3B-03 Recruitment, Selection, and Hiring of Employees

Policy: 6Hx28:3B-03

Responsible Executive: Executive Vice President, Administrative Services

Policy Contacts: Chief Human Resources Officer

Specific Authority: 1001.64, F.S.

Law Implemented: 1001.64, F.S.

Effective Date: 09-27-2017

Date of Last Policy Review: 04-02-2025

Policy:

Policy Statement:

1. Valencia College (“College”) seeks to attract the best-qualified candidates who support the mission of the college, who bring the necessary skills, abilities, and qualifications to bear on the position, and who respect and promote excellence through diversity. The College is committed to equal opportunity and nondiscrimination towards applicants and follows recruitment, selection, and hiring practices that comply with all applicable employment laws. To this end, the College provides equal opportunity for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, national origin, age, religion, disability, genetic information, marital status, sex/gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, and any other factor protected under applicable federal, state, and local civil rights laws, rules, and regulations. The College shall welcome and encourage applications from a diverse population and hire the most suitable individual for a position based on position requirements, preferred qualifications, and needs of the College.
2. The College may use various strategies as it deems appropriate in order to actively and successfully recruit, select, and hire candidates for employment at the College.

Policy History:

Adopted 1-19-83; Amended 11-18-92; Amended and Renumbered 5-28-2014; Amended 9-27-17; Formerly 6Hx28: 07-03; Formerly 6Hx28: 3B-04.1 and 6Hx28: 3B-04.2

Related Policies:

College Policy 6Hx28: 2-01 Discrimination, Harassment and Related Misconduct
College Policy 6Hx28: 3B-02 Pre-Employment Screening and Inprocessing of New Employees

Procedures:

