Human Resources

A quick visual of the steps involved in the professional and bi-weekly staff recruitment process.

IU Northwest Recruitment Flowchart

Information for assembling and operating a knowledgeable and diverse Search Committee.

"The composition of the search committee is critical to
its success. By involving people with different point of
view or by bringing in a fresh face, the chair can
ensure that multiple perspectives and fresh ideas are
brought to bear in evaluating candidates."

~ Association of American Colleges and Universities

Membership

The membership of a Search Committee should reflect the diversity of the campus. Consider asking students, faculty, and/or staff members from other departments to serve on the committee. At least one male and one female must be present on all search committees, regardless of size.

The committee should include a member whose specialty is similar to qualifications listed for the position and members are expected to be aware and knowledgeable about Indiana University Northwest’s hiring and Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action policies and practices.

Office of Human Resources and the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX will review all proposed committees. All Search Committees must be approved by Human Resources before moving to a charge meeting.

Size

Generally, a Search Committee should consist of no fewer than three people, including the chair of the committee. This excludes the Office of Human Resources and the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX.

Essentially, there should be few enough members that schedules and discussion can be managed effectively while ensuring diverse perspectives and insights.

Role of Hiring Manager

Hiring Managers are expected to select a Committee Chair who will assist in the management of the committee and schedules. They are involved with the request to fill the position and are often the final decision maker in the recruitment process.

Hiring Managers are also tasked with working with the Chair to secure an approved Search Committee.

If there is another Final Decision Maker involved for the open position, the decision maker must be involved in presenting the charge to the committee and in completing final interviews.

Conflicts of Interest

It is expected that a Search Committee does not include members with potential conflicts of interest that result in the perception of preferential treatment. Such conflicts could consist of personal relationships with potential applicants such as a spouse, family member, or close friend, as well as professional relationships such as student advisors/advisees, colleagues, or research collaborators. Search committee members should not write recommendation letters for applicants, nor serve as a listed reference for an interviewed candidate.

All members should disclose any potential conflicts of interest as soon as possible, and at any time a conflict is identified, the committee member must step down from the committee. While the affected committee member may attend other interactions with the candidates (e.g., social meetings, job talks,
presentations), they may not participate in meetings where candidates are discussed and/or evaluated for selection.

The IU Conflicts of Interest and Commitment policy prohibits nepotism, which is the supervision or influence over an academic appointee or employee by another university academic appointee or employee with whom they have a familial or personal relationship (romantic/intimate relationship). Influence in the employment situation may concern issues such as hiring, promotion, supervision, evaluation, determination of salary, or working conditions.

Academic appointees or employees with familial or personal relationships should not be appointed or transferred to a position that creates a potential nepotism situation without an approved management plan to avoid instances of supervision or influence. If the search committee becomes aware of a potential nepotism concern, they should inform department leaders who can consult with the IU Compliance Office to determine if a management plan is feasible.

Checklist for Committee Chair

Role of Committee Chair

It is the responsibility of the Search Committee Chair to schedule meetings, complete record keeping, manage group dynamics and stresses the importance of confidentiality. At the first committee meeting, details such as meeting schedule and record keeping should be clarified. The charge will need to be created, if not written by the Hiring Manager.

Members should be assigned responsibilities for candidate records, travel arrangements, correspondence, on- and off-campus interviews, phone/virtual interviews, reference checks, and completing and submitting required recruitment forms, ratings rubric, etc.

Human Resources will create a OneDrive (shared) folder to store all documents (i.e., candidate correspondence, evaluation method, reference checks, etc.) related to the search. The Chair is responsible for ensuring that all Search Committee members complete their required tasks within the recruitment process.

Please reference the Search Committee Chair Checklist as a tool to use while serving as Committee Chair.

Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the Search Committee to attract,
evaluate, and recommend the best candidates for a position. To
meet this expectation, the committee must:

• review campus affirmative action plan data;
• attract a large and inclusive candidate pool through proactive advertising methods;
• use fair, objective, and uniform procedures to evaluate candidates;
• complete the search process in a timely manner; and
• coordinate the completion of reference checks

All committee members must be present for the Charge Meeting and all first round interviews with selected candidates.

Committee members are often involved for on-site meetings with final round candidates. They are expected to contribute for all scheduled committee meetings, and are recommended to be present with the Chair and Human Resources to meet for the selection of IU Core Competency Interview Questions.

