Hiring Process

Type

Procedure

Category

Human Resources

Department

Human Resources

Phone

(541) 463-5115

Primary Contact

Shane Turner

Contact Email

Responsible Executive Authority

Executive Director for Human Resources and Compliance

Purpose

This procedure describes the process by which the college the will meet its workforce needs and develop the human resources necessary for present and future work requirements. Lane is committed to employing and promoting those persons whose education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities best match the requirements of the position for which they have applied. In addition, the college is committed to taking affirmative action to remedy the underutilization of individuals with disabilities, minorities, females, and veterans in the job groups identified in the current Affirmative Action Plan.

Narrative

Getting Started

The first step in getting started is for the responsible administrator/manager to work with the Executive Dean or senior administrators (examples other than executive deans: CIO, CFO, CHRO, Vice Presidents, or President) to create and enter the vacancy posting into LEO (Lane Employment Online). This initial step does not replace the formal requirement that all vacancies must be approved by the Executive Team (ET) before they may be officially posted for internal or external applications. The Executive Team shall pre-approve all budgeted (.50 – 1.0 FTE) vacancies for posting. Budget authorization for all vacancies must also be acquired in advance from the College budget office by the responsible administrator/manager of the department that has the position. All budgeted positions must be recruited through Human Resources, except as provided otherwise in Hiring: Without Advertisement or Hiring: Internal Advertisement. Budgeted positions are identified by their object codes: 5102 (management), 5203 (classified) and 5405 (contracted faculty). Whenever feasible, it is expected that contracted faculty and management vacancies will be posted by the end of Fall term, annually, for openings in September of the next academic year.

Once ET authorizes a vacancy posting, and the authorization to post is approved through the Budget Office, the responsible administrator/manager initiates the recruitment process by appointing a recruitment committee consistent with the recruitment committee process (see below). The responsible administrator/manager for the program, department or division that has the vacancy shall remain involved in the recruitment process from the beginning to the end of the search process. Each recruitment committee shall have a designated "chairperson" to lead the search process, and the chairperson shall work directly with the responsible administrator/manager and the Human Resources (HR) recruitment analyst.

Once a vacancy posting is authorized, the responsible administrator/manager (or their designee) will enter the vacancy description into the online recruitment system (LEO). Prior to officially posting a vacancy, the description should be reviewed with members of the recruitment committee to assist the responsible administrator/manager in finalizing the job description for each position. Faculty vacancies in particular should be reviewed with the recruitment committee faculty members familiar with the discipline prior to the instructional Dean finalizing the description in LEO. Each notice of vacancy job description must clearly differentiate between essential functions and other duties as assigned. The statement of minimum qualifications must correspond to classification descriptions (classified positions) and institutional standards(faculty and management positions).

Because applicant assessment methods and interview questions must be directly related to the bona fide occupational job qualifications and essential job functions described in the notice of vacancy/job description, the responsible administrator/manager and recruitment committee members are encouraged to discuss and resolve essential duties in vacancy announcements with these future process steps in mind.

The responsible administrator/manager, in consultation with the Executive Dean or Vice President to whom the administrator/manager reports, will work with the recruitment committee members and the HR Analyst to establish guidelines for each recruitment process. These consultations shall include guidance and decisions about how many finalist candidates are to be referred to the responsible administrator/manager for comprehensive reference checks at the end of the recruitment assessment processes. The final job description and supplemental questionnaire (if used) must be included and submitted via LEO to College Human Resources for review prior to officially posting each vacancy. The HR analyst will notify the responsible administrator/manager as soon as the posting has been finalized and activated in the online recruitment system. The role of the HR analyst will be to actively facilitate and support the responsible administrator/manager and recruitment committee throughout the recruitment process.

Preparing the Notice of Vacancy

If the position is not filled through the recall, injured worker reinstatement or administrative transfer process, the responsible administrator/manager will consult with the recruitment committee members and the HR analyst to develop and finalize a vacancy description using the online recruitment system. The expectation is that the administrator/manager will work with and through the recruitment committee members to develop the vacancy description. Once the committee finishes a review of the draft posting the recruitment committee chairperson, the responsible administrator/manager and the HR analyst shall consult to finalize the job posting. In order to be approved for posting in the online system, vacancy descriptions must identify the essential duties and assignments for each position and such descriptions must align with the applicable faculty certification guidelines, classified job classifications and the essential duties required for the vacant assignment. A final draft of this posting will be forwarded by the HR analyst to the responsible administrator/manager, and/or to the recruitment committee chairperson, for final review prior to posting in the online system. The responsible administrator/manager and the recruitment committee chairperson shall certify that the content of the job description is accurate prior to posting in the online recruitment system. Consistent with equal employment opportunity guidelines, once a vacancy announcement is posted, and applications are invited via the online system, changes to the content of vacancy notices or language adjustments that impact the substance of vacancy notices are not permitted. This assures EEO/AA compliance.

Consideration of Employees on Recall and Injured Worker Lists

Before the position is advertised either internally or externally, the HR analyst will consult the appropriate union recall list, injured worker or classified employee administrative transfer list. If an employee on any of the relevant lists needs to be considered for the vacancy, a Human Resources Department representative will contact the responsible administrator/manager and explain the process involved in reviewing minimum qualifications. 

