| Lane Home Page | Search Lane |
| Search COPPS | Web Site Accessibility |
College Online Policy and Procedure System |
Procedure: Hiring Process
General Statement It is the policy of Lane Community College to meet its workforce needs through selection procedures designed to identify, attract, select, employ, 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 minority or female underutilization in the job groups identified in the current Affirmative Action Plan. 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). The department administrator initiates the recruitment process by appointing a screening committee. The screening committee’s first task is to assist the department administrator develop or revise the job description. The job description must clearly differentiate between essential functions and other functions of the job and the statement of minimum qualifications must correspond to institutional standards. Because screening criteria and interview questions must be directly related to the essential functions described in the job description, screening committees are encouraged to discuss job descriptions with these future process steps in mind. Click here for a listing of job description resources. The final job description and supplemental questionnaire (if used) are attached to a Request to Post Position form and circulated by the department administrator for signatures as indicated on the form. When the completed form arrives in Human Resources, a Human Resources representative will be assigned to work with the screening committee. The Human Resources representative will notify the department as soon as the completed form is received. Consideration of Employees on Recall and Injured Worker Lists Before the position is advertised, an employment specialist will consult the appropriate union recall list and injured worker list. If an employee on either list needs to be considered for the vacancy, the Human Resources representative will contact the department administrator and explain the process involved in reviewing minimum qualifications. In some cases, formal advertisement of positions can proceed while this review takes place. Preparing the Notice of Vacancy If the position is not filled through the recall or injured worker reinstatement process, the Human Resources representative develops a Notice of Vacancy using information provided in the Request to Post Position form and in the job description. A draft of this posting is forwarded to the screening committee chair for final approval. It is the responsibility of the chair to certify that the content is accurate and complete. Advertising the Position The Human Resources representative is responsible for coordinating the advertisement of all positions. External advertisement begins immediately for faculty and management positions. Classified positions are advertised on-campus for a period of five working days, preliminary to any external advertisement. If the screening committee does not recommend an internal candidate for hire, the Human Resources representative initiates the external process. To initiate external advertisement of positions, the Human Resources representative submits the Notice of Vacancy to a standard list of print and electronic recruitment resources. There is no charge to the department for standard recruitment. The department or Affirmative Action/Diversity/Equal Employment Opportunity (AA/D/EO office) may request supplemental advertisement. Human Resources may assist with the cost of this extra recruitment if it is specifically targeted to correct underutilization of minorities and women. Potential applicants are instructed to submit their applications directly to Human Resources. Applications delivered elsewhere on campus must be delivered to Human Resources prior to the application deadline in order to be considered. While the position is being advertised, the Human Resources representative will schedule a meeting with the screening committee chair to review steps in the screening, interview and selection processes. The screening committee is encouraged to meet before the application deadline to finalize its screening criteria and to continue the discussion of interview questions. In an ideal process, the screening committee will have all its preparatory work completed by the time the applications are delivered to the department so that the screening process can begin immediately. Review of the Applicant Pool Immediately following the application deadline, the Human Resources representative will compile a summary of the applicant pool by minority group and gender . The completed Applicant Pool Summary form will be delivered to the director of Affirmative Action/Diversity/Equal Opportunity for review. The director will contact the screening committee chair directly to review any concerns and discuss remedies. If it is determined that additional advertising is required, the release of applications to the screening committee will be delayed. Once a successful recruitment effort is completed, the Human Resources representative will notify the screening committee chair and release the applications. No information about the minority status or gender of applicants will be released to the screening committee. The screening committee’s first responsibility is to review all the applications and identify the applicants the committee wishes to interview. Before the committee begins its work, the following decisions must be made:
2. What are the paper screening criteria? What kind of screening form will be used by committee members to record results? 3. How will paper screening be weighted with reference to other parts of the process, such as interviews, tests, teaching demonstrations, and reference checks? 4. What is the committee looking for in a good answer (to questions in the supplemental questionnaire)?
