U.Va. Human Resources: Guide to Hiring Classified Staff

Mailing Address:
U.Va. Human Resources
914 Emmet Street
P.O. Box 400127
Charlottesville, VA 22904

Phone: 434.982.0123
Email: hrdept@virginia.edu

Guide to Hiring Staff

Jump to...

Introduction
Staffing Options
Staff Recruitment
The Screening Process
The Job Offer & Hiring Process
Conclusion

Helpful Links:

Dictionary of University Classified Staff Positions (legacy)

I. Introduction
The recruitment, employment, management and retention of staff are critically important functions in any business or organization. The University of Virginia's continued success depends on the people who do the work that supports its mission and who make the decisions that affect its future. The following guide is designed to assist University hiring officials in making good staffing decisions. It is also meant to help hiring officials understand the processes that support UVA's mission of equal opportunity in employment and its goal of hiring and retaining a well-qualified and diverse workforce.

II. Staffing Options
A variety of options are available to meet the University's staffing needs. Outlined below are possibilities to consider if an employee needs to be replaced. It is important to keep in mind that any time a position becomes vacant, the opportunity exists to reassess staffing needs and determine how to define the internal workforce so that organizational goals and objectives are better achieved. Before making an immediate decision to add or replace staff, examine your existing workforce carefully. It is possible that rearranging existing staff and/or work processes can best achieve organizational objectives. Ask the following questions:

Can some of the work be automated or can some of the processes be streamlined?
Are there aspects of the work that can be done differently or can be eliminated?
Do any employees have strengths that can be used to greater organizational advantage by restructuring, reorganizing and/or redistributing the work?
Can the effect of any employee weaknesses be eliminated or minimized by restructuring, reorganizing and/or redistributing the work?
Is there a different organizational structure that makes more sense?
Has an existing position (or positions) changed significantly enough to require a formal review to ensure that the role title and pay band are appropriate and consistent with other employees doing similar work?
Can the needs of the organization be met by hiring a temporary employee through UVA Temps?

Changing or Redistributing Work/Restructuring within an Organization
There are a variety of ways to make staffing changes to the existing workforce, including redefining job duties and responsibilities. Organizations are dynamic entities that change and evolve continuously. Hiring officials have the ability to redefine job duties and responsibilities at any time to meet legitimate organizational needs. However, managers and supervisors need to be aware that significant changes in duties and responsibilities may impact performance expectations.

Restructuring options include the following:

Addition of New Duties and Responsibilities
The hiring official may add new duties and responsibilities to a position at any time.
Removal of Duties and Responsibilities
In some cases, duties and responsibilities may need to be eliminated.
Lateral Reassignment
Management has the authority to reassign an employee to a vacant position in the same pay band and same job role. There is no gain or loss in the employee's salary in a reassignment. This transfer may be accomplished by submitting a "Request for Employee Reassignment" form to University Human Resources' Office of HR Consulting Services. You may also use this form as the method to switch two employees who are in the same pay band and job role.
Elimination of an Existing Vacant Position
If a significant number of job duties can be redistributed among existing staff and other job duties eliminated, it may make sense to eliminate the position altogether. See "How to Change a Position".

Adding New Staff
If the determination is made that additional staff are needed, the hiring official must determine what type of staffing best satisfies the organizational need. Table I outlines the different employment types. Once the hiring official has examined the staffing options, he/she should use the Staff Employment Types Table to choose the type of employment that best meets the organizational needs.

Table I. Staff Employment Types

Staffing Type	Pay Type	Eligible for Benefits?	Employment Period	Staffing Purpose	Other
University Salaried Staff	Semi-monthly	Yes	Indefinite employment unless specifically restricted as a condition of employment.	Staffing type designed to address long term staffing needs, although may be established on a restricted basis or seasonal basis.	Must work at least 20 hours per week. Must be full-time (32-40 hours) to receive full benefits.
Classified Salaried Staff	Semi-monthly	Yes	Indefinite employment unless specifically restricted as a condition of employment.	Staffing type designed to address long term staffing needs, although may be established on a restricted basis or seasonal basis.	Must work at least 20 hours per week. Must be full-time (32-40 hours) to receive full benefits.
Classified Wage (Hourly) Staff	Biweekly	No leave, health, or retirement benefits. Tax Deferred Savings Program Only.	Temporary staffing measure, at-will employment.	Staffing type designed to address short term or temporary staffing needs.	Employee limited to working maximum of 1,500 hours per calendar year.
UVa Temp (Hourly) Staff	Biweekly	No leave, health, or retirement benefits. Tax Deferred Savings Program Only	Temporary staffing measure, at-will employment.	Staffing type designed to address short-term, critical or peak period staffing needs. Click here for information on UVaTemps.	Employee is recruited, selected and hired by UVaTemps (UHR) to match required job needs; administrative fee (10.5 percent of the pay rate) is charged; employee limited to 1,500 work hours per calendar year.
Dual Employment	Biweekly	No	Temporary staffing measure, at-will employment.	Staffing type designed to meet special staffing needs for a limited period.	Requires UHR approval; handled through UVa Temps. Click here for the Dual Employment Form.
UVa Student	Biweekly	No	Temporary staffing measure, at-will employment.	Staffing type designed to meet part-time staffing needs and to provide UVa students with opportunities for work.	Work hours restricted to up to 20/hrs per week. Click here for additional information on Student Employment.

