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.
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.
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.
The search committee chair has several roles in the search process. Among them are:
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:
Search committees are strongly encouraged to conduct interviews with at least three candidates, if possible. The search committee chair shall establish an agenda for candidates selected for telephone and/or personal interviews. At a minimum, your top two candidates should be brought to campus for an in-person interview with the hiring committee.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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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Examples of Competency Based Interview Questions (Technical and Behavioral Competencies)
| Job Related Competency | Sample Questions |
|---|---|
| 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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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.