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UNC CHARLOTTE PERSONNEL INFORMATION MEMORANDUM PIM 43 EMPLOYMENT - Merit-Based Recruitment and Selection of Classified Staff Employees Subject to the State Personnel Act DATED: October 11, 2001 Category: Employment and Staffing, Employee Relations/Compliance, Classification, Compensation, and Human Resources Information Systems
Contact: Director of Employment and Staffing - ext. 4272 Related Information
PIM-14, Establishing and Reallocating SPA Positions Reference
Office of State Personnel, Personnel Manual – SUBJECT: Recruitment and Selection 1. General a. This information provides guidance to be used when seeking the employment of permanent classified staff employees (full-time and part-time) to fill vacant positions which are subject to the State Personnel Act (SPA). b. The guidance provided is in accordance with the policies and procedures of the North Carolina Office of State Personnel (OSP) with regard to the recruitment and selection of permanent classified (SPA) employees and does not apply to the appointment/employment of temporary staff employees or student workers. c. Positions must be filled with candidates determined to be the most qualified in relation to documented selection criteria. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte will give equal employment opportunity to all applicants in its recruitment and selection process. 2. Vacancies and Initiating Recruitment a. A vacancy is created when: i. a classified (SPA) staff employee leaves the employment of the University; ii. a classified (SPA) staff employee is transferred or promoted to another position within the University; and when iii. a new classified (SPA) position is established. b. Regardless of how a classified (SPA) position vacancy is created, all recruitment actions must be coordinated with the Employment Coordinator or Director of Employment and Staffing in the Human Resources Department. Recruitment may be initiated by following the appropriate steps listed below: § When a classified (SPA) employee leaves the employment of the University, the Department or Office Head should follow the guidance provided in Personnel Information Memorandum Number 34, Subject: EMPLOYMENT - Termination Notification, by completing and submitting to the Benefits Office, a Termination Notification form and a Recruitment Request for Vacant SPA Staff Position form. Upon receipt, the Benefits Office will forward the recruitment request to the Director of Employment and Staffing for processing. § When a classified (SPA) employee is transferred or promoted to another position within the University, the supervisor of the position the individual is leaving should complete and forward a Recruitment Request for Vacant SPA Staff Position form to the Employment Coordinator in the Human Resources Department to initiate recruitment activities. A Termination Notification form is not necessary. § When a request to establish a new classified (SPA) position has been approved by the Office of State Personnel (OSP), the Director of Classification, Compensation, and HRIS, in Human Resources will advise the requesting Department or Office Head of the approval and recommend recruitment action to be initiated. A Recruitment Request for Vacant SPA Staff Position form is to be completed by the supervisor of the new position and forwarded to the Employment Coordinator in Human Resources. c. When completing the Recruitment Request for Vacant SPA Staff Position form the supervisor is to indicate if he/she wants to consider current employees (permanent and probationary) only OR if both current employees and applicants from outside the University are to be considered. IMPORTANT: Temporary employees working at the University are not eligible to apply for a position vacancy that is open only to current permanent and probationary employees. 3. Advertising a. Upon receipt of a completed Recruitment Request for Vacant SPA Staff Position form, the Employment Coordinator prepares and distributes all appropriate job vacancy announcements and advertisements. The Employment Coordinator works closely with the requesting department to develop the vacancy announcements to insure the duties and responsibilities are accurately and appropriately represented. As a minimum, announcements must include the title, salary range/grade, key duties, knowledge and skill requirements, minimum education and experience standards, application period (closing date) and contact person. b. Notices for vacancies open only to current employees of the University shall be posted on the "Employment Opportunities Board" in the Human Resources Office (222 King Building), in the Campus News (commonly referred to as the "Green Sheet"), and on the Human Resources Web Page ( www.uncc.edu/jobs) for a minimum of five working days. (For the purpose of this document, "working day" is defined as Monday - Friday. Vacancies will not close on a holiday during which the University's Human Resource Department is closed.) c. Notices for vacancies which are to be filled from among both current employees and outside applicants must be posted concurrently with the North Carolina Employment Security Commission and the North Carolina Office of State Personnel, on the "Employment Opportunities Board" in the Human Resources Office, and in the Campus News for a minimum of seven working days (for administrative purposes, vacancies are generally posted for eleven calendar days). The vacancies are also posted on the Human Resources web page ( www.uncc.edu/jobs), as well as listed on a recorded telephone message (704-687-2075) available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. d. Vacancies may also be advertised in newspapers and other publications. The Human Resources office has limited funding to advertise vacancies locally. Such advertising is normally general in nature and designed to direct individuals to sources providing information concerning vacancies. Departments requesting a position be advertised in a newspaper or other publication will be responsible for the cost of the advertising. An account number must be provided for payment purposes prior to an advertisement being placed in a newspaper, journal, or other advertising source. To ensure advertising is consistent