Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é

Hiring decisions are among the most important decisions made at UTEP. Each open Classified Staff and Administrative & Professional (A&P) position represents an opportunity to enhance and diversify the capabilities, resources and potential of our campus. Each new hire represents a fresh addition to the UTEP team—someone ready to make a contribution to the mission and goals of the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é, someone ready to be a part of UTEP’s present and future.

The purpose of this handbook is to provide uniform procedures and guidelines for the recruitment and hiring of Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é Classified Staff and Administrative & Professional positions. At the Human Resource Services (HRS) Offices, our goal is to help you find the best person for the job, while furthering the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é's commitment to the recruitment, support and retention of a highly qualified diverse staff.

In the event, a Search Committee is utilized; we also want to ensure that you and members of your Committee comply with the laws, regulations, and guidelines that govern equal opportunity employment. In the process of trying to achieve our diversity goals, we can also position UTEP to be a model for exceptional hiring practices. The Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é is already committed to providing outstanding customer service to students, employees and the community, and this commitment should also be evident throughout the Classified Staff and Administrative & Professional Employee hiring process. Every applicant is a potential employee, even those applicants who may not meet the needs of the department or Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é should be shown the highest level of customer service. Applicants, even if not selected for a position, will remember how they were treated during the process and can become our most effective advertisement.

These guidelines are intended to be a resource for you as you navigate through the Classified Staff and Administrative & Professional employee recruitment process. You’ll find procedures, advertising resources, and other important information to assist you in conducting a successful recruitment. Good luck, and feels free to contact HRS if you need assistance.

Equal Opportunity/non-discrimination Policy Statement

The Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Texas at El Paso is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. The Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é, in the administration of its employment policies and practices, will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment because of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, or disability. The Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é will take affirmative steps to insure that applicants are employed, and employees are treated, during employment, in a non-discriminatory manner. The Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é's commitment to equal opportunity principles applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, promotion, compensation, benefits and training. Our institutional commitment to these policies provides for selection procedures based upon objective, defensible qualifications; promotions based upon documented performance, merit, and potential achievement; evaluations which are accurate and unbiased; and a complaint process which is fair and equitable. In addition, the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é commits itself to increased recruitment efforts to assure that qualified minorities, women, veterans, and individuals with a disability are represented in the applicant pool and are evaluated equitably by search committees or administrative personnel. Complaints regarding employment discrimination should be addressed to the Equal Opportunity Office, Kelly Hall, 3rd Floor, Room 302. All inquiries will be confidential to the extent permitted by law. All employees or applicants for employment may be assured that they are protected from coercion, intimidation, or retaliation for filing or assisting in an investigation of a complaint of discrimination. Responsibility for implementation of this policy rests with every member of the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é community: administrative officers, deans, department chairpersons, supervisory personnel, and members of search committees. A copy of the complaint procedure is available at the Equal Opportunity Office or www.utep.edu/eoaa.

Veterans Preference

Federal government contractors and subcontrators are required to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment specified categories of veterans protected by the Act and prohibits discrimination against such veterans. Contractors and subcontractors are required to list their employment openings with the appropriate employment service delivery system, and that covered veterans receive priority in referral to such openings. Further, VEVRAA requires federal contractors and subcontractors to compile and submit annually a report on the number of current employees who are covered veterans. (Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended (VEVRAA); Jobs for Veterans Act (JVA); 41 CFR Part 60-250; Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998; Texas Government Code, Chapter 657-Veteran's Employment Preferences.)

Initiating the Recruitment Process

You will work closely with the HRS Office when filling an authorized Classified Staff and Administrative & Professional position. You may find it helpful to utilize the Search Checklist (See Appendix A) throughout this process to keep you on track. The following are general guidelines for your recruitment process:

Authorization to Recruit. To recruit an authorized position, the Hiring Official or designee in which the vacancy exists must create the electronic requisition document through the Staff Employment Action Request (SEAR) link, found here.

