Search Committee Training ERICA LUTZ HR GENERALIST Office of Human Resource Services 307 Agricultural Administration Building University Park, PA Phone: Fax:

Hiring Information

Agenda Search Committee Makeup and Training Advertising Review of Applications  EJMS-How to login and review applications  Red Flags on Application Materials Developing Interview Questions  Interview Questions to Ask and to Avoid  Attachment A – Search Committee Guidelines Interview Methods Penn State’s Affirmative Action Policy Interview Documentation Reference Checks  Attachment B – Reference Checking Tool Affirmative Action Information  Attachment C – Affirmative Action Non-Selection Sheet Hiring the Candidate

Search Committee Makeup and Training The search committee should have gender and minority representation. Search committee should consist of at least 3 members ( # of members should be odd) Each search committee member should have a copy of the “Search Committee Guidelines.” List of Search Committee members should be sent to HR promptly to set up Search Committee training for anyone who hasn’t been through it. Search committee guidelines must be given to other dept. faculty/staff prior to them meeting with candidates. Training not required for FT2, post-doc, and wage vacancies

Search Committee Makeup and Training Search committee for a faculty position must be approved by the Dean’s Office. An Academic Recruitment Form must be completed for faculty searches.  Outlines department representation and committee composition

Advertising All positions must be posted on the Penn State Electronic Job Management System (EJMS). Advertising is not required for staff positions, other than Extension Educators, but is strongly encouraged. Tenure Track vacancies require advertising in one publication of national distribution and FT1 and FTM vacancies require advertising in one external source. Advertising outlets for faculty positions must be approved by the Dean’s Office.

Advertising All advertisements and position vacancy announcements need to be approved by the University Office of Recruitment and Compensation before they can be placed or sent out to list servs. Keep in mind recruiting to Diverse populations.  AsiansinHigherEd.com  BlacksinHigherEd.com  HispanicsinHigherEd.com  LGBTinHigherEd.com  VeteransinHigherEd.com

Viewing Application Materials HR will grant access to view applicants once the committee completes the search committee training. You can access the EJMS(Applicant Database) at You will be required to sign in with your access account or Friends of Penn State account user ID and password. Select “View a Job” and you will be directed to your open position. Select External and will be directed to the candidates.  Select “web” to view the Penn State Job Application, “c” to view cover letter, “r” to view resume, and “o” to view other materials provided such as letters of reference.  Can sort applications by last name, order received, candidate #

Enter your PSU ID and PASSWORD

Click View Job

Click External to View Applicants

Reviewing Application Materials Review candidates qualifications against minimum qualifications for the job and only consider the candidates that meet the minimum qualifications.  Equivalent experience for degree required: (staff positions only)  Associate’s Degree = 4 years of relevant experience  Bachelor’s Degree = 8 years of relevant experience  Master’s Degree = 12 years of relevant experience Example: If a position requires an MS + 3 years of relevant experience, the applicant would need a BS + 7 years of relevant experience, an Associate’s + 11 years of relevant experience, or high school diploma +15 years of relevant experience

Reviewing Application Materials Some things to look for on the resumes and applications.  How long have they been in their previous positions. Do they move around to new jobs often?  Look at the reason they left their last job. Are there any red flags?  Look for long breaks in employment. Question in the interview why breaks in employment.  Verify candidate is legally able to work in the United States without sponsorship for staff searches. Select most qualified candidates to interview and inform HR of the individuals selected.

Reviewing Application Materials Prior to contacting candidates for interview, the department head will recommend to the Dean which candidates should be interviewed for faculty searches.  Must include letter of application, curriculum vitae, academic transcripts, minimum of three letters of reference, and one copy of the position description. A Short List approval form will be required for departments considered underrepresented per AA Office.

Diversity Review For staff positions, HR will perform a diversity review of the pool in which all minority applicants will be reviewed.  If HR feels a minority is as qualified, or more qualified, than the candidates selected for interview by the committee, justification will be requested.  If non-discriminatory justification cannot be provided, the committee will be instructed to offer the individual an interview. If minority and female candidates apply for a faculty position and are not among the finalists selected for interview, then the department head will provide information to the Dean concerning their applications and the reasons they were not selected.