and to obtain volume advertising discounts, all advertising for vacant SPA positions must be administered through the Human Resources Department. Typical advertising sources include The Charlotte Observer, various independent publications specifically for employment opportunities, attendance at job fairs, employment websites, etc. 4. Application Process Applications are accepted for vacant positions only. Unsolicited resumes are returned to the individual with a cover letter explaining the application process. Individuals from outside the University may express interest in a vacant SPA position by submitting a completed State of North Carolina Application for Employment form (Form PD-107). Current probationary and permanent employees of the University may apply for a vacant SPA position by submitting a completed Career Advancement Form. To receive consideration, applications must be received in the Human Resources Department by the published closing date unless it is indicated in the vacancy announcement that applications will be considered until the position is filled. 5. Screening and Referral of Applicants a. Applications are screened by the Director of Employment and Staffing (vacancies with a salary grade of 65 or higher) and/or the Employment Coordinator (vacancies with a salary grade up to 64). The applicants determined to best meet the stated requirements of the position are referred as finalists to the appropriate selecting official for interview. For positions which are highly technical in nature or require very specialized skills and qualifications, the Director of Employment and Staffing/Employment Coordinator may solicit the assistance of the selecting official in screening applicants and identifying finalists for interview. b. It is a goal of the Human Resources Office to screen and refer finalists within five working days following the published closing date for receipt of all applicants. c. The screening process identifies the applicants determined to be the most qualified for the position. Applications are first screened to determine if the applicant meets the minimum education and experience standards as specified by the Office of State Personnel. Applicants who do not meet these standards will not receive further consideration for the position. Applications are then screened using the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed in the vacancy announcement as well as those expressed by the selecting official to identify the applicants who are the most qualified. Generally three to five applicants are referred as finalists; however, a higher or lower number may be referred depending upon the quality of the applicant pool. d. Once finalists have been identified, the Director of Employment and Staffing or Employment Coordinator will forward a "selection package" to the selecting official. This package includes: i. Applicant List ii. Telephone Reference Check Forms iii. Fringe Benefit Information Sheet iv. Copies of applications (PD-107) or Career Advancement Forms for finalists being referred v. Recommendation for SPA Staff Appointment Form 6. Interviewing Applicants a. The selecting official is encouraged to offer each of the applicants referred an opportunity to interview for the vacant position. The selecting official may choose to interview only the top candidates provided sufficient reasoning for not interviewing other applicants is documented on the Recommendation for SPA Staff Appointment Form. Reasons for not interviewing applicants must be related to the qualifications required for the vacancy or the availability of the candidate. b. The selecting official should ensure his/her selection criteria for evaluating job applicants is clearly established prior to conducting interviews and preferably prior to receiving the list of finalists. Such criteria must be specific and based on the essential skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to perform the duties of the position. c. Interview questions should also be developed prior to conducting interviews. Interview questions should flow from the selection criteria and must be job-relevant. In addition, the selecting official may want to consider developing an evaluation tool or a work sample to evaluate certain skills. To ensure the equal treatment of all applicants, it is important that each candidate be asked the same interview questions and be given the same opportunity to perform skill/work samples. The Director of Employment and Staffing and/or Employment Coordinator is available to provide guidance and assistance to selecting officials in the development of selection criteria, interview questions, and skill/work samples. 7. Consideration of Special Factors Under Federal and State Law a. The selecting official is responsible for ensuring referred applicants receive appropriate consideration based on veteran's status, promotional priority of current state employees and the University's equal employment opportunity policy. The Director of Employment and Staffing and/or Employment Coordinator is responsible for providing advice and assistance to the selecting official in considering these matters. b. The following is a brief explanation of the special considerations that may arise during the selection process. Additional information and clarification are available from the Director of Employment and Staffing and/or Employment Coordinator. Failure to appropriately consider these factors could lead to a legal challenge. I. Priority Reemployment Consideration (RIF), Exempt Policy Making/Confidential and Exempt Managerial a. State employees who have received notification of imminent separation due to reduction in force (RIF) or who have been removed from an exempt policy-making, confidential or an exempt managerial position, for reasons other than cause, are afforded priority reemployment consideration under the State Personnel Act as described in the Priority Reemployment Consideration Policy. b. The Human Resources department reviews a list of all classes having applicants with priority employment status when a vacancy occurs. If the classification of the vacancy is listed, a copy of the individual's application is requested and the candidate is contacted by the Human Resources Department to determine if they are