Learn about Role Descriptors within Job Framework Redesign and enhance the position advertisement to accurately reflect departmental duties and expectations.

Job Framework Redesign (JFR)

Indiana University Human Resources conducted a thorough review and redesign of IU’s classification structure for appointed staff positions. With university-wide input, the Job Framework Redesign Project retired existing classification structures- alongside outdated labels like professional, service, and support- and introduced a job framework that is clear, consistent, and transparent.

This modern framework accurately reflects our workforce and features easily navigated career paths that empower staff to self-direct their careers while strengthening IU’s ability to retain, attract, and inspire talent. The new framework supports current and prospective staff employees, who make it possible for IU to fulfill the promise of being a world leader in education.

The new job framework launched on February 21, 2021.

The Job Framework Redesign Project website is a great resource in learning more about how the JFR affects recruitment at IU Northwest.

Role Descriptors

Role descriptors have replaced the position descriptions that Indiana University used prior to the JFR Project launch. A role descriptor is a summary of the most important aspects of a job that includes a brief summary, fundamental responsibilities, and work dimension details that are typical for the career level. Role descriptors create the foundation for career development.

Explore Job Framework role descriptors for staff positions at IU
using IU Career Navigator.

The IU Career Navigator is the tool used to explore the IU job framework and role descriptors for staff positions at IU. It allows current and prospective employees to consider different roles at IU, how they are related, explore growth opportunities, and chart a career path at IU. The navigator is always available at One.iu.edu by searching for “Navigator.”

JFR Position Titles vs. Working Titles

New job titles (system titles or JFR titles) will be maintained in IU systems and will follow a consistent naming convention. Unless there is a recognized industry or market title (such as Nurse or Network Engineer), the system title will be the job family plus one of three approaches as outlined below.

• Non-exempt roles: Job family plus either Assistant, Coordinator, Representative, or Technician – e.g. Career Services Coordinator
• Exempt roles: Job family plus either Analyst, Consultant, Generalist, or Specialist – e.g. Financial Administration Specialist
• Leader roles: Job family plus Leader – e.g. User Experience Leader

Hierarchy will not be built into job titles; however, each role will be tied to a career level to create more transparent career progression.

Working titles (within reason and per guidelines) are allowable for use with department, leadership and local HR approval.

Hiring Managers are encouraged to use the system role descriptor titles as the primary title, but there may be times when it makes sense or is necessary to use a working or marketing title for email signatures, business cards, or job postings.

In general, working titles should:

• Be consistent within responsibility centers, schools, or departments.
• Be approved by the direct manager and local/department HR.
• Follow the established guidelines and not misrepresent work.

Job Posting

Role descriptor text will automatically become part of the general responsibilities and minimum requirements for a position's job posting in Peoplesoft TAM, the applicant tracking system used by IU for Staff positions.

The vacant or new role will have a Position Number and Job Code that is linked to the Role Descriptor and Job Title. As part of the Strategic Hiring Form approval process, Hiring Managers and departments must verify that the Position Number is aligned appropriately to the correct Role Descriptor for the title and career level.

If the general responsibilities, career level, FLSA status (exempt or non-exempt) are not aligned to the desired Role Descriptor or position title, then the position may require a reclassification.

Job Posting - Departmental Specifics

Since the role descriptor will be used to provide a general description of duties, responsibilities and qualifications for the announcement, all Hiring Managers and Search Committees are encouraged to contribute to the creation of a robust description of the position based on departmental specifics.

The following should be added to all position announcements:

• additional duties and responsibilities,
• departmental expectations for work demands additional working conditions (e.g. evening/ weekend work, need for travel, etc.)
• preferred qualifications and/or education level any preferred licenses or certifications
• department description, summary or link to website
• information about Indiana University Northwest

The following will automatically be included on all jobs posted through Peoplesoft TAM:

salary or salary range statement indicating that references for reference
check will be requested at time of interview statement indicating that internal or former IU applicants will require that one reference must be current or most recent IU supervisor or "reports to" manager or people leader. Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX and accommodations statement

IU Standards for Job Postings

IU Talent in University Human Resources reviews, approves and
assists in the maintenance of all positions that are posted for Staff on the Jobs.iu.edu website.

IU Talent will modify all job openings based on the IU Standards which include the order of job posting text, the adjustment of role descriptor text, and the formatting of additional text that is added by departments.

