Search & Screening Procedures For Non-Faculty Positions
1.0 Overview
Few other committees perform a task that is as vital to the overall strength of the University as search and screening committees. Formed for the purpose of recommending the individuals who will serve as new staff members for UNG, these committees are tasked with carefully reviewing application documentation, conducting candidate interviews, checking references and ultimately recommending individuals whom the committee believes best meet the position qualifications.
Some positions may be filled without a search committee (generally these are entry level positions, custodial positions or grounds positions). Even when a search committee is not utilized, hiring managers are responsible for all hiring steps, beginning with 3.0.1 (Responsibilities of the Committee Chair).
Please review the General Criteria for Employment policy and the Employee Recruitment policy in their entirety.
https://www.usg.edu/hr/assets/hr/hrap_manual/HRAP_Employee_Recruitment_1.pdf
https://www.usg.edu/hr/assets/hr/hrap_manual/HRAP_General_Criteria_for_Employment.pdf
Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653
2.0 Committee Composition/Selection
Search and screening committees are generally composed of three to five members, although they can be larger. One individual is identified as the committee chair. Depending on the level of the position, the hiring manager may act as the committee chair. Alternatively, the hiring manager may wish to abstain from the committee’s work and make a hiring decision after receiving recommendations from the search committee.
Membership on the committee is usually driven by the nature of the position. Depending on the scope of the position’s responsibility, the committee should include staff members or faculty from areas across campus.
3.0 Committee and Committee Chair Procedures/Responsibilities
Once a search committee has been formed, it is the responsibility of the committee chair to call the initial meeting. At the meeting the members of the committee will decide on a deadline for reviewing applications in the Careers system and will set tentative deadlines for selecting a first round of applications for further review and possible interviews.
As the committee begins its deliberations, conversations that could explicitly or implicitly violate federal and/or state laws regarding affirmative action or equal employment should be avoided. Guidance on this issue is provided in Appendix I (Interview Question Guide). Generally, questions that should not be asked of a candidate should also not be discussed among committee members.
3.0.1 Responsibilities of the Committee Chair
The search committee chair has several roles in the search process. Among them are:
- Establishing meeting dates for the committee.
- Communicating regularly with committee members.
- Ensuring that university, Board of Regents, and affirmative action guidelines are followed throughout the process.
- Ensure Employee Hiring Training is completed by all members of the committee before application review begins.
- Communicating with the Office of Human Resources so that procedures are followed and all applicant information is received by the advertised deadline for a position.
- Conduct appropriate reference checks as necessary to verify employment and/or obtain job related information that will assist in determining the candidate’s qualifications and suitability for the intended position. Before making a reference inquiry, obtain permission from the candidate so as not to jeopardize the individual’s current employment status.
- Serves as the point of contact with candidates and assisting them with information regarding the institution and/or the community when requested.
- Establishing phone/teleconference interviews with promising candidates.
- Collaborate with committee members to establish appropriate interview questions.
- Arranging campus visits for candidates and ensuring that they are escorted to the appropriate offices during the visits.
- Provide an interview itinerary to all those on campus who will interview the candidates at least 24 hours in advance of the interviews.
- Completing appropriate tasks in Careers regarding applicants throughout the search process. This only applies if you’re the hiring manager.
3.0.2 Screening Candidates Applications
The review of candidate applications material is the first step taken by committee members towards selecting candidates recommended for hire. Review of applications may begin upon receipt in Careers. All applicants’ materials must be reviewed by the search committee until such time as the position is officially closed in Careers. Internal jobs postings should remain open for a minimum of three (3) business days. External job posting should remain open for a minimum of five (5) business days.
Screening should never be on a “points” basis. Using a numerical point system to rate applications leaves the university vulnerable to legal action if the candidate hired does not have the highest cumulative total.
Instead, applications should be rated as “top3”, or “yes/no/maybe”. The search committee should then compare their ratings of each application and develop a consensus about applications that should move forward in the process.
What follows are some points to consider as one reviews a candidate's file:
- Does the candidate meet the minimum requirements for the position as advertised?
- Is the file complete?
- Did the candidate submit all the material as requested in the advertisement?
3.0.3 Interviewing Candidates
Review resumes collected via the Institution’s applicant tracking system (ATS), source passive candidates (recruitment of those not actively searching) and identify the most qualified applicants to move to the next phase of the selection process. Proceed through the screening and selection stages (including reviewing candidate’s application materials, conducting interviews, verifying references, etc.) and select the most suitable candidate. When applicable, review internal candidates and enact Board Policy 8.3.3.1 Intra system Recruitment and USG HRAP on Eligibility for Rehire as appropriate by contacting the appropriate Institutional manager or HR department.
During the interview process the candidate should be given information about UNG and about the position. Questions asked of the candidate must be related to the job duties of the position. See Appendix I and II for information about appropriate interview questions non-permissible/permissible, and competency based interview questions.
4.0 Costs Associated with Advertising and with the Interview Process
Advertising expenses incurred during the search process are the responsibility of the hiring department. Human Resources will place requested advertisements and will then bill the department for reimbursement of the amount paid.
If travel is required, candidates may be reimbursed up to the current per diem rate for employee travel. Expenses are charged to the hiring department.
5.0 Reference Checking & Confidentiality
Georgia’s Open Records Act gives position candidates the right to inspect evaluation documents that are submitted as part of an application package. A document may be exempt from the Act when it is clearly identified as being a “confidential evaluation.” When references are solicited about a potential new employee, the person providing the reference should be informed of the candidate’s right of access to the evaluation.
