CU:

Creation, Recruitment, and Hiring Process for Professional Exempt Staff

(College of Arts & Sciences, revised August 2007)

Creation/Approval of a Position for Hire

The Hiring Unit sends an Exemption Request/Authorization Form to Susan Sires in the Dean's office with the first page completed, including the name of the person initiating the request and the Chair/Director's signature. Using the Job Description Template, the Unit also submits a job description with percentages allocated to each duty and minimum qualifications (the required minimum qualification for a professional exempt position includes a bachelor's degree), and a current organizational chart showing the level to which the position reports. The requested action may be one of four:

  1. Filling an existing position with no changes to position. The Unit enters the existing (vacant, or soon-to-be-vacant) position number into the "Position Number" field on the form.
  2. Creation of a new position. (The "Position Number" field on the form is left blank. A new position is created in PeopleSoft by the Dean's office.)
    • You may include supporting documentation on the anticipated salary range (comparable positions within the unit, based upon an external group, etc.). Human Resources will research comparable salaries on the campus.
    • If a classified position is being reviewed to determine whether or not it meets the criteria for professional exempt status, pre-approval of a professional exempt position may be requested by submitting the appropriate documentation before discussing the possibility with the classified staff member. This will eliminate unhappiness that might be caused should professional exempt status be denied.
    • Some professional exempt positions may be eligible for overtime based on the duties or salary levels. Overtime review is done by Human Resources when the position request is being reviewed and will be noted on the RAF prior to its return to the Dean's office.
    • Also see "Exemption of Positions from the State of Colorado Personnel System" under the Policies section on the Professional Exempt Staff Information page.
    • Some positions will require a background check. See the College's Background Check Procedures for details.
    • Re-exemption of an existing position due to changes in job duties, title, reporting relationship, or grant funding. The Unit enters the existing position number into the "Position Number" field on the form.
    • Reconsideration of the request for professional exempt status based upon denial of a previous request. The Unit enters the existing position number into the "Position Number" field on the form.

The Dean signs approval or denial below the "Dean/Director Signature" line on the first page (the supervisor of the professional exempt position normally has signed on the Dean/Director signature line.).

If denied by the Dean, the form is sent back to the Unit. If approved, the form is sent by the Dean's office to Bernadette Langbein in the Chancellor's office for an initial review, and then to Human Resources to determine if a professional exempt position is appropriate.

Approval/denial of the request is sent by Bernadette to the Dean's office, which in turn notifies the department.

Newly approved positions are coded as being "approved" in PeopleSoft by Bernadette Langbein.

The Dean's office enters the recruitment approval into PeopleSoft, which creates a "blank" position opening in "Jobs at CU."

When the approved/denied form is received by the Dean's office, the original is sent to the department and a copy is kept in the Dean's office.

Once notification of approval has been received, the department may begin the search process.

Search Committee

Advertisement

Using the "blank" position opening that has been created by a pull of data from PeopleSoft, an ad is created in CU's "Jobs at CU" web-based system. (See "Jobs at CU" heading for more information.) Additional locations of the Unit's choosing such as the Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, Boulder Daily Camera, and Silver & Gold may be utilized. Advertisements must include:

The ad should also include:

  1. A precise job title
  2. Degree required, area of specialization, and minimum qualifications (the bachelor's is a minimum requirement for professional exempt positions)
  3. Clear enumeration of job duties and job requirements or qualifications
  4. Clear enumeration of required materials
  5. A request for business references
  6. Salary Range and FTE
  7. Closing date for applications. Often departments will use the following: "Review of applications will begin on ___. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled."
  8. Clear contact information

Jobs at CU

Information regarding entry into the "Jobs at CU" system (www.jobsatcu.com/hr ) is available on the web at: https://www.cusys.edu/jobs/documentation.html . There you'll find links to the "(Department Recruiting Liaison) DRL Training Guide," and the "DRL Step-by-Step Guide."