No role descriptor text can be removed unless Talent and/or Compensation approves. The order of the role descriptor text cannot be changed. Departmental summaries and preferences can be added, and is highly encouraged, in order to create a more vibrant and descriptive job advertisement.

Minimum skill requirements, education level and work history qualifications are based on the role descriptor aligned to the position. As of June 2022, all job postings will post with the following combinations statement:

“Combinations of related education and experience may be considered”

Find more information about this Combinations Language and how to determine minimum qualifications on the Screening Applicants page provided by IU Human Resources.

Changes to minimum qualifications for education or work history require approval from both IU Compensation and Talent.

If there are any questions or concerns regarding IU Standards, please reach out to IUN Human Resources or AskHR.

Create a comprehensive recruitment plan for attracting the ideal employee candidate, while encouraging a diverse candidate pool.

Charge within Recruitment Process

The Hiring Manager or departmental recruiting final decision maker will review the needs of the department and the position needing to be filled. The Vice Chancellor or unit leader will submit the Strategic Hiring Form via FireForm. Once the Strategic Hiring Form is submitted, a Search Committee should be formed and approved no later than five (5) business days from Strategic Hiring Form approval. The committee should be preparing to meet to receive the charge as soon as the approval is received.

IUN Human Resources has created a Committee Date Tracker tool that can be used by Search Committee chairs and members to provide estimated timeframe for the search completion.

As soon as the Strategic Hiring Form is approved, recruiting can begin. The Charge Meeting is the first step in getting the position posted for applicants.

Hiring Managers create the charge and the Recruitment Plan. The charge sets the tone for the recruiting effort for the Search Committee keeping in mind the
requirements of the position and the needs of the university.

Please see the charge meeting document "What is a Charge?" for more information of what the charge meeting and written charge should include.

Affirmative Action Data Review

The charge meeting includes Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX (OIETIX) as they present the departmental Affirmative Action data and will confirm if the department is or is not at parity. They will present information on how to address any affirmative action goal, as well as provide resources on how to meet overall campus diversity initiatives.

Charge Meeting Participants

Human Resources will schedule the charge meeting with Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX.

All search committee members, the chair and Hiring Manager must be present for the charge meeting. If there is a separate final decision maker for the hiring of the vacant or new position, then that person must also be present at the charge meeting.

Recruitment Plan

The Recruitment Plan form is provided with the submission of the Role Descriptor, which will outline key elements about the position for posting on Jobs.IU.edu.

The recruitment plan includes the placement of job postings on external websites, organizational career pages, professional groups or organizational
newsletters, or any print advertisement ranging from journals, magazines, newspapers or local job boards.

Please note that the vast majority of external career job boards or websites will have a fee associated for posting a job. These fees can range from $30 - $799 or more, and will usually cover a 30-day time period.

Each department is responsible for the costs associated with external or paid job postings.

Some career websites or pages require membership. IUN HR will attempt to post all requested external postings at the lowest, usually member, price. However, if Human Resources is not able to secure member pricing, then another IU staff or faculty member who may have membership or access to post will need to be utilized to post the position.

All positions posted on Jobs.IU.edu will auto-scrape to several job websites, including:

• LinkedIn
• CareerBuilder
• Indeed
• HigherEd Jobs

Specific information on characteristics that should be avoided when evaluating candidates. Ideas on how to recognize perceptions based on assumptions.

A Guide for Search Committees

The Non-Discrimination/Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policy of Indiana University states:

It is important to keep this in mind when evaluating candidates for positions at Indiana University Northwest. Although it is unlikely search committee members would overtly discriminate against candidates based on the characteristics above, discrimination may nevertheless occur. Search committees may set criteria or make inquires that screen out otherwise qualified candidates because of characteristics such as those above. They might also make assumptions about candidates based on such characteristics, which would therefore exclude the candidate from consideration. Interviewers might ask questions or make comments that would lead a candidate to believe one or more of the above characteristics will be a factor in their evaluation either negatively or positively. This may lead the candidate to “voluntarily” remove him or herself from consideration. The effect of these situations is the same as overt discrimination and is not in keeping with Indiana University’s non-discrimination policy.

