Selection and Filling Positions

Scope

This policy applies to all Staff and Temporary positions.

Back to top

Policy Statement

1. All persons who apply for employment, promotion, or transfer are given equal consideration regardless of their protected characteristics listed in the university Non-Discrimination / Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action policy.
2. No supervisor or administrator may make an offer contrary to the university policies related to employment, compensation or benefits, nor imply nor state that a contract has been created between the university and the future employee. Only the president or vice presidents may offer employment contracts.
3. It is the policy of the University to support the efforts of earnest and self-motivated employees to advance in employment by acquiring and/or improving those skills that would qualify them for higher-level positions.

Back to top

Reason for Policy

This policy is intended to support the University’s efforts to select the most qualified individuals and to support the efforts of current employees to advance.

Back to top

Procedures

General Procedures for Selection and Filling Positions

1. The campus Human Resources office acts as a clearing house for information, interviews, and approvals regarding selection and/or transfer. Check with them for specific guidelines. Note that several IU campuses print and distribute booklets containing these guidelines.
   1. For Bloomington see Procedures for Recruitment and Selection.
   2. For IUPUI see Application Process Overview
   3. At South Bend,
      1. Management shall determine within 30 calendar days of a position becoming vacant to fill it or not. The President of AFSCME Local 1477-01 shall be notified in writing of the decision. If the decision is to fill the position, management shall have 60 calendar days from the date of the job posting to make a job offer, for a total of 90 calendar days.
      2. If a vacant position is to be filled, but management fails to offer the position within 60 calendar days of the job posting, the position will be filled with a Temporary employee until the vacancy is filled with an appointed employee. If management fails to fill the vacancy with a Temporary employee by the 60th day after the job posting, the University will contribute the equivalent amount of the proficient rate for the vacant position into a fund under the provisions of the Reward Plans and Recognition Plans policy for each additional workday that the position is not filled by a Temporary employee. Any amounts contributed to the fund described above will be distributed evenly among the employees in the occupational unit who are actually performing the work of the vacant position. The amount that would be paid to each employee under such circumstances is limited to a maximum amount of $100 per employee per biweekly pay period.
2. The campus Human Resources office must first review the campus furlough list, if one exists, and refer qualified employees who appear on the list.
3. All individuals seeking employment with Indiana University must complete a university-approved application form before they can be offered any position.
   1. This requirement also applies to existing employees who are seeking a position in another occupational unit.
   2. An approved application may be a paper or electronic form.
4. Successful upward mobility for employees may be accomplished through a promotion within the department or by transfer to and promotion within another department. Consequently, managers and supervisors are expected to consider employees for promotion within their own departments and to allow them opportunities to seek transfers to other departments. An atmosphere conducive to exploring promotion or transfer must be maintained.
   1. For AFSCME Police covered positions, successful upward mobility may be accomplished through a promotion within the campus or by transfer and promotion to another campus.  Consequently, managers and supervisors are expected to consider employees for promotion on their own campus and to allow them opportunities to seek transfers to other campuses. An atmosphere conducive to exploring promotion or transfer must be maintained.
5. The university encourages staff to seek promotions and transfers. Therefore, departments may allow staff to take reasonable time away from the job for interviews in other university departments and/or for approved career development.
   1. Staff members do not have to make up the time or charge it to paid time off.
   2. Each supervisor must determine what is “reasonable” time off, keeping in mind the university’s favorable attitude toward promotion and transfer.
   3. If a supervisor believes that a staff member’s absences are excessive, then he or she can require the employee to make up the time.
      1. Staff members eligible for overtime may be required to charge excessive absences to accumulated time off.
6. Unless otherwise agreed to by the employee’s department or for openings occurring in unique positions requiring unusual skills and abilities—an employee must work in a position for at least six (6) months before requesting a change to another position.
   1. For AFSCME Police covered positions, an employee must work on a job for twelve (12) months before requesting a promotion or transfer, unless otherwise mutually agreed to by management, employee, and the union, and except for openings occurring in jobs of a unique nature requiring unusual skills and abilities.
   2. For AFSCME Service, unless otherwise mutually agreed to by management, employee, and the union, and except for openings occurring in jobs of a unique nature requiring unusual skills and abilities, an employee must work on a job for the following times:
      1. Three (3) months before requesting a promotion to another job
      2. Six (6) months before requesting a transfer to another job.
   3. For CWA covered positions, unless otherwise mutually agreed to by the employee and the department an employee must work in a position for at least four (4) months before requesting a change to another position.
      1. Final determination of the required length of service will be based on the employee's qualifications in the current position and his/her ability to assume the new position. This determination will be subject to consultation with the campus Human Resources office.
   4. The hiring department must initiate the HRMS E-Doc to obtain the required approvals. The campus Human Resources office may agree to do this.
7. If a department decides not to fill a listed position, the department will inform University Human Resource Services and the president of the union of this decision.
8. An employee’s hire date is their first day on the job and should not be on a day in which a holiday is observed. See the Holiday Policy.