How to Create a New Staff Position
All positions must be established and all changes to existing positions must be submitted and processed before any hire transaction can be processed in HRMS. See "How to Establish a New Position".

The process of creating a new position varies slightly for different employment types. Salaried staff positions require a more rigorous establishment process than wage (hourly) positions because they have the greatest impact to the University's budget and workforce. Consequently, they are scrutinized more closely and require more time to process. Table II summarizes the steps required to establish new salaried, wage, temporary, and student positions.

Table II. Summary of Job Establishment Steps for Different Employment Types

Employment Type	Employee Work Profile (EWP) & Organizational Chart	Department/ School Approvals	UHR Approval to Establish New Position	UHR Performs Job Analysis	Post Newly Established Position
University Salaried Staff	Required	Required	Required. Formal request & job analysis process used.	Required. Comprehensive job analysis performed.	Required. Hiring official initiates posting.
Classified Salaried Staff	Required	Required	Required. Formal request & job analysis process used.	Required. Comprehensive job analysis performed.	Required. Hiring official initiates posting.
Classified Wage (Hourly) Staff	Required	Required	Required. Formal request & job analysis process used.	Required. Comprehensive job analysis performed.	Required. Hiring official initiates posting.
UVa Temp	Optional	Determined at department/ division level.	Required. Request for UVaTemp normally handled by phone.	Abbreviated job analysis performed.	Not required. HR makes job match from existing applicant database.
UVa Student	Position Action Request Form	Determined at department/ division level.	Optional. Request handled by	Assistance provided upon request.	Optional

III. Staff Recruitment

UVa employs an institutional strategy of continuous recruitment for its staff positions. This means that applications are accepted and maintained in a database for future, as well as existing, vacancies. A "dictionary" of UVA staff job categories is available to help applicants match job categories appropriately with their qualifications and interests. Applicants are encouraged to identify their job-related knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as all staff job categories that interest them and for which they qualify, whether or not current vacancies exist. As a result, the hiring official has almost immediate access to a pool of potential candidates who match the job vacancy posting criteria. The benefit to this method of storing applicant information by job categories is that a) search time is considerably reduced when a vacancy occurs and b) the likelihood of a more diverse applicant pool is increased. Most hiring officials are able to find well-qualified candidates in the available applicant database without having to expend additional resources for further recruitment efforts. However, the UHR Office of HR Consulting Services can provide assistance if special recruitment efforts are needed. Please contact the HR Consultant responsible for handling the vacancy.

How Are Staff Salaried and Wage Positions Posted?
Open staff positions are posted to University Human Resource's website daily. Hiring officials must be sure to follow the internal job posting procedures established in your school or department, since there may be additional internal requirements regarding the posting of jobs. Some departments restrict posting access to designated individuals. Please follow the procedures to post your position online and should include the following information:

department name and address
role title and work title
hiring official's name (person responsible for hiring decision)
contact person's name and number (person(s) authorized to work with UHR regarding the hire)
organization number
other information related to screening candidates (e.g., knowledge, skills and abilities)

Since the criteria specified in the job posting determines which applicants will be considered for employment, it is a vital step in the employment process. Hiring officials need to understand that unless an applicant meets the posting criteria, he/she will not be referred for employment consideration. Additionally, over-specifying criteria can reduce the likelihood that the hiring official obtains the most diverse applicant pool. Table III explains the screening criteria and decisions made by the applicant, the UHR HR Consultant, and the departmental hiring official.

