IV. The Selection Process

• Interviewing Candidates
• Legal and Illegal Interview Questions
• Assessing Diversity Leadership Skills in the Interview
• Recruitment Ambassador Program
• Conducting Reference Checks
• Making the Hiring Decision
• Preparing and Submitting the Search and Selection Summary
• Extending the Offer of Employment
• Completing the Appointment/Transfer Form
• Notification of Search Closure to Non-Selected Applicants
• Retention of Search Materials

A. Interviewing Candidates

The interview process serves two primary purposes: 1) to allow the search committee to assess candidates’ qualifications for the position and 2) to allow candidates to assess their interest in employment at The University of Iowa. Candidates’ impressions of the University will be influenced by the consideration, competence, and sincerity of each search committee member.

The following tips help ensure a fair selection process.

Structure the interview to be as consistent as possible for all candidates. Use the same questions, setting, time allotment, and interviewers.

Utilize patterned interviews with each candidate to allow the committee to make the best comparisons, to ensure that each candidate is treated fairly, and to minimize unconscious biases.

Utilize behavior-based interviewing techniques based on the concept that past behavior and performance is the best predictor of future behavior and performance. Behavior-based questions focus on job-related experiences, behaviors, knowledge, skills, and abilities. Asking behavior-based questions can help separate those candidates who skillfully answer interview questions from candidates who skillfully display their quality on the job.

Avoid theoretical questions such as “How would you go about influencing those you supervise and work with on the benefits of diversity?” A better question would be “How have you influenced those you supervise and work with on the benefits of diversity?”

Assess whether the answers to the questions, if used in making a selection, will have a disparate impact on applicants in protected classes and whether the questions are essential to judge an applicant’s qualifications for the position.

Resist the urge to label any given candidate as ‘most promising’, as it can make more it difficult for other candidates to be given equal consideration.

Do not draw conclusions on candidates prematurely; instead, use the entire interview as an opportunity to gather as much pertinent information as possible.

Avoid making assumptions based on perceived race, ethnic background, age, disability, veteran status, marital or familial status, sexual orientation, or religion.

Ask only for information that can legally serve as a basis for the hiring decision. In the linked document below, are examples of acceptable and unacceptable interview inquiries.

Legal and Illegal Interview Questions

Interviewing Individuals with Disabilities

• Ensure that the interview location is accessible to all people with disabilities
• Do not assume that an applicant needs assistance
• Do not ask questions regarding:
• The nature of a disability
• The severity of a disability
• The condition causing a disability
• Any prognosis or expectation regarding a disability
• Whether or not the person will need treatment or special leave because of a disability
• You may ask an applicant:
• To describe or demonstrate an essential position function(s) and whether they can perform the functions with or without accommodation
• If they are aware of any reason that she or he cannot perform the essential functions of the position

B. Assessing Diversity Leadership Skills in the Interview

Search committees can use the following methods to assess candidates’ diversity leadership skills, a required qualification for executive, administrative, and managerial positions at pay grade 12 or higher in the P&S classification system. These suggestions are not designed to probe a candidate's personal beliefs; rather, they are offered to help the search committee ascertain effective leadership and management style for an increasingly diverse, multicultural workforce.

Inquiries about equity and affirmative action need to be consciously incorporated throughout the interview and raised in varied contexts. Avoid compartmentalizing questions about fairness, equity, and affirmative action as if they were separate from issues regarding effective management, leadership, and planning. Similarly, questions about diversity and multiculturalism need to be asked by various members of the search committee. Frequently, members of constituency groups assume the responsibility for asking the "diversity" questions during the meeting. Making a conscious effort to share responsibility for questions regarding diversity ensures that diversity issues will be raised regardless of the gender and racial makeup of the group.

Keep in mind that questions regarding affirmative action and diversity need to be directly related to the responsibilities of the position for which the candidate is interviewing. The committee may want to identify questions which address specific areas of concern for the hiring unit such as retention, recruitment, or conflict resolution.

Solicit quantifiable information about the candidates’ work in the areas of diversity. Ask about specific studies, policies, procedures, or programs they have initiated to further develop the campus or workplace as a multicultural environment, and ask for a statement of initiatives they would propose if appointed.

Inquire whether candidates had opportunities to recruit, retain, and promote women and minorities in previous positions they have held and, if so, their success at these efforts. Ask about committee memberships in his/her previous positions.

