Before You Post – Planning Phase

These questions can help guide the decision on capacity needed within a department/division/hiring unit. Consider where there are challenges, gaps, and opportunities. Involve multiple individuals to gain a deeper understanding of current and future needs. Management should partner with HR throughout the process to make informed and intentional staffing decisions while upholding university policy. The Intake Meeting Form includes additional detail and guiding questions.

• Would the position or duties be better-suited for an existing staff member, if appropriate (their skills/career goals)? Partner with HR to explore options for internal movement or recruitment.
• Are you hiring for the same exact role or have the needs changed since the hire was last made? 
• Knowledge of a unit’s demographics may influence how recruitment, advertising, and outreach is done (infusing diversity initiatives into each step/when possible). Do you understand the demographics of the unit? Partner with HR to review.
• What are the office space and equipment needs?
• Do you have the tools needed to onboard someone to this position?
• Has someone been successful in this job before? If so, what made them successful?
• If a new position, is there a similar role on campus that it could be modeled after? 
• Is there a career path for this position that would be helpful to know up front? 
  • Will professional development opportunities be available?

Use a timeline to help plan, coordinate, and keep the process and individuals involved on track. Scheduling meetings in advance and proactively placing holds on calendars for interview times helps keep the process moving. Review the example timeline and modify to meet the needs of each search:

Timeline Example (view in word document)

Stakeholders are groups and individuals who have involvement or familiarity with the role and can be leveraged in the hiring process. Consider these questions to determine your stakeholders: 

• Who in the hiring unit and beyond the hiring unit has relevant skills and interests and can contribute to certain steps of the hiring process?
• Who has the capacity to take on this workload?
• How will you ensure a diverse representation of identities, perspectives, experiences, thoughts, level in the organization, etc; is present? How does this inform the search and screen committee makeup?
• How might bias show up throughout the review/interview process? How will you mitigate bias throughout this process?
• Who will the new employee work with that may be present during the onboarding stage?

Before engaging in a formal process to post a position for hire, it is recommended the hiring manager and Human Resources engage in a thoughtful conversation (often referred to as an intake meeting) to discuss the overall needs for the role, the stakeholders or groups that will be interacting with this position, and exploring required and preferred criteria for the role.

Intake Meeting Overview

Intake Meeting Form 

Developing job criteria is at the center of the hiring process. Criteria is an all-encompassing term for the knowledge, skills, abilities, and qualifications needed to perform a job. In hiring, criteria is used in many ways: selecting Search and Screen (S&S) committee members, developing rubrics for screening, developing interview questions, and building relationships and talent pools. Determine screening criteria before finalizing the job description so that it can help inform the job posting.

Rather than relying on traditionally used forms of criteria such as degree requirements and years of experience that can create inequities, focus on the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to perform the job.

Consider the job responsibilities to identify and prioritize KSAs before writing them as clear and specific qualifications for the job posting: 

• Identify: What KSAs are needed for the job’s core responsibilities? Think about technical (hard) skills and relational (soft) skills.
• Prioritize: Which KSAs are non-negotiable, things an individual absolutely must have upon starting the job? Prioritize KSAs by focusing on those that cannot be learned on the job. Long lists of qualifications tend to be exclusive and create barriers for applicants. 
• Get specific: Expand upon priority KSAs by clearly defining them to be specific to the job. What does each KSA look like in practice in this job? The goal is to clearly articulate each KSA as a qualification to include in the job posting. By being specific, we set candidates (and ourselves) up for success – applicants will better understand how to demonstrate having the knowledge, skills, and abilities, enabling S&S committees to more consistently screen and assess qualifications.

Be open to considering how a candidate obtained the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities, qualifications, certifications, etc. through a variety of experiences that may not always be the status quo.

The linked guide includes more information on how to reframe criteria to focus on KSAs, how to identify and prioritize KSAs using a decision tree tool, and how to write qualifications for a job posting using the O*NET tool as a starting point. Partner with Human Resources to finalize qualifications.

Developing Inclusive Job Criteria

The Search and Screen Committee is critical in ensuring that the recruitment and selection processes are fair, equitable, and inclusive. This group is responsible for adhering to federal and state anti-discrimination laws.

The needs and goals of a recruitment help determine the most appropriate Search and Screen model(s). Review the overview for shared language, an introduction to various Search and Screen Committee models, and some benefits and limitations of each model from both a candidate and an organizational perspective:

Overview of Search and Screen Committees

Building the Committee

It is important for a diverse representation of identities, perspectives, experiences, and thoughts to contribute to the process. If this is a challenge in your unit, consider inviting individuals from populations beyond the unit:

• students
• individuals outside of your department or division
• off-campus community members
• stakeholders affiliated with other UW campuses or peer institutions
  

Ensure committee engagement and co-creation by involving committee members early in the process, before posting the job. Consider holding a kickoff meeting to communicate and share:

• the goals of the search
• the roles they are being asked to take on and why
• the job description, criteria, and rubrics to be used
• interview questions
• anticipated timeline for the search

Email Invite Template to Potential Members

Subject: Request to Serve on Search and Screen Committee

Hello, (X).

