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Search Procedures for Faculty and Unclassified Staff 

August 11, 2008 

The goal is to hire the best candidate for the job from a diverse pool of qualified candidates, using proactive efforts to include members of underrepresented groups.  The search process should fairly screen, evaluate, and select the best candidates, and fully document the search process.  These search procedures are intended to assist you in conducting an effective and legally defensible search.  Please consult with the Department of Human Resources or the Department or Affirmative Action and Workplace Compliance if there are any questions, concerns or difficulties at any step in the search process.

Authorization to begin a search for a new position must come from the Vice President/Dean via the Staffing Requisition Form available on the web.  The Unit Head/Dean, in conjunction with the Division Head, should develop a budget for the interview process if it is anticipated expenses will be incurred during a national or international search.  The budget should include potential costs for meals, transportation and lodging if necessary.  Prior approval for interview expenses during a national or international search is required from the Provost’s Office for faculty searches, and from the Office of Budget and Fiscal Planning for unclassified staff searches.  Please refer to the candidate Interview Expenses (PDF) procedure.

General Procedures

1. HR staff will assist the Unit Head/Dean/Hiring Manager with the recruitment process beginning with completing the Staffing Requisition Form (Word), developing a job description, developing the ad copy, and posting the job to ramapojobs.com/hr.  Please see “Specific Hiring Procedures and Responsibilities” section, item #1 below on the role of Hiring Managers.
2. The Director of Affirmative Action and Workplace Compliance will work with the Unit Head/Dean/Hiring Manager to develop a recruitment strategy to broaden and diversify the pool of candidates as soon as the search is authorized.  Please see “Specific Hiring Procedures and Responsibilities” section, item #1 below on the role of Hiring Managers.
3. The Hiring Manager selects a Search Committee that is comprised of a diverse representation of units interacting with the position.  Where possible and relevant, a student should be selected to be on the Committee, except for all faculty positions or any staff positions involved in making evaluative judgments about students.  Student input is encouraged through other avenues, such as attending open forums and presentations and submitting evaluations.  Please see, “Specific Hiring Procedures and Responsibilities” section, item #4 below on the Role of Conveners.
4. The Search Committee Chair will serve as Affirmative Action Representative.  The Director of Affirmative Action and Workplace Compliance will train the Chair on search guidelines and procedures relative to the College’s affirmative action goals and policies (see Discrimination, Harassment, Hostile Work Environment Policy.)
5. The Director of Affirmative Action and Workplace Compliance will advise the Search Committee Chair of his/her responsibilities, which are as follows: a) monitor the entire process, b) complete the Affirmative Action Search Committee Report, c) have all finalists sign the completed employment application prior to leaving campus, d) ensure this information is included in the hiring packet to the appropriate Vice President/Dean/Unit Head when the selection has been made.
6. HR will assist the Search Committee in determining how the applicant pool should be evaluated, develop screening techniques and design questions for the interview process.  Should the committee use telephone interviews, two sets of questions should be developed, one for the telephone interviews, and another set for the in-person interview.
7. Internal candidates are expected to submit or grant access to all official Ramapo College personnel documents (i.e. student evaluations, observation reports, reappointment letters) that have accumulated during the candidate’s employment at Ramapo College.  External candidates will be asked for similar information.
8. After the qualified candidates have been interviewed, references of the potential finalists are checked by the Search Committee.  Finalists should be told references are being checked, and current employment situations should not be compromised.  References should be checked before bringing candidates to campus.
9. Before candidates are brought to campus (but after the telephone interview), the Search Chair forwards to the Director of Affirmative Action and Workplace Compliance the application packets of the potential campus invitees. 
10. The Director of Affirmative Action and Workplace Compliance reviews the pool.
11. The Director of Affirmative Action and Workplace Compliance returns the approved pool of candidates to the Search Committee prior to the campus interview.
12. All final candidates approved by AA should be brought to campus for a personal interview with the search committee.
13. The Search Committee Chair forwards to the Hiring Manager a letter of recommendation along with the following information: 1) description of the interview process, 2) names of the final candidates for the position and their resumes, (see item 15), 3) references and other significant related materials, 4) job description, and 5) signed employment application.
14. The Search Committee is required to send three names, unranked, to the Hiring Manager, listing strengths and weakness of each candidate.  Fewer or more than three candidates will be considered with approval of the hiring manager and the Director of Affirmative Action and Workplace Compliance.
15. After the Hiring Manager completes the final interviews, he/she consults with HR regarding salary, benefits and starting date.
16. The Hiring Manager makes a recommendation for hire to the next level supervisor up to the cognizant vice president/provost.
17. A recommendation for hire will be made to the President by the cognizant vice president/provost.
18. The search chair or a designee must send letters of rejection to candidates not interviewed, and to candidates interviewed by the Committee but not recommended for further consideration.  The hiring manager sends letters to finalists interviewed by him/her and not selected.  Letters should go out at the completion of the search process (candidate hired).
19. The complete hiring package must be submitted to the Director of Affirmative Action and Workplace Compliance for approval of the process and results.  (See Hiring Package Checklist (Word)). A complete hiring package contains the following:

