We seek to recruit and retain an excellent staff which is trained and empowered to provide superior service to our community. We’re committed to a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion among our staff. That commitment extends to everyone we interview as well. We believe that if you are comfortable in the interview process, you will be better able to be your best self in the interview and we’ll be better able to get to know you and what you can bring to our workplace and the Shaker community. For that reason, we want to share what you can expect in our interviews and how you can prepare.

We use a two-step interview process. The first interview is short and conducted over Zoom. We’ll ask you a few questions and tell you a little about the library and the job you are applying for. We ask you to be concise but complete in your answers.

Occasionally, there will be a technological issue with a Zoom call. If you should get cut off for any reason, just go ahead and rejoin.

After the call is over, the panel will decide whether or not to go ahead to a second interview with you. If so, we hope you will decide that you want to continue interviewing with us.

In some cases, we may ask you to prepare a demonstration or take a test or come in to a third interview.

We use a behavioral interview method. If you’re not familiar with this style of interview, you can read about it at “Behavioral Interview Questions and How to Answer Them.”

There are usually two or three people on the interview panel. One will be the hiring manager, and one will be the Human Resources Officer or an Administrator.

Over the two interviews, our questions will address the following topics:

• Job knowledge and skills
• Customer service experience and orientation
• Communication skills
• Ethics and values
• Innovation
• Accountability and personal responsibility
• Teamwork
• Technology
• Equity, diversity, and inclusion

We recommend that you read our Mission, Vision, and Values and our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement and our  Customer Service Philosophy before you come to the interview. You may also find it helpful to learn what you can about the Shaker Library through our webpage or by visiting one of our buildings before your interview.

We can provide reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities in the interview process and in the job. If you require accommodations during the interview process, please let our staff know when they contact you for the interview.