Recruitment Committees

A recruitment committee should be appointed by the responsible administrator/manager for each budgeted (.50 – 1.0 FTE) vacancy search. Each recruitment committee shall have a designated chairperson to lead the recruitment process and work directly with the responsible administrator/manager as well as the HR recruitment analyst. Recruitment committees should be appropriately sized in terms of numbers of committee members and broadly representative whenever possible. General guidelines for the appropriate number of persons on a recruitment committee are 3 – 5 members for classified positions, and 5 – 11 members for faculty and management positions. Recruitment committees should include members from appropriate employee work groups (examples: co-workers, direct reports and other supervisors for management and classified positions, and discipline/department/division work group colleagues for faculty positions). Exceptions to recruitment committee size and composition may occur.

It is also recommended that each recruitment committee should include representative membership that aligns with the vacancy to be filled. For example, recruitment committees for faculty vacancies should be comprised of 50% or more faculty members whenever feasible. Where appropriate, the responsible administrator/manager, the committee chairperson and recruitment committee members are also encouraged to consider including members from outside the work group such as students and community representatives. All recruitment committee members are expected to conduct their business consistent with the mission, vision and core values of Lane Community College regarding diversity, collaboration and partnership, and integrity, etc.

It is recommended that College administrators/managers who are the "hiring manager" act in a consultant role for the recruitment processes and for recruitment committees in their program, department or division. The consulting role for the responsible administrator/manager is typically a non-scoring role and allows the administrator/manager to review recommendations from the recruitment committee or resolve process challenges while minimizing bias. The role of the responsible administrator/manager shall be clear from the beginning of the recruitment process. The responsible administrator/manager for each vacancy and recruitment process has the discretion to participate in every aspect of each recruitment process in their area of responsibility; note the recommendation for a "consultant role" outlined above. No recruitment committee member may inappropriately influence the deliberations and decisions of other recruitment committee members. The responsible College administrators/managers shall approve all recruitment committee finalist employment recommendations before recommendations may move forward.

Recruitment Committee Training

The designated recruitment committee chairperson must complete mandatory recruitment process training through the Human Resource Department prior to chairing a recruitment committee and leading a recruitment process. While not mandatory, recruitment committee members may also attend the recruitment process training in order to better understand details and resources related to the recruitment process as well as understanding chairperson and committee member roles and responsibilities. All recruitment committee members and chairpersons are expected to follow the recruitment process as outlined in this procedure including verbal and written guidelines provided by the HR recruitment analyst. The recruitment process training for committee chairpersons is required once every three (3) years. Updated refresher training for committee chairpersons is required every three (3) years because equal employment opportunity and affirmative action (EEO/AA) guidelines may change over time.

Role of the Human Resource Recruitment Analyst

A Human Resource recruitment analyst (HR analyst) will be assigned to facilitate the work of each recruitment committee for budgeted (.50 – 1.0 FTE) positions. The HR analyst will work most directly with the responsible administrator/manager and with the designated recruitment committee chairperson. The HR analyst shall facilitate and support the work of recruitment committees consistent with the recruitment process guidelines outlined in this procedure and consistent with the federal Uniform Guidelines for Employee Selection Procedures. The HR analyst assigned to each committee is a recruitment process expert. The HR analyst has the discretion to attend all meetings of the recruitment committees they facilitate.

Minimum Qualifications, Equivalencies and Preferences

Minimum qualification requirements in vacancy announcements regarding educational, work or teaching experience shall be established with the goal of attracting the broadest possible pools of qualified applicants. Generally speaking, minimum qualifications for all faculty vacancy postings, including part-time faculty applicant pools, shall be based upon the minimum specifications for course certifications and/or discipline guidelines for faculty vacancies. Please see ASA Course Certification resources.

The minimum qualifications for classified positions shall be based upon the HR job classification guidelines that apply to the assignment. Minimum qualifications for management and administrative assignments shall be based upon applicable professional standards. Equivalent minimum requirements or preferences shall be allowed for a variety of vacancy announcements based upon education and experience directly related to the vacancy. Applicants are required to demonstrate in their application materials that their education and experience meet the minimum qualifications or equivalencies specified in vacancy posting notifications.

The equivalencies shall be established by the responsible administrator/manager and recruitment committee chairpersons in consultation with the HR analyst. The minimum qualifications and equivalencies for vacancy announcements must be established prior to any applicant screening by recruitment committees. In consultation with the HR Recruitment analyst, minimum qualifications and equivalencies shall be applied by recruitment committees in a manner that expands the available pool of applicants who meet the minimum qualifications for a posted position.

Regarding internal postings for classified vacancies, if the responsible administrator/manager or recruitment committee members have questions concerning the education and experience of any candidate who applies through the internal process, and the questions concerning the minimum qualifications of internal candidates cannot be resolved through the responsible administrator/manager and the recruitment committee chairperson working with the HR Analyst, then the HR analyst will direct that the recruitment committee shall err in favor of granting interviews to internal candidates for classified vacancies who have successfully completed their probationary trial service period in a budgeted assignment (.50 – 1.0 FTE), and who meet the minimum qualifications specified in the vacancy posting.

