The Office of the Metro Auditor completed an audit of employee recruitment and selection processes. Metro required that the processes to recruit and select employees be fair, transparent and legally defensible. Achieving these requirements was the joint responsibility of the Human Resources Department and the manager filling the vacancy.
The audit found that hiring decisions were supportable, but that documentation could be improved. Managers were not always following some of the practices recommended by the Human Resources Department.
“The Department recommends that managers use a screening form when deciding which applicants to interview,” Metro Auditor Flynn said. “For the most part, this was not being followed.”
The audit also found that how records were saved made it difficult to review the decisions that were made.
This audit was added to the audit schedule after a complaint was received on the Metro Ethics Line. While the specifics of the complaint were found to be inaccurate, the Auditor’s Office thought a broader look could benefit Metro. A sample of 24 recruitment and selection processes that resulted in a hire were reviewed. The Metro Auditor noted that Metro management agreed with the recommendations and had made plans to address them.
Copies of the audit can also be obtained by calling the Office of the Metro Auditor at 503-797-1892. The Metro Auditor will brief the Metro Council on Thursday, Nov. 10.