Every search conducted for a new employee shapes the future of ExL and the University. Each search has the potential of adding to the range of key talents, capabilities and working styles essential for ExL's success. It is also true that there is a risk in every search. If not given the time, attention and careful thought, there is a risk of making a bad match between candidate and position in ways that hamper ExL's success. Further, each candidate for a position is an individual who entrusts a part of his or her professional future to the members of the search committee.
It is important that all applicants for a position be treated with a high level of respect, kindness and courtesy at all stages of the search, from acknowledgment of receipt of an application to final communications letting applicants know they are a successful or unsuccessful candidate. The search committee chair and ExL coordinator of human resources (H.R.) bear primary responsibility to ensure this.
ENSURING A SEARCH IS IN KEEPING WITH TSENG COLLEGE GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND UNIVERSITY GUIDELINES AND POLICIES
The ExL coordinator of human resources and the coordinator's supervisor (director of academic support and finance) are responsible for ensuring that supervisors conducting searches and search committee chairs have all the necessary information about relevant University H.R. policy and these ExL General Principles and are given a high level of support throughout the process. As the internal expert on the search process, the ExL coordinator is responsible for working with the relevant supervisor and the search committee chair to ensure that all phases of a search from the development of a position description forward are managed well, the appropriate internal consultation takes place, and that all policies are followed. The ExL coordinator of H.R. has responsibility for completing all relevant forms for University H.R., converting draft descriptions into H.R. forms, and making sure these materials move smoothly and quickly through the University H.R. process.
The director of academic support and finance is responsible for ensuring that the ExL coordinator of H.R. provides full support to searches and always acts in full compliance, formally and informally, with these ExL General Principles, University H.R. policy, and best practices for service excellence. The director of academic support and finance is also responsible for directly working with a supervisor and with University H.R. leadership whenever a particular search raises questions or requires some unusual strategy in recruiting or hiring. The director of academic support and finance has primary responsibility in ExL for the relationship between ExL and University H.R.
The supervisor conducting the search and the search chair are responsible for ensuring that the search follows these ExL General Principles, seeking the help and advice of the ExL coordinator of H.R. throughout the process, and ensuring compliance with University H.R. policies.
The ExL executive team member responsible for the unit in which a search is occurring bears final responsibility for ensuring that the search is being done in compliance with the ExL General Principles. As the individual most familiar with the links between a particular unit and the larger college, the executive team member is in the best position to know and understand these ExL General Principles and to work with a particular supervisor to shape a particular search accordingly. In most all cases, the ExL executive team member will be in the best position to assume final responsibility because the executive team member will have direct reporting oversight of the supervisor conducting the search.
The dean is responsible for making final hiring decisions within ExL. The dean is also responsible for reviewing searches and for ending searches that fail to comply with these ExL General Principles or University H.R. policy at any stage of the search.
FAIRNESS, EQUITY, AND CONFIDENTIALITY
Any search conducted within ExL will be fair and open. The members of the search committee must give consideration to each applicant in light of the talents, skills, experience and working context of the position and the values, mission and goals of the College of Extended Learning. Those in supervisory positions who make final judgments for hiring from among the finalists recommended by the search committee must be committed to a fair and open search and hiring process. The dean will immediately end any search and disband the search committee if there is a breech of fair process or confidentiality.
ExL searches will be conducted in keeping with all University policies for fair and equitable searching, screening and hiring. Search committee chairs working with the ExL H.R. coordinator will ensure that all committee members have access to University search and screen guidelines and policies and have been instructed to review this material. At no time is it acceptable for any member of a search committee to make remarks that violate the University's commitment to equity in hiring with regard to gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual preference, disability or national origin.
Searches must be kept highly confidential at all stages. Anyone who accepts an invitation to join a search committee must also assume the responsibility of complete confidentiality. At no time before, during or after the search should members of the search committee reveal the names and credentials of applicants, the comments made or questions raised by search committee members, others interviewing candidates, or the candidates themselves. It would be inappropriate after the search ends for committee members to mention other candidates to the successful candidate, discuss the positive or negative views of committee members with successful or unsuccessful candidates, or reveal the names of those who applied for the position and were unsuccessful. Strict confidentiality of the search also ensures that each search committee member is free to give each candidate fair consideration and to raise any questions appropriate for the fair examination of relevant aspects of a candidate's experience, talents, skills, education, working style and other relevant features of the candidate's career and capabilities.