Interview Questions The search committee should determine what job related questions to ask each candidate.  Remember to ask the same interview questions to ALL candidates. Topics that should be AVOIDED when asking interview questions are:  Arrest record  Less than honorable military discharge  Gender and marital status  Number/ages of children(child care management)  Spouses name/education/income  Family Plans  Place of Birth/Citizenship  Other languages spoken(unless job required)  Proficiency in speaking/writing English, unless job related

Interview Questions Cont. Topics that should be AVOIDED when asking interview questions are:  Disabilities/handicaps/prior illnesses and accidents  Age/Date of HS graduation  Weight  Religion/Church Affiliation  Social Organizations During the interview keep questions focused on the required competencies, knowledge, abilities, qualifications and experiences of the candidate. Provide a copy of the interview questions to HR for the Affirmative Action file.  Questions for a technical service position must be approved by Employee Relations prior to use, if they were not previously approved. Pre-employment testing and assessments during the interview process are not permitted unless they are done thru one of the three contracted temporary employment agencies (Adecco, Express, and Manpower).

Interview Methods Screening Interviews  First round interview conducted to determine if the applicant has the necessary qualifications Phone Skype Presentation Face-to-Face All candidates must be offered interviews via the same method.

Penn State’s Affirmative Action Policy It is the policy of the University to maintain an environment free of harassment and free of discrimination against any person because of age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, service in the uniformed services (as defined in state and federal law), veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, marital or family status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, physical or mental disability, gender, perceived gender, gender identity, genetic information or political ideas.

Behavior Based Questions Best tool you have to identify candidates who have the behavioral traits and characteristics you believe are essential for success in your open job. Attached to your search committee guidelines you will receive sample behavior based questions. If you use yes/no questions you might not find out critical information about the candidate to make your hiring decision.

Interview Notes/Documentation Interview notes are required to be taken during the interview for each candidate. Keep in mind that the interview notes are legal documents and must be submitted to Human Resources for the affirmative action file. Information on the interview notes should be job related. Keep personal information out of the notes.

Interview Notes/Documentation Recording interviews is NOT permitted unless all parties to the conversation consent.  Two-Party Consent Law  Please see Policy AD53 “Privacy Policy” ( and Pennsylvania’s Wiretapping Law ( guide/pennsylvania/pennsylvania-recording-law) for further information. guide/pennsylvania/pennsylvania-recording-law  Failure to abide by such laws and policies can result in criminal penalties and termination of employment.

Reference Checks Reference Checks should be completed for your top candidates that you interviewed.  Should be completed by search committee chair  Required for internal and external applicants  Letters of reference for faculty positions You should check a least 3 references. Check prior job references first rather than personal references. The reference check information should be forwarded to Human Resources with the interview notes. Attachment B Reference Check Tool can be used to check references. You may use your own reference checking tool if you prefer.

Affirmative Action Once you select the most qualified applicant, the search committee chair should fill out the Affirmative Action Non- Selection sheet. (Attachment C) This form is filled out for each candidate that was interviewed but NOT selected.  Please also complete the form for anyone who withdrew from their interview opportunity. On the form select the non-discriminatory reason why the candidate was not selected. For those who withdrew, check “other” and explain why they withdrew if the information was disclosed. Once the AA form has been completed forward to Human Resources with all interview notes to be kept in the Affirmative Action File. AA information will be recorded in the jobs system to produce an Affirmative Action report; therefore, it is critical that we receive this information from the committee.

Items to Turn Into HR All interview notes for each person interviewed A list of your interview questions Reference check information for your top candidates Affirmative Action Non-Selection Sheets

Hiring the Candidate All new hires that will have direct contact with minors as defined in Policy AD39 are required to obtain the publicly available clearances in lieu of a standard background check. Clearances include: Policy AD39  Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Background Check  Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance  Federal (FBI) Fingerprint Background Check All other new hires will complete a standard background check thru our vendor, First Advantage. Some positions may also require additional checks such as a motor vehicle record (MVR) check, education check, etc. which will be processed thru our background check vendor, First Advantage.

Notifying Applicants The search committee chair should notify all those interviewed but not selected of the committee’s decision. The other applicants in the pool will be notified via an generated from the EJMS system when the job is closed.

Helpful Resources Staff Hiring Information: Faculty Hiring Information: procedures procedures Background Check Information: ackground-checks.cfm ackground-checks.cfm Affirmative Action Office: Extension Hiring Procedures: Available on Extension’s SharePoint site

Remember to maintain confidentiality at all times What is confidential? Applicant information/materials Individuals selected for interview/for the position Specific evaluation methods and questions Committee discussions regarding candidates

Questions