Developing and Utilizing Search Committees
Every hiring manager should review the documented standard administrative procedure (excerpt below) for development of search committees. In addition to this straightforward language are some best practices applied to the search committee functions. Search Committees play a large role in ensuring that the recruitment and hiring process will be compliant while bringing a wide spectrum of backgrounds to better identify the most qualified person for the position.
Section 33: Employment, Standards of Conduct; SAP 33.99.01.T0.01 Hiring Faculty and Non-Faculty
Excerpt
5.1. Search Committee
5.1.1. A search committee should be formed for positions of director and above and for all tenure-track faculty positions. Searches for other professional staff may also use a committee if desired. The committee will recruit, screen candidates, check references, interview candidates and submit a list of recommendations to the hiring manager who is responsible for making the final selection.
5.1.2. The committee members shall represent the constituencies of the group most closely associated with the position. The hiring manager generally selects the committee chair followed by the selection of others to serve. The search committee membership should be reported to and documented with the Office of Human Resources. The Office of Human Resources reserves the right to review, approve and/or make recommendations related to the make-up of a committee.
5.1.3. A search committee is subject to all the same requirements as a hiring manager as outlined in System Policies and in federal and state laws and regulations.
Best Practices in Developing the Search Committee Membership
- The committee should be broadly representative of the faculty/staff/students who will work with this position to accomplish the associated tasks.
- Committee members should be knowledgeable of position duties, represent different experience levels, and be seen as stakeholders in the decision.
- Committee members should exhibit good judgment, maintain personal integrity, independence of view, and devotion to institutional goals.
- Do not include members known to be incapable of maintaining confidentiality.
- Most committees have five to six members. A larger committee (7-9 members or more) is sometimes used for positions of sweeping responsibilities.
- The person appointed as chair of the committee should have experience with search committee procedures. Duties will include working collaboratively to establish the posting, monitoring committee meetings and interviews, documenting the process, and reporting proceedings to administration as necessary.
- A committee chair who is not experienced will require special training and support from Human Resources. The hiring department should ensure any individual assigned as a committee chair receive the necessary training and support for the process.
- An online course developed by the Texas A&M System entitled Effective Hiring Practices will be required for new hiring managers/supervisors and search committee chairs. The course will be assigned accordingly.
- 2111264: Effective Hiring Practices: A&M System Training: Designed to teach A&M System supervisors how to hire effectively and fairly. Topics covered include preparing/updating the job description, posting the vacancy, developing interview questions, conducting interviews, and notifying candidates.
Please contact Human Resources if the hiring manager would like committee members assigned to take the Effective Hiring Practices online course, have questions about the process or would be interested in a non-voting Human Resources member serving on the committee.
Defined Responsibilities Between the Hiring Manager, Search Committee Chair, and Search Committee Members
In many instances one individual (typically a department head) will maintain both roles as hiring manager and search committee chair.
- The designated hiring manager will be responsible for all automated notifications received from the candidate tracking system, Workday, and all correspondence received from Human Resources regarding the posting, candidate review and hiring process. This responsibility extends to notifying the committee chair and/or members of status of posting, candidates, or log on information.
- The hiring manager is responsible for providing necessary information to the search committee chair, including time line for hiring, job description, recruitment plan, and other necessary documentation to ensure a successful and comprehensive search. The hiring manager is the centralized source to traffic correspondence related to the hiring process.
- The hiring manager is responsible for identifying office support for the committee if necessary. Often the person providing the support is an assistant to the chairperson or an assistant in the department with the vacancy. The staff person can give assistance in scheduling meetings and interviews, corresponding with candidates as needed, and maintaining all records for compliance and retention.
- The hiring manager is responsible for corresponding with Human Resources when a posting needs to be removed from the Web.
- The hiring manager is responsible for communicating with candidates throughout the process, sending acknowledgement letters or emails as necessary when a search is protracted or delayed for any reason.
- The hiring manager is responsible for corresponding with candidates not considered and changing all candidate statuses in Tarleton Connection in a timely manner. The process of notification to candidates not considered for the position needs to be completed throughout the hiring event, and not only managed at the end of the hiring event.
- The hiring manager is responsible for ensuring all documentation regarding the hiring process is collected, meets compliance standards and is properly retained according to the Texas A&M University System retention schedule. This includes all documentation associated with developing a search committee, communicating with the search committee, search committee notes, interview questions and candidate answers, reference checks and scoring of candidates (See Record Keeping and Retention).
- The hiring manager is responsible for maintaining confidentiality throughout the process and in perpetuity.
- The search committee chair is responsible for delivering detailed information to the search committee including copies of the job description, outline of committee tasks, scale of the search, and evaluation tools with predetermined criteria.
- The search committee chair is responsible for ensuring committee members are made aware of the legal and regulatory requirements that surround their work. An People and Culture representative can serve in an ex- officio (non-voting) capacity to provide this assistance when requested.
- The search committee chair is responsible for managing the hiring timeline, scheduling committee discussions, directing the review of applications and communicating with committee members.
- The search committee chair has assigned access to the candidate tracking system, Workday, and candidate information.
- The search committee chair is responsible for identifying finalists, arranging interviews with candidates, coordinating the development of standard interview questions and ensuring references are checked in a compliant manner.
- The search committee chair is responsible for utilizing an evaluation tool which assembles all committee member input and effectively scores candidates and finalists based on predetermined criteria.
- The search committee chair is responsible for all documentation associated with communicating with the search committee, search committee notes, interview questions and candidate answers, reference checks and scoring of candidates (See Record Keeping and Retention). The chair is responsible for providing all documentation to the hiring manager at the end of the hiring process.
- The search committee chair is responsible for maintaining confidentiality throughout the process and in perpetuity.
- The search committee members are responsible for reviewing hiring resources and other relevant federal, state, and university employment guidelines made available to them by People and Culture, the hiring manager and committee chair.
- The search committee members are assigned access to the candidate tracking system, Workday, and candidate information.
- The search committee members are responsible for thoroughly reviewing all applications submitted, asking relevant questions in committee meetings, and freely providing assessment as necessary.
- The search committee members are responsible for utilizing evaluation tools to effectively score candidates and finalists on predetermined criteria.
- The search committee members are responsible for taking notes during meetings and interviews with candidates and identifying their notes with their name. The search committee members are responsible for providing all notes throughout or at the end of the process to the search committee chair or hiring manager.
- The search committee members are responsible for maintaining confidentiality throughout the process and in perpetuity.