In addition to finding the best qualified person for the position, search committees are often concerned with finding someone who will fit in well in their department. Nobody wants to hire a candidate who subsequently feels uncomfortable in the department. But whether a candidate will be comfortable in the department is an issue for the candidate to decide. This can best be accomplished if candidates have the opportunity to meet and interact with a large number of the faculty, staff, and students in the department. They can then form their own opinion about what the department is like and if they would fit in. A candidate should never be asked if he or she thinks they would fit into the department given an arbitrary characteristic unrelated to his or her administrative.

Specific information on characteristics that should not be used to evaluate candidates and ideas on how to avoid possible perceptions to the contrary is listed below.

Age

Persons aged 40 and over are legally protected from discrimination on the basis of age. Questions that would reveal age should be avoided. Additional comments or questions that might indicate age as a factor should be avoided.

Examples include:

“Our staff is young and on the cutting edge of research.”
“We are interested in getting new blood or new energy into the department.”

Some positions at Indiana University have a mandatory retirement age. This part of the position should be made known to all candidates, not just persons suspected of being close to the retirement age. If a position requires a specific term such as five years, then all candidates should be asked if they can fulfill that term.

Citizenship

All candidates should be asked only if they are currently eligible to work in the United States. This question should be asked of all candidates not just those suspected of being citizens of another country. After an offer is made, he or she will be required to produce documentation of eligibility.

Race/Color

A search committee should not use race or color as a decisive factor in evaluating candidates. While departments should take affirmative steps to ensure they evaluate and strongly consider a diverse pool of candidates, the best qualified person should always be selected.

Questions or comments such as the following should be avoided.

“Our department is actively trying to diversify its staff.”
“Would you like to meet minority staff in another department?”

Information about diversity, cultural centers, or minority related programs should be included in all candidate packets.

Religion

Religion or religious beliefs cannot be a factor in evaluating candidates and neither should assumptions about these beliefs. For example, search committees should not assume that because a male candidate is Muslim, he will have a difficult time working with women or that because a candidate is wearing a religious symbol their beliefs will dictate their performance.

Questions or comments about any religion or religious belief should be avoided when speaking with candidates.

Disability

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities, as well as persons who have a record of disability or are perceived as disabled. It is of course not permissible to ask individuals if they have disabilities or about their disabilities. When requesting interviews, search committees should ask all candidates if they require an accommodation to participate in the interview.

When providing directions to candidates it is important to include information about accessible entrances and parking. If necessary, schedule interviews in a more accessible building.

Ethnicity/National Origin

Candidates should not be asked about their ethnicity or national origin and this information should not be used as a factor in their evaluation. For example, search committees should not evaluate a person of Middle Eastern decent differently given the current political climate. Neither should they dismiss a candidate based on the belief that there are already a lot of faculty and/or staff members of similar ethnicity or national origin in the department.

Avoid the following lines of discussion with candidates:

“We certainly do have a lot of Australians, such as yourself, already in the department.”
“Where is your family originally from?”
“That is quite the Irish accent you have.”
“Mueller. Is that German?”

Veteran/Military Status

Discrimination based on veteran status is illegal. It is permissible to ask questions about the skills and duties performed during service. However, search committees may not ask the type of discharge the candidate received. This may require the candidate to divulge private information, such as a medical history, which cannot be used as a factor in their evaluation.

Additionally, search committees should avoid questions that ask about the candidate’s current military status such as:

“Did you remain in the reserves after your service? Are you still in the reserves?”
“How likely is this to affect your service to our department?”
“Did you serve in combat?”

Information received from these types of questions is irrelevant to the candidate’s evaluation as service to the reserves or National Guard must be honored by employers and cannot be a factor in a person’s evaluation for hire, promotion, or termination.

Marital/Family Status

Do not use marital status as a factor in evaluating candidates. Neither should any known or perceived family responsibilities be a consideration. Questions which would require the candidate to divulge this type of information should be avoided. When speaking with candidates, avoid questions or comments such as:

“Do you have children? This department is very family oriented.”
“Are you married? How would your spouse feel about moving?”

Search committees should avoid making assumptions about a candidate’s ability to relocate because of their spouse or partner. These are issues to be worked out between the candidate and their spouse or partner, not the search committee. At the offer stage it is permissible to inquire if the candidate has any criteria that would make the offer more appealing.

Pregnancy

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act prohibits sex discrimination based on pregnancy. The current pregnancy status of a candidate or her impending pregnancy status cannot be used as a factor in her evaluation. Search committees should not ask women if they plan to have children or what their childcare plans are.

