Interim Recruitment Guidelines for Unclassified Personnel

Submitted by soniap on Fri, 12/30/2011 - 12:21pm

Memo to Deans, Directors and Department Heads

Effective: January 1, 2012

General Guidelines

The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and employing well qualified candidates for available employment opportunities. Consistent with that commitment, it is the university’s practice to conduct competitive searches to enhance the excellence of the institution’s workforce, and to facilitate the attainment of affirmative action goals and objectives. As appropriate, the university will recruit both within and outside its work force to obtain qualified applicants, with the scope of search national, regional or local, depending on the nature of the position.

Scope

A NATIONAL search normally is conducted and remains open for a minimum of four weeks for the following:

Officers of Instruction and Research: All tenure-related, career and visiting positions with the rank of Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Senior Instructor, Instructor, Senior Research Associate, Research Associate or Postdoctoral Research Associate.

Officers of Administration: All .5 FTE or greater positions designated by the President or Vice-Presidents as leadership positions (e.g., directors, associate vice presidents, vice provosts) in major or strategically significant administrative units.

A REGIONAL search (e.g., West Coast or Pacific Northwest) normally is conducted and remains open for a minimum of two weeks for the following:

Officers of Instruction: All adjunct officers of instruction.

Officers of Research: All adjunct officers of research. All career officers of research with the rank of Senior Research Assistant or Research Assistant.

Officers of Administration: All .5 or greater positions except those requiring a national search or where there is evidence that a local search will yield a sufficiently strong pool of qualified and diverse applicants.

A LOCAL search (Lane County and surrounding area) normally is conducted and remains open for a minimum of two weeks for the following:

Officers of Administration: All other positions greater than .5 FTE not described above and those positions at less than .5 FTE.

· INTERNAL Search (UO employees only): The University recognizes the value of supporting career growth for current qualified staff. In support of career progression of qualified internal candidates, internal recruitment may be appropriate so long as it is consistent with equal employment and affirmative action objectives and results in a diverse pool of qualified applicants.

Waivers of Recruitment

The university recognizes that there may be situations in which a compelling reason exists to make a direct appointment. Direct appointments are considered an exception to general guidelines and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

A hiring unit choosing to make an appointment without a search either through internal promotion or other direct appointment, must document the reasons for the waiver. A request for a waiver must be based on persuasive business necessity or cases of undue hardship. In cases of reorganization, reassignment or promotion the waiver should be based on the optimization of organizational effectiveness and expanding opportunities for university employees. These circumstances include but are not limited to one or more of the following:

· Emergency and Temporary Hires:

o Instructional Positions: When a vacancy for a position crucial to an instructional need occurs so close to the required start date for the assigned course that a search is not feasible or reasonable. Also during the term (or semester), a department may hire an officer of instruction on a temporary basis without a competitive search. The unit should first attempt to fill any such needs through the open applicant pool.

o Non-Instructional Positions: In an emergency situation in which failure to fill a vacancy would compromise the health and safety of the UO community or compromise the operations of the unit, the unit may request a waiver to temporarily hire someone to fill a position while it conducts a competitive search.

· Contractual Agreement: Individuals Specified in Grants or Permitted with New Employee Offer Letter.

o Individuals specifically named by Principal Investigators in grants or contracts may be hired without conducting a competitive search. Other positions funded by research grants and contracts shall be filled according to University recruitment procedures.

o Individuals critical to the ongoing work of a new employee may be hired without a search where the new employee, as part of his/her employment contract negotiations, requests and receives appropriate approval to hire those individuals. The appropriate Vice President or designee must approve such hires prior to the extension of the letter of offer (e.g., a new faculty member moving his/her research team, with uniquely relevant knowledge and experience, from another institution).

o An individual who is the spouse or partner of a new employee may be hired through the dual-career program without a search where that employment was negotiated by the new employee as part of his/her employment contract negotiations. This requires appropriate Vice President or designee approval of the spouse or partner hiring agreement prior to the extension of the letter of offer.

· Recruitment Difficulties: If a recent search has failed to identify a qualified pool of candidates and/or all qualified candidates declined the position, an individual known to meet the needs of the position may be hired where failure to fill the position will compromise the operations of the unit.

· Strategic Opportunity Hires: A known candidate who possesses unique skills, knowledge, and abilities that are beneficial to the university may be hired without a search in exceptional circumstances (e.g., a world renowned expert whose work is relevant to the academic program and/or research being conducted by a unit and is interested in collaborating with UO instructional or research faculty).

· Transfer: Transfer of an employee along with the budgetary provision for that employee’s position from one unit to another unit or where transfer has been determined to be an appropriate and reasonable accommodation in the case of an employee with a disability.

· Reorganization, Reassignment or Promotion:

o An employee whose responsibilities or title have changed as a result of a reorganization or reassignment of functions among positions within the same organizational unit or as a result of promotion, where the employee initially was hired through a competitive search process. Promotions that include movement of a position from classified to unclassified status may require notice to the union in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.

o Reassignment within an organizational unit where available work and/or funding would result in the layoff of an employee hired through a competitive search process and there is other necessary work within the unit for which the employee is qualified.

o Reassignment of an employee on timely notice, where reassignment is determined to be in the best interest of the unit and/or the employee.

· Other: Other compelling circumstances where a direct appointment is in the best interest of the university.

Process for Waivers

Requests for waivers must be submitted on a Request for Waiver of Unclassified Search Process form. It should be accompanied by a memo that documents the reason for the request based on the guidance above, a Request to Offer (RTO), a position description, a signed application (if applicable) and a vita or resume. This waiver packet should be submitted through the department head, dean/director to Unclassified Personnel Services for review and facilitation of appropriate review and approvals (i.e. Human Resources, Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity and Vice President/Senior Vice Provost).

In considering requests to waive recruitment, the following will be considered:

· The impact on affirmative action objectives of the unit and the university;

· The career interests and abilities of minorities, women, employees with disabilities and covered veterans among the University’s incumbent workforce;

· Efforts to create promotional opportunities for employees in the unit generally, specifically including minorities, women, individuals with disabilities and covered veterans.

Title Changes

To change an employee's title when there is no change in job duties or salary, submit a Payroll Request Form (PRF) reflecting the new title. Note in the Remarks section, "TITLE CHANGE ONLY. No change in salary or job duties." Title changes require the approval of a director/department head, dean and the appropriate Vice President/Senior Vice Provost.

A title change that is accompanied by a pay increase and/or job duty changes is processed using the request of unclassified search waiver process guidelines.

Temporary Added Job Responsibilities

Circumstances may arise when an employee is temporarily assigned to take on additional, and perhaps higher-level, responsibilities while still performing his or her own job duties. In these cases, the additional duties may be of such significance that extra compensation is paid as a stipend. To request this increase in compensation (which is available for up to one year), the supervisor submits a justification memo along with a PRF for a stipend and route to the director/department head, dean for schools and colleges, and the appropriate Vice President/Senior Vice Provost for approval.

If an employee is being assigned to a new or higher-level position on an interim basis and does not retain his or her current job duties, follow the request of unclassified search waiver process guidelines as a temporary reassignment. When employee's compensation is being increased based on the permanent addition of new and/or higher level job responsibilities, this is considered a promotion or part of a reorganization, not a temporary, interim situation. This process is either through the unclassified search waiver process or conducting a search.