Table III. Screening Criteria & Decisions

	Applicant Determines?	UHR Determines?	Hiring Official Determines?
Evaluation of Qualifications for Specific Vacancy	N/A	Yes. UHR determines whether applicant meets qualification criteria for specific job.	Yes. Hiring Official determines whether applicant meets qualification criteria for specific job.
Selection of Employment Type/Status (Ex: salaried, wage, full time, part time, preferred shift)	Yes. Options selected by applicant based on personal needs and preferences.	N/A	Yes. Hiring Official determines whether to screen on shift (e.g., night shift) and/or part-time/full-time status.
Work Location Designation	Yes. Applicant selects locations he/she is willing to work.	N/A	Yes. Option available for positions located outside of the Charlottesville/Albemarle area.
Application Date/Job Posting Date	Yes. Controls personal application submission & renewal dates.	Yes. (5 day minimum posting period required)	Yes. Determines required application dates in job posting.
Selection of Type of Applicant Pool to Access (Internal or External)	N/A	N/A	Yes. Selects whether job is available to internal (salaried UVa employees) only or available to external (UVa wage, general public, and other State agency) applicants also.
Additional Selection Criteria	N/A	Yes. The UHR HR Consultant reviews the position description and works with the hiring official to determine specific details of the vacancy to appear on the job posting. The HR Consultant also reviews this additional information to refer candidates to the hiring official who appear to best meet this criteria.	Yes. At the time of posting, the Hiring Official works with the UHR HR Consultant to identify specific details of the vacancy which can be used to additionally screen candidates for a job posting.

Where Are Staff Positions Routinely Posted?
The newly released job posting automatically uploads to the University's web site http://jobs.virginia.edu. These recruitment efforts are standard for all on-line staff postings. Additionally, a Hiring Official may choose to conduct external advertising through newspapers, journals, trade publications, etc. These advertising activities for staff must be coordinated with the HR Consultant assigned to handle the vacancy.

How Long Does a Job have to be Posted?
All staff jobs, by state policy, must be posted for a minimum of five working days (with the exception of UVaTemps). The hiring official can select an alternate closing date (beyond the 5-day minimum) or request that the position be posted "open until filled." Hiring officials using the "open until filled" (OTF) option should be aware that OTF vacancies remain posted on the UHR web site until the position is filled or up to a maximum period of 4 months.

Is Additional Advertising or Special Recruitment Needed?

University Human Resources (UHR) HR Consultants are available to help address special recruitment needs in targeted areas or occupations where there is agency-wide need, a critical shortage, or underutilization of women or minorities. UHR HR Consultants in the Office of HR Consulting Services are also available to consult with schools and departments on supplemental recruitment activities, including the placement of ads. Additional (and often costly) advertising is usually not necessary for most staff positions due to the University's method of storing applicant information in a database that can be accessed as needed. However, additional advertising may be warranted if the applicant pool lacks diversity or does not offer candidates with the specific knowledge, skills and abilities required. Supplemental advertising (newspaper, journal, on-line or web-based ads, flyers, etc.) must be coordinated by UHR. Hiring departments should submit to UHR the proposed ad text, instructions concerning where and when to place the ad, and a PTAEO to charge. UHR then makes any necessary revisions, places the ad, pays the bill and charges the hiring official's PTAEO for reimbursement. In some cases, such as free e-mail lists or flyers, UHR only needs to approve the ad text. Additional information about recruitment and advertising resources is available by contacting the UHR HR Consultant assisting with your vacancy.

How Is Applicant Information Accessed?
The Jobs@UVA system allows schools and departments the ability to review and manage all the applicants/candidates. University Human Resources staff are available for assistance at any time in this process.

What options do I have if University Human Resources does not refer a specific candidate whom I might be interested in interviewing?
There are many factors that might eliminate a candidate or candidates. Candidates must match the job posting criteria to be given consideration. UHR's Office of HR Consulting Services HR Consultants can investigate why an applicant did not refer for your vacancy and discuss available options.

What if I do not get candidates who have the kind of credentials that I want?
Hiring officials who are not satisfied with the quality of the applicant pool should contact UHR's Office of HR Consulting Services to discuss whether the existing job posting needs to be revised or whether additional recruitment efforts may be needed.

IV. The Screening Process

Using the selection process effectively is one of the most important functions of a successful hiring official. After all, it is through the selection of employees that you determine the strength of your most important resource: the people who work within your organization. It is also a key factor in meeting your organization's objectives and promoting a diverse work force. Becoming known as a hiring official who makes solid, objective selection decisions based on qualifications will enhance your credibility with employees and co-workers and will help you develop a reputation as a fair and unbiased manager.
There are several levels of screening in the University's staff employment process that lead to the ultimate selection decision.