Closed or Targeted Search

These "searches" are aimed at hiring one particular person. The Chair/Director of the Hiring Unit writes a detailed letter of request to the Dean that includes justification as to why an open, competitive search should not be conducted. In cases where an incumbent is being considered for the position, a level of experience comparable to a bachelor's degree (4+ years) is required. If approved at the Dean's level, approval will be requested from the Provost for the waiver of search. All other requirement documentation, including a resume, is still required. However, you need not advertise via Jobs at CU for internal searches, or for those where a waiver of search is requested.

Recruitment

  1. Finalists are selected from the pool of applicants. Be sure that all finalists meet the minimum qualifications for the position as stated in the Exemption Request/Authorization Form.
  2. Interviews for candidates are set up as determined by the hiring unit.
  3. Business reference checks are recommended prior to making a final decision.
  4. After interviews are complete, the Chair/Director consults with the chair of the search committee regarding the finalists.
  5. A Search Summary and Hiring Recommendation form is submitted to Kym Calvo at 565 UCB.
  6. The Chair/Director or Associate Director generally extends a verbal offer to the candidate selected to confirm that an offer would be accepted.
  7. Hiring Unit begins the letter of offer process.

Background Check

Professional exempt staff with access to keys in the residence halls or the ability to move money among accounts are required to undergo criminal and financial background checks. The background check requirement should have been noted on the exemption request/authorization form and in the advertisement. Procedures are under the "Procedures" heading.

Letter of Offer

  1. Hiring Unit drafts letter based on professional exempt template available on the A&S web site: http://www.colorado.edu/ArtsSciences/facultystaff/administration/exemptinfo.html . The position number that the person will occupy is entered into the "For Department/Program Use Only" box at the bottom of the letter by the Unit.
  2. Draft letter is reviewed by the Chair/Director of the Hiring Unit.
  3. Department begins the background check process, if applicable. See http://www.colorado.edu/ArtsSciences/facultystaff/administration/backgroundcheck.html for details.)
  4. Draft letter sent via e-mail to Susan Sires (Susan.Sires@Colorado.EDU).
  5. The letter is sent by Susan to "CUOffer" (a special e-mail address for letters of offer in Faculty Affairs) for review.
  6. When the draft has been approved, an e-mail is sent to the Hiring Unit with the approved letter attached as a file, and a hard copy is printed by the unit.
  7. The original letter, signed by the Chair/Director of the Hiring Unit with the background and reference check information entered into the HR Center box, is sent to Susan Sires for additional signature approvals. Along with the letter a Hiring Checklist is to be included, as well as the documents listed on the Checklist: the original Exemption Request/Authorization Form, an organizational chart, the job description, a copy of the advertisement(s), the Certification Statement, and a copy of the candidate's vita.
  8. The letter and accompanying documentation are sent to the Associate Vice Chancellor for signature (through Susan Sires).
  9. The Dean's office is notified when the letter has been signed by the Associate Vice Chancellor, and it is picked up by A&S.
  10. The Hiring Unit is notified that the letter is ready to be picked up in A&S.
  11. The letter is sent to candidate by the Hiring Unit for acceptance.
  12. Once the candidate returns the letter to the Hiring Unit, the original letter is sent to A&S.
  13. The Dean's office sends copies of the signed letter to the Hiring Unit, HR Center, and sets up a personnel file. The original letter is sent to Faculty Affairs.
  14. The Hiring Unit sets up a personnel file.
  15. The A&S HR Center representative enters the employment information into PeopleSoft.
  16. Faculty Affairs arranges for the exempt employee's appointment to be approved on the Chancellor's delegation report. This report is forwarded by the Vice Chancellor's office to the Dean's office monthly, which then forwards it to all department/program assistants.

Data Collection Summary

At the end of every successful search, a Data Collection Summary needs to be submitted. The summary is to include:

  1. Department diversity search plan
  2. Name of finalist by gender, race/ethnicity, citizenship, if possible
  3. Data Collection Form for Applicant Flow as supplied by DEO.

In addition to the Search Summary Report, the following information is requested by HR at the completion of a search:

  1. Names of the applicants and the application date
  2. Names of the applicants that qualified
  3. Names of the short-list or semi-finalists
  4. Names of the applicants that were interviewed
  5. Name and SSN of the individual who was hired
  6. Hire date
  7. Position number
  8. Job Class number
  9. Dept. I. D. number