1. Search Committee Guide

2. Code of Conduct
SOU recognizes that searching for new hires is an opportunity to meet our institutional needs by attracting employees that will contribute to an excellent and diverse workforce. To enhance our opportunities to attract outstanding employees to work in our community we expect members of the search to uphold the following principles:
Honesty
Respect for all persons/different points of view
Confidentiality
Consistency
Open Communication
Recognizing and addressing bias
Putting the best interest of the institution first
Recuse yourself if you can’t be objective
Honesty about relationships with certain candidates

3. Diversity
Southern Oregon University is a welcoming community committed to inclusive excellence and the celebration of diversity. Without diversity, our educational process is diminished. Working together in support of our commitment to diversity, we strengthen and enrich our role as learners, educators and members of a tightly connected global community. We encourage those who share in our commitment to diversity, to join our community and we expect all our employees to demonstrate an ability and desire to create an inclusive campus community.
A candidates commitment to diversity should be considered as part of the evaluation process
Diverse candidates enrich our community and should be factored into the decision process

4. Discrimination and Affirmative Action
Applicants and employees are protected from:
Unfair treatment based on protected status
Denial for reasonable accommodation for religious beliefs and disability
Affirmative Action
Analyze participation rates for members of underrepresented groups
Compare qualified population in recruitment area
Engage in good faith efforts
Develop action-oriented programs
Monitor progress
Protected Status categories
-Age -Race -Ethnicity
-Color -National origin -Family Relationship
-Disability -Religion -Veteran status
-Sex -Genetic information -Sexual Orientation
-Marital status -Gender identity or expression
SOU is an AA/EEO employer

5. Affirmative Action in Diversity Hiring
Must make non-discriminatory selection decisions
No quotas or preferences except Veteran’s provision (If a Veteran’s self-identifies in the application and meets the minimums you must provide the first level of interview)
While race/gender/identity conscious hiring is prohibited, widening your pool through diversity efforts can lead to a richer pool of candidates

6. Bias and Stereotypes
Unconscious Bias and Stereotype are often cognitive shortcuts
Bias, prejudice and stereotypes prevail
when people are rushed for time, distracted or tired
When underrepresented people are rare in the organization and pool
When criteria is ambiguous

7. Bias and Assumptions Types of bias
Cognitive bias- unconscious patterns of thought which have the unintended effect of conferring advantage to some and disadvantage to others
Structural bias- institutional patterns and practices that confer advantage to some and disadvantage to others based on identity
Negativity bias- tendency to pay more attention to negative experiences
-Sifter versus Funnel
Status quo bias- tendency to like things to remain the same

8. Combating and Reducing Bias
What works
Being deliberate and intentional (appropriate amount of time)
Human Resources check
Instilling accountability and transparency
Discuss as a group
Consider relevant data
Focus on the individual and not assumptions

9. Confidentiality
The Search Committee’s deliberations and discussions regarding applicants should not be discussed beyond the Search Committee
The names of applicants and their resumes are not public documents and cannot be released to the public or the press until the finalists are invited to campus
When releasing resumes to the campus, blackout personal information and state the SOU employees should not forward applicant information to non-SOU employees

10. Consistency in Process:
Use the same criteria and questions and process for all applicants (Except when need to clarify information provided).
Internal applicants must follow the same process as external candidates.
Don’t give special or different privileges.
Consistent interview opportunities and schedule.
Reference checks questions should be consist except when clarifying something specific to a candidate.

11. Evaluating Applicants
A subset of the committee (minimum of 2) may determine which candidates meet minimum/required qualifications, but all committee members should be allowed to review and provide input on qualified applicants.
Applicants should only be eliminated based on objective criteria.
The committee must be able to support their recommendations with objective criteria that will be developed by the committee.
There should be some correlation between high scoring applicants and those recommended for hire.

12. Other Tips and Considerations
Telephone interviews can be recorded as long as you notify the applicant.
Skype interviews are good option especially for national searches. (Contact your Computing Consultant for assistance with Skype)
Campus interviews only are acceptable for local searches.
For nationwide searches checking references prior to the campus interview stage is recommended.
Notify applicants that you will be checking references including unlisted references.
Under ADA laws, we need to provide reasonable accommodation for any known disabilities. You can ask candidates “Are there any special considerations of which we should be aware of in planning your visit?” (Please contact HR for further questions or information)
Avoid asking questions that could elicit personal information or non-job related information.

13. Logging in
If you are an SOU employee:
1. Login to MYSOU
2. Click on the Faculty and Staff
3. Click on the Recruiting link on left hand side of screen
If you are a student or community member: 1. Type in the url-
2. For both your user name and password enter the part of your the proceeds For example you would enter csmith for the user name and password
3. You will then be asked to create a new password
 Note: If the screen on the right appears and you have an SOU do not login here, instead click the link that says “Click here to login with your SOU Credentials”

14. IMPORTANT!!
1. Make sure you are in the Applicant Tracking Portal(blue heading)
2. Select user type “Search Committee Member”
3. If changing user type, hit the refresh button
4. Select the position type from the posting pull down menu

15. Click on the position title in blue

16. Click on the applicant tab to bring up the list of applicants (The summary tab provides all the position details including duties and minimum and preferred qualifications.)

17. Click on the ‘generate’ option and you will be able to download the Resume and Cover letter as one document for each applicant. This screen is also where you can access the online ranking criteria
View 1
View 2

18. You can also select applicants and click on the Actions tab and select Download Applications as PDF from the pull down menu. From there, you can choose which documents you want.

19. Scoring Criteria
Eliminate applicants that don’t meet minimums (Search Chair will remove those applicants before committee does any scoring)
Develop and agree on the initial screening criteria (Screening criteria should conform to a format that will be compatible with a ranked score (0-4,1-5).
Initial rankings should be based on information that can be determined from the applicant documents
Search Chair sends criteria to HR for entry into PeopleAdmin
Search Chair notifies committee members that they can being ranking applicants
Committee meets to discuss rankings
The committee has the option of submitting and conduct rankings at each phase of the interview process (phone/skype and campus interview) A separate score will be calculated at each phase

20. On top right hand side of page click on Evaluate Applicant to complete ranking criteria on a candidate.
Hint: You can open PeopleAdmin in two different browsers. You can open the criteria in one browser and the resume of the applicant in the other which allows to view the resume while you rate the applicant.

22. Sample of Ranking Score Details- Committee Chair Access Only
The committee chair will share the ratings given by each search committee member and the Average Score Total.

23. The Final Steps
As a committee you will provide a summary of the strengths and concerns of each of the final candidates. Generally, you will not rank order the applicants.
You are making a recommendation, however the hiring authority will make the final hiring decision.
The Search Chair will provide the summary write up along with any documents used by the committee to make the decision(Interview notes and any rankings outside of PeopleAdmin.).
Once the search is complete the search committee documents are subject to a public records request. Please keep this in mind when you are taking notes.

24. Resources Search Committee Resources: (available on the HR
website under the Recruitment tab)
Search Committee Guide
Search Chair Checklist
Guidelines for Hosting a Candidate
Interview Guide
Campus Interview Evaluation Form
Reference Check Guide
Telephone Reference Check Form
Consent for Background Check
Search Chair Resources: (available on the HR website under Recruitment -Tutorials tab)
View detailed rankings
How to bulk move applicants

25. Thank you Please contact Human Resources with any questions