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Recruitment and Selection for University Support Staff

Chapter 4410
Issued April 20, 1999 Revised November 24, 2007, December 23, 2009, June 19, 2014, October 19, 2016 and October 15, 2020

Table of Contents

.010 Introduction
.020 Related Policies
.030 Types of University Support Staff Jobs
.040 Types of University Support Staff Recruitment
.050 Recruitment Procedures for University Support Staff Positions
.060 Screening, Interviewing and Selecting
.070 Drug Screening, Alcohol, and Controlled Substance Testing for Commercial Drivers and Safety Sensitive Positions
.080 Temporary Positions
.090 Record Keeping
.100 Recruitment Forms and Guidelines
.110 Questions

.010 Introduction

Talent Acquisition in Human Resources is responsible for managing the recruitment and hiring of all University Support Staff at Kansas State University (K-State). The purpose of this chapter is to identify procedures for recruitment of university support staff positions.

.020 Related Policies

KSU Policies and Procedures Manual, Chapter 4210 Position Management, Funding and other changes for University Support Staff Positions

KSU Policies and Procedures Manual, Chapter 4450 Compensation for University Support Staff

KSU Policies and Procedures Manual, Chapter 4460 University Support Staff Personnel Actions

.030 Types of University Support Staff Jobs

There are five types of university support staff jobs, referred to as positions:

  1. Regular Full-Time Position
  2. Regular Part-Time Position (.9 or less)
  3. Limited-Term Position (Pre-determined end date)
  4. Nine-Month Position
  5. Temporary Position (Restricted to 999 hours per year)

Recruitment for each type of position is identical except for Temporary Positions (see Section .080) that do not require advertising. Talent Acquisition must approve the process and selection for temporary positions. Full discussion on types of positions is available in PPM 4210.

.040 Types of University Support Staff Recruitment

Talent Acquisition manages all recruitment actions for current Kansas State University employees (internal vacancies) and for prospective employees (external vacancies open to all eligible persons). Talent Acquisition works in concert with all departments to ensure Kansas State University is an equal opportunity employer.

Current K-State employees may apply for any position for which they meet the minimum qualifications, whether the position is at a higher pay grade (promotion), a lower pay grade (voluntary demotion), or at the same pay grade (lateral transfer).

There are two types of recruitment:

  1. External: Recruitment is open to all applicants from the general public who meet the minimum requirements. External announcements generally produce the most applicants.
  2. Internal (Agency only): Recruitment restricted to current employees of Kansas State University, i.e., (university support staff, unclassified, temporary and students). Limiting the vacancy to internal applicants will lower the number of applicants in the pool.

.050 Recruiting Procedures for University Support Staff Positions

Prior to Recruitment

Departments shall determine the need to create or fill an existing position and review position description for necessary updates/changes.Before recruitment can begin, the Compensation and Organizational Effectiveness department of Human Resources must approve the position description in the applicant tracking system. Complete information on allocations, reclassifications and annual updates of positions is available in PPM Chapter 4210 (.040). Before a filled position can be recruited for, a letter from the employee indicating the termination date is required.

Initiate Recruitment

Departments initiate the recruitment process with Talent Acquisition after obtaining approval of the position description from Compensation and Organizational Effectiveness. A recruitment cannot be initiated until Compensation and Organizational Effectiveness has approved the position description in the applicant tracking system.

  1. Vacant position:
    A job requisition must be completed in the applicant tracking system to initiate a search.
  2. New position: 
    Complete allocation process for a new position according the department and college processes as well as those for Human Resources. See PPM Chapter 4210 (.040) for applicable information. A job requisition must be completed in the applicant tracking system to initiate a search.
Advertisements and Postings

External vacancies will be advertised in the weekend edition of local newspapers upon request. Talent Acquisition will develop an advertisement to strengthen the university's employer brand. Departments will be billed directly from the newspaper. The cost of advertising is split evenly among all the departments advertising for that issue. Vacancies are posted on the K-State Jobs website.  Additional targeted advertising may be necessary depending on the nature of the position and difficulty in recruitment.

Canceling Recruitment

If circumstances arise when a recruitment in progress needs to be cancelled, the department must contact Talent Acquisition. The department with the vacant position should notify all applicants that the recruitment has been cancelled or postponed.

Subsequent Recruitments

If a department recruits for a vacancy that is the same job title as another vacancy filled within the past 60 days, an additional candidate(s) may be selected from the same group of applicants from the hire date on which the candidate started the position, and with consultation with Talent Acquisition. A position description must be completed and approved by Compensation and Organizational Effectiveness for each position number. Contact Talent Acquisition before proceeding with this option.

.060 Screening, Interviewing and Selecting

All applicants must apply through the university applicant tracking system. Talent Acquisition is available to assist applicants with the application process.