We are reaching out to ask if you would serve on the Search and Screen committee for (x position) in (x unit/dept/division).

The position being recruited for plays an important role in our unit in that it (insert short description of primary duties and function). I’ve attached a draft description for more information.

The hiring chair (name) has put forward names to serve on the Search and Screen Committee. The names put forward all play in an important role in helping ensure a diverse applicant pool and select the most qualified candidate for the job. Your name was put forward because of (insert what perspective they would bring to the selection committee).

To help you determine if you can serve on this committee, here is what the request would be from you:

• Review the job description and the criteria for selection.

• Reach out to your professional and personal networks to promote the job and encourage people to apply

• Take part in a kickoff meeting with the search and screen committee- (x) hours

• To help you determine if you can serve on this committee, here is what the request would be from you:

• • Screen applicants once the position has closed- approximately x hours
  • Phone interviews- up to x hours
  • In person interviews- up to x hours
  • Meet with search and screen committee for decision making on final candidate- approximately x hours)

The timing of this search would be from (insert from when the kick off meeting would be until when the  selection is made). Therefore, we are asking for a commitment of (x) hours over from (month) until (month).

Please respond by (x date) to let us know if you are able to be a part of this Search and Screen Committee. Your knowledge and expertise would be a welcome addition to ensure a successful search.

Signature

Kickoff Meeting Sample Agenda
The sample agenda provides options for you to engage the search and screen committee at the start of the process. You can select and adapt the agenda to meet the immediate needs of your committee members and process.

Checkpoints and Considerations

• Ask for committee feedback on the draft job posting, screening rubrics, and interview questions, and build this into your timeline.
• Ensure committee members have a shared understanding of the role being recruited for.
• Ensure committee members have a shared understanding of what the criteria is and how to apply it to the screening and/or interviewing process.
• Ensure committee members understand their role in reaching out to their networks to share the job opportunity.
• Who is doing what? It is important to keep in mind the capacity of the search and screen committee.
• Will a certain member take the lead? How are tasks divided and delegated?
• Ensure there is a diverse representation of identities, perspective, experiences, thoughts, etc. on the committee.
• Committee members should be encouraged and empowered to challenge/question the process.

Understanding Unconscious Bias

To ensure the hiring process and selection are fair, equitable, and inclusive, it is important for all committee members to have an understanding of unconscious bias and how it may show up in the hiring process. 

Mitigating Unconscious Bias in Hiring Practices Video

Supplemental Guidebook – Mitigating Unconscious Bias in Hiring Practices

Quick Guide to Interviewing
The quick guide shares best practices for preparing for and facilitating interviews.

Some Questions May Be Considered Discriminatory

Remind committee members that some questions may be considered discriminatory under federal and state law and should NOT be asked, such as: 

• An arrest record: Have you ever been arrested or convicted? 
• Military status: Do you serve in the military? 
• Pregnancy status: Do you plan on having a family? 
• Sexual orientation: What sexual orientation are you? 
• Disabilities: Do you have a disability? What is your health history? 
• Age, race, or gender: What is your age or date of birth?
• National origin: Where were you born?
• Citizenship: What country are you from? 
• Religion: What religious holidays do you observe? 
• Marital status: What is your marital status? What is your spouse’s name?

Identify similar positions in the market to get an idea of what other employers are advertising and offering, and note areas where UW and/or the hiring unit can be competitive and stand out as an employer of choice. Partner with Human Resources to draft a compelling and authentic job summary that celebrates the unit’s culture, mission, and uniqueness. When stakeholders have reviewed and provided feedback, share the final draft with Human Resources to create a requisition.

Use the completed and co-created responses from the Intake Meeting Form to help guide the writing of the position’s needs. Each question should ensure a thoughtful and intentional job summary.

Review similar positions on O*NET and/or similar positions across campus to look for:

• Skills needed/possible transferable skills
• Average salary
• Verbiage
• Qualifications/Education
• Work activities

Review Standard Job Description (SJD) Library and determine the most appropriate title based on the responsibilities. This module provides an overview of standard job descriptions and position descriptions at UW–Madison for managers and supervisors.

Tips for Writing Unique Responsibilities
Use this tip sheet to understand what unique responsibilities are and when to include them in a position description.

Writing Inclusive Job Postings
Use this checklist to transform a draft position description into a clear job posting that will set prospective applicants up for success.

Business Title Guidelines
Use these guidelines to understand what a business title is and where it can be used.