1. Alcorn State University Office of Human Resources
Standard Hiring & recruitment procedural manual

2. Standard Hiring & Recruitment Procedural Manual
Our shared objective is to create a positive candidate experience, beginning with the initial application, through completion of the hiring and probationary period, and throughout employment.
Information and tools to facilitate this effort are provided in this Manual, which includes:
Employment Policy
Roles of HR and Hiring Managers
Job Posting/Recruitment Channels
Applicant Tracking
Building Hiring Profiles
Final Selection and Job Offers
Interview and Evaluation Process

3. Standard Hiring & Recruitment Procedural Manual
Employment Policy
The Budgetary Authority must ensure that funds are available and approved to finance any open or vacant position before the employment process is initiated.
Alcorn State University fosters the posture and practice of equal employment opportunities for current and potential employees. The University will advertise vacancies and new positions as widely as is practical. Consequently, all non-professional vacancies and new positions shall be posted on the ASU website and advertised in at least one widely circulated publication. A minimum of ten (10) days shall be allowed from the time a new/vacant position is published until the deadline for the receipt of applications. All Professional vacancies and positions will be posted on the University website; and shall also be advertised through the Mississippi Employment Office, Inside Higher Ed., and other posting venues. The Hiring Manager is responsible for working with the Office of Human Resources to ensure appropriate posting and advertising.

4. Standard Hiring & Recruitment Procedural Manual
Hiring & Recruitment Process
The following information is intended as a guideline of processes for candidate selection and position closing
A Position Requisition is initiated by the Hiring Manager, who receives applicable approvals.
The approved Position Requisition is forwarded to HR, along with all documents used during the interview process, including the candidate evaluation form
An Offer and Welcome letter is sent to the prospective employee from the Office of Human Resources
Hiring Manger sends a courteous “rejection letter” to all candidates who are interviewed, but not selected.
All new hires will have a start date of the 1st or 15th of the month

5. Standard Hiring & Recruitment Procedural Manual
Tracking Applicants
Hiring Manager reviews all on-line applications for vacant positions
Applications are tracked for EEOC compliance, and are retained to maintain a qualified pool of applicants
Hiring Manager updates applicant status, via the Job Opps (People Admin) On-line Recruitment System Hiring Manger initiates the interview and selection process

6. Standard Hiring & Recruitment Procedural Manual
Making a Final Selection
Offering the Position to the Top Candidate
The Hiring Manager reviews applications and conducts interviews accordingly
The Hiring Manager contacts at least two employment references
The Hiring Manager selects the top candidate
The Hiring Manager informs HR of the candidate selection via the Hiring Proposal
The Office of Human Resources sends the Offer and Welcome Letter to the selected candidate
HR allows five (5) business days for the candidate to accept or decline the offer
HR informs the Hiring Manager whether the offer is accepted or rejected
HR schedules new-hire orientation, based on hire date
The Hiring Manager submits an EPAF to begin payroll processing (acceptance of offer)

7. Standard Hiring & Recruitment Procedural Manual
Building a Hiring Profile
Desirable Candidate Characteristics:
Executive & Middle Management Non-management (e.g. Assistant, Specialist)
Strong cultural fit with organization Ability to be a team player
Educational/Professional qualifications Cultural fit with the organization
Successful goal accomplishment record Exemplary work performance
Strong industry experience Strong technology skills
Top-tier organizational work experience Strong work experience
Source: SHRM Staffing Research: Top Performers

8. Standard Hiring & Recruitment Procedural Manual
Search and Interview teams should avoid questions designed to elicit information about an applicant’s membership in a protected class:
Race
National Origin
Skin Color
Age (40+)
Gender
Religion
Disability
Veteran’s Status
Sexual Orientation
Financial Status

9. Standard Hiring & Recruitment Procedural Manual
Interview and Evaluation Process
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Practices
The ADA allows for reasonable accommodations to be made during the application process.
If a candidate asks for an accommodation prior to the interview, the Hiring Manager should inform him/her that the request will be forwarded to the Office of Human Resources. The Hiring Manager should subsequently refer the request to the Office of Human Resources.

10. Standard Hiring & Recruitment Procedural Manual
Interview Techniques Ask Behavioral Interview Questions (S – T – A – R Model)
Situation or Task
Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to accomplish. Describe a specific event or situation, not a generalized description.
Action You Took
Describe the action you took and be sure to keep the focus on you. Even if describing a group project or effort, discuss what you did.
Results You Achieved
What happened? How did the effort end.? What did you accomplish? What did you learn?

11. Standard Hiring & Recruitment Procedural Manual
Behavioral Interview Techniques
Accountability:
Describe a situation when your work did not meet your co-worker or supervisors' expectations. What happened? What action did you take?
Have you ever been in a situation where you role or responsibilities haven’t been clearly defined What did you do?
Describe a time when you disagreed with a customer, supervisor, or co-worker. What did you do to resolve the conflict? What was the outcome?

12. Standard Hiring & Recruitment Procedural Manual
Behavioral Interview Techniques
Assertiveness:
Tell me about a situation when you had to speak up (be assertive) in order to get a point across that was important to you or crucial to your customer.
Tell me about a time when you were compelled to immediately address a difficult situation with your boss or supervisor when others would not. What happened? What was the outcome?

13. Standard Hiring & Recruitment Procedural Manual
Behavioral Interview Techniques
Communication:
Tell me about a time when your active listening skills really paid off. Perhaps a situation when others missed a key idea or issue.
Describe your most successful experience in delivering a presentation or giving a speech. When did this happen?
Describe a complex writing assignment (longer than 10 pages) you had to complete. Tell me how you organized the document and what help you had (if applicable) finishing it.

14. Standard Hiring & Recruitment Procedure Manual
Customer Focus:
Tell me about a time when your success depended on our prior working relationship with a customer. Describe the situation and the outcome.
Tell me about a time when you went the extra mile to meet the needs of a customer.
Tell me about a time in your previous job when you accommodated the client or customer even though it was more work for you or went against your instincts. What was the result?
Tell me about a situation where you had to remain quiet when dealing with a hostile customer. How did you handle the situation?

15. Standard Hiring & Recruitment Manual
Detail Orientation:
Describe a situation when you coordinated several events or people at the same time. How did you handle it? What was the result?
Tell me about a task that was tedious or boring to you – but had to be done. How did you approach and tackle the task?
When have you found it valuable to use a detailed checklist or procedure list to reduce potential errors on the job? What was the outcome? What would you do differently today?
Tell me about a time when you had to manage large amounts of paperwork. How did you keep things organized to maintain order and accuracy?

16. Standard Hiring & Recruitment Manual
Flexibility: Tell of a situation where you had to adjust quickly to changes over which you had no control. What the impact of the change on you? Tell me about a time when you had to change your point of view or your plans to take into account new information or changing priorities. Describe an example of a time when you had to approach people (with different perspectives) for support or cooperation. How did you appeal to each person? What was the result?

17. Standard Hiring & Recruitment Manual
Problem Solving:
What was the most difficult work problem you ever faced? How did you address the problem? What were the results?
Tell me about a time when you had to step away from traditional methods to solve a difficult or complex problem. Can you describe your approach? What was the outcome?
Give me an example of pa project you personally planned, implemented, measured, and evaluated. What problems did you solve along the way?

18. Standard Hiring & Recruitment Manual
Candidate Evaluation
Scoring your interviewees:
You should:
Stick to your selection criteria and job description
Prepare questions in advance (structured)
Engage the candidate with attentive and active listening
Keep accurate notes
After the interview, when you are reviewing your interview notes, ask yourself how well the answers reflect the behaviors documented in your selection criteria