QUICK STEPS

Step 1: Complete “Request for Approval to Recruit” form

Request for Approval to Recruit form is initiated by the Hiring Manager and submitted to the appropriate Vice President, and then President for approval. Its purpose is to insure an institutional review of every position prior to recruitment.

Initiate a “Recruit an Existing Position” action
See the YourFuture User Guide, or look for the  icon for information pertaining to the YourFuture online employment system. Hiring Manager or HM Assistant should log in to the YourFuture system to initiate the action. Form is routed for approvals from Dean/Dept Head, Budget, and Administration, before it is approved and posted by Human Resources. Additional information on various elements of a Position Announcement are available, as well as sample announcements for Non-Faculty Exempt and Faculty positions.

Upon receiving the appropriate approvals, the Human Resources Office will post the vacancy on YourFuture and HigherEdJobs.com. University Communications & Marketing will place a block ad weekly listing all the BHSU openings in area newspapers. Any ads to be placed in professional journals such as the Chronicle of Higher Education are the responsibility of the department. UC&M is available to offer assistance with marketing aspects of the recruitment, if needed. See Step 3.

Step 2: Search Committee

The composition of the search committee is critical to its success. By involving people with different points of view, the chair can ensure that multiple perspectives are brought to bear in evaluating candidates. The membership of the committee should reflect the diversity of the campus.

Step 3: Recruitment

The purpose of the recruitment is to generate a large and inclusive candidate pool.  This will give the search committee a larger selection of candidates to review and consequently increase the likelihood of finding the best person for the position.  The scope of a search is determined by the type of position. All full-time tenure/tenure track faculty positions must be advertised at a national level, which means advertising in at least one national publication. Some positions (such as part-time faculty, mid-level administrators, etc) require only a regional or limited national search. It is suggested you advertise in regional publications that are most likely to bring in the most inclusive candidate pool. There is a list of advertising sources available in the Appendices.

If a position will include an international search resulting in foreign candidates, please see the section on Recruitment of Foreign Workers.

Step 4: Reviewing & Screening Applications

Review of applications should be conducted by individual committee members as they are submitted. The committee as a whole should meet immediately after the closing/review date to select top candidates. Initial screening is based on the minimum qualifications set out in the job announcement. Applicants are screened against bottom-line criteria such as required degrees, experience, and other relevant criteria. All candidates must be evaluated using the same criteria.

  The Hiring Manager/HM Assistant should change the status of applicants as the committee reviews applications, conducts interviews, and makes a final decision. By doing so, the committee maintains an up-to-date log on the applications being considered.

An easy way to develop a tracking log is to, from the list of open postings, click on "Get Reports List" next to the position.  Choose "Applicant List" and hit "Generate Report."  Highlight the entire report, go into Excel to cell A1 and paste the contents.  You can format the spreadsheet, add columns, etc.

Step 5: Conduct Reference Checks

Search committees and/or hiring managers are required to check candidates’ references. Before making the reference check calls, the candidate is to be informed.  It is not wise to jeopardize the applicant's employment or the applicant's desire to accept an offer from the institution.  IF AN APPLICANT OBJECTS, A CALL IS NOT MADE. The committee may ask the candidate if s/he is comfortable with their seeking additional references from anyone else they feel appropriate.  Areas of questioning should be consistent across candidates. There are examples of reference check documentation forms in the Appendices.

Step 6: Campus Visits

Approval to interview – At least two, and preferably three candidates should be brought to campus for formal interviews. These finalists must be approved by the appropriate dean (for faculty positions) or vice president (for non-faculty exempt positions). Funding for reimbursements to candidates is generally the responsibility of the recruiting department. Finalists must submit an Authorization of Release of Information form before an offer of employment can be extended.

A sample itinerary is included in the Appendices.

Step 7: The Interview

The search committee chair should ensure that each applicant provide written release to contact both indicated and non-indicated references. Each applicant must be asked the same set of questions, although additional follow-up questions may be asked. A list of Questions to Avoid and a bank of Interview Questions are available.

