Staff Positions

• Log into the applicant tracking system to create or update the position description and route for online approvals.
  • Training on the applicant tracking system is available in Canvas.
• If you need help writing the position description, the following resources offer helpful tips, information, and sample wording. Carefully crafting the required and preferred qualifications in the job description, and later the job posting, will pay off during the screening process.
  • Position Description Writing Guide
  • O*Net provides sample job duties, wording, and typical knowledge/skills/abilities required to perform a specific job. 

• Search committees should be comprised of the supervisor for the position, career-based experts, and people who have consistent interaction with the role and could provide beneficial screening and interviewing guidance.
• Search committees should also include a diversity search advocate from your college/department. For information on diversity search advocates for your team, contact the Office for Inclusion and Diversity.
• All members of search committees need to have completed the Search Committee Charge Workshop within the past two years.
  
  •  The HR practitioner or search committee chair should use these instructions to run the verification report to ensure each committee members training has been completed.
• NOTE: Search committee members are not automatically notified by the applicant tracking system when they are assigned to a search committee. It is the department’s responsibility to communicate to each member their respective role in the search.

Colleges/departments should develop strategies for attracting high-quality, diverse applicant pools. Advertising is one way to accomplish this. Advertisements for a specific position should be placed in sources that most potential applicants would use. This may include web-based channels, including social sites; electronic communications; and print media, and will vary depending upon the position. Your HR Representative is available to help you develop your recruiting strategy.

The following steps are based on a competitive hire.

• Once the position description is approved, log into the applicant tracking system to recruit for the job and start the search process.
  
  • In the applicant tracking system, you will create a job card.
  • An effective job advertisement will inform your candidates of the position and help you attract top talent.
  • When you create the posting, set a review date. This is the date that you will begin screening applicants. You may also choose a close date, which is the date by which you intend to have the role removed from the Virginia Tech careers page. A close date is not required to recruit for the position.
  • The salary range will be required for the job posting. You will arrive at the final salary once you have identified a candidate. Make sure the salary range and expected salary are within your approved budget and reviewed with Human Resources to ensure alignment with market data, university data, and equity.
  • Consult with your HR Representative to discuss any Affirmative Action goals for the job.
  • Once the job card and advertisement summary is complete, route for online approvals. The department head, member of senior management, and Human Resources will review the card. Once HR approves, the position will post to Virginia Tech’s career website.
• Each job is sourced to a selection of recruitment channels that can be found where VT jobs are posted. 
• Additional ways to advertise the position include:
  • Graystone Advertising Agency is available to create your advertisement, recommend advertising options, and to place your advertisement in multiple media channels while providing one bill. Creative services are free when you place an advertisement. Your department will need to pay for any postings done through Graystone.
  • The hiring department should advertise the position using listservs, websites, newspapers, professional journals, personal and departmental social media accounts, etc., and may conduct personal recruitment to build the application pool.
• Contact your college/department HR Representative if you have questions about advertising your position.

• Develop a timeline for your search. Identify dates for applicant review, phone screenings, in-person interviews, and a start date. Best practice is to plan for approximately 40 days from opening of the job announcement until acceptance of offer.
• The applicant tracking system offers options for how to manage applications in the system, book interview events with candidates, and more. Training on the applicant tracking system is available in Canvas.
  • Candidates will need to be dispositioned in the applicant tracking system. There are certain dispositions that can be assigned to candidates. 
• Once the review date has arrived, engage your search committee to begin carefully reviewing applicants, including their resume, cover letter, and any other documents provided during their application. 
  • The Search Chair is responsible for communicating with search committee members their role in the search process.
  • The search committee’s review should focus on the candidate's qualifications in relation to what was stated in the position selection criteria.
  • Search committee members should complete the screening criteria on each candidate in the  applicant tracking system. Completing the criteria is necessary to ensure a consistent and equitable review of candidates across the entire university.
  • The search committee chair will be able to see each committee member’s rankings and their selections will be the master copy for any compliance or audit review.
  • If you have questions while screening candidates, contact your college/department HR Representative.
• Schedule interviews once candidates have been screened and top candidates are identified. It is up to you and the search committee to decide how many candidates you interview based on the job’s required and preferred qualifications.
  • Candidates that do not make it through initial screening should be dispositioned immediately.
  • Generally, there is an initial phone screening done where candidates are furthered narrowed down.
  • Typically, face-to-face interviews are done with the top candidates. It is up to you and the search committee to decide if you need second face-to-face interviews to decide on a final candidate.
  • If any candidates make you aware of a disability accommodation needed during the interview process, contact ADA and Accessibility Services in the Office for Equity and Accessibility.
• The interviewing process is an opportunity to sell candidates on the merit of joining the Virginia Tech community as well as allowing the search committee a chance to more thoroughly evaluate the candidates’ credentials.
  • Interview format determines what type of interview you will conduct. 
  • Interview questions should create a blend of behavioral/situational and technical/competency based questions. 
• If candidates have submitted work samples, have your HR Representative review them before using them in an interview. Tests are not permitted.
• If you need help with interview formats, interview questions, or how work samples should be used during the process, contact your HR Representative.
• If candidates are currently or have been a Virginia Tech employee, it is strongly recommended to review their university personnel file. Candidates will need to complete and sign a Consent for Prospective Supervisor to Review Personnel File before the prospective supervisor can review the file.
• Conduct Reference checks. Questions must be job related. Disregard information that is clearly unrelated to the position requirements. Information obtained in a reference check is completely confidential, but may be subjected to a court order. 
  • View information on conducting a reference check.
  • The applicant tracking system has the capability to run automated reference checks for each candidate. This process will ask references basic questions about the applicant, and give the reference the ability to upload a reference letter to the email when responding. To learn about this feature, refer to the user guide in Canvas.
• Once these steps are completed, make a selection decision and disposition candidates no longer in consideration for the position.