Sex

It is not permissible to use sex or gender as a factor in evaluating candidates. All questions or comments related to gender should be avoided. If information about gender specific services (ex: Women’s Affairs) is included in candidate packets it should be included in all candidate packets, not just those of that gender. When speaking with candidates avoid comments such as the following:

“How would you feel about working in a department of mainly men/women?”
“It is rare to find a woman/man doing this type of work.”

Additionally, courts have ruled it is illegal to hire women for less pay than men, simply because the market will bear it. The financial implications involved with a person’s gender should not be a factor in his or her evaluation.

Sexual Orientation

Indiana University policy prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. A search committee cannot use sexual orientation as a factor in evaluating candidates. Search committees should not make assumptions about a candidate’s sexual orientation based upon mannerisms, appearances, volunteer work, or research interests. Questions which may require the candidate to divulge private information such as their sexual orientation should be avoided, as well as comments about anyone’s sexual orientation.

An explanation of the application screening process (i.e. applicant monitoring, screening criteria, and evaluating candidates).

Acknowledgment of Application

Job seekers create an account in the Peoplesoft TAM online application system. Prospective candidates are invited to complete a demographic survey when they apply for a position.

Organization of Applications

Applications and related materials are uploaded in Peoplesoft TAM by the candidates. Candidates who are not eligible to work in the United States are automatically screened out of the applicant pool.

Candidate application material via access to the Peoplesoft TAM Job Opening is released to the committee members after the rubric attributes, Core Competency and screening criteria has been identified. Note that access to the candidate pool can be given to committee members even if the job posting is still available for new applicant candidates.

IUN Human Resources will provide the Excel file template for the rubric that will be developed by the Search Committee. Human Resources will also provide informational material on how to access Peoplesoft TAM. Any questions related to the viewing of candidate applications should be directed to IUN HR.

Initial Screening for Eligibility

Initial screening is based on the minimum qualifications based on the Role Descriptor. HR will also review candidates based on eligibility for the role, based on IU policies, and other factors, such as re-hireability.

Note that the minimum education and work experience set by the the role descriptor will often be lower than the preferred qualifications. HR screens for minimum qualifications, and recommends that committees have access to more candidates. This is also because IU Standards allowing for combinations of education and experiences, means that some candidates may have variable experience and are still viable candidates for review. As such, that total candidate pool made available to committees is often larger than is expected due to this initial eligibility screening.

Screening Criteria

Search committees must discuss, in advance, the criteria they will use to evaluate candidates. This is done via the creation of eight (8) key attributes and definitions for rating scores that are objective and quantifiable, based on the submitted application materials. At a minimum, the five (5) Core Competencies can be used, however, it is recommended that applicable and preferred qualifications be used as a way to gauge skills and experience.

All attributes must be based on actual position needs and must not unnecessarily screen out candidates on unrelated factors, including on the basis of their age, color, disability, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status. (IU Policy, UA-01).

Rubric for Committee Review and Ratings

Human Resources will assist in the completion and approval of the final rubric for the use of committee's initial review and ratings of candidates. Names of candidates will also be confirmed and provided within the rubric Excel file.

Committee members will independently review and score all of the candidates based on all of the attributes. There is a comment section for each candidate that can and should be used to provide feedback about any extreme scores, or why a candidate should/should not be interviewed. The “Interview Y/N” column is optional and can be used to assist in determining who to interview.

Each committee member will send their completed rubric to HR via email, the Committee Chair or the shared OneDrive recruitment file. The committee uses the combined total scores to determine top-rated candidates to bring on to interview. HR will review submitted rubrics to verify that the data matches for them selected candidates.

Usually, the top scoring candidates are those that are invited to interview, however other candidates may be selected. A written justification is required to explain why candidates are or are not invited to interview when there are data indicators demonstrating that they are skilled, competent or otherwise capable of the work based on the job duties and key attributes for the role.

Information for conducting an effective interview process from selecting questions to meeting interviewees.

IU Staff Core Competencies

Core competencies are observable skills and behaviors that contribute to workplace success. The Indiana University Staff Core Competencies give employees a common language to describe how we work together, what to expect from each other, and how to maximize our potential at IU.