Step 8: Candidate Selection

It is essential that job criteria remain the basis for the decision throughout the entire selection process.  At every stage of the search process, there must be consistency in how candidates are evaluated and ordered in comparison to each other.

After the candidates have been interviewed, the search committee must deliberate and select the candidates who will be recommended for hire.  The committee chair forwards a report of the finalists to the applicable Vice President.  Only objective, job-related information should be presented to the person making the final decision.  A summary of each finalist's strengths and weaknesses as it pertains to the job criteria would be appropriate.  This should also be done in YourFuture for each applicant.    This becomes part of the permanent record and cannot be changed/deleted, so use caution in composing.

When a search recommends the hiring of a foreign national candidate who is not a citizen or permanent resident, the chair of the search committee must work with the Human Resources Office prior to a verbal offer of employment or the preparation of a contract to the foreign national employee.

Step 9: Offer of employment

• Contact Human Resource Director to discuss your selection and proposed salary prior to making an offer of employment.
   
• Obtain verbal Vice Presidential-level approval and salary range to offer employment to the top candidate.
• Familiarize yourself with the basics of the University's benefit package (see BHSU HR web site or the link at the top of the YourFuture system), and other related topics such as office and/or lab space, research funding, sabbaticals, prior tenure credit, and other issues.
• There are various positions on which the Department may want to conduct background checks.  Consult with Human Resources for information on the process.  The department is responsible for the cost of the check.  Hiring is contingent upon the receipt of an acceptable background check by Human Resources.
   
• Contact the top candidate to make a provisional offer of employment once you receive necessary approval. In discussions with the finalist, it is important to emphasize that no commitments are final until they have been approved by the President and are written into the offer letter.
•  Change the successful candidate’s status to “Recommend for Hire” and initiate a Hiring Proposal. Route a paper “Personnel Action Form” for approvals. (to be replaced upon implementation and training on ePAFs
•   Once the successful candidate provides a verbal or written acceptance, change the individual’s status to “Hired.”

Non-US Citizen Offers -Contact Human Resources regarding the H-1B visa process when you know the successful candidate is a non-US Citizen. It is the responsibility of the hiring department to pay the fees for this service. The International Employment Manager for the SD Board of Regents will answer any questions you or the candidate may have, and assist in the completion and filing the required forms.
 

Rejected Offer -- When an offer is rejected, the search committee may go back to the candidates it has already interviewed and reevaluage the other candidates.  If an offer is to be extended, the process returns to the beginning of Step 9.  If there is no interest in any of the other candidates, go to Step 6.

Notify Unsuccessful Candidates - It is a professional courtesy for the search committee chair or hiring manager to telephone the unsuccessful cadidates who were interviewed on campus, and to send letters to the remaining unsuccessful candidates. The hiring manager assistant should be able to provide support for this element.  Since some first offers are rejected, unsuccessful finalists should be notified and their statuses changed to “Not Hired” only after an offer has been accepted.  BOR Policy requires that if any applicants are currently employed by the South Dakota Regental System, you must personally contact them if they are not selected for this position.

Step 10: Complete documentation

After changing the statuses of the finalists who were not selected, initiate the Hiring Proposal on YourFuture.  A paper Personnel Action Form (PAF) should also be initiated at the same time. Letters of offer are created by Human Resources after approvals are secured.

Return all required documentation to Human Resources within 3 working days of the acceptance of the offer of employment:

• Documentation of the top applicants' strengths & weaknesses as presented to the hiring manager;
• Copies of selection methods used and any other information related to selection methods (e.g., completed supplemental questionnaires, tests, etc.);
• Interview questions and a summary indicating the strengths and weaknesses of each applicant (this includes short pre-screening interviews);
• Names and titles of all persons administering the selection process or participating in making selection decisions;
• Any hard copies of resumes of applicants which are not in the online system;
• Reference check forms; and
• Personnel Action Request (PAR).