If the responsible administrator/manager or a member of a recruitment committee has information of a personal or confidential nature that is not available from a candidate's application materials, such information shall not be shared directly with other recruitment committee members. All such information shall be regarded as confidential and shall not be directly shared with other recruitment committee members. All such information must also first be exclusively processed with the responsible administrator/manager and the assigned HR Analyst. In consultation with the responsible administrator/manager, the HR Analyst will determine whether and how to process information about candidates that comes forward outside of the recruitment committee processes. Regardless of the positive or negative nature of such outside information about candidates all applicants shall be fairly screened with regard to whether they meet the minimum educational and work or instructional qualifications, or the equivalencies, for posted vacancies. If a candidate becomes a finalist and lingering questions of a concerning nature have been raised by one or more recruitment committee members, then recruitment committee members with concerns may submit a confidential minority report to the responsible administrator/manager at the point in time when the Employment Recommendation is finalized.

Advertising the Position

The HR analyst is responsible for coordinating the advertisement of all contracted and budgeted (.50 – 1.0 FTE) assignments. Budgeted classified assignments must first follow the internal vacancy posting process outlined in the LCCEF contract. External recruitment processes may begin after the Executive Team (ET) authorizes a vacancy for posting involving faculty and management positions, and after the HR Analyst completes a final review of the final job vacancy notice.

All recruitment processes for less-than .50 FTE classified assignments must comply with documented and auditable recruitment processes, including completed applications from all candidates, documented interviews and thorough reference checks. Classified positions of .50 FTE or greater are advertised for a period of five working days. Posted classified .50 – 1.0 FTE vacancies may also be advertised through Lane Weekly and/or via email to all classified employees.

The number of internal applicants for a budgeted (.50 – 1.0 FTE) classified vacancy to remain within the internal process shall be a maximum of three. When there are three or more applicants in the internal recruitment process, and one or more of the applicants meets the minimum qualifications, the responsible administrator/manager must follow the internal recruitment process through to completion. If there are less-than three (3) internal applicants, but one of the internal applicants meets the minimum qualifications, the responsible administrator/manager has the discretion to continue the internal process or proceed to the external vacancy posting process. The HR recruitment analyst will provide guidance and process support for either possibility.

It is important to note that in the classified internal posting process that both the responsible administrator/manager and the HR recruitment analyst will screen all internal applicants to determine if they meet the minimum qualifications for internally posted vacancies. If a classified vacancy is not filled via the internal posting process, all internal candidates who meet minimum qualifications and who received an interview shall receive written developmental feedback from the responsible administrator/manager based upon their interview. The written development feedback must be provided to all internal candidates who met minimum qualifications, and who were interviewed, prior to any vacancy moving to the external recruitment process. The HR analyst will assist the responsible manager in providing the written developmental feedback to internal candidates.

If the responsible administrator/manager does not recommend an internal candidate for a classified position, and assuming ET authorizes the external posting, the HR analyst will initiate the external recruitment process. Classified vacancies of .50 FTE or greater must always be advertised on the Lane "Employment Opportunities" website, and should be broadly advertised regionally for a minimum of ten (10) working days (two full calendar weeks); external posting periods of four weeks are recommended whenever possible. Once a budgeted classified position is posted externally, internal candidates who have applied through the internal process are automatically included in the external recruitment process unless they take action to withdraw their application.

To initiate external advertisement of positions, the HR analyst submits the Notice of Vacancy to a variety (depending upon the vacancy) of print and electronic recruitment resources. The Human Resource Department will cover the cost of advertising for one significant recruitment source that covers the "reasonable recruitment area" as defined in the Affirmative Action Plan for each budgeted (.50 – 1.0 FTE) vacancy. Depending upon the cost of advertising, support and funding from the responsible instructional division for discipline specific advertising sources may be requested. The HR analyst will consult with the responsible administrator/manager, the recruitment committee chairperson, or with discipline level faculty and staff to identify professional, program or discipline specific advertising resources.

Whenever possible, faculty and management vacancies of .50 FTE or greater shall be advertised nationally for a minimum of four (4) weeks. Longer recruitment periods for faculty and administrative/management assignments (example: maintaining an open vacancy announcement for 6 to 8 weeks or more) are recommended. The timing of faculty and management recruitment activities should be initiated by late Fall term for the subsequent academic year. The responsible instructional division/department, the Office of Academic and Student Affairs, or Office of Affirmative Action, Diversity/Equal Employment Opportunity Office (AA/D/EO office), may request supplemental advertisements for any vacancy, and may be asked to assist with the cost of extra recruitment when specifically targeted to correct underutilization of minorities and women.

Applicants for posted vacancies are instructed to submit their applications directly to Lane Community College Human Resources via the online "Employment Opportunities" application process. It is expected that all applicants will submit an electronic application to the College's online application system. Assistance will be provided to candidates who may need support to complete and submit the online application. Applicants are notified of accommodation information as part of the application process.

Getting Ready to Assess Applications

At the beginning of the recruitment process, during the development of the Notice of Vacancy and before a vacancy is officially posted, the HR analyst, the responsible administrator/manager and the recruitment committee chairperson will meet to review details about the vacancy and clarify protocols for the recruitment process. The purpose of these planning meetings is to outline the recruitment process in advance, including the recruitment committee orientation and committee agreements as well as required candidate assessment components, in order to assure a more efficient and equitable recruitment process. It is recommended and a best practice for the responsible administrator/manager and the recruitment committee chairperson to develop a recruitment committee work calendar, including designated timelines, that details the required steps in each recruitment process. The HR Analyst will work to assure the recruitment committee meets before the application deadline to finalize the candidate assessment details including finalization of all interview questions, skills tests, teaching demonstrations and performance assessment criteria.