Comments to the potential reference might be as follows:
“We are considering ______________ for a position as ______________. She/he has listed you as a reference. We would like to ask a few questions based on your experience working with her. You should know that as a state institution, University of North Georgia must adhere to the Georgia Open Records Act. Because of this, most documents except for those identified as ‘confidential evaluations’ are subject to disclosure upon request. If you prefer that the information you provide not be disclosed to the candidate, please let me know now so I can note the file”.
If you are asking for a written evaluation, you should provide the same information about the Open Records Act, and ask the reference to indicate on the evaluation form that it is a ‘confidential evaluation’.
Among other records not subject to disclosure are confidential evaluations submitted to, or examinations prepared by, a governmental agency in connection with the hiring of public officers or employees; records relating to the investigation of the suspension or firing of public officers or employees or of complaints against them, until ten days after the same information has been presented to the agency or officer, or at the conclusion of the investigation; and certain records pertaining to real estate appraisals, cost estimates, and bids.
Applicants have the right to expect confidentiality in their search. Many applicants request that their employer not be contacted unless they are a finalist. This expectation must be honored.
5.0.1 Notes
The chair of the search committee may wish to collect and compile the written objective notes on applicants taken by committee members at the conclusion of the search process. It is at the chair's discretion as to whether or not to collect such objective notes.
5.0.2 Sample Reference Questions
- Reference Name
- Title
- Company
- City, State
- Phone
- The date the information contained in this reference was obtained on.
- How long have you known the candidate and could you please describe your professional relationship?
- How would you assess this candidate’s communication skills (writing, speaking, listening)?
- How would you assess this candidate’s strengths in internal administration and leadership (e.g. personnel selection and supervision, enrollment management; relating to students, faculty and staff; strategic planning; program development; financial management)?
- How would you assess this candidate’s strengths in external relations, including building connections to the community, businesses and organizations?
- Are there any particular areas that you might identify as “gaps” that this candidate would need to strengthen in order to serve effectively in this role?
- Is there any other information which you believe the Search Committee needs to know about this candidate?
6.0 Job Offers and Offer Letters
Please note that no verbal offer of employment can be made to any applicant until Human Resources has confirmed the salary and terms of employment. All offer letters will be produced by Human Resources. This will include notification to the potential new employee that he/she must pass a background check.
7.0 Disqualification of Employment
Consistent with University System of Georgia regulations, A candidate will be disqualified for employment for any of the following reasons:
- A criminal drug conviction shall disqualify a candidate for at least three (3) months from the most recent conviction date. A second or subsequent criminal drug offense shall disqualify a candidate from employment or re-employment for five (5) years from the most recent conviction date.
- The candidate applying for a position of trust has been convicted of a felony or crime involving moral turpitude unless the applicant has been pardoned.
- Any false statement of material fact during the screening process.
- The candidate is or has been a member of an organization advocating the violent overthrow of the United States or State of Georgia government.
Board of Regents policy also allows that "no individual shall be employed in a department or unit which will result in the existence of a subordinate-superior relationship between such individuals and any relative of such individual through any line of authority. As used herein, 'line of authority' shall mean authority extending vertically through one or more organizational levels of supervision or management."
Appendix I
Interview Question Guide
Before a candidate is interviewed, committee members should familiarize themselves with this guide. In every instance, questions must be job-related and necessary for determining the applicant’s potential for employment at UNG. When interviewing applicants, the method (phone, teleconference, etc.) must be consistently followed for each candidate in order to maintain equality in the interviewing experience. Additionally, each applicant within a search must be asked the same questions when being interviewed.
Do not ask the open-ended question “Tell me about yourself”. This question poses a risk that the candidate will tell you about their affiliation with the local church, their handicapped child, their domestic partner, etc. A candidate who has provided this sort of information can later claim that she was denied the position because of race, religion, age, etc.
Topic | Not Permissible | Permissible |
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Address/Length of Residence |
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Age |
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Arrest and Conviction |
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Attendance, Reliability |
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Citizenship/ National Origin |
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Credit Record |
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Disabilities, Handicaps, Illness |
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• Can you perform the duties of the job you are applying for (describe duties to candidate)? How would you perform this particular task?
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Education |
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Gender | • Do you wish to be addressed as Mr., Mrs., Miss, or Ms.? • What is your maiden/birth name? |
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Language | • What is your native language? • Inquiry into how candidate acquired ability to read or write or speak a foreign language. |
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Military Record |
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Organizations |
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Parental Status |
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Physical Features |
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Race or Color |
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Reference Checking |
• What is your father’s surname? • What are the names of your relatives? |
• By whom were you referred for this position?
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Religion or Creed |
• Inquiry into candidate’s religious denomination, religious affiliations, church, parish, pastor, or religious holidays observed.
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Sexual Orientation |
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Worker's Compensation |
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Appendix II
Examples of Competency Based Interview Questions (Technical and Behavioral Competencies)
Job Related Competency | Sample Questions |
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Customer Orientation |
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Conflict Resolution |
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Decision Making |
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Detail‐Oriented |
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Technical Skills |
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Professional Expertise |
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Employee Development |
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Delegation |
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Statement of Nondiscrimination
The following is the official University of North Georgia Affirmative Action / Equal Employment Opportunity Statement of Nondiscrimination.
University of North Georgia is committed to affirmative implementation of equal opportunity in education and employment. To that end, UNG does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, creed, national origin, age, disability, genetics or protected veteran status in its programs and activities, including in the administration of its admissions policies, educational policies, employment policies, or any University governed program or activity.