Once the paper screening process is completed, the screening committee chair completes the following sections on page 1 of the Recruitment Report and Employment Recommendation form: Position Information, Applicants Selected for Interviews and Screening/Interview Committee Members. The department administrator reviews the summary and signs the form, if approved. The department administrator is responsible for certifying that applicants for contracted faculty positions have been selected in compliance with current contractual guidelines. For more information about interviewing part-time faculty for contracted faculty positions, click here. For more information about interviewing temporary incumbents for contracted faculty positions, click here. The signed Recruitment Report and Employment Recommendation form is returned to the Human Resources representative along with all documentation of the paper screening process and all applications. Documentation includes individual score sheets, scoring summaries, equivalency statements, and screening criteria. Review of the Interview Pool The Human Resources representative reviews the file for completeness and delivers it to the director of Affirmative Action/Diversity/Equal Opportunity for review. The director will contact the screening committee chair directly to review any concerns and discuss remedies. After the form is signed, the director of Affirmative Action/Diversity/Equal Opportunity will return the form and attachments to the Human Resources representative. The Human Resources representative will notify the screening committee chair when the application packet is available to be picked up. At this point, the screening committee can schedule interviews. Scheduling the Interview Screening committees are encouraged to give applicants a choice of more than one appointment time for their interviews. If interview questions are being shared in advance, applicants should be asked to arrive 15-30 minutes before the scheduled interview time. 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 of this policy and reminded to save travel expense receipts. For more information about processing applicant travel reimbursements, click here. The interview format (length, location, etc) should be as close as possible to uniform for all the interviews. In other words, the committee should not interview one applicant by phone and one applicant in person. The intent is to provide a positive interview experience for each applicant within a standard format. If an applicant requests disability accommodations related to the interview, work demonstration or skills test, the Human Resources representative should be notified immediately. The Human Resources representative will provide assistance with the accommodation request. Screening committees are reminded that it is a violation of Federal law to refuse a request for an accommodation during the selection process. As the interview schedule is being set up, it is important to remember that it is mandatory for all committee members to participate in all interviews. If a committee member cannot participate in an interview, that committee member must drop out of the process. Preparing for the Interview Working from the job posting or job description, committees develop questions that will help them determine if applicants have the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential tasks of the job. In an ideal process, the committee begins work on interview questions at the beginning of the search process; when the job description is developed and essential functions are identified. The discussion continues as the committee engages in the paper screening process and develops additional information needs. Before the interviews begin, the “ideal” committee agrees upon a final list of questions and talks about what it is looking for in the answer to each question. Finally, the committee decides upon a standard scoring system related to these standards. For more information about using essential functions to develop interview questions, click here. The interview is a key opportunity for committee members to gather additional 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 "pieces of the pie" are the application packet, work demonstrations, skill tests, and reference checks (see Weighting Each Stage of the Process). Conducting the Interview Screening committees are encouraged to provide each applicant a copy of the position Notice of Vacancy to review before the interview begins. Committees may also choose to give applicants a full or partial list of the interview questions to consider before the interview begins. Committee members are cautioned to be professional in their interactions with applicants and to avoid comments that might be considered inappropriate. After committee members complete their scoring of applicant interviews, the process may proceed to reference checking or move to a work demonstration /skills test and/or a second interview. Prior to making an employment recommendation, the screening committee checks at least two references for each finalist. The applicant’s current or last supervisor is an important reference. If the applicant has marked no in the box on the employment application that asks for permission to contact the current supervisor, click here. Reference checks should be work-related and are intended to verify, discount or clarify data previously received and to provide useful information about the applicant’s job performance and track record. The format for the reference check calls should be the same for all candidates. A list of standard questions should be developed before the calls are made. 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, and other job-related issues. Questions about the applicant’s disability, national origin, race, medical condition, or any other information protected under Oregon Revised Statutes 659 are not allowed. Reference checkers are encouraged to question information provided to reveal any biases the reference may have. Satisfactory reference checks are a condition of employment. The department administrator is responsible for insuring that reference checking is conducted and that only applicants with satisfactory references are recommended for employment. Using the weighted scoring system agreed upon in advance, the screening committee makes a decision and recommends an applicant to the department administrator for approval. This recommendation is documented on the Recruitment Report and Employment Recommendation form. The committee chair provides the information required in the sections titled Screening/Interview Committee Members, Employment Recommendation, Applicant’s Academic History, and Applicant’s Employment History. The department administrator‘s signature indicates approval of the screening committee’s work. With this approval, the form is forwarded to the Human Resources representative along with full documentation of the process and all the employment applications. Departments are reminded that an official job offer cannot be extended to the recommended applicant until after the approvals listed below are obtained. Review of the Employment Recommendation The Human Resources representative will review the file for compliance with hiring process requirements and, if approved, deliver it to the director of Affirmative Action/Diversity/Equal Opportunity for review. The director will contact the screening committee chair or department administrator directly to review any concerns and discuss remedies. After the form is signed, the Human Resources representative will deliver the form and attachments to the director of Human Resources for review. The director will advise the Human Resources representative of any concerns and discuss remedies. After the form is signed, the Human Resources representative will deliver the form and attachments to the appropriate vice president for review. The vice president will advise the screening committee chair or department administrator of any concerns and discuss remedies. After the form is signed, the vice president will forward the form and attachments to the president for review. Board approval is required for faculty and management positions. Click here for more information about the Board approval process. Once all required approvals are obtained, the Human Resources representative will notify the department administrator or screening committee chair. At this point, the department is authorized to extend an official job offer to the applicant. The Human Resources representative is responsible for determining the initial salary placement according to institutional standards. Only this salary rate should be discussed with the applicant. For some positions, a criminal background check and/or a pre-employment are required as a condition of employment for the recommended applicant. Click here for more information about the criminal background check process. Click here for more information about pre-employment physicals. Once the Human Resources representative is notified that the applicant has accepted the job offer and all pre-employment requirements have been satisfied, the Human Resources representative will prepare the Personnel Action Form to put the new employee on the payroll and will schedule a new employee orientation. The department is responsible for processing any position budget paperwork associated with the personnel transaction. If the applicant turns down the job, or is unable to pass pre-employment requirements, the committee can return to its ranked list of applicants and recommend additional applicants in order of rank. Documentation of the reasons for a second recommendation should be put in writing and attached to the new Recruitment Report and Employment Recommendation form (page 2, only). The approval process outlined above will be repeated until the selection process is successfully concluded. Notification to Applicants Applicants selected for interviews should be notified by phone or letter by a department representative once the hiring recommendation has been approved. Questions About the Selection Process The screening committee chair and the department administrator are responsible for answering questions about the selection process. They are also expected to assume responsibility for the security and confidentiality of application files and the accuracy of paperwork submitted to document the work of the screening committee. |
|
>> Return to Lane's Home Page >> Return to COPPS Main Page >> Return to top of page Lane Community College - College Online Policy and Procedure System 4000 East 30th Avenue, Eugene, OR 97405 Comments about Lane's Policy and Procedure System may be sent to Tracy Simms copps@lanecc.edu Date adopted: August 2001 Date last reviewed: September 2002 © 1996-present Lane Community College |