CREATING A SEARCH COMMITTEE
Search committees will be made up of at least three but not more than nine members. Most search committees will have five to seven members. Larger membership will be required for senior positions in ExL since those positions interact with the greater number of other staff in ExL. The dean's permission can be sought for appointing search committees with larger numbers if a supervisor deems it important for the position at hand.
If a supervisor wishes to consider an unusual committee configuration (such s including members outside ExL or a more extensive use of stakeholders and field "experts"), the proposed approach should be discussed with the relevant executive team member and the dean. This approach should be reviewed by the director of academic support and finance to ensure it is in compliance with University H.R. policy.
The supervisor will form the search committee, as well as recommend a chair to the dean, who is responsible for appointing search committee chairs. Since ExL is a collaborative and interactive unit, each search committee should have broad representation from the various units in ExL. A supervisor may also invite individuals from outside ExL to join the search committee. This is advisable for positions that interact with other units on campus, or where special expertise is needed.The dean must review and approve the composition of the search committee before any ExL search can move forward.
ExL's human resources coordinator will serve as administrative staff for each search. The coordinator will attend the first meeting of each search committee to explain all required procedures. The coordinator will review the "Basic Principles for Searching and Hiring" document with the committee. The coordinator will maintain a separate set of files for each search and will work with the chair of each search committee to ensure that all documents are completed and appropriately filed.
DEVELOPING CRITERIA AND SCREENING THE CANDIDATES
The supervisor making the hiring recommendation to the dean will meet with the search committee at the first meeting to give the committee a charge. Thereafter, the supervisor will work in the role of search facilitator, helping the committee understand the demands of the positions, the working context and the interaction between positions. The supervisor may either choose to sit in with the search committee throughout the process or not join the search committee.
ExL focuses on selecting candidates based on well-considered criteria that capture the experience, degrees, skills, abilities and working styles needed for success in the position. It is necessary to decide the minimum qualifications required for interview at the outset of the screening. It is not necessary to rate applicants on more than six criteria; however, complex positions may require consideration of more factors. Regardless, all candidates must be reviewed using the same criteria. Once the committee has developed screening criteria, the chair gives the draft to the supervisor of the position for review to ensure there is a match between what the supervisor is seeking and the focus of the committee's screening. If there is not a match, the supervisor should meet with the search committee to provide clarification about the role and what are the key requirements for it.
Each member of the search committee must evaluate each applicant in writing using the criteria established by the search committee. These written screening documents/forms from each committee member must be submitted to the ExL H.R. coordinator at the end of the search.
REFERENCE CHECKING
Each search committee must do a complete and in-depth check of references for each finalist and a confirmation of credential and experience stated on resumes or CVs. The search committee should develop reference questions, and a written record of the responses from references should be given to each search committee member and the supervisor. Members of the committee or the supervisor should make the reference check calls. The committee should develop an equitable way of sharing the reference checking duties so that more than one committee member is checking references for any one candidate. A minimum of three professional references should be checked for each finalist. These references should include at least one direct supervisor, a peer professional and, for more senior positions, a subordinate or client. If a candidate failed to provide such references, the chair can ask the ExL H.R. coordinator to request them from the candidate. Reference checks can be made before or after a candidate is called in for an interview before the top two to four finalists are put forward for the supervisor's hiring recommendation to the dean. Only those candidates that are being seriously considered will have their references checked.
THE INTERVIEW PROCESS
University Human Resource Services recommends that a minimum of three people be interviewed. All those candidates who meet the full criteria outlined for the position should be interviewed. In many cases, it may be useful to interview more than three candidates.If a search committee wishes to interview fewer than three finalists, it must have the written permission of the supervisor and the dean to do so.
Search committee members, supervisors making hiring recommendation to the dean, and all others in ExL asked to interview candidates must read the CSUN guidelines about what one can and cannot ask candidates during a search.