Initiate the Electronic Request to full a Classified Staff and Administrative & Professional (A&P) position. The Hiring Official will be creating or filling a vacant position. Once the request has been created, the document will be routed (electronically) it through the appropriate channels. (Instructions on the initiation of the document are available on HRS website). Upon submittal, HRMS will automatically verify that the hiring department has the required funds for the position and will route forward through the appropriate channels.

Create the Position Announcement. Once the SEAR form has been fully approved, the HR Representative will create a position announcement to post on the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é’s web site. The posting is based on the job description of the vacant position. In some cases, additional position announcements can be created for use in other recruitment venues or publication. HRS can assist in these announcements. In the event, an external position announcement will be made (aside from the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é’s web site), below is a list of both required and optional information to be included in your external position announcement. An asterisk (*) indicates a required element in the official position announcement. The official position announcement is placed on the UTEP employment website and should be a detailed description of the position. If necessary, the official position announcement may be shortened for external advertisements in order to save money or when limited on space available. Other elements are optional for your official position announcement, but are recommended.

1. UTEP Logo
   • Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é policy requires that only approved versions of the UTEP logo may be used.
2. Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Texas at El Paso, Position Title and Department
   • Position title must be consistent with information listed on the HRMS electronic recruiting document
3. Position Description
   • What are the duties and responsibilities of the position?
4. Description of UTEP and/or El Paso
   • Contact Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é Communications for the sample text
5. Web Links
   • UTEP home page ()
   • Human Resource Services ()
   • Department home page
6. Required Qualifications
   • These are what an applicant must have to be qualified for the position (and thereby considered further for the position). If an applicant does not possess something listed in the required qualifications, they may not be considered further for the position.
   • For new positions, when developing required qualifications, think about how you will be able to measure them consistently across applicants. HRS can assist and guide you through this process.
   • Examples of required educational and experience qualifications:
     • Master’s degree in related field;
     • Bachelor’s degree;
     • Bachelor’s degree in related field;
     • Associate’s degree;
     • Associate’s degree in related field;
     • GED or High School Diploma;
     • Less than a High School Diploma;
     • Equivalent combination of education and experience;
     • Specific number of years of work experience; or
     • Range of years of work experience;
     • Specific experience in the field or related field;
     • Equivalent combination of education and experience
7. Preferred Qualifications
   • These are desirable for applicants to have, however not required. NOT having a preferred qualification does not disqualify an applicant from further consideration.
   • It is optional whether or not to have preferred qualifications; however, utilizing them can make screening of applicants easier.
   • Examples:
     • Advanced degrees;
     • Licenses, certifications, memberships;
     • Specific field or specialization.
8. Salary information
   • For classified positions; the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é’s Pay Plan minimum amount or pay range;
   • For A&P positions; Dependent on Experience (DOE) or budgeted amount;
9. Application instructions and contact information
   • Must be consistent with information on the HRMS electronic recruiting document. Think about what you really want/need to receive for each applicant. Consider not requesting reference letters until you’ve identified a short list. (Applications that are incomplete should not be considered until they are complete.)
   • Examples of application materials that may be requested along with the electronic application:
     • Letter of interest;
     • Vita or hard-copy resume;
     • Names of references;
     • Reference letters;
     • Transcripts;
   • How do they apply? For all staff (Classified Staff and Administrative & Professional) positions, applicants must file electronically. For applicants who do not have internet or computing options, they are encouraged to contact HRS to apply electronically in person at our office. Additional documents requested in the announcement must be attached if requested.
10. UTEP’s Statement
    • [UTEP is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.] The Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Texas at El Paso does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, veteran status or sexual orientation in employment or in the provision of services.
    • Bracketed text is optional.

Automatic Routing of the Classified Staff and Administrative & Professional Employment Position Announcements. The position announcement for the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é’s web site is automatically generated by HRMS. For external position announcements outside the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é’s web site, position announcement text should be submitted via email to HRS. Once the position announcement has been approved by HRS, HRMS will generate an e-mail message to the Hiring Official to notify them that position has been posted on the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é’s website.

