Conducting searches to recruit
faculty and staff employees is an important and time-consuming task.
Every technique used to attract and screen applicants must measure
up to the University's EEO responsibilities. Increasing diversity
should be a significant part of the hiring process. Vacancies are
to be filled with qualified candidates either by promoting or transferring
employees from within, or by hiring from outside the University. The
following steps have been established to facilitate the search process.
1. Develop a detailed
job analysis, by investigating the duties, tasks, responsibilities,
functions and purpose of the position for which you are hiring,
to be used by the search committee when screening applicants. Review
or develop a job description and ensure the tasks, duties and responsibilities
are accurate. Human Resources (HR) is available to assist you in
developing a job description.
2. Appoint or designate
a search committee. When feasible, the search committee should be
diversified in nature (minorities and females should be represented).
If the department is homogeneous, consider inviting members of other
departments that are representative of underrepresented groups to
participate as a member of the search committee. Search committees
should have an odd number of members.
3. Once a position
vacancy notification is received, HR will provide a departmental
EEO ethnicity/gender report to the department's search committee
chairperson or hiring authority to assist in special consideration
being given to minorities, females and the disabled. Before a selection
is made, the committee should carefully review its procedures to
ensure that members of all groups have had fair consideration.
4. Appoint or designate
an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Coordinator within the search
committee to sign off on the hiring decision signifying that the
committee complied with SFA selection guidelines and state and federal
laws. The EEO Coordinator will have the responsibility of justifying
a hiring decision. The EEO Coordinator may be the hiring manager
or search chair.
5. It is recommended
that the Affirmative Action Officer (or designated representative)
from HR meet with the Search Committee Chairperson and/or the search
committee to discuss proper search procedures prior to implementing
the search.
6. To post a job vacancy,
you must complete appropriate requisition forms found on the HR
employment web site at http://www.sfasu.edu/personnel/employment.html
. Click on "Hiring Managers/Supervisors" to find forms needed
to post a vacant position. Route the request to post a position
for approval in the order listed on the form. HR will process the
request upon receiving the required approvals.
7. The hiring department
must ensure that all classified (staff) applicants have completed
the appropriate paperwork in HR and have been referred by HR. Classified
applicants must complete a State of Texas Employment Application
. HR will review applications for completeness, meeting the minimum
qualifications, and testing, if appropriate, before referring the
application to the hiring department. Accuracy of the statements
on the employee's application will be certified by the signature
of the applicant. Falsification, misstatement or omission of information
may be grounds for refusal to hire or, if hired, termination. The
applicant's signature authorizes persons to give you references;
any and all information concerning previous employment, education,
or any other information they might have personal or otherwise,
with regard to any of the subjects covered by the application, and
releases all such parties from all liability from any damages which
may result from furnishing such information to you.
8. From the job description,
develop a list of selection criteria to be used for screening purposes
as a basis to evaluate applicants. (See Hiring Matrix - Review tutorial
if you are a first time user and instructions are provided.) The
position's selection criteria will be inserted into the Hiring Matrix
as a tool to assist with screening and selection of personnel. Hiring
Matrix tutorial, excel spreadsheet and written instructions may
be found on Human Resources Forms web site at http://www.sfasu.edu/personnel/forms.html
. Go to "Recruitment" section for Hiring Matrix forms.
9. Develop a list of
basic interview questions and appropriate answers to be asked of
all applicants interviewed. This basic list does not preclude the
committee from asking more specific questions as a result of answers
from the basic list. When interviewing, ask each applicant to answer
the same job-related and experience specific interview questions
and/or complete the same job-related practical exercises, which
can be quantifiably measured. Focus exclusively on the applicant's
professional and technical ability or knowledge to perform the particular
job. This list of questions and appropriate answers should
be included with the initial posting packet or provided to the Affirmative
Action Officer or designee prior to interviews taking place. Interviews
must be conducted in accordance with EEO laws and criteria stated
in the initial posting requisition. Do not editorialize or make
unnecessary comments in writing about an applicant; only record
the facts or their responses to a question.
10. Search committees should
target recruitment sources to maximize the number of qualified minorities,
females and the disabled. HR will submit job vacancies to the Texas
Workforce Commission for further recruitment and will advertise
jobs on the university's employment web site, job-line and bulletin
boards outside the HR office located at Suite 201 , Austin Building
. The hiring department should consider using an advertising media
that will reach a diverse population. HR can provide recommendations
for targeting specific groups. See Advertising to Enhance Diversity
list on the HR web site under Forms page.go to "Recruitment"
section for a list of organizations/colleges.
11. Once HR receives
the approved position request they will assign a vacancy number,
post date, and verify that the application deadline date complies
with the minimum five day posting requirement for classified positions
or ten working day notification requirement for non-classified faculty
or staff positions. The position announcement may remain open longer
in order to recruit a qualified applicant pool. The search committee
or hiring department official may contact HR to request the position
announcement be taken off the employment web site, prior to or after
interviews begin, as long as the five or ten day posting requirement
has been met.
12. HR must approve
all outside recruiting advertisements for positions before they
are released for publication. Public Affairs must review and edit
any/all outside advertising. All advertising for the Academic Affairs
division must have the approval of the Provost. Advertising must
include the standardized advertising requirement: "Affirmative Action/Equal
Opportunity Employer - Security Sensitive Position - Criminal background
check required for successful candidate". Advertising is at the
expense of the hiring department.
13. All advertisements,
letters, phone calls, email correspondence, work history or education
verifications, reference checks and other forms of communication
must be documented for possible future audits of each vacancy. The
Hiring Matrix is required for documentation of the selection process
and must be retained. Please keep copies of closing forms and all
applicant documents including applications and resumes. (The Applicant
Data/Contact Sheet, Telephone Log, and Presentation Rating Form
are optional forms that can be used for documentation).