The responsible administrator/manager and the recruitment committee chairperson shall assure that each recruitment committee will have all its preparatory work completed by the closing date of the vacancy posting so that the assessment processes may begin immediately. It is required that all recruitment committees establish all scoring and assessment criteria for each phase of the search process (examples: minimum qualifications, application materials, skills assessment, interviews, teaching demonstration, presentations and open forums, and reference checking after interviews, etc.) in advance of reviewing any applications. Applicant pools will not be released for screening until all assessment components of the recruitment process are fully resolved by recruitment committee members. It is a best practice and most effective when reference check questions/components are finalized after all the assessment components are finalized. It is expected that the responsible administrator/manager will review all recruitment materials developed by recruitment committees, and also directly participate in thorough reference checking of finalist candidates.

Review of the Applicant Pool

Immediately following the application deadline, the HR analyst will compile a confidential summary of the applicant pool including protected class, gender and veterans status disclosures. Where affirmative action placement goals are in place and the applicant pool meets the availability goals the responsible HR manager and the responsible HR analyst may move the recruitment process forward. When the applicant pool is adequate, the HR Analyst will finalize the Applicant Pool Report for signature authorization on behalf of EEO/AA.

If the applicant pool does not reflect or meet the availability goals assessed in the Applicant Pool summary, the HR recruitment analyst will inform the Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) and/or the Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Officer to clarify how to proceed. The CHRO and/or Associate Vice President for Equity and Inclusion may decide to contact the responsible administrator/manager directly to clarify concerns about the applicant pool and discuss recommendations and remedies (example: extend the posting deadline, expand recruitment efforts, etc.). If it is determined that additional recruitment efforts are recommended, release of any existing applications in the pool may be delayed.

Once a successful recruitment effort is completed and the Applicant Pool Report is finalized and signed, the HR recruitment analyst will notify the responsible administrator/manager and the recruitment committee chairperson to confirm the release of applicants. No information about the protected class status, gender, previous criminal or credit history, or veteran's status of applicants will be released to the responsible administrator/manager, to the recruitment committee chairperson(s), or to recruitment committee members. Disclosures of confidential and/or protected information of the nature outlined above may result in the discontinuation of the vacancy recruitment process, dismissal of the responsible individual(s) from recruitment committees, and discipline for the responsible employee(s). After a vacancy posting closes, if any additional information or materials are requested or needed from one applicant in a pool then all applicants in that search whose applications lack that information shall be notified and provided the opportunity to supplement their application materials.

Getting Started with Recruitment Process – Initial Steps for Recruitment Committees

Before the recruitment committee members may receive and/or review the applications, the following decisions concerning applicant assessments and recruitment committee processes must be finalized and documented by the HR recruitment analyst:

The recruitment committee chairperson shall arrange for a one-two hour Recruitment Committee Orientation with the assigned HR analyst. In collaboration with the recruitment committee chairperson and the responsible administrator/manager, the HR Analyst will provide information on any current priorities for a given recruitment process (examples: bi-lingual language skills needed/required, AA placement goals, etc.), as well as inform the chair and responsible administrator/manager about confidentiality and cultural competency requirements. Recruitment process questions may also be answered at this time.

Confidentiality statements must be signed by all members of the recruitment committee. Individuals who fail to sign, and those who refuse to sign, the recruitment process Confidentiality Statement will not be permitted to serve on recruitment committees.

For guidance on acceptable equivalencies for minimum qualifications consult with the HR analyst.

The assessment methods and criteria. The recruitment committee must establish in advance the weighting of each recruitment process component. Weighting factors reflect a recruitment components value in identifying the most qualified candidate(s). Weighting factors must be resolved by committee members in advance as part of the recruitment committee orientation and/or as documented on the Recruitment Committee Agreement form.

The recruitment committee chairperson(s), in collaboration with the HR Analyst, will document the procedural and weighting factor decisions of the recruitment committee on the Recruitment Committee Agreement Form. Documentation of these decisions must be included in the recruitment committee materials that are returned to the Human Resource Department and retained in the vacancy posting file(s). The Recruitment Committee Agreement Form must be submitted to the supporting HR Analyst, and confirmed by the HR Analyst as substantively complete, before any applicants will be released to recruitment committee members for screening.

Fair and equitable quantitative and qualitative assessment methods and criteria must be finalized and submitted to the HR Analyst for each assessment component (example: interview questions should always include criteria for recruitment committee members that describes poor, satisfactory and outstanding answers to the questions).

In support of the College's core value of Sustainability, and in the interest of protecting the confidentiality of applicants, printing applications from the online system is discouraged. All aspects of reviewing applications and documenting candidate assessments may be completed online.

In advance of reviewing any applications, it is expected that recruitment committee members and the recruitment committee chairperson shall collaborate with the responsible administrator/manager to document on the Recruitment Committee Agreement form how many candidates will be moved forward on the Employment Recommendation form for final reference checks. The responsible administrator/manager may require that multiple qualified candidates be referred for comprehensive reference checking. In consultation with the HR analyst, the responsible administrator/manager for each recruitment process retains the authority to make final recommendations concerning applicant pools, interview pools, candidates to be reference-checked, and the Employment Recommendation to be forwarded for the required authorizing signatures.