Recruitment Activities and Outreach

As the Hiring Official, for your recruitment process to be successful it is critical that you develop a recruitment plan. Examine past recruitment methods to determine what has worked and what hasn’t. Modify these methods to prevent exclusion of diverse applicants, and to avoid spending funds in areas that haven’t been helpful in recruiting qualified diverse applicants previously. Our Equal Opportunity Office may be available to assist or provide information on diversity-related list-serves/websites.

Advertising. As the Hiring Official, advertising for Classified Staff and Administrative & Professional positions may occur internally and externally. Once the position has been posted on the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é’s website, HRS will post the position with the Texas Workforce Commission or external agency, as requested. For external advertising, some Classified Staff and Administrative & Professional position announcements may be advertised in publications with national circulation, at the discretion of the Hiring Official. As part of hiring process, hiring departments may also specify the publications in which they wish to advertise the vacancies. At that time, external ads are ready to be placed (either directly by the department or via HRS).

UTEP EO Statement. All position announcements, advertisements and outreach letters must include the following equal opportunity statement:

The Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Texas at El Paso is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. The Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity in employment or the provision of services in accordance with state and federal law.

Applicant Pool. An applicant pool consists of persons who have submitted complete application packets in response to an advertised vacancy within the specified posting period. For every authorized Classified Staff and Administrative & Professional positions, applicant pool information is maintained electronically in HRMS for an indefinite period. Applicants will not become a part of the applicant pool unless they submit their application on-line in response to the relevant advertised vacancy.

Increasing the Applicant Pool As the Hiring Official, please know that web advertising outside the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é’s website is often an effective and affordable means of reaching your target audience, as well as qualified minorities and women. As the Hiring Official, or in the event a Search Committee is utilized, you’ll need to be aware of the department's needs and the specifics of the position and others in the department to contribute leads in the following areas, if requested:

• personal contact with colleagues who may refer qualified applicants to apply;
• networking and posting at professional meetings and conferences;
• contacting minority and women’s caucuses of professional organizations;
• publications of discipline-related associations;
• national publications;
• publications targeting minority audiences;
• national association newsletters;
• letters requesting recommendations from Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é administrators of targeted universities and associations (i.e. historically minority serving colleges and universities);
• establishing a recruitment relationship with historically minority and women serving colleges and universities;
• direct mailing to departments, programs or institutes;
• community organizations ;
• newspapers in major urban areas;
• databases;
• student organizations.

Maintain all correspondence and documents related to diversity outreach efforts.

The Search Committee

As the Hiring Official, you have the discretion of utilizing a Search Committee to assist you with the recruitment process. In general, the use of a Search Committee occurs in the recruitment of Administrative and Professional (A&P) positions. In the event a Search Committee is utilized, the exact role of the Committee should be determined by the appropriate Hiring Official. In most cases, the role of the Search Committee is that of an advisory committee—to receive and review applications and make recommendations regarding applicant finalists. Generally, the Search Committee will make such recommendations to the Search Committee Chair, who will then make their recommendation to the Hiring Official. Whatever the role, the Committee Chairperson should be clear in communicating the expectations to the Search Committee members. The Search Chair and Hiring Official’s leadership is crucial to the success of the recruitment process. As noted, these steps may also be followed by the respective Hiring Official if a Search Committee or Search Committee Chair is not utilized.

Search Committee Makeup In the event a Search Committee is utilized, the Search Committee Chair and members are usually appointed by the Hiring Official. Including minorities, women and individuals from a cross-section of Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é departments on your Search Committee ensures that a diverse range of people and views who are familiar with the business operations of the Hiring Department will come together to make a very important hiring decision. The diversity of your Search Committee will contribute to the successful outcome of the recruitment process. Your Search Committee may include representatives from outside your department/division. In some cases, it may even be appropriate to include individuals who are external to UTEP. In the event a Search Committee is utilized, the Responsibilities & Commitments of the Search Chair:

• Conducts meetings professionally and impartially;
• Ensures that every application receives thorough review and all regulations, guidelines and deadlines are observed;
• Explains the expectations and purpose of the Search Committee, as explained to you by the Hiring Official;
• Appoints a Search Committee member to keep notes about Search Committee decisions, including reasons for selecting and not selecting applicants. Selection and hiring decisions must be properly documented and maintained. Otherwise, the Hiring Official will document the hiring decision;
• Provide copies of the job announcement and advertisements to each member of the Search Committee;
• Ensure that each Search Committee member fully understands what the job entails, and the qualifications required of the position;
• Ensure that clear selection criteria have been established in advance of discussing applicants. Explore these for gender, ethnic and other biases;
• The Search Chair, or Hiring Official Complete the electronic recruitment summary at the end of the recruitment process
• HRS is available to assist in this process.