1. Letters of recommendation from the Hiring Manager, Unit Head, Dean and/or Vice President
2. Letter of recommendation from Search Committee Chair
3. Job description
4. Candidate’s resume
5. Copy of the advertisement (internal and external)
6. Copy of the approved Staffing Requisition Form
7. Signed employment application
8. AA Search Committee Report Form
9. Any other pertinent information about unusual circumstances.

20. The Affirmative Action Office submits the complete package to the Department of Human Resources along with a concurrence or rejection letter.
21. The Affirmative Action Office conducts degree verification.
22. Arrangements for translation of documents or evaluation of foreign credentials are made through the Office of Affirmative Action and Workplace Compliance.
23. HR prepares the appointment letter and forwards it to the President for review, approval, signature and mailing.
24. Deans may discuss final terms with the top candidate in concert with the Provost’s office; Hiring Managers of unclassified staff may discuss final terms with the top candidate in concert with the Department of Human Resources.   However, only the President may make a formal offer of employment. 

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Specific Procedures and Responsibilities

1. The Hiring Manager shall

1. select and charge the Search Committee
2. select and charge the Search Committee
3. review the job description with the Committee
4. develop and submit the job posting to HR utilizing the ramapojobs.com/hr system
5. clarify requirements for the position as well as preferred attributes
6. send letters to finalists not selected (see sample letter 1 and sample letter 2 (Word)) at the completion of the search process (candidate hired).
7. interview finalists
8. make a recommendation for hire at the completion of the search to the next level supervisor
9. discuss final terms with the finalist in conjunction with the Provost’s office for faculty and the Department of Human Resources for unclassified staff.

2. The Search Committee Chair shall

1. receive training regarding affirmative action objectives from the Office of Affirmative Action and Workplace Compliance, and training on the on-line application process from the Department of Human Resources.
2. act as the committee’s facilitator, official spokesperson, and liaison to the hiring authority; articulate expectations for committee conduct; and mediate conflict
3. for national searches, obtain necessary approvals for interview expenses prior to bringing candidates to campus; work with candidates to minimize reimbursable costs (see Interview Expenses)
4. communicate with potential leads, potential and actual applicants, constituents, and others who may inquire about a search process, Affirmative Action and HR
5. protect the confidentiality of applicants and the integrity of the search process.  Written documents may be subject to public records requests; therefore, judicious use of written and e-mail communication is recommended
6. coordinate the checking of references of finalists with the Director of Affirmative Action and Workplace Compliance (see reference check procedures (Word).  The candidate’s current employment situation should not be compromised, and the candidate should be told references are being checked.  Concerns about information obtained during the reference-checking process should be referred to AA & WC or HR.
7. ensure compliance with state and federal laws and College policy, including the role of Conveners
8. provide pertinent information to the candidates being interviewed, including job description, relevant information about the College, portion of Employment Eligibility Verification statement so the candidate understands the type of documentation that will be required at time of hire.  
9. certify via a form that the finalist candidates have been selected through a search process that has been designed and implemented to promote the College’s principles of diversity, equal opportunity and affirmative action.  (see Affirmative Action Search Committee Report (Word))
10. send letters of rejection to the finalists interviewed on campus and not recommended for further consideration after completion of the search process (i.e. the selected finalist has accepted the position).