IU Staff Core Competencies were informed by the mission, vision, and values of IU, and will help foster accountability among staff. They also create a road-map for staff to view personal development opportunities and assist with career planning. IU Staff Core Competencies create a foundation for Human Resources initiatives including recruitment, career progression, performance management, training and development, and more.

The IU Staff Core Competencies are:

• Ensures Accountability: Holding self and others responsible and accountable to meet commitments
• Collaboration: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Instills Trust: Gaining confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
• Values Differences: Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization.
• Customer Focus: Building strong internal and external customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.

The IU Staff Core Competencies are a framework for “how we do
our jobs” at IU and provide a language of accountability for work teams.

In addition to the staff core competencies, career level competencies are associated with each role, career structure, and career level. Committees should include these competencies when evaluating candidates.

Core Competency Interview Questions

IU has developed a partnership with Korn Ferry, a global consulting firm specializing in organizational management, structures, roles and responsibilities. Korn Ferry specializes in Organization Strategy, Assessment & Succession, Talent Acquisition, Leadership & Professional Development and Total Rewards. The IU partnership allows for the use of proprietary tools and resources to further enhance the IU recruitment process, particularly with interview questions.

Five questions must come from IU's Staff Core Competency interview question options - one question for each competency.

Preparing Interview Questions

The committee should compose a group of core questions based on the job-related criteria to evaluate candidates.

After the five Core Competency questions, remaining questions can be more technical. Behavioral-based interview questions are always recommended to allow candidates to provide evidence in support of behaviors that demonstrate the skills and attributes needed for the role.

These questions should be asked of all candidates to ensure that crucial job-related information is obtained. Open-ended questions tend to relax candidates and encourage free speaking. Developing questions ahead of time need not be unduly restrictive.

Follow-up questions based on the responses to pre-determined questions will most likely vary with each candidate. Additional questions should be reviewed to ensure they do not unnecessarily screen out the diversity of candidates.

All interview questions must be reviewed and approved by the Office of Human Resources prior to interviews.

Types of Interviews

Telephone & Video Interviews Departments may use telephone or virtual video interviews as first round interview. HR will let the candidate know in advance that they have been selected to interview so that he or she is prepared and understands it is part of the selection process. It is also important that during these interviews you are consistent when questioning all candidates, and that inappropriate questions are not asked.

This should NOT be the only interview conducted with successful candidates.

Campus Visits The campus visit serves a dual purpose. The candidates are evaluating the campus and they themselves are being evaluated. Candidates should be given the itinerary for the visit in advance and should be invited to request any special accommodations they might require. It is also appropriate to consider if there are any special offices or locations on campus where the candidate should visit or if there is anyone they would need to meet so
appointments can be made prior to the candidate’s arrival.

While evaluating the candidate the committee should also assist the candidate in making an informed decision about the campus by letting them meet the administrators, staff, faculty, and students with whom the successful candidate will engage.

Open Sessions Candidates should have time to interact with staff, faculty, and students from the department and/or related departments during open sessions. It is important during these engagements that committee members are careful not to solicit personal information unrelated to the position such as marital or parental status. However, incidental conversation, which includes these topics, is permissible. Staff and faculty members should feel comfortable conversing with the candidate as they would any other colleague.

Specific information on how to evaluate and rank candidates, based on IU's Staff Core Competencies and overall fit for the position given the charge and interviewing scores. 

Behavioral-based Interviewing (BBI)

Indiana University's best practice approach is to utilize behavioral-based interviewing as a way to assess and evaluate candidates on the ability to show behavior-based evidence.

There are five (5) steps of behavioral-based interviewing:

• Complete a skills/competency analysis
• Select skill definitions and define the attributes that can then lead to meaningful interview questions
• Develop behavior-based questions for selected competencies
  • Human Resources will provide question options specifically for IU Staff Core Competencies
• Conduct a behavior-based interview with the same questions for everyone
• Rate candidate on ability to show behavior-based evidence

IU's Partnership with Korn Ferry

Korn-Ferry has created a behavioral-based interview process which has been tested for both validity and reliability.

Each Competency has 5 sub-categories to further enhance how they are involved for each role. As a result of the sub-categories for each of the IU Core Competency, there a total of 50 available Korn Ferry interview questions that can be utilized for any interviews. These questions are often dubbed "the price of admission" for interviewing and eventually working at Indiana University.

Evaluating Candidates

All members of the search committee should review each candidate’s application, supplemental materials, and any interviews or meeting discussions based on the determined rubric and Question Guides developed for the Core
Competencies.