interested in the vacancy. c. Once a candidate with priority reemployment rights expresses an interest in a position, all recruiting efforts for that particular position cease until it is determined if the candidate is qualified for the vacancy. The hiring department will be notified of the candidate's interest by a representative of the Human Resources Department and an interview between the selecting official and the candidate will be scheduled. If it is determined that the candidate can perform the essential functions of the position, the candidate is offered the position at a salary set in accordance with the salary administration policies. The candidate does not have to be the best qualified candidate for the position; however they do have to have the knowledge, skills, and abilities allowing them to perform the duties of the position in a reasonable length of time. d. Candidates have priority reemployment rights on vacancies classified as equal as or lower than the position they held at the time of the reduction in force. They may also apply for positions offering a promotional opportunity but will compete with other candidates for such positions and be determined to be among the most qualified prior to being offered the position. II. Priority Consideration for Current Employees a. A promotional priority consideration must be provided to all current state employees who have achieved permanent status, as that term is defined by statute. The Director of Employment and Staffing and/or Employment Coordinator identify eligible applicants. The nature of the priority is as follows: if a current state employee applies and is qualified for another state position of a higher level, and has substantially equal qualifications compared to those of the highest ranking applicant who is not a state employee, the state employee is to receive the job offer. b. "Qualifications" within the meaning of this definition include training and education, years of related work experience, and other skills, knowledge, and abilities demonstrated in the selection process which bears a reasonable functional relationship to the requirements of the position. "Substantially equal qualifications" are present when the supervisor cannot make a reasonable determination that the job-related qualifications held by one applicant are significantly better suited for the position than the job-related qualifications held by another applicant. III. Veterans' Priority Rights in Hiring a. In appreciation for service to the state and country in time of war, and in recognition of the time and advantage lost toward the pursuit of a civilian career, veterans have been granted a preference in state employment by the General Assembly. (Note: The preference applies only in hiring and reduction in force situations, not in promotions and other personnel decisions.) Persons eligible for veteran's preference have served in the Armed Forces of the United States on active duty, for reasons other than training, during periods of war, with discharge under other than dishonorable conditions. b. This preference includes all disabled veterans. Also eligible are spouses of disabled veterans and the surviving spouse or dependent of a veteran who died on active duty during periods of war either directly or indirectly as a result of such service. c. In applying this preference, the qualified veteran shall be hired when his/her overall qualifications are substantially equal to those of the best qualified non-veteran in the applicant pool. Substantially equal qualifications are present when the supervisor cannot make a reasonable determination that the qualifications held by one or more applicants are significantly better suited for the position than the qualifications held by another applicant. d. The Director of Employment and Staffing and/or Employment Coordinator reviews the military service information provided by each applicant on his/her Employment Application (PD-107) and notes on the Applicant List if the applicant is eligible for veteran's preference. e. In the event the Applicant List includes both a qualified non-state employee veteran and a qualified current state employee who is seeking a promotional opportunity, the Director of Employment and Staffing and/or Employment Coordinator will advise the selecting official on the relationship between those priorities. IV. Workers' Compensation a. Employees who have been released to return to work but are unable to return to their previous position will be referred for positions for which they are qualified. b. Every effort will be made to place such employees in a permanent assignment equivalent to the assignment held at the time of the injury. V. Affirmative Action Consideration a. The University's Affirmative Action Plan requires selecting officials to act affirmatively in minimizing and eliminating any demonstrated under-utilization of women and ethnic minorities in the University's work force. Each year, the University's Affirmative Action Officer distributes copies of the University's Plan to vice chancellors, deans, directors and department chairs. If the Plan indicates that women and/or minorities are under-utilized in the job group in which the selecting official's vacant position occurs, then the selecting official will receive information about the applicants' ethnicity and/or gender, as applicable, and may take such information into account as one of the job-related factors in the selection process. Additionally, selecting officials may give consideration to ethnicity and/or gender where the department or office is particularly sensitive to issues of diversity as in areas that serve students. The Director of Employment and Staffing is available to assist the selecting official by providing advice and consultation about affirmative action considerations in the course of the selection process. b. The University is required by state and federal law to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified disabled individuals. Disabled applicants are encouraged to identify themselves as such; however, such information must be kept confidential except that supervisors may be informed regarding restrictions on the work or duties and necessary accommodations. Any disabled person "otherwise qualified" for the job must be considered equally with non-disabled individuals. Selecting officials must keep in mind that methods of accomplishing the job may have to be revised as a reasonable accommodation for a disabled person. The Director of Employment and Staffing can provide more details. 