I. GENERAL
The Office of Human Resources at Western Carolina University is responsible for the recruitment process for all University Employees subject to the State Personnel Act (SPA). It is imperative that persons involved in the SPA employment process contact the Office of Human Resources prior to taking any actions.
The Office of Human Resources is committed to providing accurate and timely service to hiring officials in identifying and recruiting the best-qualified applicants for all positions. It is the responsibility of the Office of Human Resources to facilitate the recruitment program in its entirety.
The Office of Human Resources is responsible for posting positions for recruitment, receiving and tracking application materials, conducting preliminary screening of applications, and making referrals of applications to the appropriate hiring official/department.
II. COMMITMENT OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Western Carolina University is committed to equality of employment opportunities and does not discriminate against applicants or employees based on race, color, national origin, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation*, disability or veteran status.
*Western Carolina University recognizes that the category of sexual orientation is not a protected category under federal or state laws. By extending protection to this category as an internal policy matter it is not the intention of the University to create any rights that either may be pursued or enforced off-campus, that extend to the employee benefits package made available by the State of North Carolina or other off-campus entities, or that interfere with the University’s relationships with outside organizations, including the federal government, the military or private employers.
Age Limitation
The minimum employment age is 18 years, excepting law enforcement officers who must be at least 21 years of age at the time of hiring. There is no maximum age for employment.
III. WRITING/UPDATING OF POSITION DESCRIPTION
Prior to posting a position for recruitment, it is important to make sure that the primary job functions are defined accurately and that organizationally the position is designed appropriately. It is the responsibility of the hiring official to write a new position description (for a new position) or to update the current position description (for a vacant position) if it has been more than 24 months since the position description was last updated. Position descriptions should be created or updated via the https://jobs.wcu.edu/hr online employment system. The Hiring Official may contact the Office of Human Resources for assistance with position design or in writing/updating the position description or to request assistance with using the https://jobs.wcu.edu/hr employment system.
Upon successfully completing/updating the position description, the Hiring Official may complete the Posting Information form within the https://jobs.wcu.edu/hr system which will be used as the basis for preparing the vacancy announcement for the position.
Information for the Posting Information Form
The form will ask the Hiring Official to provide a brief description of the job. The minimum education and training requirements will be provided by the Office of Human Resources and will be based on requirements established by the Office of State Personnel. The Hiring Official will be asked to list any preferred qualifications that the "ideal candidate" may possess and (upon approval by the Office of Human Resources) these will be included in the vacancy announcement. Preferred qualifications must have a logical relationship to the minimum qualifications and/or to the position description.
Posting of the Vacancy Announcement
The Hiring Official should indicate when completing the Posting Information the posting option desired (Requests without the posting option indicated will automatically be posted for 7 working days). State law requires that, at a minimum, positions must be posted internally for at least five working days. Internal postings consist of the announcement being placed in the Office of Human Resources, the work unit where the vacancy exists, on the University "jobs" webpage, and on the Office of State Personnel website. Internal postings are for the recruitment of current permanent, probationary, or time-limited WCU employees only. Positions that are posted for external recruitment must be posted and remain open for a minimum of seven working days. All vacancy announcements posted for recruitment must indicate a specific closing date (positions can not be advertised as "open until filled").
Any changes that may occur in the posting or job requirements will require that the position be re-posted for at least the minimum period of time and that current applicants be notified of the change. A position posted as a "time limited" appointment must be posted again as a permanent appointment if the decision is made to fill the position on a permanent basis.
The vacancy announcement must be approved by the Office of Human Resources and the announcement must be posted to the University web page before the position can be posted for advertisement in other external advertising mediums.
Essential Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Necessary for the Job
The Hiring Official will also be requested to list essential knowledge, skills and abilities (and necessary competencies for Career-Banded positions) that are necessary to perform the job. This list is very important for screening purposes and it may assist in validating the hiring decision if it is challenged. The list should be based on and inline with the position description and must be reasonable in terms of the realities of the job.
IV. STRUCTURED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
The Hiring Official should always use a structured interview in the selection process. A list of pre-selected, pre-approved questions should be asked of each applicant interviewed. The purpose of the structured interview is to obtain information relevant in determining that an applicant is suitable for the job and to insure that no applicant interviewed has an unfair advantage or disadvantage over another. The questions should focus on the work experience, education and training of the applicant, and the applicant's job objectives. Each question should be work related and should be based on one or more of the essential knowledge, skills and abilities described in the position description.
The Office of Human Resources is available to provide supervisors and hiring officials with assistance in developing the structured interview questions. Questions about an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, veterans status, or any other matter not directly related to the requirements for the position are prohibited.
V. SCREENING AND REFERRAL OF APPLICATIONS
All applications for SPA positions should be submitted online through the https://jobs.wcu.edu/ applicant site. A designated HR staff member will screen all applications to determine which applicants meet minimum qualification requirements including any selective criteria. If the quality of applications forwarded is deemed insufficient, the supervisor may choose to readvertise the position.
Determining Most Qualified Applicants: A second level of evaluation will be conducted by designated HR staff to determine those applicants that exceed the minimum qualifications. Applications are separated according to those that meet minimum qualifications and those that clearly exceed minimum qualifications. Those clearly exceeding minimum qualifications comprise the pool to be considered for selection. Screening must be based on the job-related qualifications identified in the vacancy announcement.
If no applicants clearly exceed the minimum qualifications, those meeting minimum qualifications become the pool of most qualified applicants, or the vacancy may be readvertised.
