Interviewing and Selecting National Service Applicants

The best way to ensure that you are providing equal opportunity to all applicants to your National Service program is to prepare a list of questions that will be asked of all interviewees.  The guidelines will assist you in preparing your questions.

You May Ask:

• Whether the individual needs any reasonable accommodations or assistance during the selection process (this should be asked of ALL potential applicants).
• About the individual's ability to perform essential position functions.

You May:

• Give a copy of the Service Description to the individual that identifies all essential functions and ask whether the individual is able to perform all of those essential functions with/without reasonable accommodations.
• State your organization's standards regarding the drug policy, on-the-job alcohol consumption, and the smoking policy.
• State your organization's standards for attendance and the performance standards and expectations for a particular position.
• Ask how an individual could perform tasks with possible types of accommodation if the applicant indicates that he or she can perform the task with an accommodation.

Do Not Ask:

• Whether the individual has a current disability or a past disability.
• Whether the individual has any serious illness (such as AIDS).
• Whether the individual has any back problems, history of mental illness, or any other physical or mental condition.
• How the individual became disabled or the prognosis for the applicant.
• Questions about the nature or severity of the person's disability or comment in anyway on the individual's physical condition.
• Whether the individual wears a hearing aid or needs to wear glasses while working
• Questions about the applicant's past on-the-job injuries.
• Whether the applicant has ever been treated for any mental condition.
• Applicants to list any conditions or diseases for which they have been treated in the past.
• Whether the individual has ever been hospitalized and if so for what condition.
• How many days the applicant was absent from work last year because of illness.
• Whether the applicant has any disease, including HIV or AIDS.
• Whether an applicant has ever requested and/or received assistance or assistive devices in performing past jobs.
• About an applicant's past or current need for or receipt of medical or disability benefits.
• About applicant's past drug or alcohol use.
• Whether the applicant has ever filed a worker's compensation claim or ever received an award of worker's compensation benefits.
• Whether an individual has ever been found to be disabled or has a spouse, children, or other friends with disabilities.
• Questions of applicants with disabilities that you do not ask of all applicants.
• Whether the individual has any disabilities or impairments that may affect performance in the position.

Should the individual indicate that he or she has a disability and may require a reasonable accommodation you should:

• Offer reasonable accommodation during the hiring process should the individual have an obvious disability or a disability known to you that may interfere with their ability to complete the pre-employment procedures (such as testing). 
• Inquire about the types of accommodations the individual believes may be necessary.
• Work with the individual to find the most effective and cost-efficient reasonable accommodation.
• Make inquiries with the individual and with others (if necessary) as to the nature and costs of the proposed accommodation.

The Selection Process

As you are making your final selections:

Do:

• Ensure that careful consideration of an applicant's ability to perform essential functions, with or without reasonable accommodations, is made before rejecting an applicant with a disability.
• Keep in mind your primary goal: to include the most qualified applicants in your National Service program.  This must be the applicant(s) who can perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Do Not:

• Refuse to consider an individual because the individual has asked for an accommodation.
• Refuse to consider an individual for a position merely because that person has a disability or is associated with a person with a disability.
• Refuse to consider a person merely because that person has filed a past worker's compensation claim.
• Refuse to consider a person for fear it might increase insurance or worker's compensation costs.

Adapted from information provided by Florida State University.