14. IMPORTANT!
ALL parties who express interest in a non-classified
faculty or professional position by the submission of a vita, resume,
or other appropriate document must be sent a copy of the Voluntary
Applicant EEO Data Form (found on HR's forms web site, http://www.sfasu.edu/personnel/forms.html
under "Recruitment"). It is the department's responsibility
to include the vacancy number in the designated area on the form
and mail to the applicant. A sample letter to include with an EEO
Data Form is available to contacting HR. The Voluntary Applicant
EEO Data Form includes HR's mailing address for the applicant to
return the form. Should an EEO Data Form be returned to the committee,
it should be forwarded immediately to HR for statistical purposes.
Faculty applicants will complete a post-hire application facilitated
by the hiring committee and the Provost/VP of Academic Affairs office
.
15. IMPORTANT!
All applicants applying for classified staff positions
are required to complete a State of Texas Employment Application
(found on HR's web site, under Forms then "Hiring" section for application.)
along with the other required applicant documents as stated
by the position announcement. Accuracy of statements on the application
will be certified by the signature of the applicant.
16. The search committee
will use a Hiring Matrix to objectively and more accurately compare
an applicant's qualifications to a job vacancy and to one another.
This tool will help to ensure that hiring selection decisions are
made only on lawful job-related and non-discriminatory criteria,
thus providing Equal Employment Opportunity to all applicants. Hiring
Matrix found on the web at http://sfasu.edu/personnel/forms.html
The search committee will
retain the completed Hiring Matrix in the recruitment file to support
a hiring decision and a copy should be submitted with the closing
forms forwarded to HR.
17. The search committee
should check TWO employment references/current or previous work
histories of their final candidates. An employment verification
form is available to assist the search committee with this task.
At least one reference should be a former supervisor or previous
employer. Unsatisfactory references will take a candidate out of
the ranking for hire. It is acceptable to check references not provided
by the applicant.
18. Screening of applicants
must be done in accordance with Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
laws and the selection criteria. Reasons for the non-selection of
applicants must be documented for all applicants interviewed but
not chosen. Documenting the reasons for non-selection will be satisfied
by completing the Administrative Approval Form immediately following
the decision of a successful candidate. The codes may be downloaded
from the HR employment web site; Hiring Managers/Supervisors page;
forms to close a Non-Classified job; Administrative Approval Form
and Approved Reasons for Non-Selection of Candidates.
19. All final candidates
for the position must be authorized to be employed in the United
States . Documents verifying this information will be required to
be provided to HR within 3 days of employment. All offers of employment
are conditional upon the employee providing this information to
HR within 3 days of their employment date. The 1986 Federal Immigration
and Naturalization Law requires employees hired after November 1,
1986 , to complete Form I-9 (proof of identity
and eligibility to work in the U.S. ). This form is completed in
the New Employee Orientation and becomes a part of the employee's
personnel record.
20. Any offer of employment
to a male candidate 18 years up to the 26th year of age is considered
conditional until he has provided proof of registration with the
Selective Service or documented his exemption from the requirement
to register. The registration verification form may be found on
the HR web site and is to be completed only for the finalist
candidate. This verification is not to be asked of all applicants.
21. Successful
candidates for positions that have been designated Security Sensitive
will be subject to a criminal history background check, and their
employment with the university will be contingent upon the receipt,
review, and acceptability of the background information.
22. Employees
required to operate university-owned vehicles must hold, at their
expense, an appropriate valid driver's license for the type of vehicle
operated, and must be insurable on the university Automobile Liability
Insurance Policy. Failure to maintain a valid driver's license or
safe driving record for insurability purposes may be cause for termination
from positions that require operating a university-owned vehicle.
23. When the successful
applicant has been notified and accepts the position, the hiring
department's search committee must verbally request to have the
job vacancy removed from the HR web site and process the proper
closing forms/appointment package. The appointment package should
be assembled as soon as possible with a Personnel Action Request
(PAR) to ensure a timely appointment transaction. See appropriate
closing forms on HR employment web site by clicking "Hiring Managers/Supervisors".
24. The dean, director,
or department head signifies approval and forwards the package to
the appropriate Vice President, who will then forward to HR for
review.
25. Documentation is
critically important before, during, and after the interview/hiring
process. The hiring authority must thoroughly document the recruitment
and selection processes used to fill the position. The hiring department
will retain all applicant's resumes or curriculum vitas, letters
of recommendation, letters of application, any/all requested documents,
reference checking forms, interview questions/responses of each
candidate and the Hiring Matrix in a recruitment file. Keep all
recruitment records for 2 years and 1 day from the end of the search
in the department/division. The purpose for this is to assure that
if for any reason an applicant makes an open records request or
the records are subpoenaed in a court of law that the information
needed will be thorough and accessible. This information is also
important should the department be audited for any reason.
26. The hiring department
must ensure that the newly appointed employee is scheduled for New
Employee Orientation conducted by HR on or before their first day
of employment. Payroll and employment forms, benefits enrollment
as well as important university procedures and state and federal
laws will be reviewed. EEO/Sexual Harassment mandated training must
be scheduled for the new employee within 30 days of hire. The new
hire should be prepared to bring identification for employment authorization
and identity, a voided check for direct deposit authorization, and
social security numbers and dates of births for any dependents being
enrolled in insurance programs or as beneficiary designations.
27. Candidates not
selected for the position should receive a polite letter of rejection
thanking the candidate for their time and interest and stating the
job is filled. Sample letters are available by contacting HR.
28. Please refer all
questions pertaining to EEO selection procedures to Director of
Human Resources or Manager of Employment, PO Box 13039 , or call
468-2304.
