REMINDER - DEPENDENT BENEFIT AUDITS ARE IN PROCESS

In prior issues, we informed you that total insurance costs for active employees and retirees will reach nearly $1 billion during the next year, highlighting the need to carefully review plan costs and identify opportunities to reduce costs. One of the areas identified to realize savings was to audit dependents covered by the State's plan and remove ineligible dependents. The Dependent Benefit Audit is currently underway.

Employees with dependent coverage will receive, via United States mail, a statement showing currently enrolled dependents, a certification statement, eligibility guidelines, and information describing required documentation. Employees are required to review their dependent coverage statement, provide copies of required documents, sign the certification statement, and return the information to the DCS Internal Audit Division by the date specified.

The audit is being rolled out in phases. The Department of Civil Service and the Office of the State Employer participated in the pilot audit for dependent benefit coverage. The audit of Department of Community Health employees commenced May 16, 2005. The audit of additional departmental employees is tentatively scheduled as follows:

All employees with dependent benefit coverage must provide documentation (e.g., a copy of your marriage certificate, birth certificate(s), adoption or guardianship records, etc.) to validate the continued eligibility of enrolled dependents, even if you have previously provided this documentation. If you are unable to locate the required documentation, the State of Michigan Vital Records has records of births, deaths, marriages, and divorces that occurred in Michigan. Records may be ordered online at www.michigan.gov/mdch using a debit or credit card. You may print the on-line application and mail your request, or call the Vital Records Office directly at 517-335-8666. If the birth or other vital event occurred in another state, an online service for ordering documents is available at www.vitalchek.com.

We urge you to timely return all required documentation to avoid potential problems with your coverage.

MI HR INFORMATION

Do you find it difficult surfing the web for general payroll, benefit, or human resources information? MI HR Information makes it easy for you to do just that! This on-line knowledgebase contains an abundance of information about benefit, payroll, and human resource information. The great thing about MI HR Information is that it’s tailored to you and your employment situation so you don’t have to sort through information that doesn’t apply to you. You only view the information you want to know. MI HR Information also provides you easy access to MI HR Self-Service, Forms, Civil Service Rules and Regulations, Union Bargaining Agreements, and useful contact information.

To access MI HR Information, go to the MI HR Gateway at www.michigan.gov/selfserv, the same web page you currently use to access your MI HR Self-Service account. A blue crayon entitled “Log into MI HR Information” is available on this page. To log in, you will use the same username and password you currently use to access your MI HR Self-Service account! MI HR Information is available from your work or home computer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Do you wonder what your annual leave maximum accumulation is? Log into MI HR Information and click the "My Time Off" and "Leaves" menu to find out!

FREE MONEY? . . . ARE YOU MISSING OUT?

Double Your Money In The State’s Defined Contribution Plan
If you are in the State’s Defined Contribution plan, the State automatically contributes an amount equal to 4 percent of your eligible salary into your 401(k) account. In addition, the State matches the first 3 percent contribution you make into your 401(k). When you add it up, you can double your money simply by contributing 3 percent, and you will have an amount equal to 10 percent of your salary going toward your retirement – 7 percent contributed by the State.

Don’t Delay. Sign up today and designate a percentage and spread your contributions over the whole year, as contributions are matched each pay period. Remember if you contribute at least 3 percent, the State will match your first 3 percent.

Is Your Future In Default?
When you sign up for the 401(k) or 457 plans, you get to choose among a wide variety of investment funds to invest your contributions. If you don’t choose specific investments, all contributions automatically default into the Yield Enhanced Short-Term Fund. This fund is considered a conservative, low-return fund and may not be appropriate for your funds from now until retirement. That’s why it is important to tell CitiStreet how you want your money invested. Choose funds that better fit your investment goals and tolerance for risk. You can choose your investments by visiting the Plan website or by calling the Plan Information line below.

Need More Information?
For investment and other 401(k) and 457 plan information, you can visit the plan website at http://stateofmi.csplans.com or call the Information Line at (800) 748-6128. The State of Michigan also offers free classes at various locations. All state employees are welcome. Check the Civil Service website at www.michigan.gov/mdcs and then contact your local personnel office or training person to register for the next scheduled class.

For more information about retiring from the 401K Plan, visit the Office of Retirement Services website at www.michigan.gov/orsstatedc. You can also ask your Human Resource office for "Looking to the Future", a handbook for 401K Plan members.

Note: This article prepared by the Office of Retirement Services, Department of Management and Budget.

BEHAVIOR-BASED INTERVIEWS

Introduction
If you interview for a different job with the State of Michigan, you might experience a behavior-based interview instead of the traditional interview process you are accustomed to. More and more employers are using the behavior-based method of interviewing in order to find the ideal employee, including the State of Michigan. Consequently, the Department of Civil Service is developing a video on behavior-based interviews to educate state employees and individuals seeking employment with the State of Michigan. We will let you know when the video is released.

What is a Behavior-Based Interview?
Unlike the traditional method of interviewing, the behavior-based method of interviewing is based on the premise that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. In a traditional interview, for example, the applicant can describe how they would likely handle a given situation. In a behavior-based interview, the applicant is asked to describe in detail an actual situation they encountered in the past, how they handled it, and what the outcome was. This is commonly referred to as the STAR approach: Situation/Task, Action, and Result.

The behavior-based interview method asks probing questions and prevents applicants from embellishing or being vague about their experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. The interviewer might ask questions like, “Have you ever encountered a hostile customer? If so, what did you do to defuse the situation? Walk me through what you thought, what you did, and what the outcome was.”

How to Prepare for the Interview
Whether you are going through a behavior-based or traditional interview, the average applicant experiences some level of anxiety before the interview. The importance of the interview may weigh heavier and heavier on your mind as the appointed date and hour grows closer. A way to overcome this anxiety is to first think of the interview as a meeting and not an interrogation. It is a meeting because you are participating in the process not only in hopes of landing the job, but to find out if that particular job is the right match for you. Are you a good fit in that work setting, doing those tasks, in that work environment? Prepare for the interview through research:

	Research the employer; i.e., visit their web site, read publications about the employer, and talk with individuals familiar with the organization.
	Talk with the human resource representative to find out if they are conducting a traditional or behavior-based interview.
	Research the competencies for the job. If the competencies are not available on the employer’s website, ask the human resource representative to provide them.
	Using the competencies, correlate your job-related experience to the individual categories; e.g., for ”communication,” think of a time when you dealt with a situation that required you to take action to communicate an unpleasant message, think of what action you took, why you took that action, and what the result was.
	Finally, as silly as it sounds, research YOURSELF! The pressure of an interview can dim your recollection, so refresh your memory about your accomplishments by reviewing where you have been and what you have done.

The Interview
Interview panels generally consist of 2 to 4 people. The same job-related selection criteria are used to assess every applicant, and the same job-related questions are asked of every applicant. This promotes equity and fairness in the selection process. During the interview, you will probably notice panel members frequently writing while you are talking. This should not be interpreted negatively. Considering how many interviews might be conducted, it is to your advantage for panel members to make notes about your answers.

Finally, avoid being prepared to present only positive experiences. Behavior-based questions also probe how you handled negative situations, so be prepared to share negative situations in which you triumphed or where you at least made the best of a bad situation and learned something in the process.

Need more information?
For more information on employment opportunities and available career planning services, please visit the Michigan Department of Civil Service website at www.michigan.gov/mdcs.