Guidebook for Recruiting, Developing, and Retaining Transit Managers for Fixed-Route Bus and Paratransit Systems (2010)

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TRANSPORTAT ION RESEARCH BOARD WASHINGTON, D.C. 2010 www.TRB.org T R A N S I T C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M TCRP REPORT 139 Research sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration in cooperation with the Transit Development Corporation Subscriber Categories Public Transportation • Administration and Management Guidebook for Recruiting, Developing, and Retaining Transit Managers for Fixed-Route Bus and Paratransit Systems Lance Anderson Candace Blair Cronin Daniel Fien-Helfman Michelle Pohl Brian Cronin ICF INTERNATIONAL, INC. Fairfax, VA Ream Lazaro Valerie Lazaro Anne Singleton BOYD, CATON & GRANT TRANSPORTATION GROUP Earlysville, VA

TCRP REPORT 139 Project F-14 ISSN 1073-4872 ISBN 978-0-309-15491-8 Library of Congress Control Number 2010932352 © 2010 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein. Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA, FMCSA, FTA, or Transit Development Corporation endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP. NOTICE The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the Transit Cooperative Research Program, conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Council. The members of the technical panel selected to monitor this project and to review this report were chosen for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance. The report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, or the program sponsors. The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research Council, and the sponsors of the Transit Cooperative Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report. TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM The nation’s growth and the need to meet mobility, environmental, and energy objectives place demands on public transit systems. Current systems, some of which are old and in need of upgrading, must expand service area, increase service frequency, and improve efficiency to serve these demands. Research is necessary to solve operating problems, to adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to intro- duce innovations into the transit industry. The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the transit industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet demands placed on it. The need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB Special Report 213—Research for Public Transit: New Directions, published in 1987 and based on a study sponsored by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration—now the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). A report by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Transportation 2000, also recognized the need for local, problem- solving research. TCRP, modeled after the longstanding and success- ful National Cooperative Highway Research Program, undertakes research and other technical activities in response to the needs of tran- sit service providers. The scope of TCRP includes a variety of transit research fields including planning, service configuration, equipment, facilities, operations, human resources, maintenance, policy, and administrative practices. TCRP was established under FTA sponsorship in July 1992. Pro- posed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, TCRP was autho- rized as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). On May 13, 1992, a memorandum agreement out- lining TCRP operating procedures was executed by the three cooper- ating organizations: FTA, the National Academies, acting through the Transportation Research Board (TRB); and the Transit Development Corporation, Inc. (TDC), a nonprofit educational and research orga- nization established by APTA. TDC is responsible for forming the independent governing board, designated as the TCRP Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Committee. Research problem statements for TCRP are solicited periodically but may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility of the TOPS Committee to formulate the research program by identi- fying the highest priority projects. As part of the evaluation, the TOPS Committee defines funding levels and expected products. Once selected, each project is assigned to an expert panel, appointed by the Transportation Research Board. The panels prepare project state- ments (requests for proposals), select contractors, and provide techni- cal guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process for developing research problem statements and selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooperative research pro- grams since 1962. As in other TRB activities, TCRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation. Because research cannot have the desired impact if products fail to reach the intended audience, special emphasis is placed on dissemi- nating TCRP results to the intended end users of the research: tran- sit agencies, service providers, and suppliers. TRB provides a series of research reports, syntheses of transit practice, and other support- ing material developed by TCRP research. APTA will arrange for workshops, training aids, field visits, and other activities to ensure that results are implemented by urban and rural transit industry practitioners. The TCRP provides a forum where transit agencies can cooperatively address common operational problems. The TCRP results support and complement other ongoing transit research and training programs. Published reports of the TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM are available from: Transportation Research Board Business Office 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 and can be ordered through the Internet at http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore Printed in the United States of America

CRP STAFF FOR TCRP REPORT 139 Christopher W. Jenks, Director, Cooperative Research Programs Crawford F. Jencks, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs Dianne S. Schwager, Senior Program Officer Rachel Kirkland, Senior Program Assistant Eileen P. Delaney, Director of Publications Margaret B. Hagood, Editor TCRP PROJECT F-14 PANEL Field of Human Resources Marion Colston, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles, CA (Chair) Doran J. Barnes, Foothill Transit, West Covina, CA Janice M. Baroody, Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority, Florence, SC Adrienne Bunney, King County (WA) Metro Transit, Seattle, WA Darrel M. Feasel, Virginia Department of Rail & Public Transportation, Richmond, VA Thomas Jackson, Michigan DOT, Lansing, MI Robert Kingsbury, First Transit Inc., New Bern, NC Prim LaCapra, New Jersey Transit Corporation, Newark, NJ Michael Setzer, Veolia Transportation, Cincinnati, OH Donnie R. Thompson, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Dallas, TX Patricia Weaver, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS Doug Birnie, FTA Liaison Susan Clark, FTA Liaison Harold Morgan, Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association Liaison Kelly Shawn, Community Transportation Association of America Liaison Peter Shaw, TRB Liaison AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The recommendations reported herein were developed under TCRP Project F-14 by ICF International (ICF) in collaboration with Boyd, Caton & Grant (BCG) Transportation Group. ICF was the prime con- tractor for this study, with BCG Transportation Group serving as the subcontractor. Dr. Lance Anderson, Vice President of ICF International, was the Project Director. The other authors of this report are Dr. Candace Blair Cronin, Manager at ICF International; Ms. Michelle Pohl, Associate at ICF International; Dr. Brian Cronin, Manager at ICF International; Mr. Ream Lazaro, Senior Consul- tant at BCG Transportation Group; Ms. Valerie Lazaro, Senior Analyst at BCG Transportation Group; and Ms. Anne Singleton, Senior Analyst at BCG Transportation Group. C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M S