Recruitment Report – Authorization to Interview Candidates

For more information about recruiting and interviewing part-time faculty for contracted faculty vacanciese. For more information about interviewing temporary contracted faculty for "permanent" contracted faculty vacancies.

The signed Recruitment Report is returned to the HR analyst along with all documentation of the application assessment process and all notes or supplemental materials used by the applicant screeners. Required documentation includes individual recruitment committee members' assessment sheets, assessment summaries, equivalency statements, and all documented recruitment committee assessment criteria.

It is expected that the recruitment committee members and the responsible administrator/manager will have a clear understanding at the very start of the recruitment process concerning the number of candidates that will be moved forward to the responsible manager/dean for final reference checks. The responsible administrator/manager has the discretion to require that multiple qualified candidates be referred by the recruitment committee for comprehensive reference checking.

Once the application assessment/screening process is completed, the recruitment committee chairperson or the responsible administrator/manager must complete the required sections on page 1 of the Recruitment Report. This report specifies the position information, the applicants selected for interviews and the names of the screening/interview committee members. The responsible administrator/manager reviews the summary and signs the form, if approved. The responsible instructional Dean or administrator/manager is accountable for certifying that applicants recommended to interview for contracted faculty positions have been identified as "qualified" in compliance with current contractual, course minimum certifications or faculty professional requirements and guidelines.

In consultation with the HR analyst and the Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO), the responsible administrator/manager for each recruitment process retains supervisory authority to make final recommendations concerning applicant pools, interview pools, candidates to be reference-checked, and the employment recommendation(s) to be forwarded to senior administrators for the required authorizing signatures.

The HR analyst reviews the Recruitment Report for completeness and delivers it to the CHRO, or their designee, for review. The CHRO, or their designee, will contact the responsible administrator/manager or the recruitment committee chairperson directly to review any concerns and discuss remedies concerning the Recruitment Report. After the form is signed, the CHRO (or their designee) will return the form and attachments to the HR analyst. The HR analyst will notify the responsible administrator/manager or the recruitment committee chairperson when the Recruitment Report has been signed and the interview pool has been authorized. At this point, the responsible manager/administrator, the recruitment committee chairperson and the recruitment committee may contact candidates and schedule interviews. The CHRO, or their designee, must sign the Recruitment Report before identified interview candidates may be contacted to schedule interviews and assessments.

Scheduling the Interview

The HR analyst will contact the recruitment committee chairperson and the responsible administrator/manager to inform them when the Recruitment Report has been approved. The HR analyst will also provide guidance concerning making contacts to the selected candidates to schedule interviews.

Recruitment committees are encouraged to give applicants a choice of more than one appointment time(s) for interviews and assessments. To protect a candidate's current employment, and to allow for reasonable travel planning, interviewees should be provided two weeks or more notice to schedule interviews. Candidates may also need consideration in order to arrange for time away from their current employment to attend interviews. Appropriate notice and relatively equal planning time should also be provided to all candidates who may be expected to provide teaching demonstrations and other presentation components as part of candidate assessments. Lastly, recruitment committees are encouraged to schedule all candidate interviews and assessments in relatively close proximity to one another to maintain continuity in the evaluation process.

Out-of-town applicants selected for interviews are eligible for travel reimbursement up to a maximum of $500 in documented travel expenses. Applicants should be made aware in advance of the reimbursement option and process. Candidates with travel reimbursement receipts and requests should be directed to the assigned HR analyst for processing. For more information about processing applicant travel reimbursements.

The interview or assessment format (length, location, etc) should follow an equitable and common process for all the candidates. For example, if an initial phone or SKYPE interview is arranged for any candidates, this initial candidate assessment process should be consistently used for all candidates. Needs or requests for exceptions to the use of standard formats for some or all candidates in a recruitment process must be processed in advance with the assigned HR analyst, and authorized by the HR analyst, prior to implementation. Each interviewee must be provided a fair, equitable and objective interview and assessment process. The intent of these requirements is to provide a positive interview and assessment experience for each applicant within a standard and equitable format that is consistent with EEO guidelines.

The responsible administrator/manager for a given vacancy posting, and/or the executive dean, vice president or president, may work with the HR analyst to schedule and implement secondary and/or additional assessment processes when such assessments may be necessary to clarify candidates' qualifications or to further assess the knowledge, skills and abilities of qualified candidates.

When recruitment committees are considering an interview, assessment or presentation format other than face-to-face interviews, the recruitment committee chairperson and the responsible administrator/manager must consult in advance with the HR analyst to assure that equitable assessment conditions are maintained for all candidates. The location of candidates, as well as access to suitable technology and equitable interview/assessment conditions for all candidates must be considered in making decisions about alternative candidate interview and assessment formats.

If an applicant requests disability accommodation related to the interview, work demonstration or skills test, the HR analyst shall be notified immediately. The HR analyst will provide assistance with the accommodation request. Recruitment committee members are reminded that it is a violation of EEO guidelines to refuse a request for an accommodation during the recruitment process. Recruitment committee members are also advised that it is a violation of federal law to evaluate candidates on the basis of visible or self-disclosed disabilities. All candidates, including disabled candidates, must be assessed based upon the essential duties of the assignment and the knowledge, skills and abilities that each candidate demonstrates in the recruitment process.