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3. The Search Committee shall

1.  
2. protect confidentiality of applicants and the decision-making process
3. participate fully and consistently
4. screen applicants and refer recommendations to the Hiring Manager
5. use latitude and flexibility in the selection process – this must be balanced with consistency and transparency – for guidance, consult with HR or AA & WC
6. determine a decision making process, e.g. will the committee vote, try to reach consensus, use negative voting, or provide majority and minority opinions, what evaluation instrument will be used, how many absences disqualify committee member from participating in the selection process, etc.  The decision making plan must be submitted to the Director of Affirmative Action and Workplace Compliance for approval.
7. Vote by secret ballot
8. provide fair, consistent and nondiscriminatory interviews to all finalist candidates
9. act promptly to ensure that top candidates are not lost to institutions that move quickly to hire top talent
10. carefully review the job description and understand the requirements of the position
11. review application (see template for Candidate Evaluations Sample Template 1 (Excel) & Sample Template 2 (Excel))

4. Role of Conveners

1. If a convener is on the search committee for a tenure-track faculty line and the pool of applicants includes a person whom that convener has recommended for hire and/or supervised as an adjunct faculty or temporary faculty member, then that convener will recuse him/herself and absent him/herself from the room during the discussions of the candidate and voting on the names to be selected as finalists. 
2. The convener in question will be empowered to read all the applications and to remain present (although not participating) during all interviews (phone or in-person) and attend demonstration classes, etc. given by the candidate(s) in order to possess the necessary background to provide thoughtful input to the Dean regarding finalists.

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5. Interview Questions

HR may assist in developing the interview questions (see generic Sample Questions (Word) and Faculty Sample Questions (Word)) which should:

1. emanate from the job description with additional questions based on the applicant’s resume/vita
2. be job related
3. elicit more than a yes or no response and ask what, when, where, who, why, how
4. force the applicant to think
5. not be discriminatory such as questions regarding:

1. U.S.
2. elicit information about the need for accommodation to do the job

See also
Telephone Pre-Employment Reference Check (Word)
Chart of Legal Questions (PDF)
Legal Aspects of Interviewing (Word)
How to Run a Search Committee Meeting (Word)
Employment Eligibilty Verification (PDF)
List of Acceptable Documents (PDF)

6. Conducting the Interview

1. Conduct interview in a pleasant, uninterrupted environment
2. Give applicant the committee’s undivided attention
3. Put the applicant at ease before beginning questions
4. Explain the process
5. Explain that there will be time for questions after the formal interview
6. Ask each applicant the same basic questions
7. Use follow-up questions effectively: what, when, where, who, why, how
8. Allow the applicant to do most of the talking, but without digressing
9. Allow silence
10. Control your body language
11. Take note of the applicant’s responses
12. Ask the applicant what questions he/she has for the committee members
13. Explain the timeline for the search process and when they may expect to hear from the College
14. Thank the applicant and direct them to their next destination

Note: These procedures are subject to reasonable flexibility in extraordinary circumstances.

7. Failed Searches

In the event the search does not produce a viable candidate, the following needs to take place:

1. search chair recommends (to the dean/unit head) a failed/vacated search and give reasons why
2. The dean/unit head recommends (to the provost) a failed/vacated search and give reasons why
3. The provost declares (to the dean/unit head) a failed/vacated search and notifies the president (by cc)
4. The dean/unit head notifies the search chair that the search has been declared failed/vacated
5. new Staffing Requisition Form processed if appropriate (new search opened)

The College uses an automated applicant tracking system (ramapojobs.com) and all candidates must apply through this process.

August 11, 2008