Resist the impulse to label candidates the “most promising” because this may make it difficult for other candidates to be fully considered. Avoid unfounded assumptions, e.g., members of a particular racial group do not like living here, women who pursued degrees part-time are not serious professionals, excellent
candidates will be heavily recruited, or a married candidate’s spouse will not be willing to move. Let applicants decide these issues for themselves.

Do review how a candidate’s diverse experiences or commitment to diversity can contribute to the department.

About BBI and Example Question

In behavioral interviews, most of the questions start with “Tell me about a time when …” The intent is for the candidate to explain to the committee a time in their past when they came across a similar situation.

To be as successful as possible in the interview, the candidate should answer the questions with specific examples and not with general answers. To do this, they should focus their answers using the STAR method. STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Results.

For example, a non-IU Core Competency BBI question could be:

From time to time, all of us have to deal with someone who wastes our time at work. Tell me about a situation like that. How did you deal with it?

A response should describe the situation details, the task(s) that were required to be complete or to address, the actions the they, the candidate (not the team or others) specifically took, and what the end result of the action was or what resulted based on the action.

Candidates are informed in advance to expect BBI questions and to be prepared to respond using the STAR method.

Information for interviewers on appropriate and inappropriate lines of questioning during an interview. This list can be copied or printed and given to members of the search committee or anyone conducting interviews.

Steps involved in making an offer of employment.

Choosing the Finalist

It is crucial that candidate skills, competencies and job criteria remain the basis for the decision through the concluding phase of the selection process. Applicants eligible for the position are ranked based on data throughout the recruitment process. Departmental practices vary as to whether or how, candidates are numerically ranked at the interview and final round stage. Human Resources encourages the use of data and scores as the basis in selecting a candidate for offer extend. However, as in every other stage of the
search process, there must be consistency in how candidates are evaluated and rated based on job attributes.

There should be a written summary for each candidate for final hiring recommendation. This can take the form of written summary, email to Hiring Manager and HR or meeting notes. A second or final round should include thorough written comments on a spreadsheet, document or online survey (i.e. Qualtrics report). HR will tabulate scores from interview questions to aid in selection process.

Reference Checks

Reference checks should be completed prior to final round interview/on-site meeting dates. They should be completed during the interview stage, not after, as communicating with references can lead to external delays in selection and offer extend process. Internal or former IU-affiliated candidates must include their current or most recent supervisor or reports to manager as one of the reference contacts.

Recruitment File

At the final stage of evaluating candidates, documentation utilized during interviews and on-site visits must be submitted for all selected interviewee and final candidates.

Different departments have created varying practices regarding the format for presenting the finalist(s) to the hiring manager or final decision maker. A good rule of thumb is this: only objective, job related information should be presented to the person making the final decision. A summary of each individual’s weaknesses and strengths as it pertains to the job criteria would be appropriate.

Offer Package

Note that the offer letter and offer package for Staff hiring is standard and will provide the benefits based on exempt or nonexempt employee benefits.

For departmental job searches that have a regional or national candidate pool, please review the university policy on Employee Relocation. Relocation allowances must be built into the position and noted in the job posting for inclusion on any written offer letter.

Discuss this early with Human Resources, as additional incentives are subject to approval and must be built into the position's budget. Planning in advance helps to reduce complications later.

Negotiations are handled by the Hiring Manager and campus leadership. Any negotiations are subject to departmental budget approval by IU Talent and/or Compensation.

Dispositioning of Applicants

It is a requirement that all candidates be dispositioned timely and appropriately during on the recruitment process and within the offer process.

The Peoplesoft TAM system will be used as a means to track interviews and candidate(s) selected for offer. The system will generate automated email communications to all Search Committee members notifying at time of offer, offer accept, and hire processing.

When it is known that any candidate will not proceed in the
interview process, it is recommended that they be rejected in the
system timely. Ideally this should be completed within 2-3 weeks of
application or end of rating/rubric completion.

Note that once a candidate is rejected from a Peoplesoft TAM job opening, they are not able to be interviewed or selected for that position under any circumstances. They are able to reapply for the same or other roles, provided there is a new Job Opening.

Salary Equity

When making a salary offer, departments should keep in mind equity issues including minimum salary requirements set annually by campus administrators. Remember it is illegal to pay a woman less than a man simply because the markets will bear it, even though it may have been negotiated by the candidate.

