Recruiting and Interviewing

Now is a good time to begin developing a recruitment plan. The plan should include local, sources for the specific area, and diversity recruitment sources . Listservs of various organizations are another great source to advertise the position.

Jobs posted on USC Jobs are automatically posted online in the Inside HigherEd publication and higher education recruitment consortium (HERC). USC Upstate Human Resources will place advertisements to outside entities. Advertising expenses will be billed to hiring department’s budget.

Decide on the Use of a Search Committee or Interview Panel

Search committees or interview panels can be helpful in the hiring process to choose the best candidate. A diverse panel helps hiring managers ensure a good selection is made by having input from other professionals with knowledge of the university and the actual job. A search committee is not required for the hiring process but is encouraged because of the benefits an interview team can offer.

Screen Candidates Using an Applicant Review Template to Select Top Applicants for the Interview.

• USC Jobs has screened applicants based on their self-answered qualifying questions. Hiring managers must carefully review the applications to ensure those chosen to be interviewed meet the minimum requirements and their noted experience is relevant for the job.
• Basic guidelines for screening applicants can assist you with this process. Candidates who do not meet the minimum requirements must not be interviewed. Contact Upstate Employment, Classification & Compensation to review all candidates selected for an interview to ensure they meet the minimum requirements before their interview is scheduled.
• An applicant review template should be used to compare candidates against set criteria to determine who to interview. The hiring manager should develop a job specific template prior to reviewing applicants. A sample review template may help you get started.
• After scoring the applicants, top candidates should be invited to the interview. If you have too many qualified candidates, prescreening questions or a brief telephone interview can narrow the pool.
• During this step, you will also want to check to see if there are any conflicting relationships between the candidates, the hiring manager or any members of the search committee. The types of conflicting relationships are listed on the second page of the Attestation of Hiring Process form . You will also use this form to certify that the candidate you select for the position meets the minimum qualifications.

Interview Candidates

When interviewing candidates, ensure you have predetermined job related questions with a rating guide. You may want to review interview tips when you are ready for this phase.

Check References

As the hiring manager, you are responsible for checking references and it is best to call professional references and ask job related questions.

• Refer to checking references for additional information, a reference check form is available to assist you with this task.
• It is important to have at least two references from people with direct knowledge of the candidate’s work.