Recommendation for Hire Staff Guidelines - Human Resources

Return to Recommendation to Hire

Below is a checklist to guide you through the final stages of the staff hiring process once the committee has identified a preferred candidate:

• Contact at least two professional references provided by the applicant.  One reference should be the applicant’s current or previous employer.  Check the staff application to verify that the applicant indicated that their current employer can be contacted, if not or for more detailed information regarding reference checks, click here.
  • For the reference check verification form, click here.
• Once a preferred candidate is identified, make sure that you have approval from the department head/director and top level executive, as required.
• For those candidates not selected, the search chair will need to change applicant statuses to “Interviewed-Not Hired” and either “send e-mail now” (for those you no longer wish to consider) or “do not send e-mail” (for those you may consider hiring if a preferred candidate declines an offer).  Under the selection reason column, choose one of the options provided or select “Other” and enter the reason.  Make sure the non-selection reason is job/criteria related.  You may want to work with the Equal Opportunity Office during this step in order to facilitate a smooth approval process.
• For the preferred candidate, the search chair will need to change the applicant’s status to “Recommend to Human Resources for Hire (Staff Only)” and enter the selection reason.  The Equal Opportunity Office will review the selection reason for the preferred candidate as well as those applicants no longer under consideration to ensure that the reasons are job/criteria related.
• After you've changed the status for the preferred candidate and the approvals have been obtained, Human Resources will start the Hiring Proposal and the background check.
  • For more detailed information regarding the background check process, click here.
• Human Resources will contact the search committee chair with approval of the salary and a contingent offer of employment can be extended to the applicant.  The applicant cannot begin working until the results of the background check are received by Human Resources.
• Human Resources will contact the search committee chair once the background check has been completed.  If there are no discrepancies with the background check, the applicant can be contacted and a start date identified.
• Once an offer has been accepted, confirm that all remaining applicants have been notified that a selection has been made.  For those candidates that have not received notice, change the status to “send e-mail now.” This can be for those applicants interviewed or for applicants not interviewed but retained as a secondary applicant pool.  If applicants are personally notified, please select “Other” under the selection reason column and enter who notified the applicant and the date.  This ensures thorough records within the recruiting system.
• The department secretary can process the employment agreement utilizing the Employee Processing System (EPS).  For senior administrator, administrative/professional and police officer positions, the department head as well as the new employee will need to sign the employment agreement.  For all other employee types, the department head’s signature is only required.  The signed employment agreement must be returned to Human Resources as soon as possible.