• Once you have selected a candidate:
  • Discuss the proposed offer and salary market data with your HR Representative. Consider internal equity of current employees.
  • We recommend getting senior management approval of the selected candidate and offer before completing the offer details in the applicant tracking system, including relocation allowance, sign on bonus, or other additional offer details.
  • Consult with the Global Strategic Services if selected candidate needs work-visa sponsorship. 
• Once all internal approvals are received in the applicant tracking system, contact the selected candidate and make a verbal offer.
• Complete the offer card details and the appropriate offer letter template for faculty positions in the applicant tracking system and route for approvals. Once all approvals are received, the offer details and letter will be routed to HR for final approval. Once HR approves, the offer will be emailed to the candidate and will also be available in their applicant portal. 
  • NOTE: All offers are contingent upon the candidate completed required pre-employment checks such as a conviction check.
  • New Employees: New employees can start on any day. To ensure timely payment, the new employee must complete their New Hire form in PageUp a minimum of 3 working days prior to the start date.  The conviction check also needs to have successfully completed.  Job entry cannot be completed between the salary overtime and retro entry and the end of payroll dates listed on the payroll schedule. For start dates after this time, information must be received and conviction check completed 3 working days before the Salary overtime & retro entry date.
  • Existing Employees: Existing employees who are moving to a new job within the university should only have start dates at the beginning of the pay period, using the 10^th and 25^th of each month. To ensure timely payment, the new employee must complete their abbreviated New Hire form in PageUp a minimum of 5 working days prior to the start date.  To prevent interruption of system access, new job entry for existing employees is completed on the start date.  New job entries for existing employees cannot be completed between the salary overtime and retro entry and the end of payroll dates listed on the payroll schedule.
• After the candidate electronically accepts their offer:
  • The candidate will complete their new hire form (new hires complete the new hire form; internal transfers will complete an internal transfer form) in the applicant tracking system.
  • Once the candidate submits the form, Employee Administration will either build or update the employee’s Banner profile and create the Virginia Tech ID (also called 90#), if needed.
  • The hiring manager completes the conviction check request after which, the candidate will receive an email with additional information they will need to provide to initiate and complete the conviction check.
• If your candidate is relocating and is in need of a stipend to do so, please visit the Exceptional Recruitment and Retention Incentive Options Policy to assist you in payment guidelines. 
• If the candidate is relocating for their new role, we recommend sharing the following resource sites with them as they begin to onboard into their new role:
  • Welcome to Hokie Nation!
  • Moving and Relocating
• The following screening and other documentation should be stored for the position. Departments must retain selection documentation for a period of three years from the date the position is filled on action completed. After that time, documents can be destroyed by shedding.
  • The applicant tracking system will store the following:
    • Screening documentation.
    • Work samples uploaded into the system.
    • Reference check contact information.
    • Copies of relevant system communications with each candidate.
    • Advertising/recruiting information.
  • The hiring manager should keep the following documents:
    • Interview questions and answers.
    • Reference check documentation.
    • Selection notes.
    • Other related documents.
• After an offer has been accepted, the hiring manager/responsible department should work with their HR Representative to close out the posting accurately and efficiently. The posting should be closed before the new hire starts work.
  • If there are remaining applicants, they should be dispositioned appropriately in the applicant tracking system prior to completing the posting.