Athabasca University Policy

AUPE Permanent & Temporary Support Staff Hiring Guidelines

TITLE: AUPE Permanent & Temporary Support Staff – Hiring Guidelines

EFFECTIVE DATE: Revised August 01, 2000
Revised November 2000

POLICY NUMBER: 020 002

Preamble

These guidelines are intended to supplement Article 11 of the AUPE Collective Agreement. They should be interpreted neither rigidly nor loosely but in a spirit of thoroughness, equability and professionalism.

It is the duty of every participant in university appointment procedures to ensure that appointment decisions are made fairly and rationally, and that the provisions of these guidelines, the Collective Agreement and any relevant legislation are fully observed, both in letter and spirit.

Policy

The following steps and procedures will normally be observed in the recruitment process. It is the joint responsibility of the Chair, Search Committee, and Human Resources to ensure that these procedures are followed in conjunction with the AUPE Collective Agreement and that confidentiality is maintained throughout the entire process. In the event of any discrepancies or contradictions, the Terms and Conditions of the AUPE Collective Agreement shall prevail.

1.0 Recruitment Approval Process

1.1     The department completes an Authorization to Recruit form (available on the
          Human Resources department web site) attaches the most up to date position
          description and forwards to the appropriate Executive Officer for signature.

1.2 The signed form is returned to Human Resources.

1.3 All temporary and permanent positions will be brought forward, by Human Resources,
to the Vice President, Finance and Administration for budget approval.

1.4 Once budget approval is obtained, Human Resources commences the position
establishment, classification and recruitment processes. 2.0 Search Committee

          2.1     Once the authorization to recruit has been approved, the Department Head/Supervisor
                    establishes a search committee. This usually includes the Supervisor or Department
                    Head (as Chair), one or more individuals familiar with the requirements of the position,
                    and a Human Resources representative (non-voting).

2.2 Each member of the selection committee will receive from Human Resources, a copy of
the Support Staff Hiring Guidelines.

2.3 Human Resources establishes and maintains the formal search file and ensures all relevant
documentation is placed on the file.

2.4     Each committee member is responsible for ensuring confidentiality is maintained. This
          includes the identity of applicants, the status of the applicants, committee discussions
          and recommendations. 3.0     Advertising 3.1     The Chair and Human Resources meet to confirm and finalize the advertising arrangements.

3.2 The advertisement is normally drafted by Human Resources in consultation with the Chair.

3.3     Any necessary testing should be discussed with Human Resources in advance to determine
          its appropriateness. If testing is required it will be identified in the advertisement and
          administered by Human Resources.

3.4     The ads are placed by Human Resources externally as agreed, and internally at established
          locations throughout the university including CIM, ELC and CLC, Athabasca University’s
          homepage, and via an all-staff e-mail bulletin.

3.5     Positions are normally posted internally for five working days prior to any external
          advertising. However, the university may advertise internally and externally
          simultaneously. 3.6     Internal applicants are AUPE employees who meet the criteria under Article 11.04 of the
          Collective Agreement. In accordance with Article 9.02, AUPE employees on a probation
          or trial period are not eligible to apply for vacant AUPE positions. 4.0     Applications 4.1     Human Resources receives all applications. 4.2     Late applications will only be considered by unanimous agreement of the search committee. 4.3     Internal applicants must submit a complete application including covering letter for each
          position applied for. Human Resources will not make copies of résumé’s or c.v.’s from
          personal files. 5.0     Shortlisting 5.1     All members of the search committee should, on their own, review the search file and
          prepare recommendations for the shortlist of applicants who meet the minimum
          qualifications for the position. The search committee then meets as a whole to select
          candidates to interview and establish interview dates. The committee should try to reach
          consensus on the final short list. 5.2     The Chair of the search committee will be required to document the short list decision for
          inclusion in the search file.

5.3 Human Resources will invite selected applicants for interviews.

6.0 Referencing

          6.1     Reference checking is central to any effective recruitment process. Normally, for an
                    internal competition, reference checks for the preferred candidiate(s) are performed
                    after the interviews. For an external process, reference checks should be conducted
                    prior to inviting the short listed candidates for an interview.

6.2 The Chair will normally complete a minimum of two reference checks which, will be
forwarded to Human Resources for inclusion in the search file.

7.0 Interviewing

7.1     Prior to the interviews, the search committee should establish a standard set of core
          questions which will be asked to all candidates. Other than specific questions, which
          relate to the candidate’s résumé, all candidates should be asked identical, documented
          questions, which are clearly related to the position description.

7.2 For budgetary reasons, initial teleconference interviews may be conducted before a

personal interview is decided.

7.3     Human Resources will provide each member of the search committee with an interview kit, which will include a copy of the résumés, the position description, copies
of ads, and the interview schedule. 7.4     Human Resources will discuss benefits, where required, with each candidate as a separate
          issue after the formal interview. 8.0     Final Selection and Offer 8.1     It is the responsibility of the Chair to ensure that every effort is made to reach consensus on
          the final recommendation. The Chair will be required to document the rationale for the
          decision for inclusion in the search file.

8.2 The salary of the recommended candidate will be determined in discussion between the
Chair and Human Resources.

8.3     If relevant, an allowance for relocation expenses may be discussed between the Chair and
          Human Resources. 8.4     The Chair completes the Recommendation for Appointment form (a copy of the résumé and
          job description is included) for the approval of the department head and appropriate
          Executive Officer. 8.5     Upon approval, Human Resources will make an offer to the preferred candidate and discuss
          the terms of employment.

8.6 Human Resources prepares the Letter of Offer for signature by the appropriate Executive
Officer.

9.0     Regretting Unsuccessful Candidates 9.1     Once an offer is accepted, Human Resources will regret the remaining short-listed
          candidates and will invite them to contact the Chair of the Selection Committee for
          clarification. 9.2     Human Resources then regrets internal applicants not short-listed. APPROVED BY:    Executive Group - 16 August 2000

RELATED REFERENCES, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:

080 003 – Classification Process

APPLICABLE LEGISLATION:

AUPE/AUGC Collective Agreement
The Human Rights, Citizenship, and Multiculturalism Act
The Canadian Charter of Rights

FURTHER INFORMATION:

This policy is maintained and administered by Human Resources. For further information, please contact the Human Resources Advisor. Contact information can be found on the Human Resources Department web-site at http://www.athabascau.ca//html/depts/staffrec/general.htm.

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L Gordon, Office of the President, May 2001