Hiring manager toolkit

The expense can vary depending on which external job boards you advertise on. Some services may charge per click or include an additional fee to move the posting into a high-priority position. On the low end, each recruitment could cost anywhere from $50 - $500. On the high end, it can cost up to $1,500 - $3,000. That said, the more places you advertise the broader the reach is, which can result in higher quality candidates and a larger applicant pool.  

Information regarding the ad placement in the local press, along with the additional placement in online media formats can be found here.

Search Committee/Panel Members

During the search process, panel members may have access to confidential information, including, but not limited to, personal information, education history, and employment history of applicants. This information and all discussions must remain confidential both during the search and after the completion of the search process. Panel members may discuss this information only with other members of the panel, as well as with the hiring supervisor, the dean/director, the Human Resources Director/designee,
and the Affirmative Action Officer. Members must not permit any unauthorized person to access documents in their possession that contains applicant or search and screen information.

Applicants

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. §. 19.36(7).

PeopleAdmin also is the repository for all documents related to the Recruitment. Documents must be submitted using this form.

All recruitments take place in PeopleAdmin the software program that is used by the university to manage position descriptions, recruitments, and onboarding for our new employees. To begin, log into the PeopleAdmin program.  The information on how to create your recruitment and advance it through the approval process to be posted is contained in this knowledgebase article. 

• Level 1 - is the hiring official and/or the search committee/panel chair.  They are responsible for coordinating all recruitment activities.  
• Level 2 - is the Dean or Director for a department or work unit.  They are responsible for approving the recruitment, the finalists for interviews, and the hiring details. 
• Level 3 - If the vacant position will award the incumbent a wage of $50,000 or more per year, the Vice Chancellor for the division must approve the recruitment and the hiring details. 

• Level 1 – Supervisors / Hiring Managers
• Level 2 – Dean / Directors
• Level 3 – Vice Chancellor

24 hours before Panel/Committee meets you must create an agenda and post it to the University’s Open Meetings calendar. 

Once the hiring official and Search and Screen Chair are ready to begin meeting with the full committee or panel, you must create an agenda, post it to the University’s Open Meetings calendar and follow the Open Meeting Notices requirements.  

All search and screen committees must post using this form. 

Please note that search and screen open meeting notices must be posted electronically via Campus Calendar at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.  The notice should contain the time, date, place, and subject matter of the meeting, including what will be discussed in a closed session. Please see UWL’s Open Meetings webpage. 

Please take a screenshot of your open meeting notice on the UWL Campus Calendar. Please email it to hrinfo@uwlax.edu. It will be added to the recruitment.

To log in, use this link: https://employment.uwlax.edu/hr 

PALoginPALogin

When you arrive at the landing page, there are two ways to log in: 

1. If you are Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Budget, Business Manager, or AAO, you will use the yellow link at the top that says “Click here to log in with your UWL NetID” which will take you through DUO, (the university’s multi-factor authentification program) to gain access. 
2. If you are a guest user (person or part of a search committee that needs to view the recruitment and applicants), use the login section at the bottom. An email should have been sent to you with the login credentials. 

After logging in, you'll notice that your default 'group' has been selected. 

usergroupusergroup

You may be assigned to different groups. Depending on the action you’re taking, please make sure you’re under the correct user group.  

For example, if you’re approving a posting as level 2, you may not be able to if the user group you’re logged in as is level 1. 

If you believe that you should be in a different group, please email hrinfo@uwlax.edu to request access. 

User Definitions 

• Level 1: Recruitment only level access - ability to see only the recruitment that is assigned to a user (e.g. hiring supervisors or search and screen chairs) 
• Level 2: Department level access - ability to see all recruitments within a selected department(s) (e.g. Directors and Deans) 
• Level 3: Division level access – ability to see all recruitments within a division (e.g. Provost and Vice Chancellors) 

See “7.0 Tiering of Applicants” document and knowledgebase article on Tiering. Our recommendation is that if the applicant meets minimum requirements and you are interested in screening/interviewing place in Tier 1. If after a screening process the candidate is not successful, place in Tier 2, and select the best reason why not selected.

• How to use the Position Management program
• How to use the Onboarding program
• How to use the Guest User accounts

PeopleAdmin is defined as the set of software programs that UWL Human Resources utilizes to manage all position descriptions at UWL, all recruitments for open or vacant positions, and onboarding for new employees.   

Employees will retain access to the PeopleAdmin program for the term of their appointment at UWL so they may continue to have access to their position description.  

Supervisors retain access to PeopleAdmin so they may see either their specific recruitments or, with the unit head, all recruitments in that unit.  Supervisors also retain access to all position descriptions for incumbents that report directly to them. 

The more frequently applicants are tiered the less there will be in the end. Phase 2 – Active Search is the best time to start.

Guest Users are Panel/Committee members. Level 1’s can provide Guest User information to those of their choosing, but only Panel/Committee members get added to the Guest User list. Every Guest User will receive an email from PeopleAdmin with login credentials specific to the recruitment and this knowledgebase article for navigating PeopleAdmin as a Guest User.

Obtaining Employment References

Job related reference information is required as part of the recruitment and selection process for all prospective employees.

When to ask: Reference checks must be performed, at a minimum, for a final candidate for any UW System institution position prior to hire.

What to ask: When checking references, it is a good practice to ask whether disciplinary problems were encountered.  At a minimum, reference check questions must be asked about a final candidate prior to hire as to whether they:

• were ever found to have engaged in any sexual violence or sexual harassment
• are currently under investigation or have ever left employment during an active investigation in which they were accused of sexual violence or sexual harassment

Additional guidance on reference check questions can be found in Appendix 2pdf , Appendix 3pdf , and Appendix 4pdf .