The following examples of open-ended interview questions are useful and appropriate for assessing a candidate’s diversity leadership experience and skills.

• What do you see as the most challenging aspects of an increasingly diverse academic community?
• What initiatives have you taken in your previous capacities to meet such challenges?
• What is your sense of the complexities and leadership challenges related to these issues?
• How would you work with people under your supervision to foster a climate receptive to diversity in the workforce, in the curriculum, in faculty/staff meetings?
• Suppose that in working with a University unit you discover a pervasive belief that diversity and excellence are somehow in conflict. How do you conceptualize the relationship between diversity and excellence? What kinds of leadership efforts are needed to encourage a commitment to excellence through diversity?
• In what ways have you integrated multicultural issues as part of your professional development?

It is also important to be attentive to a candidate's mode of interaction. Communication and attention to group dynamics are important aspects of leadership style and may indicate a candidate's potential effectiveness. Is the candidate at ease discussing diversity-related issues and their significance to the position? Does the candidate listen actively and accurately hear the issues posed? Does the candidate address all members of the search committee?

C. Recruitment Ambassador Program

The Recruitment Ambassadors Program, jointly sponsored by the Department of Human Resources and the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, supports the University’s strategic goals for increasing the diversity of our faculty and staff. Recruitment Ambassadors are current or former faculty and staff members who volunteer to help recruit diverse prospective employees.

Through personal contact and participation in campus-sponsored events, Recruitment Ambassadors familiarize candidates with The University of Iowa and the community, act as liaisons between candidates and the University, and showcase various outstanding attributes that make The University of Iowa an “Employer of Choice.”

Recruitment Ambassadors function independently of the search committee and offer a private resource for candidates to ask questions and gather information about The University of Iowa and the resources in the surrounding community.

The primary activity of Recruitment Ambassadors is to meet with candidates for faculty/staff positions while they interview on campus. Recruitment Ambassadors also participate in job fairs and distribute brochures about employment at The University of Iowa in their communities.

Recruitment Ambassadors are:

• Current or former faculty/P&S/Merit faculty and staff in good standing
• Approved by their immediate supervisor to participate in the program
• Experienced faculty/staff at the University, having at least two years of employment experience and a total of three years of UI experience
• Knowledgeable of the University’s history, programs, services and resources
• Skilled communicators with good interpersonal skills
• Skilled at creating a positive rapport with prospective employees

All Recruitment Ambassadors attend training sessions addressing the following skills and topics:

• Communication skills
• Confidentiality
• Interacting with people from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds
• Recruitment strategies
• Search and screen policies and procedures
• Equal employment opportunity and affirmative action
• Campus programs, services and resources
• Referrals to appropriate University and/or community resources

To schedule a Recruitment Ambassador to meet with one or more of your candidates, contact Jane Monserud, Recruitment Ambassador Program Coordinator, in the Employment Services Office (335-2656).

D. Conducting Reference Checks

• Reference checks can be conducted pre- or post-interview at the discretion of the department. For some high-level P&S positions it may be beneficial to conduct reference checks on candidates selected for on-campus interviews prior to bringing them to campus. This is particularly true in cases where the department will be paying travel expenses for the candidate and scheduling public fora for the candidate to address the campus.
• Questions should focus on the candidate’s job-related experience, qualifications, and accomplishments.
• Ask the same basic questions about each candidate so that all candidates can be evaluated fairly.
• Written notes should be taken by the individual interviewing the reference and should be retained in the search files.
• The search committee is not obligated to contact every reference the candidate submits; however, departments should not ask for more references than they are willing to contact.
• For executive, administrative, and managerial staff at pay grade 12 or higher – positions for which diversity leadership skills are a requirement – the candidate's professional references should include people well-situated to evaluate past performance or future potential in this area. Such references might include heads of diversity programs with whom the candidate worked, department chairs, heads of commissions and councils, directors of women's and ethnic studies departments, or directors of minority student services programs.