As the interview schedule is finalized, it is important to remember that it is mandatory for all recruitment committee members who intend to score the interviews to participate in the interviews for all candidates. For purposes of assuring fairness and equity to all candidates, if a recruitment committee member cannot participate in interviews or assessments for one or more candidates, that committee member must drop out of the interview and assessment process, and any scores for such committee members will not be included in candidate assessments. This requirement and expectation must be clearly established for all recruitment committee members at the start of the recruitment process.

Preparing for the Interview

Working from the job vacancy posting, the course or discipline certification criteria, the job classification or the job description, committees should develop assessment processes that will help them determine which applicants have the knowledge, skills and abilities to best perform the essential functions of the job. In an ideal process, the committee begins work on interview questions and any teaching demonstrations or skills assessments at the beginning of the recruitment process, when the job description and the essential duties are prescribed and required tasks or assignments are identified. Therefore, before the candidate application review and evaluation process begins the recruitment committee members shall establish assessment methods and assessment criteria for how to evaluate each interview question, teaching demonstration or skills assessment in the evaluation process.

The recruitment committee members shall decide upon a common assessment system related to these candidate assessments such as interviews and teaching demonstrations. To the extent that assessments such as interview questions or teaching demonstrations are "scored" it is strongly recommended that all recruitment committees use a standard 0 – 5 assessment scale. The HR analyst assigned to support the recruitment committee shall assure that fair and equitable assessment processes and criteria are established and used for evaluating the performance of all candidates.

Candidate interviews provide a key opportunity for recruitment committee members to gather job-related information about each applicant. It is important to remember, however, that this is not the committee's only source of information about candidates. Other information to be considered concerning the knowledge, skills and abilities for each interviewee includes the application packet, work or teaching demonstrations, skills tests, and reference checks (see Weighting Each Stage of the Process). Recruitment committee members should give more weight to those elements of candidate assessments that demonstrate and evaluate the candidates' knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the assignment.

Structuring the Interview

All applicant assessment processes including interviews shall follow a fair, equitable and standard format and process for each candidate. The HR analyst is trained to support recruitment committees. The HR analyst is available as a guide and compliance resource in order to assure fair and equitable recruitment processes. As noted above, interview questions and assessment methods as well as criteria to assess candidates' qualifications, shall be established prior to reviewing any candidate's application materials. It is expected that recruitment committees will carefully establish the methods and criteria that clearly differentiate and assess the respective interviewees' answers.

Interview questions must also maintain legal compliance with EEO guidelines and should be fair and equitable for all interviewees. All interview questions should have established assessment criteria for acceptable answers that inform recruitment committee members' evaluation and understanding of candidates' answers. Recruitment committee members are required to capture and assess candidates' answers to interview questions in writing so that the assessments of each candidate yields auditable documentation that allows recruitment committee members to differentiate between applicants. The outcome of interviews and other aspects of candidate assessment shall be focused on identifying the best candidates to recommend for each assignment.

All interview questions must be based upon bona fide occupational job qualifications and the essential job duties for each assignment. In addition to using standard interview questions, acceptable interview practices may include follow-up questions, scenarios or questions that elicit behavioral responses, inquiries about an interviewee's application materials, follow-up probes based on an interviewee's skills assessment or teaching demonstrations, and questions concerning an interviewee's educational preparation and previous work experience.

Conducting the Interview

An important focus for each recruitment committee must be to create a safe and welcoming interview experience and process for all candidates. Once candidates arrive for their interview, it is appropriate and recommended that each candidate be provided a copy of the interview questions and an equivalent amount of preparation time prior to the interview. Typically, 15-20 minutes of preparation time is provided for each candidate to review the interview questions. Candidates should also be encouraged to reference the notice of vacancy (provide a copy) when preparing for interviews and assessments. The recruitment committee chairperson must take responsibility for collecting all materials and guidance that may have been provided to candidates before each candidate departs.

It is vital for the integrity of the recruitment process that recruitment committee members not share applicant or assessment information outside of the committee processes. As representatives of Lane Community College, recruitment committee members are also cautioned to be professional in their interactions with applicants and to avoid comments or questions that might be considered illegal or inappropriate. All interview questions must be reviewed and approved in advance by the HR analyst assigned to each recruitment committee. Auditable assessments concerning candidates' responses to the interview questions are required in order to differentiate between candidates' answers.

All assessments must be fair and equitable, including information obtained from open candidate forums, presentations, campus tours and candidate social events. All candidate assessments must be directly related to the bona fide occupational job qualifications, the essential job duties and knowledge, skills and abilities required for the respective assignment. Within a fair, equitable and standard interview format, interviews may be flexible, interactive and dynamic. All relevant and credible information about candidates shall be processed exclusively within the recruitment committee. Any information about candidates obtained by one or more recruitment committee members outside of the standard interview and assessment processes shall first be processed through the recruitment committee chairperson, the responsible administrator/manager and the HR analyst. The HR analyst is an essential resource for consultations regarding the relevance or propriety of all information about applicants.

No information that is prohibited or that reveals protected class status of any applicant, or that might create bias regarding one or more candidates, may be processed within the recruitment committee. No information should be shared outside of the recruitment committee before, during or after the process. These confidentiality guidelines do not preclude the recruitment committee chairperson or the responsible administrator/manager from consulting with the HR analyst concerning applicant information or recruitment committee processes. All recruitment committee assessment methods must be sufficiently rigorous and documented to be audited.

