Human Resources

Equal Employment Opportunity

Selection of Counselors

SELECTION OF COUNSELORS

It is critical to the successful operation of the EEO counseling program that those selected to serve as EEO Counselors have the qualifications that will allow them to best carry out this responsibility. In selecting and assigning Counselors, Operating Divisions should look for employees with the following characteristics:

Personal Characteristics

• Empathy
• Objectivity
• Perceptiveness
• Resourcefulness
• Flexibility
• Honesty
• Personal commitment to promote equal employment opportunity for all

Knowledge

• Familiarity with the basic goals and requirements of the EEO program.
• An understanding of employment problems faced by all employees, but especially minorities, women and persons with disabilities.

Abilities

• Ability to communicate effectively with persons of different races, sexes, national origins, ages, economic, cultural and educational backgrounds, as well as those with disabilities.
• Ability to communicate with management and employees.
• Ability to gather and analyze a variety of pertinent facts and opinions.
• Ability to work under pressure and to retain composure when exposed to personal criticism or emotional outbursts.
• Ability to act equitably in arriving at problem resolution.
• Ability to write a summary of actions that occur during the counseling period.

An employee selected as an EEO Counselor should be readily available to perform their counseling duties. If the employee’s supervisor has legitimate objections to the employee serving as an EEO Counselor, that employee's name should not be forwarded to the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity (OEEO). Once selected and assigned, EEO Counselors should be provided full support from their supervisors in the performance of their counseling duties.

The EEO counseling staff, as much as possible, should reflect the broad representation of the Departmental work force in terms of race, sex, ethnic background, age, disabilities, grades and occupational series.

To be successful, the EEO Counselor must maintain the confidence of management, as well as of employees. Therefore, the Counselor should not serve as a representative for any employee at any stage of the discrimination complaint process. Likewise, persons who normally represent employees for other reasons should not serve as EEO Counselors. Also, persons who serve as Counselors should not be asked to serve as management representatives or advisors in connection with hearings in individual cases.

Input with regard to selection of EEO Counselors will be obtained from managers, supervisors and union representatives to ensure that the employees selected are individuals who the work force can identify with and in whom they will have confidence. The Director, OEEO, will make the final selection and appointment of EEO Counselors.