Responsibilities & Commitments of Search Committee Members

• Be committed to enhancing the diversity of Classified Staff and Administrative & Professional positions;
• Carefully study the applicants' files, take part in all Search Committee activities and meet every deadline in the selection process;
• Understand and follow UTEP policies regarding both the selection process and the principles of equal opportunity;
• Adhere to confidentiality requirements. Keep discussions private--what is said during a meeting stays in the room. In accepting Search Committee membership, each member assumes the responsibility not to divulge any information about the applicants to anyone, whether that person is a UTEP employee or someone who works outside the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é;
• Evaluate each applicant based on job-related criteria only. Most selection processes involve more than one screening, with subsequent screenings becoming increasingly qualitative and complex;
• Be fair, impartial and open-minded during the review and consideration of applicants.
• HRS is available to assist in this process.

NOTE: No applicant may be involved in the recruitment process in any way, and no Search Committee member may be considered as an applicant for the position.

Recruitment Guidelines

The following step-by-step guidelines will assist the Hiring Official throughout the recruitment process. There are several stages throughout the Classified Staff and Administrative & Professional recruitment process in which review and approval by HRS is required before the recruitment process can proceed to the next step:

• Employment requisition and position announcement;
• Applicant pool (prior to contact with applicants);
• Short list (prior to contact with applicants);
• If applicable, campus interview list (prior to scheduling interviews);
• Recommendation for hire (prior to the HRS extending employment offer upon the Hiring Official’s decision).

Step 1: Electronic Application Acknowledgement & Affirmative Action Information Survey Questionnaire Each applicant who applies for an open position will receive an automated response that they are an applicant for the position. The applicant will also be asked to complete the electronic Affirmative Action Information survey as part of the application process.

Step 2: Determine Selection Criteria Before you begin to review applications, the committee must clearly understand what qualities, skills, experience and knowledge are required to successfully perform the job. Your selection criteria should reflect the content of the position announcement as well as departmental needs.

• Distinguish between required selection criteria and preferred “add-ons” or “plus-factors” and make these distinctions prior to reviewing any applications.
• Determine the relative importance of each of your required and preferred criteria (i.e. the weight to be given to research versus teaching experience).

Step 3: Applicant Pool Approval Prior to the Hiring Official reviewing or contacting any applicants, HRS may be involved in reviewing the diversity of your applicant pool. This action may require the review of the recruitment process. HRMS automatically records applicant information for federally mandated applicant tracking purposes.

Step 4: Preliminary Screening of Applications When your applicant pool has been reviewed by HRS, you may begin to review applications. Preliminary review of applicants should typically be based solely on the minimum required qualifications as stated in the job announcement. Once you’ve determined who meets the minimum required qualifications, those applicants may be further evaluated. The applicants who do not meet the minimum required qualifications may not continue to be considered for the position. At this time you should document the applicant’s status in HRMS so applicants who did not meet the minimum required qualifications for the position will know that they are no longer under consideration.

Step 5: Evaluation of Applicants Who Meet the Minimum Required Qualifications Once HRS or the Hiring Official has determined which applicants meet the minimum required qualifications for the position, these applicants should be further evaluated based on preferred qualifications, departmental needs and any other selection criteria that the Committee has identified. It is critical that all applicants are evaluated against the same set of criteria. Consider developing a matrix to assist with this evaluation and to help narrow the list of qualified applicants. The Hiring Official (or Search Committee and Chair) must utilize all documented job-related materials in completing the Recruitment Summary at the conclusion of the recruitment process.