If one or more of the candidates in an approved applicant pool cannot be present in person for an interview and requests to be interviewed via phone or through the use of technology (examples: SKYPE or conferencing technology), the recruitment committee chair or the responsible manager/administrator shall first consult with the HR Analyst before making commitments of this nature. The HR recruitment analyst has the authority to outline methods and parameters for conducting phone or technology supported candidate interviews that assure a fair and equitable assessment process for all candidates.

For example, if one candidate in a pool of five candidates insists that they can only accept an invitation to interview via phone or through the use of technology, the HR analyst has the authority to establish a fair, equitable and standard process for all candidates in the interview pool. This may require that an initial assessment or interview is conducted for all candidates via phone or through the use of technology. The responsible manager/administrator, in consultation with the recruitment committee chairperson and the HR analyst, has the authority to mandate in-person final interviews or assessment methods before moving candidates forward for an Employment Recommendation.

After recruitment committee members complete their assessments of applicant interviews and all other assessment processes used by the committee, and after all assessments are thoroughly checked and approved by the HR analyst, the recruitment process may proceed to reference checking. A second interview or secondary candidate assessment process may also be recommended by the responsible administrator/manager, the executive dean, the vice president, the president, or the HR analyst, as necessary for one or more of the candidates in an applicant pool.

Reference Checking

Prior to finalizing an Employment Recommendation, the recruitment committee chairperson (or a committee designee identified in the Recruitment Committee Agreement) and the responsible administrator/manager must check at least two references for each finalist. Reference checks are essential and required for each candidate's current or last employer and immediate supervisor(s). If a finalist candidate has marked "no" in the box on the employment application that asks for permission to contact the current or most recent supervisor, the recruitment committee chairperson or the HR analyst must consult with the applicant to request authorization to contact the current or most recent employer and supervisor(s). Thorough and robust reference checks that are documented in writing are required for candidates to be considered for employment, and the documented reference checks for a candidate's current employer and immediate supervisor(s) must be included with each Employment Recommendation.

Candidates who refuse to allow a reference check with their current employer and/or their most recent immediate supervisor(s) are not eligible to be considered for employment with the College. Therefore, if necessary, the recruitment committee chairperson or the HR analyst must consult with finalist candidates in advance regarding such authorization where the candidate has marked "no" regarding such a reference check. Reference checks must be work-related based upon standardized reference check questions/inquiries and are intended to verify, document and clarify data previously received and to provide useful information about the applicant's job performance and employment record.

The format for the reference check calls shall be fair, equitable and standard for all candidates. Reference checks may be interactive in terms of clarifying and follow-up questions and all questions must be work-related and linked to the essential job duties as well as the knowledge, skills and abilities required for the assignment. A list of standard questions must be developed before the reference calls are made. The HR analyst assigned to each recruitment committee will review reference check questions in advance. As a potential employer, the College has the right to inquire about job functions and tasks performed, the quality and quantity of work the applicant is able to complete, the applicant's attendance, that candidate's application materials and other job-related assessment issues. Questions about the applicant's disability, national origin, race, medical condition, or any other information protected under federal laws and Oregon Revised Statutes 659 are not allowed. Reference checkers are encouraged to question and clarify all information provided to reveal any biases the reference may have.

Reference checks should be completed by two or more persons who have been involved in each recruitment process. Typically, the responsible administrator/manager and the recruitment committee chairperson or a member of the recruitment committee will complete the reference checks. All reference check responses must be reduced to writing, signed and dated by the person(s) completing the reference checks, and submitted with the Employment Recommendation before any candidates may be recommended for employment.

It is required that reference checks corroborate a candidate's employment record, confirm the integrity of application materials submitted by candidates and substantiate satisfactory work performance with previous employers. The responsible administrator/manager is accountable for assuring that reference checking is conducted for all finalist candidates either by recruitment committee representatives or by herself/himself. All reference checks must be documented in writing and only candidates with satisfactory references shall be recommended for employment.

Completing the Employment Recommendation

Using the fair and equitable candidate assessment system agreed upon in advance and as outlined in this procedure, the recruitment committee members will recommend the top candidate(s) to the responsible administrator/manager. The responsible administrator/manager's recommendation is documented on the Employment Recommendation form. The recruitment committee chairperson provides the information required in the sections titled Screening/Interview Committee Members, Employment Recommendation, Applicant's Academic History, and Applicant's Employment History. The responsible administrator's/manager's signature on the Employment Recommendation form indicates approval of the recruitment committee's work. With the approval of the responsible administrator/manager, the Employment Recommendation form is forwarded to the HR analyst along with full documentation of the process and all the recruitment committee assessment materials. Administrators/managers and all recruitment committee members are advised that official employment offer(s) cannot be extended to the recommended candidate(s) until after all the approval signatures noted below are obtained. The signature of the Lane Community College President is crucial and only College administrator/managers may make official offers of employment to recommended candidates.

Review of the Employment Recommendation

The HR analyst will review the file for compliance with recruitment process requirements and, if approved, deliver it to the Chief Human Resource Officer for review and signature authorization. All Employment Recommendation forms require two HR manager signatures; one for EEO/AA compliance and one for the Human Resource Department. All documentation from the recruitment committee and assessment processes must be returned to the Human Resource Department and included in the official recruitment file. The HR analyst or the HR manager will contact the recruitment committee chairperson or responsible administrator/manager directly to review any concerns or discrepancies as well as discuss and identify remedies.