8. Reference Checks The selecting official is responsible for conducting reference checks on such referred applicants as is deemed appropriate, except that at least two work-related reference checks are normally required for the selected applicant. If the selected applicant is a current state employee, one work-related reference, preferably from the employee's current supervisor, may suffice. If feasible, a reference check should be done directly with the appropriate direct supervisor. However, the selecting official must coordinate closely with the applicant before making any reference check with the present employer. Reference checks are to be recorded on the Telephone Reference Check form, and included with the Recommendation for SPA Appointment form. 9. Questions Regarding Fringe Benefits A summary of information regarding fringe benefits for employees will be provided by the Director of Employment and Staffing to assist in answering applicant questions. Specific questions should be directed to the Benefits Office in the Human Resources Department. 10. Offers of Employment and Starting Salaries a. Offers of employment are not to be made to selected applicants until the Recommendation for SPA Staff Appointment has been reviewed and approved by the Director of Employment and Staffing. b. Each salary grade has a hiring, minimum, midpoint, and maximum rate. Selecting officials should recommend a starting salary within the appropriate salary range on the Recommendation for SPA Staff Appointment. The selected applicant's knowledge, skills and abilities as well as the internal equity (salaries of others in the work unit doing similar work) are to be taken into consideration when making a salary recommendation. Such recommendations are reviewed in the Human Resources Department to determine if the applicant's experience/education (above minimum requirements), relevant market factors, and salary equity justify the higher salary. Recommendations requiring exceptions due to specialized skills, recruiting difficulties or other unusual situations must also be coordinated with the Office of State Personnel. Employees starting at the hiring rate will be increased to the minimum of the salary grade upon successful completion of their probationary period (three to nine months). Salary recommendations between the hiring rate and minimum rate will be changed to the minimum rate for the salary grade. c. If a permanent (or probationary) employee is selected for transfer to a position having the same salary grade, the salary shall normally remain unchanged. If, however, there is lack of sufficient funds or if it results in the creation of a serious internal salary inequity, the salary may be reduced. d. If a permanent (or probationary) employee is selected for promotion to a position of a higher salary grade, the following applies: i. Salaries at the hiring rate shall be increased to the hiring rate of the grade to which promoted. ii. Salaries at the minimum or within the range shall be increased to the minimum of the grade to which promoted or by 5%, whichever is greater. iii. If the employee being promoted has had directly related training and experience which exceeds the minimum qualifications for the position, the salary may be increased by more than 5%, in accordance with the related training and experience. Salary recommendations of increases over 5% will be treated as new hires for salary administration purposes (see 10b). e. All new employees will serve a probationary period of no less than three months nor more than nine months. Probationary employees who are selected for and accept another position will continue on probation in the new position. Permanent employees who are selected for and accept another position will not be placed on probation unless the employee is exercising priority employment rights and the new position is in a different job category than their previous position (example: office assistant going to electrician position may be placed on probation; office assistant going to administrative assistant may not be placed on probation). 11. Recommendation for Appointment a. Once interviews have been concluded and a selection made, a completed Recommendation for SPA Staff Appointment form is to be submitted together with the Applicant List form, application forms, and Telephone Reference Checks form to the Director of Employment and Staffing. A copy of the interview questions and any work samples used in the selection process should be submitted with the Recommendation for SPA Staff Appointment form. b. After the Recommendation for SPA Staff Appointment form has been reviewed and is determined to be in compliance with the requirements regarding equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, veteran's preference, and permanent State employee's preference, the Human Resources Department will notify the selecting official by email that an offer of employment may be made to the selected applicant. The email will include the name of the selected applicant, position number, classification title, salary grade, and annual salary approved for the applicant. In some cases, additional information regarding the salary offer may also be provided in the email. Selecting officials should inform applicants to bring their original social security card (paper card) and another form of identification (such as valid driver's license or other picture identification card) on their first day of employment. The social security card is used to verify the individual's correct social security number for tax purposes. If the individual does not have their social security card, the Human Resources Department can provide a form used to obtain a duplicate card. c. If the selected applicant accepts the job offer, the selecting official is to notify the Director of Employment and Staffing or the Employment Coordinator of the acceptance and the date employment is to begin by return email. The Director of Employment and Staffing will confirm the offer of employment