Rejected Offer

When an offer is rejected, the search committee may go back to the candidate pool to reconsider previously interviewed, alternate candidates. If there is no interest in any of the alternate candidates, contact Human Resources, as this search has failed.

Failed Search

If a search committee is unable to recommend a viable candidate and achieve an accepted offer, the search has failed. A failed search may be reopened without completing a new Strategic Hiring Form within a three-month period. Please contact Human Resources about reopening a search to make sure you continue to comply with the Equal Employment Opportunity, Affirmative Action and IU/HR policies.

Background Check

Hiring is contingent upon the receipt of an acceptable background check, and completion of I-9 verification

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Strategic Hiring Form?

The Strategic Hiring Form launched January 2023 and intends to provide an internal approval process flow for appropriate actions related to recruitment, such as filling a vacancy, creating a new position, reclassifying a Position Number from one role descriptor (title, job code, FLSA status, etc.) to another.

Where can I find the Strategic Hiring Form?

The Strategic Hiring Form is available via FireForm in One.IU.edu. Departmental Hiring Managers may not be set up for FireForm use. If a Hiring Manager needs the submission of this form, they should reach out to their Unit Leader or FireForm approver, which may be Vice Chancellor level or the primary contact for the unit.

What happens when I submit the Strategic Hiring Form?

The FireForm will route to the HR Director, Fiscal Affairs, and the Chancellor. Once all three have provided their approval, the recruitment process can begin.

The job posting text does not reflect what this position actually does. What can we do?

The job posting text can be livened up by provided detailed departmental summaries, departmental-specific responsibilities, and lists describing what a typical day may look like. The Job Summary can have added verbiage describing the position with vibrant details. Contact HR if there is a need for suggestions on how to make the posted ad more appealing to candidates.

No, it really seems like this position title and role descriptor is not accurate at all. Can we change this position’s Role Descriptor to a completely new one?

Yes. Changes to update a Role Descriptor for a Position Number can be done via eDoc Reclassification. This involves any new career level, new (system) Position Title, or going from nonexempt to exempt status. Reclassification can take time and must be fully completed before the recruitment process can be initiated. The reclassification process can take 2-3 weeks from Strategic Hiring Form submission and approvals to the eDOC processing time involved that updates the job code data in the HRMS and Peoplesoft TAM system. Contact HR Director if there are any questions about Reclassification and to get this process initiated.

We don’t have a search committee ready for this position search. Can HR help me find a committee member?

HR will assist in providing a list of possible Staff and Faculty members who could possibly serve on the committee based on the existing committee makeup. Remember that the minimum is three persons, and students/student workers can be added as committee members. A diverse makeup means that even a part-time or IU employee from another campus can be asked to be part of the committee.

Do we really have to rate all the candidates in the rubric?

Yes, each committee member will rate each candidate, for each attribute within the rubric. It can take time to review candidate application materials via Peoplesoft TAM. However, rating candidates across eight dimensions allows for a clearer picture of who has what desired traits for the open position. Providing quantifiable data also better supports the decision-making that happens in recruitment. It can quickly justify why candidates are selected and not selected for interview rounds and even final offer. It also helps in determining candidates for timely disposition.

Doesn’t HR vet the candidate pool?

Human Resources will review for candidate eligibility and the minimum qualifications as determined by the Role Descriptor and IU Standards confirmed by Talent. Because almost all positions will have a combinations statement for acceptable education and work history, the minimum qualifications set a much lower bar for candidates. As such, candidates are eligible for review and rating where vetting for preferred qualifications will happen based on the scores in the rubric.

What happens if there is a conflict of interest or if there possible bias?

The Search Committee Chair is empowered to identify and act on any biased members of a committee. All committee members are charged to address and mitigate bias. The search process may become delayed or stopped, and HR and/or OIE may become involved. Strong opinions towards a candidate (positive or negative) based on personal experience will impact the ability to serve on or continue with a committee search.

There was something wrong with this search. Where can I go if there was an issue in the recruitment process?

HR Director, Mianta’ Diming is available to address any issue or concern related to any aspect of the recruitment process. If something in this guide is unclear, or if Human Resources is not providing the information you need, you can connect with the Director. If there are concerns related to the recruitment process, equity, or bias, the Office of Institutional Equity can also be used as a resource.