Making the selection

1. Campus HR will screen applicant’s qualifications for posted positions. It may conduct preliminary interviews and examinations. The HR office will refer qualified candidates that meet the minimum qualifications.
2. The department will conduct final interviews, evaluations, and reference checks to determine the suitability of the applicants. Departments should instruct the applicant about the position and its conditions of employment.
3. Selections (including promotions and transfers) should be made by examining all factors necessary to determine the best qualifications and capabilities to fill the position. These factors shall include, but not be limited to the following which are not listed in rank order:
   1. Job-related educational background
   2. Experience
   3. Past work performance
   4. Ability and qualifications to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
   5. For transfers and promotions, the staff member’s attendance record over the last twelve (12) months (not including FMLA or extended periods of sick leave of two weeks or more due to serious illness or injury or approved leaves of absence) should also be considered.
   6. Reference checks
   7. For AFSCME Police covered positions, ILEA Physical Fitness Entry Standards.
   8. For AFSCME Service covered positions at South Bend, seniority.
   9. For CWA covered positions, corrective actions more than three (3) years old shall not be used to deny an otherwise qualified employee an interview for a position, except that corrective actions for serious offenses, as defined in Corrective Action, shall have no expiration as provided under this paragraph.
4. All relevant factors are to be considered fully. When such factors are found to be relatively equal between two or more candidates, and when at least one candidate is an appointed IU employee, the decision to hire is to be based on occupational unit seniority date first and university seniority date second.
   1. For CWA covered positions, when the candidates are equally qualified, the decision to hire is based on university seniority date.
   2. For AFSCME Service covered positions at Bloomington in food service facilities, when some or all of the food service facilities are shut down, preference will be given to RPS food service facilities employees in filling jobs in food service and housing in RPS. When food service facilities are shut down and facilities employees are given preference for work in housing, they will be paid the rate for the job they are performing at the same relative step of the pay rate for the employee's regular position. The job duties and the pay rates will be posted in RPS for the employees' information before they sign up for such work.
   3. Temporary and temporary agency employees in the available position have no seniority.

Making an Offer

1. A written offer of employment is not necessary.
2. The hiring department will notify the selected candidate. The campus Human Resources office may agree to do this.
   1. For CWA covered position at Northwest, the Human Resources office will notify the selected candidate.
3. The campus Human Resources office will be notified when the applicant has accepted the position.

Post Offer Pre-Employment

1. Once a job offer is made and employee has accepted, employment is contingent upon completion of the following:
   1. Motor Vehicle Record Check, if driving is required
   2. Physical Exam, if required
      1. At IUPUI, the satisfactory completion of a pre-employment health evaluation, which may include a drug screening, is required prior to reporting for work for individuals hired for work in the dental school, laboratory, hospital, or clinical areas. Candidates cannot work until the satisfactory results of the health evaluation have been released by IUPUI Health Services.
   3. Drug Screen, if required
   4. Psychological Testing, if required
   5. Any additional testing/examinations must be approved by UHR before implementation
2. If the selected applicant is a current IU employee,
   1. A two (2) week notice period for the start date is recommended.
      1. For AFSCME Police and AFSCME Service covered positions, a two (2) week notice is required. A notice period of less than or more than two weeks must be agreeable to the employee, the employee’s current supervisor, and the employee’s new supervisor.
   2. However, a shorter or longer period is acceptable if agreed upon between the employee, the hiring department, and the employee’s current department.
   3. The campus Human Resources office will aid in coordinating the start date, if requested.  
      1. For AFSCME Service covered positions, interdepartmental transfers are to be coordinated through the campus human resources office.