Applicant Lists

Talent Acquisition will certify that applicants meet the minimum requirements for the job title prior to forwarding to departments. Departments will receive application materials of all qualified candidates.

Initial Screening of Candidate Documents

Talent Acquisition will forward all candidates who meet the minimum requirements, therefore, screening of candidates can occur immediately. As such, departments must consider all candidates in the screening process, using the preferred criteria set forth developed by departments prior to screening applicant materials. This allows departments to rate applications based on those qualifications beyond the minimum requirements, i.e., the preferred selection criteria. Caution must be taken to ensure that the preferred knowledge, skills and abilities used to screen are actually needed in the job. Selection criteria must be applied equally to all candidates. This process is necessary to identify the top candidates through a structured process.

Talent Acquisition recommends search committees interview at least three candidates. In the unlikely event that no candidates match the preferred screening criteria, departments should contact Talent Acquisition for guidance.

Conducting Interviews

Departments may conduct phone interviews. It is an opportunity to assess the candidates' communication skills and experience. Interview questions shall be drafted prior to the interview and all candidates must be asked the same questions, however, follow-up or probing questions may differ.

Testing

Departments shall contact Talent Acquisition for assistance in utilizing assessments during the hiring process.

Reference Checks

References for candidates selected for interview should occur after the interview has taken place.

Selection

Kansas State University is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, ancestry, disability, genetic information, military status, or veteran status, as required by applicable laws and regulations.

The department must change the status in the applicant tracking system to identify the top candidate(s) to which they wish to extend a job offer prior to offering any candidate a position. Talent Acquisition will conduct a review of the search and notify departments that they can proceed with an offer within the advertised hourly rate/salary range and contingent on the results of the background check.

The department will be making a verbal offer (within the advertised hourly rate/salary range) prior to completing the offer card. The offer card is created once the candidate has verbally accepted the position. If the candidate declines the verbal offer, the department may proceed to the next candidate to make another verbal offer. Once the offer card is approved, Talent Acquisition will make the online offer and the candidate can electronically accept or decline.

Once the selection is complete and the status is changed in the applicant tracking system, the Talent Acquisition team will initiate the background check.The department has an obligation to notify all non-selected candidates that the position has been filled. This process is done by changing the candidate status in the applicant tracking system.

Acting Assignments

An acting assignment occurs when a campus department/unit needs to assign an existing K-State employee to perform the duties of an employee who is unable to fulfill his/her duties for an extended period (generally up to three months). The department/unit has an obligation to use its best judgment regarding the selection of an employee for the temporary assignment. Perception about the lack of a competitive selection process for an acting assignment needs to be carefully considered; a legitimate business reason for not having a competitive selection process for an acting assignment must exist. Examples might include: an immediate urgent need to have someone in the role or limited availability of qualified individuals.

An employee selected to fill an acting assignment must meet the minimum qualifications for the position. Employees who are appointed to an acting assignment shall be temporarily granted additional compensation as appropriate, in consultation with Human Resources.

Request to extend search

Departments may request to extend the search and re-advertise. This type of request may be needed if the candidate of choice declines the offer and no other candidates are viable choices or the department has exhausted its pool of candidates. Notify your Talent Acquisition partner for assistance.

.070 Drug Screening, Alcohol, and Controlled Substance Testing for Commercial Drivers and Safety Sensitive Positions

Commercial Driver Positions

All announcements for positions requiring a commercial driver's license (CDL) will contain a statement that alcohol and controlled substance testing is required as a condition of employment.

Safety Sensitive Positions

All announcements to recruit applicants for designated safety sensitive positions, as law enforcement officers authorized to carry firearms, will contain a statement that drug screening is required at the time an offer of employment is made.

Offers of employment are contingent upon successful passing of the relevant substance testing.

.080 Temporary Positions

Departments needing to hire a temporary employee must complete a Position Description and recruit for the position via the applicant tracking system. Temporary employees must meet the minimum requirements for the position. Temporary employees may not work for K-State more than 999 hours in a 12-month period, whether it is in one position or multiple positions. This includes all hours worked as a temporary for the State of Kansas; this also includes overtime hours worked during this period. Temporary employees must successfully complete a background check prior to working.

.090 Record Keeping

Departments are responsible for maintaining all recruitment materials in the applicant tracking system.

.100 Recruitment Forms and Guidelines

All forms and guidelines mentioned in this chapter are available through the K-State Human Resources website.

.110 Questions

Human Resources (HR) is responsible for this policy. The Vice President or designee must approve any exception to this policy or related procedures. Questions should be directed to Human Resources, Talent Acquisition at 785-532-6277 or kstatecareers@ksu.edu.