Who to ask: Reference checks must be conducted at a minimum with a final candidate’s most recent employer and with all previous UW System institution and state agency employers from the past seven years.

Appendix 2pdf contains general guidance on conducting reference checks and Appendix 3pdf provides sample reference check questions.

Other considerations: The application process must include a requirement for applicants to disclose any prior UW System or other Wisconsin state agency employment. Depending on the specific facts, past misconduct is not an automatic disqualifier. Reference information that reveals past misconduct (including any violation of sexual violence or sexual harassment policies) must be reviewed on a case-by-case basis prior to making any hiring decisions, and when appropriate, legal counsel should be consulted.

Providing Employment References

UW System institutions must follow certain minimum procedures when a potential employer makes a reference check regarding a current or former employee.

The potential employer should receive an objective evaluation of the candidate’s training, experience, skills, abilities, and job performance as they relate to the duties and responsibilities of the job for which the candidate is being considered.

When a supervisor or agent of management is contacted by a potential employer for a reference check of a current or former employee, the supervisor or agent must notify the potential employer, even if they do not ask, of the appropriate UW System institution contact for any questions related to employee misconduct (including any violation of sexual violence or sexual harassment policies). The appropriate UW System institution contact must disclose whether the employee has ever been found to have engaged in, is currently under investigation for, or left during an active investigation in which they were accused of sexual violence or sexual harassment.

When the potential employer is another UW System institution or state agency, the personnel file of the current or former employee must be shared upon hire (see SYS 1261, Personnel Files).

Sample language and procedures can be found in Appendix 4pdf .

UW System Administrative Policy 1275 full text.

Policy Changes Summary

All final candidates must be asked, prior to hire, whether they have been found to have engaged in, are currently under investigation for, or left employment during an active investigation in which they were accused of sexual violence or sexual harassment.

UW System institutions must ask the most recent employer, any UW System institution, and any Wisconsin State Agency whether a final candidate has been found to have engaged in, is currently under investigation for, or left during an active investigation in which they were accused of any sexual violence or sexual harassment.

A UW System institution contacted by a potential employer for a reference check regarding a current or former employee must notify the potential employer of the appropriate UW System institution contact for any questions regarding employee misconduct (including any violation of sexual violence or sexual harassment policies), even if the potential employer does not specifically ask.

Conducting Reference Checks

At a minimum, all final candidates and designated references must be asked the following two questions prior to hire if they:

• were ever found to have engaged in any sexual violence or sexual harassment
• are currently under investigation or have ever left employment during an active investigation in which they were accused of sexual violence or sexual harassment

Required Questions

1. All Final Candidates
   1. Recruiter or designated HR staff will call or email the question form to the final candidate upon verbal acceptance of a job offer.
   2. Recruiter will notify the hiring manager only when the reference check requires further investigation.
      1. If both questions are answered no, then hiring proceeds as normal.
      2. If either or both questions are yes, then the information is forwarded to the escalation committee.
   3. For recruitments that are part of PeopleAdmin, the Recruiter will upload the completed form as part of the recruitment.
   4. For recruitments that are not part of PeopleAdmin, the Recruiter will upload the completed form and save to online file.
2. Obtaining References
   1. Recruiter or designated HR staff will call or email the question form to the most recent employer and to any UW System institution or Wisconsin State Agency that the candidate has worked for within the past 7 years upon verbal acceptance of a job offer.
   2. Recruiter will notify the hiring manager only when the reference check requires further investigation.
      1. If both questions are answered no, then hiring proceeds as normal.
      2. If either or both questions are yes, then the information is forwarded to the escalation committee.
   3. For recruitments that are part of PeopleAdmin, the Recruiter will upload the completed form as part of the recruitment.
   4. For recruitments that are not part of PeopleAdmin, the Recruiter will upload the completed form and save to online file.
3. Providing References
   1. UW System institutions must mandate the use of a disclaimer by the supervisor or designated individual responding to a reference check regarding a current or former employee.
      1. Mandated Disclaimer for anyone responding to a reference check
         1. All questions related to employee misconduct including sexual misconduct are addressed only by our human resources department, which can be contacted hrinfo@uwlax.edu This is not meant to imply that this candidate has committed any misconduct but is something we are required by policy to tell all potential employers.
   2. Institutional Contacts regarding UWL Reference Checks should be directed to hrinfo@uwlax.edu
   3. A Qualtrics link will be created and utilized for requests and tracking purposes.
4. Escalation Committee
   1. Members
      1. Director of Human Resources/CHRO
      2. Assistant Director, Human Resources
      3. Title IX Coordinator
      4. Vice Chancellor (Hiring Unit)
      5. Hiring Manager
   2. Process and Considerations
      1. TBD by CHRO, Assistant Director, HR and Title IX Coordinator.
5. Notice 
   1. All position postings or vacancy announcements (including advertisements)
      1. Verbiage to be included: Employment will require a criminal background check. It will also require you and your references to answer questions regarding sexual violence and sexual harassment.
   2. Appointment documents
      1. Verbiage to be included: This offer of employment is conditional pending the results of a criminal background check and the reference check process that includes questions regarding sexual violence and sexual harassment. If the results are unacceptable, the offer will be withdrawn or, if you have started employment, your employment will be terminated.

• Recruitment Policy Procedures (printable .pdf of above)
• Reference Check Form - Current Employer
• Reference Check Form - Previous UW System or State of WI Employer
• Training Slides 1.8.19