Classified Recruitment & Assessment

1540.020 CLASSIFIED RECRUITMENT & ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE

To the extent that this policy addresses terms or provisions covered under collective bargaining agreements for represented employees, the terms of the collective bargaining agreement will control for those represented classified employees.

A. PURPOSE

Wenatchee Valley College is committed to a recruitment and assessment process that yields excellent employees that continually enhance all aspects of college mission and operations. This procedure is one tool to use in conjunction with the college’s promotional policy, certification policy and procedure, and applicable federal and state laws, Chapter 357 WACs and other board policies and college operational procedures.

B. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

The college has the continuing responsibility to set an example of equal opportunity practices and to conduct outreach where analysis of current employment shows under representation of historically disadvantaged populations. The principles of equal employment and nondiscrimination are incorporated into this procedure and the human resources office (hereafter called human resources) shall have responsibility for monitoring compliance.

C. RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Process
   The college’s chief human resources officer or designee is charged with administering the classified staff recruitment and assessment process.
2. Position Approval
   A hiring supervisor shall receive the appropriate internal approval in consideration of budget, position allocation, position function and staffing approval prior to requesting recruitment. A personal action form (PAF) must be submitted, approved and received by human resources prior to recruitment.
3. Position Description
   Prior to recruiting a classified position, the hiring supervisor must submit an accurate, updated position description to human resources for review and approval. Human resources will perform a position review of the description to ensure that the position is appropriately allocated.

D. RECRUITMENT AND OUTREACH

1. The chief human resources officer or designee shall have the authority to terminate or extend recruitment as determined appropriate or necessary to ensure achievement of policy and procedural integrity.
2. Prior to creating a job announcement, the hiring supervisor coordinates the recruitment process with human resources. The hiring supervisor and human resources consider the competencies and requirements of the particular position in order to ensure the most effective, efficient, and useful method of recruitment for the position.
3. Where appropriate, the college will identify and utilize target recruitment resources to recruit applicants with specialized skill sets to fill positions that require such skills to perform the minimum competencies of the position.
4. The use of supplemental applications (exams) and the options of interview and selection will be discussed with the appropriate supervisor by human resources staff as soon as possible after a recruitment need is identified.
5. When considering the appropriate recruitment strategy, the college will first consider utilization of historically disadvantaged populations, required competencies, the availability of those competencies within the college’s existing workforce, and the need for diversity of experience, knowledge and skills. Following consideration, one or more of the following recruitment strategies, as determined appropriate by the chief human resources officer or designee shall be utilized:
   
   1. Promotional: recruitment limited to the identified promotional unit in accordance with the classified promotional policy.
   2. Open Competitive: recruitment open to all qualified candidates internal and external to the college.
6. Promotional recruitments that fail to produce candidates that either the screening committee or the president or designee consider capable of executing the assigned duties will then be recruited as open competitive. This decision is binding and not subject to review.

E. CERTIFICATION OF APPLICANT POOLS

Depending on the position, there may be an active pool of applicants available from a previous recruitment. To receive applicants from a pool, the hiring supervisor must follow the position approval and position description requirements as described above. Human resources will certify applicant pools in accordance with the college’s certification procedure.

F. JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

If no applicant pool is available, the hiring supervisor will work with human resources to create a job announcement. For promotional (may include transfer and voluntary demotion) recruitments, human resources will email the job announcement to eligible WVC classified employees. For open-competitive recruitments, human resources will post the job announcement on the college’s jobs website. All recruitments will be open for a minimum of 10 calendar days.

G. APPLICANT ASSESSMENT (EXAMINATIONS)

1. The human resources office is responsible for assisting supervisors with the development and/or review of assessment methods.
2. All pre-employment assessments, including but not limited to, written or oral exercises, written or oral examinations, and oral panel interviews, must be based upon job-related competencies required to perform the position successfully. Pre-employment assessments must be administered uniformly unless a reasonable accommodation is requested and granted. A person with a visible disability, which might interfere with his/her ability to do the job may be asked to demonstrate how he/she would do specific, job related tasks (WAC 357-16-085).
3. The human resources office is responsible for the coordination and preparation of reasonable accommodation needs for applicants requesting assistance (WAC 357-16-090).
4. Upon request to their supervisor, employees must be released to participate in state of Washington assessment and interview processes (WAC 357-16-105).