Step 6: Approval of Qualified Applicants The Hiring Official (or Search Committee Chair) must notify HRS once a list of qualified finalists (“list”) has been determined. HRS will review and approve this list before the recruitment process proceeds. It is recommended that the list of qualified finalists be unranked, although initial preference for certain applicants may be indicated. One of the following actions will be taken by HRS at the time of the list review:

• Approve the recommended list and allow recruitment process to proceed to the interview stage;
• Instruct the Hiring Official (or Search Committee) to re-review the other applications and recommend additional applicants;
• Instruct the Hiring Official (or Search Committee) to continue receiving and reviewing additional applications before proceeding;
• Recommend that the recruitment process close.

Step 7: Phone Interviews Telephone interviews can be an effective and low-cost method of screening your short list applicants. If you plan to conduct telephone interviews, your applicant pool and qualified applicant list (“list”) should be approved by HRS prior to scheduling the phone interviews. If employing this method, please communicate the phone interview schedule to HRS. It is important that the Hiring Official (or Search Committee) develop a structured telephone interview format in advance. The Hiring Official (or Search Committee) should identify the questions that will be asked and forward to HRS for review to ensure that all applicants are asked the same question and are appropriate. A written summary of each phone interview should be prepared for record-keeping purposes and for use during the final evaluation process. It is extremely important that all telephone interviews, just like in-person interviews, follow a consistent format and the results of each interview are documented

Step 8: Approval of Interview List Once you’ve narrowed down your list to a recommended interview list, submit that list to HRS. HRS must review and approve this list before the interviews proceed.

Step 9: Preparation and Planning for Conducting the Interview HRS and Equal Opportunity Considerations Interviews must be conducted in a manner that is fair and equitable for all applicants. HRS has a separate handbook (“Interview Guide for Supervisors – CUPA-HR”) to assist you with the interview process. Fairness and consistency are key in the interviewing process. Here are some tips to promote equal opportunity during in the interview:

• The Hiring Official (or Search Committee) may decide to use a rating form to evaluate each applicant in terms of education, work experience, and other job-related criteria. HRS can assist you in developing a matrix form to evaluate your applicants during the interview process. The Hiring Official (or Search Committee) should determine how such a rating form will be used, including the process for calculating results.
• Prepare interview questions that directly relate to the skills, abilities and experience that are required of the position—develop these questions with the position description and selection criteria in mind. In advance of the interviews, discuss what constitutes an appropriate answer to each question. This discussion will ensure that all members understand the questions and will provide a basis for determining how to rate each applicant’s responses.
• No questions regarding personal life or questions designed to elicit information about factors like race, sex, family status, religion, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, etc. may be asked.
• Be consistent—ask the same core questions to all applicants.
• Use terms such as “identify”, “list” and “explain” and focus on behaviors.
• Limit questions that ask about beliefs and opinions.
• Utilize scenarios in the interview, as this can be an effective way of evaluating an applicant’s behavior on the job.
• Treat all applicants the same (for example, don’t refer to some applicants informally by their first name and other applicants formally by their title or last name).
• Prepare same or similar interview schedules for each applicant. If activities such as meals or receptions are a part of one applicant’s interview schedule, they must be a part of each applicant’s interview schedule. This applies to both internal and external applicants.
• If a presentation is part of the interview process, consider providing evaluation/feedback forms for the audience to complete and submit to the Hiring Official (or Search Committee).
• Understand that social situations (i.e. lunch or dinner with a Classified Staff and Administrative & Professional position applicants) are still a part of the interview process—be aware of off-handed personal remarks.
• Provide applicants comparable opportunities to interact with Hiring Official (or Search Committee members), as well as others who may be involved in the interview process.

Tips for Interviewing

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), questions regarding race, sex, religion, age and national origin cannot be asked of any applicant In addition, to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), specific inquiries about an applicant’s disability and medical condition may not be asked. Please contact HRS for clarification of legal issues and basic guidelines in pre-employment inquiries.