The hiring official determines the job posting criteria.
The applicant makes choices about the specific jobs to apply for and how to present job-related qualifications.
Information submitted by the applicant determines if the candidate meets the minimum qualification requirements specified for each job the candidate has selected.
Hiring officials must determine which candidates will be interviewed and, ultimately, must select the final candidate from those interviewed.

Guide to the Successful Screening of Application Information
Choosing which candidates to interview can be challenging. Therefore, it is important to screen application information carefully. Here are a few tips:

Look first at the education and experience that is documented. The burden of proof is on applicants to document that they possess the necessary qualifications. If the candidate does not show that he/she possesses the training and experience required to perform the duties of the job successfully, even though he/she may meet UHR's qualification guidelines for the broad job category, he/she may be eliminated from further consideration.
If the candidate documents possession of the qualifications for the specific job vacancy, consider the candidate further. Lack of job-related qualifications should normally be the only basis for initial elimination.
Be careful not to eliminate candidates on the basis of unconfirmed assumptions regarding salary, career aspirations, or interests. Many excellent candidates are overlooked because incorrect assumptions are made about their salary requirements or career aspirations.
Candidates should not be eliminated from consideration because they ask that their present supervisor not be contacted. The application form allows only a "yes" or "no" answer to the question, "May we contact your present supervisor?" Some applicants prefer not to have their supervisor contacted unless there is serious interest on the part of the hiring official. Alternatively, applicants may fail to answer the question, resulting in a "no" by default.
Conduct a phone interview as the initial screen if it is not feasible to personally interview all candidates who appear to meet the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy. First, make sure the candidate is in a position to talk freely and reschedule the call if it is not a good time. Making a phone appointment is recommended. Do make sure that the candidate understands why you are calling and the position for which he/she is being considered. Ask candidates predetermined questions (making a list is a good idea) about their work history, quality, and quantity of experience, reasons for leaving positions, goals, salary requirements and reasons for interest. Candidates will frequently eliminate themselves at this stage based on information that the hiring official shares about the job. The call can be concluded a number of ways. If candidates withdraw from consideration, thank them for their time. If there is definite interest on both sides, schedule a personal interview. If the candidate clearly does not have the requisite level of knowledge, skills and abilities, let him/her know that you need to continue to look for someone who does, but that you wanted to provide every opportunity for consideration and you appreciate their interest. When in doubt, conduct a personal interview.

Guide to Successful Interviewing
Interviewing and evaluating applicants fairly is one of the most important and critical stages of the recruitment process. University policy requires hiring officials to interview a minimum of two qualified candidates for each vacancy. However, hiring officials are strongly encouraged to interview at least ten percent or more of the referred candidates to ensure a broad pool of candidates from which to select.
The hiring official should know what information may be legitimately sought during the interview process. Certain questions are improper and may be unlawful, even if well intended. To make certain interviews are conducted correctly, follow an organized and consistent approach. Ask the same questions of each interviewee and follow the same interview format. Avoid any questions that appear culturally or racially motivated, or that reflect a sex, age or disability bias. Even if applicants volunteer information that is not job-related, the information should not be used as a basis for the selection decision.

Before the Interview

Make the current Employee Work Profile (EWP) and organization chart available to candidates to be interviewed either before or during the interview.
Develop a list of the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are essential for successful performance in the job.
Develop a list of questions that will help determine whether the candidate actually possesses the required knowledge, skills, and abilities and to ensure consistency in evaluating candidates.
Determine who needs to be involved in the interview process and determine the best process to use (e.g., panel interview) depending on the nature of the job. The interviewer(s) and the interview process should not vary among candidates being considered for the same job.
Develop an interview agenda and communicate it to the candidate when the interview is arranged.
Give candidates adequate notice of the interview.
Alert other staff when a candidate is expected for an interview.
Allow enough time for a thorough interview.

