[IPAC-List] Use of Application and/or Examination Fees

[Blair, Michael D[EQ]]

Jamie -

In addition to Mark's comments, I would add that Karen Coffee published an article in Public Personnel Management entitled "To Fee or Not to Fee".  While the article is dated (1996) it is still relevant to the question of applicant fees in the public sector and runs through a series of questions and facts associated with the topic.  An excellent read that will provide a solid foundation as you try to tackle the fee or not to fee issue.  Past PPM editions are available online on the IPMA website.

A factor that was not considered in Karen's article (because it was not an issue in 1996) is ease of application in the private sector.  If you charge an application fee, you will lose many candidates (ranging from great to poor) to the private sector.  Most mid-size and larger private sector organizations make it real simple to apply online without cost.


Michael D. Blair
Manager, Recruitment, Selection & Assessment
EMBARQ
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Email: Michael.D.Blair at embarq.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/blairmichaeld



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-----Original Message-----
From: ipac-list-bounces at ipacweb.org [mailto:ipac-list-bounces at ipacweb.org] On Behalf Of Mark Hammer
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 2:39 PM
To: ipac-list at ipacweb.org
Subject: Re: [IPAC-List] Use of Application and/or Examination Fees

This has come up here before, and if memory serves the response was that it can often be more trouble than it is worth.

I guess the question to pose to you is what purpose you want the fee to serve:

1) to simply recover administrative costs?
2) to deter no-shows?
3) to deter those without a snowball's chance in Mumbai?

To my mind, whatever fee-for-test arrangement you institute would be predicated on what you want it to do for you *most*.

Mark Hammer
Ottawa


>>> "Fisher, James" <James.Fisher at mwrdgc.dst.il.us> 2009/07/14 3:32 pm 

>>> >>>

Our agency is exploring the idea of implementing an application fee and/or a fee to participate in all or a portion of the examination process (such as the performance test for skilled trades and police).
Are any of your agencies currently using a fee system?  If so, any information as to amount of the fee, at which steps the fee is assessed (upon application, for the written test, for each test, etc.), what to do with questions of inability to pay, etc. would be very helpful.
 
Thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide.
 
Jamie Fisher
Employment Manager
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Ph (312)751-5172 Fax (312)751-5171
 
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