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. If there is no current job description then the department must develop a detailed job analysis, by investigating the duties, tasks, responsibilities, functions and purpose of the position for which you are hiring. Human Resources (HR) is available to assist you in developing a job description.
2. Once the electronic authorization has been routed through the appropriate channels and sent to HR, the position will be posted on the online applicant system.
3. Non exempt positions must be posted for a minimum of five calendar days. Exempt and Faculty positions should be posted for a minimum of ten calendar days. Positions are posted with the state employment agency and may also be advertised through other sources as needed. Advertisements for exempt staff positions that are sent outside the university should be approved by Public Affairs. The Provost office will approve Faculty ads. Advertising must include the standardized advertising requirement: “Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer - Security Sensitive Position - Criminal background check required for successful candidate”. Human Resources covers the expense of advertising in HigherEd jobs. Additional advertising is at the expense of the hiring department.
4. All applicants must use the online applicant system to be considered. Candidates must not be considered if the requested documents are not completed. All candidates will be directed through instructions on the online applicant system as to what documents they must submit. 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.
5. Once the position has been posted and the department is ready to start interviewing they may request a search committee training session through HR. The search committee process is required for faculty and exempt positions but may be used for all openings.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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. At this time HR will apprise the department of any underrepresentation of females and minorities in the respective department. HR may offer assistance in recruitment outreach.
9. It is no longer necessary to mail the EEO data from to candidates as this information is requested on a voluntary basis in the online applicant process.
10. 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 should be 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.
11. The search committee must 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://www.sfasu.edu/personnel/forms.html.
12. 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. In the online system there is a drop down menu for non-selection codes. All committees must complete this section on non-selected candidates. This information will be retained online and be accessible for any potential audits or open records requests.
13. 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 may view all applicant information online, but if the department makes any written notes then those must be retained for 2 years and 1 day. 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.
14. 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 consideration for hire. It is acceptable to check references not provided by the applicant.
15. 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.
16. Any offer of employment to a male candidate 18 years up to the 26 years 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. This verification is not to be asked of all applicants.
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. When the successful applicant has accepted the position, the hiring department or search committee should request the job vacancy be removed from the online site. At this time the criminal history check should be done and the PAR forwarded to HR. Once the criminal history and the PAR are completed and in the HR office, NEO (new employee orientation) will be scheduled. Faculty offers are made through the Provost office.
20. 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.
Please refer all questions pertaining to selection procedures to the Human Resources Department at (936) 468-2304.