During the Interview

Make the candidate feel welcomed.
Avoid questions that can be answered with only a "yes" or "no". (Example: Do you know how to ____?)
Ask open-ended questions that probe and require explanation. (Example: Explain how you would _____?)
Ask job-related questions only.
Listen attentively and carefully to the candidate's responses. Make sure the candidate answers the question being asked.
Offer the candidate an opportunity to express himself/herself in an open-ended way. (Example, "Is there anything we have not covered that you would like me to know about you or your ability to do the job?")
Offer the candidate an opportunity to ask questions about the job or what is expected. The interview is a two-way process and also offers a valuable opportunity for the candidate to evaluate the prospective employer.
Give a realistic and three-dimensional picture of the job. Do not make the job into something it is not to keep someone interested. If the job is ultimately offered and accepted, the employee may feel betrayed when he/she finds out what the job is "really" like or when the "rest of the story" is revealed. Do not make the job better or worse than it is.
If the candidate has checked "no" to contacting his/her present supervisor, ask why. Give the applicant a chance to explain his/her reasoning, especially since "no" is the default field for candidates who fail to answer this question on the application.
Do not ever give candidates the impression that you are just "going through the motions." Even if you think you have already interviewed the candidate who cannot be beat, all candidates need to be given full consideration. Full consideration means giving the same undivided and respectful attention to the last candidate as the first. Interviewing is like figure skating - you must assume that the last skater will skate the perfect program. It is always possible that your perfect candidate may accept another offer. Always leave the door open for other possibilities.
Address expectations regarding basic issues such as: work hours, overtime, dress code, essential/nonessential status for inclement weather, lunch or breaks.
Ask the candidate what his/her salary expectations are and why. Hiring officials may provide salary range information to candidates, but should make it clear that specific salary offers must be extended by UHR. Make no salary commitments and be careful not to build the salary expectations of a candidate prematurely, only to disappoint and potentially lose him/her later if expectations cannot be met.
Benefits issues are dynamic and often complex. If you are asked questions, refer candidates to the UHR web site or to the Faculty & Staff Employee Benefits Office, 924-4392.

After the Interview

Evaluate each candidate in terms of the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to be successful in the job. Do not be distracted by factors that are not job-related.
Write down interview results and impressions while they are still fresh in your mind.
Check work references. Develop a list of standard questions to ask each reference. Ask specifically about factors that are important for successful job performance, such as the person's strengths, weaknesses, knowledge, skills, and interactions with co-workers, subordinates, and managers. Also ask if the supervisor would rehire the person. If reference information is available in UHR, a UHR HR Consultant will verbally relay this information to hiring officials on a confidential basis. Access to performance evaluations of salaried employees is also available through UHR's Office of HR Consulting Services upon request.
Get a second opinion of the candidate. If others participated in the interview process, solicit their feedback. Probe for specific behaviors that might illustrate or support the feedback you hear.
Call the candidate or request a follow-up interview if there are points that need clarification or issues that require further discussion before a decision can be reached.

Common Mistakes That Hiring Officials Should Avoid

Sins of exclusion -- using inappropriate criteria to initially screen out applicants based on unvalidated and possibly impermissible assumptions such as the candidate's salary requirements, personal priorities and/or job interests.
Sins of inclusion -- using inappropriate criteria to initially screen in applicants based on non-job-related assumptions (must be a good candidate - belongs to my church, club, family, went to my school, etc.).
Failing to check third party references. Third party references are those that are obtained through direct and confidential communication with a third party (usually the candidate's supervisor or manager), either verbally or in writing. Be sure to obtain the candidate's permission before conducting a third party reference check. Accepting reference letters that the candidate provides is an insufficient means of obtaining reliable reference information, since it is assumed that a candidate would present only favorable information.
Talking for the applicant with the end result of having interviewed yourself.
Failing to probe to get needed information.
Accepting the applicant's spoken word at face value without looking for verification in actions and choices.
Putting too much emphasis on credentials and not enough emphasis on behaviors.
Putting too much emphasis on behaviors and not enough emphasis on credentials.
Hiring clones of yourself.
Allowing desperation to fill a vacancy and/or influence the hiring decision.
Failing to put the hiring decision in the context of the work unit and the interaction with other personnel in the unit.
Becoming a victim to the Halo Effect (Example: The last person I hired had a degree from UVA. That person was a wonderful employee. This person has a degree from UVA Therefore, he/she must be wonderful too.).
Becoming a victim to the Horn Effect (Example: The last person I hired had a background in retail. That person was a bad hire. This person has a background in retail. Therefore, he/she must be a bad hire too.).
Failing to be clear (or to give an honest assessment) in the interview about what the job involves.
Failing to practice active listening.
Putting your agenda on the table too early (making it too clear what your needs and wishes are so that the applicant can tailor answers accordingly).
Making commitments to the applicant prematurely.
Giving up negotiating power to the applicant (letting the candidate know how desperately you need or want him/her may compromise your bargaining power).
Failing to appreciate the ultimate financial impact of hiring.
Failing to understand or appreciate the legal implications of screening, interviewing and hiring.
Believing that making the hiring process easier will make the hiring decision less difficult.