Other New Hire Requirements

1. Form I-9: All new employees must complete the Form I-9. Section 1 of the Form I-9 must be completed by the new employee before or on the first day of employment. Section 2 of the Form I-9 must be completed by the hiring department within three (3) business days of the date employment begins. See Form I-9 and E-Verify Requirements for All New Employees. 
2. Criminal Background Check: see the Backgrounds Checks policy for the background checks required for Staff and Temporary positions.
   1. Existing employees may be required to submit to a background check if they will be working in a Program Involving Children (PIC) covered position.
3. State and Federal Tax Forms: All new employees must complete the required state and federal tax withholding forms.
4. Direct Bank Deposit requirements: All new employees must complete the authorization form for direct bank deposit. See Direct Bank Depositing of Employee Wages 

Post Selection Activities

1. Once all selection related activities are complete, the department will then inform all applicants in writing or by email that the position has been filled.
   1. The campus Human Resources office may agree to do this.
   2. For AFSCME Service covered positions, the hiring department shall inform in writing all bargaining unit applicants that were considered, including interviewees, that the position has been filled, the name of the person selected, their seniority date, and the basis for selecting another applicant rather than employee; either best qualifications or most seniority.
2. For AFSCME Police, and AFSCME Service covered positions at Bloomington and South Bend:
   1. When seniority is not followed in promoting an employee within the Service Maintenance (SM) classification, departments must be prepared to show that the qualifications of the employee selected are significantly greater. Upon request, the employee, or an AFSCME representative on behalf of the employee, is entitled to a written response detailing the reasons that seniority was not followed in the selection process.
   2. For AFSCME Service covered employees at Bloomington and South Bend, for promotions only, when a senior employee who meets the minimum qualifications is not selected, the hiring supervisor shall notify the employee in writing of the decision and the related qualifications of the person selected that are significantly greater.
3. For CWA covered positions, notification with the following information will be provided upon request to CWA Local 4730:
   1. The name of the employee selected,
   2. The employee's university seniority date,
   3. The basis for the selection, i.e., qualifications, seniority, other.
4. For PA/SS and CWA covered positions at Bloomington, each week Talent Acquisition will publish the name of the person selected and the position on the IU Human Resources website.

Occupying multiple positions

1. It is possible for an employee to be employed in more than one position at the same time. Examples include a person employed in two 50 percent FTE appointed positions, or an appointed employee working in a Temporary position. Following are the basic rules governing such circumstances:
   1. Appointed staff positions must be at least 50% FTE.
   2. The combined FTE for all appointed positions held by one person cannot exceed 100% FTE.
   3. An individual cannot hold an appointed PAE position (not eligible for overtime) and an appointed PAO or Support and Service Staff position (eligible for overtime) at the same time. See the campus Human Resources office for valid combinations involving a PAU job.
   4. An employee in a PAO or Support and Service Staff position (eligible for overtime) may also be employed in a Temporary position paid at a bona-fide hourly rate for the work performed in the temporary job. 
   5. Biweekly paid employees may not be employed in a second job that is paid as a flat dollar amount for the work performed.
   6. Departments should consult with the campus Human Resources office in determining a bona-fide hourly rate for the work performed in the temporary job.
2. Contact the campus Human Resources office if there are any questions about a specific situation.

Procedures for filling Temporary positions

1. Before filling any position, the department must follow the provisions for establishing Temporary positions in the Temporary Positions  policy and obtain any campus-required approvals.
2. All individuals seeking employment with Indiana University must complete a university-approved application form before they can be offered any position. This requirement also applies to existing employees who are seeking another position. An approved application may be a paper or electronic form. Check with the campus Human Resources office for specific application instructions and procedures.
3. The hiring department will determine the process it will use to select among its applicants. This could include interviews and consideration of such factors as 1) experience, 2) past work performance, 3) job-related educational background, 4) ability and qualifications to perform the work, 5) attendance record, 6) availability, and 7) reference check. Length of service is not a formally recognized factor in filling Temporary positions.

Procedures for employing relatives, students, or minors

1. See the Nepotism policy for the procedures to develop an approved nepotism management plan.
2. See the Employment of IU Students policy for the procedures to employ an Indiana University student.
3. See the Employment of Minors policy for the procedures to secure an employment certificate of a minor.

Back to top

Definitions

1. Staff positions are defined as budgeted line positions and are eligible for such benefits as health care, life insurance, the IU tuition benefit, vacation, and other paid time off benefits, depending on the FTE status of the position.
2. Temporary positions are defined as those employees not occupying a budgeted line position and are temporary. These positions are not eligible for such benefits as health care, life insurance, the IU tuition benefit, vacation, and other paid time off benefits.

Back to top

Sanctions

Violations of University policies will be handled in accordance with applicable University policies and procedures; which may include disciplinary actions up to and including termination from the University.

Back to top

History

September 2019
Added a link to the university Non-Discrimination/Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action policy in the policy statement.

July 2019
Updates made to CWA procedures based on union discussions.

December 2016
Revised to incorporate provisions of the 2016-2019 Agreement between Indiana University and CWA Local 4730.

September 2016
Under Procedures updated #3 in Post Selection Activities.

February 2016
Replaces parts of the following policies/provisions:

Back to top