E. Making the Hiring Decision

• Utilize a team interviewing process to prevent errors and omissions in screening applicants.
• Each search committee member should give his/her honest input on each candidate interviewed.
• Think broadly rather than narrowly about the types of experiences and/or skills the candidates might bring to The University of Iowa.
• Avoid attempting to “clone” those already in the department. Doing so discourages diversity and prohibits the department from enjoying the many advantages that diversity and the varying perspectives can bring. Acknowledge that candidates with diverse paths and experiences can make positive contributions that have previously been untapped by the unit, department, or University
• Avoid falling victim to the “halo effect” that can occur when one positive aspect of a candidate’s talents or skills is inappropriately transferred to other aspects of her/his qualifications. The phenomena of racial, ethnic, and other forms of prejudice can be manifestations of the halo effect – avoid stereotyping on any grounds.
• Recommend the best-qualified candidate to the department head based on advertised position requirements and substantive qualifications, including diversity objectives.

F. Preparing and Submitting the Recruitment Summary / Search and Selection Summary

When the search committee is ready to recommend a candidate for hire, the search committee chair or administrative support person prepares the form requesting permission to extend an offer of employment. The Search and Selection Summary is the final documentation of the search process, indicating the recommended candidate and comparing all interviewed candidates. This documentation allows the department to briefly explain how the recommended candidate met the qualifications for the position and provide written documentation for review and auditing purposes.

Specific instructions for this documentation appear later in this section. General instructions are listed below.

• Fill out the appropriate form (see below) completely and correctly. Any missing information, such as an offer letter, will prevent the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity from effectively reviewing the form and will delay processing and approval.
• Discuss all interviewed candidates relative to basic and desirable qualifications, and any other criteria that distinguish the recommended candidate from other applicants, such as years of experience, references, publications, record or honors received. All explanations for the hiring decision must be factual and specific.
• If the proposed salary exceeds the first quartile, salary approval must be obtained from the Compensation and Classification Unit of Human Resources prior to making the offer to the candidate.
• The Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity may contact the search committee chair and/or the hiring department for further information on how the search committee came to their decisions. This could include requesting further information on why certain candidates were not selected.

 For Requisitions Created On or After July 11, 2005

Utilize theSearch & Selection Summary (available in the Hire@UIOWA application on the Self-Service System).

Attach a copy of the draft offer letter to the electronic form.

When the Search and Selection Summary has been approved, an auto-generated e-mail approval notice is sent via Workflow to all approvers on the Workflow path.

G. Extending the Offer of Employment

Before a position that requires a search or a waiver is offered to a candidate, the Recruitment Summary Form or Search and Selection Summary must be completed, signed by the departmental executive officer and dean or vice president, and approved by the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity.

After extending the offer, mail the candidate two copies of the offer letter and a postage-paid return envelope addressed to the hiring department. Request that the candidate sign one copy of the letter and return it in the enclosed envelope to the department.

Mail an Applicant Self-Identification of Disability and Veteran Status Form, along with a postage-paid return envelope addressed to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, to candidates to whom an offer of employment has been made.

As a recipient of federal funds, the University is covered by regulations of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). The OFCCP has modified its regulations implementing Section 503 of the federal Rehabilitation Act in light of the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Under the revised OFCCP regulations, job applicants for the University’s professional and scientific positions can only be asked to self-identify disability and veteran status once an employment offer has been extended.

H. Completing the Appointment / Transfer Form

In order to appoint the final candidate, one of several Human Resources appointment or transfer forms must be completed in the Human Resources Transaction System. Detailed instructions for completing the various appointment and transfer forms are provided in the Transaction Initiator Training Manual in the Human Resources Transaction Systems website. To access the Human Resources Transaction System, log in to the Employee Self-Service Website using your HawkID and password.

If you need additional assistance, send an e-mail to hr-transaction@uiowa.edu.

I. Notification of Search Closure to Non-Selected Applicants

It is the responsibility of the hiring department to communicate in a timely manner with all interviewed candidates who were not selected for the position. Upon request of an applicant, it may be necessary to provide pertinent information to the applicant regarding the reason he/she was not selected for the position.

J. Retention of Search Materials

 Departments are required to retain the resumes and all search documents for all applicants for a period of four years following the closure of the search. Search committee members should turn over all notes and files they have to the search committee chair at the end of the search. The hiring department is responsible for maintaining the search file. In some cases the search file may be stored by the college, particularly for high level searches.

The electronic applications and resumes of all applicants are stored on the central server, therefore, departments need not keep paper copies of the resumes unless their Org unit or college requests they do so. Any materials sent by applicants directly to the department (e.g. writing samples, portfolios…) should be maintained by the department in the search file.

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