V. The Job Offer & Hiring Process

Employee costs represent an organization's greatest expenditure. Each hire should be considered an organizational investment. Hiring officials, in turn, should expect a fair and reasonable return from the employee for the institution's investment. As in any other transaction involving a significant expenditure of financial resources, the hiring official, who is ultimately accountable for the selection decision, must be prepared to show that the decision was based on unbiased factors that are strictly related to the prospect of satisfactory job performance. Therefore, it is important to document your selection reasons and actions carefully and completely throughout the search process so that you are prepared to explain what you did and why you did it. Federal law requires hiring officials to retain interview questions and notes for three years and federal agencies, such as the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), conduct periodic audits of hiring information.

Individual hiring officials do not have authority to extend classified staff or university staff job offers. University Human Resources (UHR) is responsible for making all staff job offers to ensure institutional compliance with state, federal and University hiring policies and procedures. A Human Resources HR Consultant works with and on behalf of the hiring official to negotiate an offer with terms acceptable to the applicant.

When the selection decision is made, the hiring official should complete the online job proposal information. The hiring official should enter the name and social security number of the selected candidate and may specify a preferred salary and start date. Special offer terms, including specific shifts, should be noted in the "comments" section. Hiring officials need to be aware that available budget is only one of many factors that must be considered in determining the starting salary. Information about the University's compensation practices is available. Interview dates for candidates and selection/non-selection codes must also be identified. Hiring officials need to keep in mind that UHR does not send notification letters to the unsuccessful candidates who were interviewed, the hiring department is expected to do so. Phone contact and informal discussions are not considered interviews. A phone interview should be conducted only by appointment and should follow a predetermined format. In order to count as an interview, the applicant must be aware that the telephone conversation is being considered an interview for a specific position.

After the hiring recommendation is submitted to a UHR HR Consultant, the UHR HR Consultant reviews the recommendation and determines whether the offer can be extended as recommended.

If the recommended salary does not fit within the framework of the University's compensation policies, or if there are any questions about the offer, options and alternatives will be discussed with the hiring official before the offer is made.

After the terms of the offer are agreed upon with the hiring official, the UHR HR Consultant extends the job offer to the candidate on the University's behalf. If the offer is not acceptable to the candidate, the UHR HR Consultant determines what is not acceptable and discusses with the hiring official whether or not the offer terms can be renegotiated. If so, the offer will be re-extended and if not, the candidate will be so informed. The hiring official is notified immediately of the candidate's response and is kept informed throughout the offer process.

When an offer of employment is accepted, UHR schedules an appointment for the new employee to complete payroll and other enrollment forms prior to beginning work. The employee's hire information is forwarded and keyed into HRMS. A Confirmation of Hire letter and an Orientation Guide are mailed to the new employee.

Notification letters must be sent as quickly as possible to the other interviewed candidates. It is professional courtesy to notify all interviewed candidates of the hiring outcome. Hiring officials are responsible for handling the notification to unsuccessful candidates.

The final step in the hiring process is orienting the new employee. The hiring official is responsible for making the employee feel welcomed and explaining job expectations at the very beginning of employment. UHR's Orientation Guide for Hiring Officials is designed to help achieve this objective and is mailed to each hiring official at the conclusion of the hire. In addition, UHR holds a New Faculty/Staff Welcome and Resource Fair to welcome and orient new employees to the larger University community and its resources.

The Resource Fair, which is held several times per year, consists of introductions of senior management, a welcome video, and approximately 50 University and University-related exhibitors providing information on topics ranging from employee benefits and services to social and cultural opportunities. New employees should be permitted to participate in this activity and hiring officials are encouraged to accompany them.

Orienting the employee is the first step in team building and effective performance management.

VI. Conclusion

Hiring and managing staff can be time consuming and difficult. However, the rewards of making good hiring decisions or handling difficult staffing situations correctly are well worth the effort. Making a bad hiring decision or mishandling a staffing matter can be very costly in terms of work quality, productivity and employee morale. A competitive organization such as the University of Virginia cannot afford to have its missions of education, research, and service negatively impacted or compromised.

University Human Resources has many services available to help you in your role as a hiring official. Additional information and resources on the hiring process are available.

Comments, questions and suggestions about this guide are welcomed and encouraged and should be directed to Lucinda Childs-White, Director, HR Consulting Services, Office of HR Consulting.