have accepted an invitation to join the 2016-17corps.We must have these checks on file before a Member is allowed to begin service.

*Members of the 2015-16 Homes for Allprogram who return for a second year of service will not need new criminal records checks.

  1. FBI Background Checks

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) now requires AmeriCorps programs to conduct FBI background checks on all Members who will have recurring access to vulnerable populations (children, an individual age 60 or over, and people with disabilities). Though CNCS allows Members to begin serving even before their FBI background check has been returned, Members’ fingerprints and paperwork must be sent to the FBI for processing before the Member can begin serving. Please assist your chosen applicant(s) in finding a local agency that regularly takes fingerprints. The agency should have the fingerprint card needed and Members should request that two sets of fingerprints be taken in case one in not legible. The card and the FBI form (included in the Enrollment Packet) should be completed and mailed to HHCK, c/o Kelly Dycus at 306 W Main St., Suite 207 Frankfort, KY 40601. Please make certain that the FBI fingerprint card states that the reason for prints being taken as “Serve America Act” and that the card is signed by the applicant! We will pay for the card to be processed by the FBI. If the agency requests payment for taking the prints, ask your Member to keep a receipt and we will reimburse the applicant, upon acceptance to the program.

All Members serving in shelters and spending time with clients or volunteers one-on-one will need FBI background checks. If you feel that your Member(s) will NOT need this check, please email Kelly Dycus at with a statement regarding why the Member will not need a FBI background check. When in doubt, we will conduct the FBI check.

Tips

  • When advertising your AmeriCorps position(s), please refer to it as a “service position” rather than a “job”. AmeriCorps is not employment.
  • All prospective Members MUST complete an electronic application on the AmeriCorps website andsubmit it to our program. (These are two separate steps.) To start an application, they will need to visit the following website and click, “Apply to Serve”: Directions for completing and submitting their application can be found in the Member Enrollment packet available here: The applicant should follow the directions EXACTLY! The system will not ask the applicant to SUBMIT to a program. The applicant should go back into the system, after completing the application and submit to Homes for all.
  • Please send us the names of any individuals you refer to the AmeriCorps portal. The electronic application does not allow individuals to specify which Service Site(s) they’re interested in, so if you do not send us this information, we will not know which agency they’ve been in touch with.
  • The AmeriCorps portal can be confusing to navigate, and until all steps are completed properly, we will not be able to see someone’s application. Thus, prospective Members should contact us to confirm that we’ve received their applications.
  • Decisions about whether or not to invite current Members to return for a second year must be made in consultation with HHCK staff. Members have been informed that they are not guaranteed placement for a second year. A second year Member’s knowledge and experience can be a huge asset, but when Service Sites bring back Members about whom they have reservations, issues with Members tend to get worse, not better.
  • Many Service Sites have great success bringing on former interns or volunteers as AmeriCorps Members.
  • Colleges, universities, and technical schools often yield high quality applicants, but you need not limit your search to outlets that will primarily reach young adults. We typically recruit a highly diverse corps in terms of age, gender, race, educational attainment, socioeconomic background, and professional experience.
  • The $5,730 education award that Members receive at the end of a successful year of service can be a strong motivator. The award can be put towards tuition at an institution of higher education (including technical and trade schools) or used to pay off existing student loans. If a Member is 55 or older at the beginning of their year of service, they have the option of transferring their education award to a child, grandchild, or foster child, who would have 10 years to use the award.
  • Applicants who are really looking for a job (as opposed to a service opportunity) are not as likely to complete the program as applicants who are motivated by a strong desire to serve. Members serve in a challenging field and receive a very meager living stipend. It is an enriching experience for those who embrace it, but it is important to make sure candidates have a realistic view of what they’re committing to. Regulations prevent us from refilling slots vacated by Members who have already served at least 30% of their required hours. The program has no obligation to refund any portion of the match if a Member leaves the program early.
  • A frank discussion during the interview process about scheduling requirements will help prevent conflicts later. AmeriCorps Members are required to serve 1700 hours over the course of the year. With holidays, personal days, and sick days taken into account, this averages out to 36.2 hours per week. It is up to Site Supervisors and Members to come up with a schedule that will meet this requirement. Please describe the anticipated schedule, including possible evening and weekend service, during the Site interview to ensure that the Member’s expectations and availability meet the Service Site’s needs.
  • Service Sites should inform candidates if they will be expected to travel any for your agency and what the terms of such travel will be. Please address whether the Member will be expected to transport clients or materials and whether or not a company vehicle will be provided. Sites may not allow a Member to utilize the Member's own personal vehicle to transport clients without obtaining a copy of the Member’s motor vehicle insurance card and explaining the liability issues involved. HHCK requires that Sites provide AmeriCorps Members with the same travel reimbursement they do for staff.
  • No one will be enrolled as a Member of the Homes for All program, receive Member benefits, or begin earning hours until HHCK has received all required paperwork.
  • If your agency decides that you no longer have the capability or desire to recruit or host a Homes for All Member, please let us know immediately. We have agencies on the waiting list that will be happy to take your slot, but the later we wait to transfer a slot, the harder the position is to fill.