There is no position in ExL that does not impact the work of all in ExL. The two to four finalists in any search should be interviewed by the full ExL staff whenever possible so that their views can be taken into account by the search committee before it makes its final recommendations. The search committee chair, working with the supervisor, should determine who will interact most often with the individual in the position in question, and those "stakeholders" should have a chance to meet and interview (individually or in groups) the two to four finalists for the position.In all cases, finalists must be interviewed by the executive team member leading the unit in which the position is housed, and the associate dean and the dean so that their views can be passed on to the search committee before final recommendations are made. An exception can be made if one among the unit leaders, dean or associate dean is unavailable for a length of time and the search needs to move forward—such an exception must have the written approval of the dean.
Candidates invited for interviews should be treated as respected and honored guests of ExL. The search committee should ensure that each candidate is hosted well by the committee and that all of his or her needs are looked after. Candidates should find their interview experience with ExL to be pleasant, well planned, purposeful, and professional.
THE HIRING PROCESS
The relevant supervisor will make the final hiring recommendation to the dean from among those candidates selected as finalists by the search committee. Search committees should offer the supervisor at least two and no more than four strong finalists from which to choose. The supervisor's selection must be reviewed and approved by the dean before an offer is made. The dean will respect the findings of the search committee and the decision of the supervisor unless very serious questions are raised.
The search committee should prepare a written report for the dean and for the supervisor making the hiring recommendation to the dean. This reportshould not rank the recommended two to four candidates, but should assess the strengths and limitations of each in terms of the demands of the position and the overall advancement of ExL.
The supervisor will use the search committee's report in making a final hiring recommendation to the dean. Once the dean has approved the proposed hire, the supervisor will work with ExL's H.R. coordinator to prepare the appropriate hiring recommendation report for University Human Resource Services.
Once someone is hired to fill the position with a fair and equitable search, the search ends and all in ExL are expected to respect the outcome of the search and to work collaboratively to help the newly hired ExL staff member succeed in his/her new role.
Note: The search committee is not authorized to make or hint of a job offer to the finalists. This is the responsibility of the dean and/or a Human Resource Services manager. ExL's H.R. coordinator may contact the finalist candidate and inform the candidate that she/he is being considered as a finalist.
VERIFYING CREDENTIALS
If a position requires or prefers academic degrees, it should be verified that the individual being hired does indeed hold the degrees that are claimed. Once an offer is made and accepted, the supervisor should contact the candidate and request an official (sealed) transcript(s) for the relevant degree(s) to be sent to the supervisor as soon as possible. This verification must be made because if there is a degree requirement for the position and candidates who did not meet that criterion are disqualified, then, it must be confirmed that the selected candidate did meet the degree requirement. Once the transcripts are received and reviewed by the supervisor and the relevant executive team member, they should be given to ExL's H.R. coordinator for inclusion in the candidate's personnel file. If the transcripts do not confirm the degrees claimed on the resume or CV, the offer of employment will be withdrawn. The director of academic support and finance would assist the supervisor with this process. Even though an offer may have been made and accepted, if the candidate misrepresented his/her credentials, then the basis on which the offer was made is no longer viable.
WRAPPING UP AND KEEPING RECORDS
The following is a list of materials that must be submitted to ExL's H.R. coordinator at the completion of any search. These will then be reviewed and forwarded to the dean for approval then to University Human Resource Services for review and job offer to the finalist candidate.
Evaluation/scoring notes from each committee member for each candidate. These must be kept in ExL's H.R. files for at least one year.
Letters sent to applicants and all other material submitted by each applicant.
A written report of in-person and telephone interview questions, along with a clean master list of interview questions.
A written report of in-person and telephone reference checks, along with a clean master list of reference questions.
The written report of the committee's findings and recommendations to the dean making the final hiring decision - this should be in the form of a memorandum.
A memorandum to the Human Resource Services manager stating the committee's findings and recommendations of the final hiring decision.
IF THE SEARCH DOES NOT RESULT IN A HIRE
If the search committee and the supervisor agree there are no applicants that are a good match for the position, it will then be necessary to either continue with additional recruitment efforts, postpone or reopen a search. The supervisor, after a conversation with the search committee chair, should discuss options and proposed plans with the dean.
Other reasons that may lead to the chair and/or supervisor determining that the search should be ended without a hire are:
there have been changes to the requirements for the position and, in turn, the position description since the position was first advertised;
the committee has lost a number of good applicants as a result of a slow search or strong competition in the marketplace; or
