Career Justice

One thing that’s been common among almost every business or institution is that they have been looking for people to hire; it seems the Federal Correctional Institution of Waseca is no exception.

Currently, the facility is looking to hire correctional officers, an advanced practice nurse (or a mid-level practitioner), registered nurses, medical officers, a chaplain, a staff psychologist, and a drug abuse program coordinator.

“We’re always looking for people,” said Kirstin Hess, a human resources officer at the Waseca Federal Correctional Institution.

This constant search is why the institution held a hiring event this past Thursday, May 18, to give people more information about the Waseca FCI and the positions it is looking to fill. It was one of a line of monthly career fairs the institution has, according to Hess.

“Some people may not realize that we need more than correctional officers here,” Hess explained. “Others may not even realize that there is a federal level prison here in Waseca.”

For those that welcome the possibility, it may be that there is an inviting position still open for them at the Waseca federal prison.

“We are not only competing with other prisons and law enforcement agencies to hire people,” Hess elaborated. “We are also competing with other places like Aldi and Walmart who pay similar wages to what we have here.”

That competition is part of the reason why the institute offers a 25-percent recruitment incentive for applicants who meet certain criteria, such as working in the position for a certain length of time. Federal agencies like the Waseca FCI have struggled to get people with the right amount of experience, work history, education, or background into the door without the incentives.

Hess claimed the Waseca FCI already had a recruitment incentive of ten percent in place before the increase to 25 percent went into effect nationwide. “We’ve needed these incentives to encourage people to look into joining us,” she added.

During the career fair, a few candidates were taking a class to better understand the job requirements in any positions of interest to them at the federal prison.

Those who came to the career fair left with a packet of information explaining the compensation and benefits package offered by the Waseca FCI along with requirements for positions like a correctional officer.

“We really just want to spread the word that we’re always hiring,” Hess shared. “Again, we’re not only looking for officers but other important positions as well like nurses and medical officers.”