After the Employment Recommendation form is signed at the Human Resource Department level, the HR analyst will deliver the Employment Recommendation form and all attachments to the office of the senior College administrator/manager who is next required to review and sign the Employment Recommendation. The senior College administrators (examples: College president, vice president(s), executive deans or chief officer) may consult directly with the recruitment committee chairperson or the responsible administrator/manager regarding any questions about the recruitment process or finalist candidate(s), and keep the responsible HR analyst informed about any/all consultations. Senior College administrators/managers may also recommend corrections or remedies for any information gaps they may identify. Every manager or administrator who reviews an Employment Recommendation and the supporting documentation may request or require more information or recommend additional assessment processes (example: more reference checks, secondary interviews, additional skills assessments, etc.) before they sign the Employment Recommendation document and move it forward.

As noted above, no employment offer may be extended to any candidate until the College President has signed the Employment Recommendation.

Once all required approvals/signatures are obtained, the HR analyst will notify the responsible administrator/manager and the recruitment committee chairperson concerning final authorization of the Employment Recommendation. After all authorizing signatures are documented on the Employment Recommendation, the Human Resource Department must assess and confirm the initial salary placement or salary recommendation for all candidates. The HR analyst or a knowledgeable HR Manager is authorized and responsible for determining the initial salary placement according to applicable institutional standards or contracts. Only the salary rate authorized by HR may be discussed with the candidate. It is also acceptable for the HR analyst to require that recommended candidates must consult with the appropriate HR analyst to confirm salary and benefits issues.

At the point in time when the official Employment Recommendation is signed by the College President, the HR analyst will notify the responsible College administrator/manager and confirm that they are authorized to extend an official employment offer to the recommended and approved candidate(s).

For some positions, a criminal background check and/or a pre-employment physical capacity assessment are required as a condition of employment for the recommended applicant(s). Prior consultations with the HR analyst, and authorization from the responsible HR Manager, are required when vacancy notices are recommended to include specifications for criminal history background checks or pre-employment physical capacity assessments. More information about the pre-employment criminal background check process . More information about pre-employment physical capacity assessments.

Once the HR analyst is notified that the candidate(s) has/have accepted the employment offer and all pre-employment assessment requirements have been satisfied, the HR analyst will prepare the Personnel Action Form and process the new hire paperwork through the Human Resource Department. All new employees in budgeted assignments (.50 – 1.0 FTE positions) are required to complete a new employee orientation through the Human Resource Department. The responsible HR benefits analyst will schedule new employee orientations on a regular basis and contact new employees to assure that each new employee completes the orientation process. The department or division where the new employee is assigned is responsible for processing any position budget paperwork associated with the personnel transaction. The department or division where the new employee is assigned is also responsible for arranging all the support logistics for new employees (examples: keys and access cards, technology support, office and work station assignments, etc.).

If a recommended candidate turns down the offer of employment, or is unable to pass pre-employment assessment requirements, the responsible administrator/manager may consult with the original recruitment committee, the recruitment committee chairperson and the HR analyst to review the list of candidates and recommend additional candidates for reference checking or additional assessment/consideration. Documentation of the reasons for a second or additional recommendation by the responsible administrator/manager must be put in writing and attached to the new Employment Recommendation form. The Employment Recommendation approval process outlined above will be repeated until the recruitment process is successfully concluded.

Notification to Applicants

All candidates who were interviewed must be notified by the responsible administrator/manager or the recruitment chairperson concerning the decision with regard to their candidacy. It is especially vital for the responsible administrator/manager to inform all internal candidates in a timely manner concerning the outcomes of recruitment processes. The top recommended candidate(s) identified on the Employment Recommendation form may be notified and extended formal employment offers only by the responsible College administrator/manager, once all required signatures are finalized on the Employment Recommendation form and the recommendation has been approved by the College President or the President's designee. The HR analyst is trained to assist with this process. Candidates who were interviewed but who were not recommended for employment should also be notified by phone or letter (email) by the responsible administrator/manager or by the recruitment committee chairperson. It is expected that all candidates who were interviewed for posted vacancies receive a timely notification concerning the outcome of recruitment processes once an employment offer is confirmed based upon the authorized and signed Employment Recommendation form.

Questions About the Selection Process

The assigned HR analyst and the responsible administrator/manager are exclusively responsible for answering questions about the recruitment process. Members of recruitment committees shall not disclose the names of applicants, candidate assessment methods or criteria, or any information developed during the recruitment process with persons outside of the process. All questions regarding any recruitment processes or outcomes must be referred exclusively to the recruitment committee chairperson, the responsible administrator/manager, or the HR analyst assigned to facilitate each budgeted (.50 – 1.0 FTE) recruitment process. The recruitment committee chairperson and responsible administrator/manager shall assume full responsibility for the security and confidentiality of application files and the accuracy of paperwork submitted to the College's Human Resource Department to document the work of the recruitment committee. The roles of the responsible administrator/manager and each recruitment committee chairperson must remain neutral throughout each recruitment process. The role of the HR analysts shall involve comprehensive process facilitation, compliance with applicable EEO/AA guidelines, problem solving and sharing of recruitment best practice guidance and resources.

References and Footnotes to "Hiring Process" Procedure

Date Adopted

Wednesday, August 1, 2001

Date Last Reviewed

Friday, June 12, 2015