in writing by sending the selected applicant a letter confirming the offer of employment. A copy of the confirmation will be sent to the department head of the employing unit. d. If the selected applicant declines the offer, notify the Director of Employment and Staffing of intent to select the second choice candidate, repost the vacancy, or other desired action. e. Once a candidate has accepted, the Director of Employment and Staffing will send a written notice to the finalists who were referred but not selected within five days of notification of acceptance. f. Should a current employee be selected, two weeks notice to the present supervisor is required of the employee. Since this two week notice is expected to allow the present supervisor time to initiate recruitment and prepare for a transition period, it is recommended that the employee not use leave time during the two week notice. The employee may begin work with less than a two week notice with approval from the present supervisor. 12. Communication with Applicants a. It is a responsibility of the Director of Employment and Staffing and/or Employment Coordinator to respond to all applicants for classified (SPA) position vacancies. b. A letter is sent to all applicants acknowledging receipt of their application and explaining the selection procedure. Applicants are also given information on applying for additional vacancies. c. Non-selected finalists who were referred receive a notice informing them of the selection and providing information on applying for subsequent vacancies. d. The Human Resources Department responds to all applicants who inquire (in person or via telephone) about current vacancies or the status of their applications. Questions from applicants regarding their non-selection for a vacant SPA position should be referred to the Human Resources Department. 13. Applicant Files a. Information from applications for advertised vacancies is entered into an automated applicant tracking database which retains applicant information as "active" for six months during which time applicants may be considered for other vacancies for which they are determined to be qualified. Applicants may request to be considered for any position which becomes vacant during the six month period. For this reason, selecting officials may sometimes receive applications from individuals who did not indicate interest in the posted vacancy on the original application form. b. In accordance with equal employment opportunity laws and regulations, applications for employment are retained in the Human Resources Department for a period of two years before being destroyed. c. Selection files are maintained in the Human Resources Department for a period of three years before being destroyed. 14. Required Processing of New Hired SPA Employees a. All newly hired SPA staff employees are to report to the Human Resources Department (222 King Building) in order to: § Establish employment eligibility an identity in compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, by completing the INS Form I-9. This action must be completed prior to or concurrent with the beginning of employment. Failure to complete the form within the first three days of employment could result in termination. This requires the presentation of two documents (typically an original social security card and valid driver's license) to establish employment eligibility and identity; § Complete federal and state withholding forms (W-4/NC-4); § Complete credentials verification form; § Receive a document authorizing the issuance of University identification card and parking permit (necessary for payroll deduction for parking permits); and § Be scheduled for the Benefits and New Employee Orientation sessions (two separate sessions). b. Newly hired SPA staff employees are required to present their original (paper) social security card as well as a picture identification card. This is used to verify the correct reporting of the employee's social security number for tax purposes. 15. Employment of Relatives Two members of an immediate family shall not be employed within the same agency if such employment will result in one supervising a member of his/her immediate family, or where one member occupies a position which has influence over the other's employment, promotion, salary administration and other related management or personnel considerations. The term immediate family shall be understood to refer to that degree of closeness of relationship which would suggest that problems might be created within the work unit, or that the public's perception of fair play in providing equal opportunity may be compromised. Relationships include wife, husband, mother, father, brother, sister, son daughter, grandmother, grandfather, grandson, granddaughter (also step-, half-, and in-law relationships as appropriate based on the preceding listing). It might also include others living within the same household or otherwise so closely identified with each other as to suggest difficulty (i.e.: domestic partners, foster parents, etc.). 16. Age Limitations The minimum employment age, except for law enforcement officers, is eighteen. Law enforcement officers must be at least twenty-one years of age. There is no maximum age for employment. 17. Monitoring and Evaluation Human Resource staff will periodically review program data across the agency to ensure the recruitment and selection activities are in compliance with the agency plan. Human Resource staff will compile and analyze an annual summary of selection activity for the Chancellor. This report will include analysis of the impact on demographic groups, exceptions to policy, and other relevant factors. Human Resource staff also will comply with the reporting and plan update requirements from the Office of State Personnel. 18. Communication and Training Departments or units may also distribute this memorandum to any employee, applicant, or other member of the general public upon request. The recipients of this memorandum will be responsible for disseminating this information to personnel in their location. In addition, training on the merit based recruitment and selection plan is conducted through the LEAD program (a mandatory training program attended by all supervisors of SPA staff). |