Avoid any discussion involving:

• Age
• Child care arrangements
• Sex
• Height/Weight
• Marital status/Family status
• Veteran status
• Religion
• Military discharge
• Creed
• Pregnancy
• Arrest records
• Disabilities/Illnesses
• Race
• Sexual orientation
• Color
• Political affiliations
• National origin/Citizenship
• Credit

In addition, you and your department must be ready to make reasonable accommodation for qualified applicants with disabilities. “Reasonable accommodation” is described in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Please contact the EO Office for more information on this topic, as state and federal laws regarding this issue are complex.

Step 10: Checking References The Hiring Official (or Search Committee) may request letters of recommendation and/or check references which are provided by the applicant. Other references should be checked with the applicant’s permission. A diligent effort should be made to check references and credentials before any job offer is made. Contact HRS for a sample of the Reference Check Form you could use.

• Questions asked of the reference must be job/performance-related and documented;
• Request only information that will be helpful in making the hiring decision;
• Conduct reference checking conversations in a manner that is consistent for each applicant;
• Consider personal information obtained through references only if it is job-related, based on first-hand knowledge and is objective and verifiable;
• The same questions/topics that are prohibited from being asked of the applicant are also prohibited from being asked of a reference.

Step 11: Final Recommendation and Selection The completion of interviews is followed by discussion by the Hiring Official (or Search Committee) to determine any recommendations for hire. If more than one applicant is recommended, an order of preference may also be indicated or additional interviews conducted as needed. It is important to remember that these discussions represent preliminary recommendations and are not a guarantee of a future offer of employment. Preferences which were stated in the position announcement could also be recommended at this time, if applicable. The Hiring Official (or Search Committee) should forward the list of recommended applicants to HRS, who will determine if the recruitment may proceed. If there are no issues, HRS will request that the recruitment process terminate and move towards extending a formal job offer. If the Hiring Official (or Search Committee) does not recommend any of the applicants who were interviewed, they may reevaluate the remaining applicants on the list and/or in the applicant pool and recommend additional applicants for interviews, pending HRS approval. If no other applicants are recommended for interview, the position may be re-advertised or the recruitment may close.

Step 12: Hiring Offers of Employment The Hiring Official, in conjunction with HRS will have a discussion with recommended applicant(s) about employment conditions, compensation and expectations. Only the Hiring Official or HRS is authorized to have such conversations with the applicant(s). HRS will forward to the Hiring Official a recommendation that includes:

• Position
• Salary
• Date of Employment

If authorization to hire is given, HRS offers the position to the applicant(s) as appropriate. If the recommendation as submitted is not accepted, HRS will discuss it with the Hiring Official and the applicant(s) as necessary. If the authorization to hire is not approved, HRS notifies the applicant(s) and the Hiring Official. The Hiring Official then has the option to close the recruitment or to go to the (or committee’s) next recommended applicant and proceed. If the applicant(s) accepts the position(s), HRS sends the written offer of employment to the applicant(s). If the applicant(s) declines the position(s), the Hiring Official has the option to close the recruitment or to go to the committee’s next recommended applicant and proceed. If the applicant(s) accepts the offer and returns the signed letter, HRS notifies the Hiring Official (or Search Committee) via electronic copy of the signed letter. If the recruitment results in no accepted offers the Hiring Official Hiring Official (or Search Committee) Hiring Official (or Search Committee) may close the current recruitment and reopen a new recruitment effort. An appointment to a Classified or Administrative and Professional (A&P) position is subject to the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents of the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Texas System, Regent and UT System policies, the rules and regulations of the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Texas at El Paso, and applicable state and federal laws.

Dual-Career Considerations In the event an applicant expresses interest in either a dual-career Classified Staff and Administrative & Professional position opportunity at UTEP or employment outside the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é, contact HRS and they may work with the Hiring Official to consider what options may be available.