Consideration of Special Factors Under Federal and State Law
Human Resources staff will review the initial applicant pool to identify any applicants entitled to priority status afforded by State policy. The hiring supervisor will receive advice and guidance from the Human Resources staff regarding any priority consideration which must be afforded.
The following is a brief explanation of the special considerations that may arise during the recruitment process.
1. Priority Consideration for Current State Employees
Promotional priority consideration must be provided to all current state employees who have achieved career status, as that term is defined by statute. The nature of the priority is as follows: If a current state employee (with career status) applies and is qualified for another state position of a higher level, and has substantially equal qualifications as those of the highest ranking applicant who is not a state employee, the state employee will receive the job offer. Hiring officials should contact the Office of Human Resources if there are any questions regarding this priority.
"Qualifications" as used in this definition include education and training, years of related work experience, and other knowledge, skills, and abilities demonstrated in the selection process that have 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.
2. Priority Re-employment Consideration
Former state employees who have been involuntarily separated for reasons other than cause (e.g., reduction-in-force) are afforded priority re-employment consideration under state law and policy. If there are any such employees eligible for this preference, the Office of Human Resources will include such information on the Referral Sheet included with the Recruitment packet. State regulations require that if the applicant was separated from a position within state government, the applicant will be interviewed and, where qualified for the vacant position, will be offered the position prior to employment of anyone who is not a permanent State of North Carolina employee. The Office of Human Resources will work closely with the Hiring Official in affording priority re-employment consideration.
3. Veteran's Priority Rights in Hiring
In appreciation for service to the state and country in a 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 initial state employment opportunities by the General Assembly. 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 other than dishonorable conditions. This preference particularly includes disabled veterans. Also eligible are spouses of disabled veterans and the surviving spouse or dependent of a veteran who died in active duty during periods of war, either directly or indirectly, as a result of such service. Eligibility for veteran's preference extends to veterans who suffer disabling injuries through service-related reasons during peacetime, to the spouse of such veterans, and the surviving spouse or dependent of veterans who died through service-related reasons during peacetime.
Veterans who have met the minimum qualification requirements for a vacancy and who have less than four years of related military experience beyond that necessary to qualify minimally shall also receive direct experience credit for up to four years of unrelated military experience.
After applying this preference, the qualified veteran shall be hired when his/her overall qualifications are substantially equal to one or more non-veterans 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.
(Note: Promotional Priority Career state employees are eligible for priority consideration over applicants who are not state-employed (but may have veteran's preference if the individuals possess substantially equal qualifications.)
4. Affirmative Action Consideration
Human Resources staff will periodically review program recruitment and selection data across the University to ensure that activities are in compliance with the Western Carolina University Merit Based Recruitment and Selection plan. Human Resources staff will complete 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 Resources staff will also comply with requirements of the Office of State Personnel for updating the plan and reporting.
VI. REFERENCE CHECKS
The supervisor is responsible for conducting reference checks and recording this information as part of the Hiring Proposal for any candidate recommended for employment. The Reference Check Form (PDF) may be used as a guide when conducting references. At least two references, preferably from current and most recent employment, is required. When feasible, a reference check should be conducted directly with the applicant's immediate supervisor. The supervisor or hiring official should coordinate closely with the applicant prior to making a reference check with a current employer.
These checks should be conducted with careful regard to confidentiality. The applicants permission to release this information should be obtained before conducting reference checks. Only job-related questions should be asked (Reference Check Guidelines). Questions about any individual's race, sex, color, religion, national origin, health or any other matter not directly related to the requirements for the position are prohibited. The same questions should be asked of each reference. The name of the reference, the date of the contact and notes about the conversation should be recorded on the reference check form and submitted with the "request for appointment" paperwork.
VII. REQUEST FOR APPOINTMENT (Hiring Proposal)
Prior to extending an official offer of employment, the hiring official should submit via the https://jobs.wcu.edu/hr online employment site the following to the Office of Human Resources for review and approval:
Hiring Proposal: This form is accessed and submitted via the https://jobs.wcu.edu/hr online employment site and should list the recommended applicant, the requested salary, any necessary justification necessary to support the selection or the salary request, and verification of at least two references for the selected candidate. The approval of the hiring supervisor, the appropriate administrator, and Human Resources is required. In addition, the status of all applicants should be properly documented (who was interviewed, reason for non-selection, etc.) in the https://jobs.wcu.edu/hr online system at the time the Hiring Proposal is submitted.
Note: If any hardcopy materials that were not maintained within the online system were used by the Hiring Official (evaluation sheets, interview notes, etc.) these should be submitted to Human Resources at the conclusion of the search to ensure compliance with records retention guidelines.
Upon receipt of the Hiring Proposal, the Office of Human Resources will review all steps of the employment process and will determine if an offer for employment (along with the recommended salary) may be extended. Upon receiving approval from the Office of Human Resources the hiring official may contact the selected applicant to communicate an offer of employment. Once a verbal acceptance from the applicant has been secured, the hiring official should notify the Office of Human Resources and provide the official start date and any other necessary information.
Within the first three working days, the supervisor should schedule an appointment for the new employee with the Office of Human Resources to complete the appropriate new employment paperwork. The new employee will be asked to complete an Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9), a federal and state tax form (W-4/NC-4) and a new employee appointment form. Failure to complete this paperwork within the first three working days can result in the discontinuation of employment. In addition, the new employee will receive a benefits package and will be enrolled in the next available New Employee Orientation session.