TCRP Report 139: Guidebook for Recruiting, Developing, and Retaining Transit Managers for Fixed-Route Bus and Paratransit Systems provides fixed-route bus, general public demand response, and ADA paratransit systems resources to assist in the recruitment, development, and retention of managers. The Guidebook is accompanied by CRP-CD-77 that provides Model Job Descriptions for 32 broad job titles that indicate the structure and content for job descriptions for manager jobs. This Guidebook will be of interest to transit providers and their governing boards. The Guidebook is designed primarily to address the needs of rural and smaller urban bus transit systems; however, large and mid-sized urban bus and rail transit providers may find suggestions in this Guidebook helpful and are welcome to modify guidance to meet their needs. Brief descriptions of related practices within transportation and other industries are also included. The Guidebook is organized into three major sections: Recruitment Recommendations; Training and Development Recommendations; and Retention Recommendations. Each sec- tion provides strategies that have been effective in transit agencies and other types of organi- zations. Effective implementation of the strategies assumes skill and knowledge in human resources management and will require adjustment to unique organizational circumstances. There are four appendices to the Guidebook. Appendix A contains figures which support Guidebook recommendations. Appendix B is a checklist for transit manager recruitment, training and retention excellence. Appendix C contains summaries for 20 case studies of transit systems that provide examples of practices. Appendix D includes a glossary of com- monly used acronyms from the Guidebook. The accompanying CRP-CD-77 is a useful tool for the development of job descriptions. It provides information on what should be included in job descriptions to ensure legal defensibility of hiring practices and to promote retention of managers. A job matching matrix has been created to help transit systems select the Model Job Description Guide that best suits their needs. Five sample job descriptions are provided as well. These job descrip- tions were created for transit systems and provide real-world examples of how final job descriptions should appear once the Model Job Description Guides have been utilized. A separate report presenting the research methodology, the results of a literature review, and the results from focus groups held with 15 other non-transit public and private sector organizations is available on the TRB website at www.TRB.org. F O R E W O R D By Dianne S. Schwager Staff Officer Transportation Research Board

1 Chapter 1 Introduction 3 Chapter 2 Recruitment Recommendations 3 2.0 Recruitment Overview 4 2.1 Advertise Job Openings Through Transit-Specific Channels 6 2.2 Use Online Recruitment Techniques 10 2.3 Match Recruitment Source to the Type of Candidate Desired 13 2.4 Conduct a Compensation Study 16 2.5 Highlight Employee Benefits 18 2.6 Recruit Internally for Management Positions 21 2.7 Recruit Nontraditional Applicants 25 2.8 Use a Panel or Multiple Interviewers 28 2.9 Utilize Structured, Behavioral-based Job Relevant Interview Protocols 31 2.10 Incorporate Realistic Job Previews (RJPs) 34 Chapter 3 Training and Development Recommendations 34 3.0 Training and Development Overview 36 3.1 Leverage Existing Training and Development Opportunities 39 3.2 Explore Available Funding for Training 41 3.3 Identify Online Training Resources 44 3.4 Make Training Easy to Access 47 3.5 Institute Mandatory Training for Managers 50 3.6 Address Training Needs in Conjunction with Performance Appraisals 53 3.7 Offer Tuition Reimbursement 56 3.8 Emphasize Ongoing Professional Development at All Levels 60 3.9 Implement Succession Planning 64 Chapter 4 Retention Recommendations 64 4.0 Retention Overview 65 4.1 Offer Competitive Benefits 68 4.2 Offer Flexible Work Schedules 71 4.3 Implement a Rewards Program for High Performers 73 4.4 Spend Time Up Front Hiring High Quality Managers 75 4.5 Establish Person-Organization Fit 78 4.6 Provide Training and Development Opportunities 81 4.7 Engage Managers in Developing and Supporting the Mission 84 4.8 Build a Culture of Ownership 87 4.9 Create a Positive Organizational Culture 90 References C O N T E N T S

93 Appendix A Supporting Figures 93 Figure 1: Framework for the Selection and Application of Human Resource Management Tools 94 Figure 2: Competencies 95 Figure 3: Training Skills Matrix 96 Figure 4: Safety and Security Training Curriculum 100 Figure 5: Certified Community Transit Manager: Examination Topics and Training Outline 101 Figure 6: Performance Evaluation Form 106 Figure 7: Additional Effective Practices from Transportation and Other Sections (from ICF International’s data files) 131 Appendix B Checklist for Transit Manager Recruitment, Training and Retention Excellence 142 Appendix C Transit Case Studies 142 Introduction to Transit Case Studies 143 1 AMTRAN 146 2 Atomic City Transit 150 3 Cache Valley Transit District 153 4 Capital Transit 155 5 Coast Transit Authority 158 6 Delmarva Transit 160 7 Golden Empire Transit 162 8 Havasu Area Transit 165 9 Jefferson Transit 168 10 Mass Transportation Authority 171 11 OATS 174 12 OCCK, Inc. 177 13 Palace Transit 179 14 Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority 182 15 Port Authority of Allegheny County 186 16 Souris Basin Transit 188 17 South Lane Wheels 191 18 Transfort 193 19 UMass Transit 195 20 Virginia Regional Transit 199 Appendix D Glossary 199 Commonly Used Acronyms