All persons interested in an open position must apply directly online via PageUp. After a candidate successfully completes their application, they will receive an automatically generated email from PageUp stating that their application has been submitted.
The hiring manager is responsible for reviewing all of the candidates and their application materials.
Search committee members do NOT have access to jobs or applicants in PageUp other than those employees who the hiring manager reports up through (i.e., their supervisor and the VP). The hiring manager will need to share candidates’ resumes with the search committee members.
Consistency in the screening of all applicants is essential. Selection of candidates to be interviewed must be based on the nature of the position and qualifications of applicants.
When reviewing application materials, look for these “red flags”:
- Mistakes, discrepancies, and typos—application materials that have typos, grammatical errors, and poor formatting demonstrate a lack of attention to detail
- Vague language—ambiguous wording, such as “familiar with” or “participated in”, could imply the candidate didn’t actually work on the project and only assisted in some way
- Jobs with short tenure—frequent job hopping could indicate poor relationships and quick burn out; while it’s important not to discount a candidate for job-hopping, it’s also important to inquire about these moves during the interviews
St. Olaf does not have an affirmative action plan for staff hires, but we are committed to diversity.
A great employee is more than simply qualified; they also add to the college’s culture. The traditional mindset when hiring has been to look for someone to fit into the culture that already exists. A more inclusive mindset is thinking about who will add to the culture. Seek out candidates with a high level of cultural sensitivity, whatever their own background. Selecting candidates with a history of being culturally sensitive can help actively foster a more inclusive environment.
St. Olaf employees with excellent work performance who meet the qualifications of the open positions should be reviewed for promotional opportunities.
You may utilize the Pre-interview Candidate Assessment Tool for screening candidates.
Determine which candidates will be interviewed. All must meet the minimum requirements of the job description. In the event that the applicant pool of qualified candidates is minimal, contact HR to determine if the job description should be revised.
Immigration status assistance policy
On the application, look at the question “Are you legally authorized to work in the United States?” If a candidate is not authorized to work in the US, we cannot consider them. If you believe they may have accidentally checked the wrong box, email the candidate and ask them.
Review the question “Will you now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status? (e.g. H1B visa status).” St. Olaf does NOT sponsor foreign nationals for H-1B visas for staff. If a candidate checked the “yes” box, we cannot consider them. If you believe they may have accidentally checked the wrong box, email the candidate and ask them.
Consensual relations policy
St. Olaf College’s consensual relations policy in the Staff Handbook prohibits romantic or sexual relations between faculty or staff and any student enrolled at the college. This is a good policy to cover before extending an offer to a recent graduate.
Look at the question regarding the college’s consensual relations policy on the first page of the application to confirm that they have checked “I am not involved with a student and I understand the college policy.” If they checked “I am involved with a student,” then we cannot consider them. If you believe they may have accidentally checked the wrong box, email the candidate and ask them.
Additionally, this is a good policy to cover before extending an offer to a recent graduate.
Once the hiring manager has determined which candidates they plan to interview, they should review those candidates’ applications to verify whether they marked that they need an accommodation. This needs to be done before communicating with them about scheduling an interview.
How to find the accommodation information:
1. On the applicant’s record, click “view application.”
2. Click on the “View” link which is directly below “Form.”
3. Scroll down to the fourth answer in the “question and response” section.
If they marked, “Yes, I can perform the job without accommodation,” then nothing more needs to be done.
If they marked, “No, I need accommodation in order to perform the job duties,” then the hiring manager will need to email employment@stolaf.edu before scheduling an interview. HR will reach out to the candidate to discuss their accommodation needs and will then follow up with the hiring manager.
Confirm salary and benefits
HR determines the pay grade for each position, which in turn determines the wage range. The hiring manager is responsible for confirming that the selected candidates are either within or agreeable to the wage range.
If the desired salary question of the application states negotiable, lists a wide wage range, or is higher than the college wage range, communicate electronically with the applicant to inform them of the anticipated wage range and to verify whether they are still interested in pursuing the opportunity.
Be honest about salary. If the position is not budgeted for as much money as a candidate desires, tell them up front. Do not insinuate that you can convince Finance and HR to increase the budget because of their superior skills. Pay equity is important across the college. The candidate should be comfortable with the range discussed, and should not be surprised when they receive their offer of employment.
See Applicant Communication Templates document for templates.
- Staff who apply for internal positions are considered “applicants” rather than employees and are entitled to the same rights of privacy and confidentiality as other applicants. The search committee and HR will hold application information in confidence. Evaluate internal and external candidates consistently on the same criteria.
- An internal candidate is required to inform their current manager of their application before an interview takes place.
- Employees are eligible to apply for a posted position after 12 months of continuous employment with the college. A staff member whose most recent performance evaluation was poor, or who has a written warning or other disciplinary action on file in the prior six months, is not eligible to apply for a different position. This does not apply to an employee applying to change shifts for the same position.
- There is no guarantee of an interview for internal applicants; however, the hiring manager is advised to contact the internal applicant directly in the event they are not selected for an interview.
- Before offering the position to an internal candidate, the hiring manager must check an internal reference with the employee’s current supervisor to verify performance, skills, attendance, and other factors related to the employee’s employment.
- If an internal candidate is hired, the current and new managers will work out a transfer schedule that accommodates both departments’ needs.
If there is an applicant that will definitely not be interviewed, please release/inform them in a timely manner.
To send an auto-generated email through PageUp to applicants not being interviewed:
- Find the correct job title in PageUp and then view the applicant list.
- Check the box to the left of the candidate name(s).
- Go to the drop down menu in the bottom left corner titled “Bulk Actions.”
- Under “Change Status”, click on “Decline—No Interview/sends email.”
Temporary employees
Hiring an individual into a temporary position is subject to the same regulations and laws as hiring regular employees. However, often due to the time demands and the ad hoc nature of temporary assignments, the appointment of temporary persons without a search is permitted. Hiring managers should contact HR for assistance in hiring temporary employees. St. Olaf utilizes an outside staffing agency. Temporary employees are employees of the staffing agency, not employees of St. Olaf College.
Employing St. Olaf College retirees
Provisions of federal law govern the employment of persons who retire from an organization and then return to the same organization as an employee. Before making a hiring decision involving a St. Olaf College retiree, HR should be consulted. Retirees may work for the college as a temporary employee who is employed through the staffing agency.
Hiring employees into a second position at the college
Employees of the college may serve in more than one position with the approval of HR. This approval must occur prior to any agreements being made with the employee. The following considerations must be addressed:
- FTE and schedule
- Classification of both positions—an employee cannot be both exempt and non-exempt at the same time
- Effect on overtime and benefits
- Determination of which position is primary employment status
Employees are required to inform their current supervisor prior to beginning work in a second job at the college so issues regarding work schedules and overtime pay may be explored.
Employment of family members
The college has no prohibition against hiring relatives of existing employees but understands that employment of relatives in the same area of the college may impact departmental functioning. To minimize any potential issues with regard to relatives working together, family members are prohibited from having supervisory responsibilities for another family member including making recommendations or decisions affecting the appointment, retention, tenure, work assignments, promotion, demotion, or salary. Family is defined as spouse, domestic partner, civil union partner, grandparent, parent, sibling, child, step-child, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle, mother-in-law, father-in-law, step-parent, step-sibling, step-aunt, step-uncle, step-niece, and step-nephew.
HR will make the determination of whether good faith recruitment efforts have been exhausted before hiring same family members in the same department/division.
Financial policies specifically prohibit requests for reimbursement by one relative from being approved by another relative.