H. APPLICATION SCREENING

1. The chief human resources officer or designee will screen applications against the position’s minimum competencies to ensure only those candidates meeting the minimum competencies are forwarded for consideration to the screening committee.
2. All screening methods must be based upon the required competencies of the position and may include, but are not limited to, reviewing resumes, interviewing applicants, utilizing supplemental applications (exams) and/or written or oral exercises. Screening criteria will be reviewed and approved as appropriate and job-related in advance by the human resources office.
3. Classified screening committees will be comprised of a chair and other subject matter experts, with specific representation appropriate to the position vacancy. The hiring supervisor shall make committee appointments and may serve as committee chair. Attempts will be made to ensure gender and racial diversity of the committee.
4. The screening committee will be advised by a representative of the human resources office about comprehensive, professional screening procedures, processes and protocols.
5. All conflicts or potential conflicts must be disclosed prior to the screening committee’s consideration of candidates. The human resources representative will determine whether the conflict or potential conflict disqualifies a committee member from participating in any of the steps of the screening process.
6. Screening committee members are responsible for protecting the confidentiality of all information made available or produced during the screening process. In accepting committee membership, each member assumes the responsibility to guard candidate name and status, the outcome of committee evaluations, and the content of committee deliberations. Violations will be cause for removal from the screening committee and potentially termination of the screening process for that position.
7. The college may decline further consideration of an applicant at any point in the process for not meeting the established competencies or not being able to satisfy other requirements such as shift or geographic availability.

I. INTERVIEWS

1. Once human resources releases a candidate pool, the hiring supervisor reviews and considers the applicants for the position. The hiring supervisor is responsible for ensuring that the hiring process is fair and objective.
2. All interview processes and methods are discussed, reviewed and implemented with the assistance of the human resources office.
3. The hiring supervisor and human resources will coordinate and schedule interviews for those candidates considered most qualified for the position.

J. SELECTION, REFERENCE CHECKS AND JOB OFFER

1. The hiring supervisor and interview committee members determine the candidate who best meets the requested competencies to have reference and background checks completed on and to be recommended to the president to fill the vacancy. The committee can ask that references be done on more than one applicant.
2. Human resources will coordinate reference and background checks as needed. The reference and background checks may include but is not limited to:
   
   1. Application.
   2. Work history.
   3. Education.
   4. Qualifications.
   5. Experience.
   6. References.
   7. Criminal history.
      
      The hiring supervisor may examine personnel files of applicants who work or have worked at the college and are under consideration for the departmental vacancy.
      
      
3. After reference checks are completed, the chief human resources officer or designee, on behalf of the committee, makes an appointment recommendation to the president. The president retains the right to evaluate the applicants further and to consider additional information. Other than former permanent status employees who have applied for reemployment per WAC 357-19-455, 460, neither the hiring supervisor nor the president may consider applicants not forwarded for consideration under this procedure.
4. Upon approval from the president, the chief human resources officer or designee can make a binding offer of employment to an applicant. This offer is conditional pending receipt of an acceptable pre-employment criminal history background check. No other types of offers will be recognized as binding upon the college. The human resources office shall notify the screening committee of any accepted offer of employment. The chief human resource officer or designee will notify the candidates interviewed but not selected for the position.

K. NOTIFICATION TO APPLICANTS

Human resources will notify each eligible applicant that applied for the position of the status of the position (i.e., filled, on hold, readvertised).

Human resources will provide a letter signed by the chief human resources officer or designee confirming the appointment to the candidate who has been extended and accepted an offer of employment.

L. DOCUMENT RETENTION

The human resources office is to maintain all recruitment documents (e.g., interview questions, notes) in accordance with approved records retention schedules.

Approved by the president’s cabinet: 8/2/11
Presented to the board of trustees: 9/14/11
Last reviewed: 5/20/23
Procedure contact: Human Resources

Related policies and procedures
500.125 Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action Policy
540.030 Classified Promotional Policy
1540.040 Classified Certification Procedure