Step 13: Closing the Recruitment Process If the Position is Filled If a position is successfully filled, the recruitment process will be closed. All applicants will be notified by letter or e-mail when the recruitment process has been concluded. If the Position is NOT Filled If a position goes unfilled because the applicant declined an offer, the applicant pool was weak, or the recruitment process was canceled due to lack of funding, it is advised that the recruitment process be closed. This ensures that recruitment processes are not open indefinitely, which can cause confusion for applicants as well as record-keeping difficulties. Applicants will be informed by e-mail when the process has closed. If the same position reopens in the future, prior applicants must reapply if they are interested. Previous applicants should not be carried over from one recruitment process to another.

Regret Letters. HRS will send regret e-mail messages (or letters) as soon as a position has been closed to all applicants. It is recommended that you wait to send regret letters to any applicants who may still be under consideration until you are certain that you will not need to go back to the applicant pool to select additional semi-finalists. Regret letters may be sent to applicants at various stages throughout the recruitment process, for example:

• When an applicant applies after the deadline indicated in the position announcement, and thereby will not be considered for the position;
• After the initial applicant screening (to those applicants who don’t meet the minimum required qualifications of the position);
• Once the list has been determined (to those applicants who did not make the short list and who will not be considered further);
• Once the campus interview list has been determined (to those applicants who did not make the campus interview list and who will not be considered further);
• Once the outcome of the recruitment process is certain (i.e. applicant accepts, the recruitment process is closed without being filled).
• HRS can assist with this process.

You may also choose to send “update” message via e-mail to applicants throughout the recruitment process if you want to let them know the status of the recruitment process. This type of contact with the applicants should be uniform and contact should be kept at an appropriate level, so that all applicants enjoy equal access and opportunity during the recruitment process. Applicants appreciate communication throughout the recruitment process and it reflects well on the hiring department when applicants are kept informed as to the status of their application.

Removal of Position Announcement. Remember to remove any advertisements associated with your position once the position has been filled or the recruitment process has closed without filling, or contact HRS if they assisted in placing the advertisements. HRS is responsible for removing the advertisement from the UTEP website, once they are notified about the status of the recruitment process.

Recruitment Summary Once the position has either been filled or it has been determined that the recruitment process will close without being filled, please complete the electronic Recruitment Summary in HRMS. It is recommended that the Summary be completed and updated throughout the recruitment process, as it can be difficult to recall details, such as dates of interviews and reasons for non-selection. It is strongly recommended for the Hiring Official (or Search Committee) to document their meeting notes and related documentation to assign accurate non-selection reasons for all applicants not selected for the position. You will also be asked to document the dates of interviews and the selection reason for the applicant who was hired. While a department administrative assistant or secretary may complete most of the Recruitment Summary, the form must be certified for accuracy (particularly regarding the non-selection reasons) by the Hiring Official (or Search Committee) Chair. The Recruitment Summary serves as the official record of the recruitment process and will be stored electronically within the HRMS electronic archives. This information must be completed and maintained in accordance with state and federal law.

Records Retention It is critical that original application and interview materials related to your recruitment process (letters of interest, resumes, letters of recommendation, and any other materials submitted by an applicant, plus documentation related to the recruitment process) be retained in conjunction with state and federal records retention guidelines—in most cases this means application materials must be kept for 2 years from the close of the recruitment process. We recommend keeping recruitment process materials for 2 years from the end of the fiscal year in which the recruitment process closed (i.e. materials for a process that closes on February 12, 2009 are to be retained until August 31, 2011).

Step 14: Evaluating the Recruitment Process This step is crucial, though often forgotten. Evaluating the recruitment process represents an opportunity for the Hiring Official (or Search Committee) to provide valuable suggestions and/or recommendations for future Classified Staff and Administrative & Professional positions. If the applicant pool was not as large, as qualified, or as diverse as desired, as the Hiring Official you could consider the following:

• Could the position announcement have been developed in a way that would have attracted a broader pool of applicants?
• Could the department have recruited more actively?
• What can the department do to make itself more attractive to women and minority applicants?
• Were there criteria for this position that were consistently not met by women or minority applicants?
• If women and/or minority applicants declined offers, what reasons were given?

Be sure that any analysis and insight is shared with departmental decision-makers, and the Search Committee (if utilized) and is considered when initiating future recruitment efforts.