Featured Presentation: Application of Veteran’s Preference in the Search Process Sam Hill, Associate General Counsel Office of General Counsel

When a Veteran is in the Pool Veterans eligible for preference if they meet minimum qualifications for position Preference includes: Opportunity to interview (though first or second round finalist interviews may not be required) Application of 5 points (if honorably discharged and not disabled) Application of 10 points (if honorably discharged and disabled)

Applying Veterans Preference in Unscored Selection Processes April 2016 Oregon Court of Appeals Decision Takeaways: Must evidence application of preference at each stage of the search process Decision makers must be able to articulate, consistently, how the preference was applied at each stage of the search process Must evidence application of preference equivalent to the 5 to 10 points No harmless error

UO Veterans Preference Policy Current policy drafted in collaboration with BOLI Requires preference to be applied at each stage of the search process Allows for unscored search processes, but following April 2016 case, HR may require conversion to scored process to evidence application of preference

Where to go from here? Consult with TAD prior to candidate review is highly recommended if you have veterans in your search Have search chair or single person responsible for application of preference Be prepared to answer: How many points were possible at each stage or what methodology was used to evaluate/rank/prioritize candidates against requirements in announcement Clear indication of veteran candidate’s rank or score at each stage of the search (timeline must be clear)