1. Recruitment (Full and Part Time Positions)
   1. The hiring manager, in collaboration with their leadership as appropriate to their department, will ensure each position job description is reflective of the job duties. If any updates are needed, the hiring manager will confer with a representative from Total Rewards in Organizational Development and Human Resources (“ODHR”). Once the position job description is approved, the Electronic Hiring Action form (“EHAF”) must be initiated by the hiring manager to begin the recruitment process.
   2. Based on the information received from the EHAF, the ODHR representative will complete a requisition. All requisitions require approval from the appropriate Vice President/Provost (or designee) before a recruitment is initiated.
   3. The decision to recruit and type of recruitment is made by the hiring manager, in collaboration with department leadership and ODHR. Job openings may be designated for either an internal-only recruitment or a full recruitment that is open to any interested candidate, regardless of current employment status. Positions designated for internal-only recruitment are made available solely to College employees, may be posted on the College’s employment website and communicated in the weekly employee e-newsletter. Full recruitment positions may be posted externally for consideration by the general public and may be posted on the main College employment website.
   4. When job openings are posted, applicants may apply online via the available modes identified by the College employment website and attach supplemental documentation (i.e. cover letter, resume, etc.) as requested by the date specified on the posting in order to be considered. Applicants must meet a set of specified criteria related to the position and as determined by the search committee in order to be eligible to move forward to the interview process.
2. Interview and selection process:
   1. The hiring manager, or designee, may serve as the search committee chair. The hiring manager, or designee, is responsible for assembling a committee with support from the ODHR representative and to conduct timely and effective interviews of qualified candidates. A search committee will be engaged to select, interview, and recommend candidates for further consideration.
   2. The hiring manager and every member of the search committee must successfully complete the required training on an annual basis provided by ODHR.
   3. The hiring manager or designee is responsible for working with the search committee to review the position job description, determine the criteria for use in reviewing applications, and in determining appropriate interview plans and base questions. The hiring manager or designee, with support from the ODHR representative, may employ the use of a writing sample, teaching demonstration, or other work-related activity as appropriate for the recruited position as part of the interview process. The hiring manager, or designee, may consult with the ODHR representative on alternative interview methods. Any interviews beyond the first interview that are deemed appropriate are to be handled in accordance with this procedure.
   4. On occasion, there may be an opportunity to select more than one candidate from the pool to fill multiple vacant positions of the same position job title. In these instances, hiring managers must notify the ODHR representative of all actions taken during the interview and selection process.
   5. ODHR will notify applicants who are not selected about the closing of positions. Hiring managers, or designees, may work with the ODHR representative to notify internal applicants not selected by phone, face-to-face conversation, or other appropriate means).
3. Hiring process:
   1. Once an applicant has been selected to be receive a conditional offer of a position, the hiring manager will complete reference checks. Hiring managers may consult with the ODHR representative for sample reference check questions. Note: As part of reference checks, hiring managers are responsible for reviewing personnel files on internal candidates and external candidates who previously were College employees to include conducting internal references from previous College supervisor(s).
   2. Upon satisfactory completion of reference checks, the ODHR representative will contact the candidate with a conditional offer of employment and to arrange pre-employment screenings. An official offer of employment will be made by ODHR once pre-employment screenings have been completed successfully to the satisfaction of the college and approved. Once the hiring process is finalized, core recruitment documentation including screening criteria, base interview questions, writing sample (if applicable), list of selected candidates, etc. should be returned to the ODHR representative by the hiring manager for proper records retention.
4. Hiring Offers: Promotions, lateral transfers, and appointments:
   1. Hiring offers are made to internal and external candidates in accordance with ODHR Total Rewards guidelines. All offers are conditional based on a successful pre-employment screening process which may include, but is not limited to: criminal background history, credit history, prior employment verification, educational history verification, professional and personal references, and further described in College Policy 6Hx28: 3B-02 Pre-Employment Screening and Inprocessing of New Employees.
   2. Internal candidate promotions: When a hiring process results in a promotion for a current College employee, the ODHR representative, hiring manager, and a representative from ODHR Total Rewards will review and evaluate the employee’s background and experience. The ODHR Total Rewards Office is also responsible for conducting a thorough, detailed review, evaluation and recommendation of a final salary increase per established practice and procedures. An internal promotion employment offer is contingent upon a successful pre-employment screening. As part of the pre-employment screening, hiring managers are responsible for reviewing personnel files on internal candidates to include conducting internal references from previous College supervisor(s).
   3. Internal candidate lateral transfers or reassignments:
      1. College employees transferred or reassigned from one position to another at the College in the same pay grade normally do not receive an increase in pay. When an internal candidate has applied for a position job vacancy and is selected for a position in a lower pay grade, a reduction in pay may occur. The ODHR Total Rewards Office is responsible for conducting a thorough, detailed review and evaluation of factors and determine the appropriate rate of pay within the new pay range. An internal transfer employment offer is contingent upon a successful pre-employment screening.
      2. Intradepartmental opportunities (lateral transfer from one position to another position in the same job classification within the same department and at the rate of pay): Based on operational needs, departments have the authority to post internally only regarding their own department lateral transfer opportunities to other campuses and/or shifts for those individuals occupying the same position (i.e. West Campus Maintenance Technician to Osceola Campus Maintenance Technician). The department must partner with the receiving campus department and the ODHR representative on the process. Once a selection is made, the hiring department has the discretion to identify the transfer date based upon operational needs of both impacted areas.
   4. Internal Appointments
      1. Occasionally, it may be in the best interest of the College to directly appoint an individual to a position. The College may prefer to fill some positions from a candidate pool drawn from within the College and may consider current employees who have the desired knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience for appointment without an internal-only or full recruitment and selection process. The decision to make an appointment is a joint decision made by the Vice President/Provost or designee and the Chief Human Resources Officer or designee.
      2. Employee eligibility for such appointments will be determined by the requirements of the new position. In addition, to be considered, employees generally must have held their current position for at least twelve (12) months, have a satisfactory performance record, and have no disciplinary actions during the same period. ODHR, in consultation with the appropriate Vice President/Provost, retains the discretion to make exceptions to this procedure.
      3. An employment offer made by appointment is contingent upon a successful pre-employment screening. As part of the pre-employment screening, hiring managers are responsible for reviewing personnel files on internal candidates.
   5. Temporary Assignments: The College recognizes an occasional need to offer a full time employee the opportunity to assume an interim position at a higher level on a temporary basis when it is anticipated that the higher level position will be vacant for a period of thirty (30) or more calendar days up to one year. The decision to make a temporary appointment and length of time may be made by the appropriate vice president/provost or designee in consultation with ODHR. The ODHR Total Rewards Office is responsible for conducting a thorough, detailed review and evaluation of other factors for discussion and recommendation of the final temporary acting pay per established practice and procedures, which may be an increased hourly rate, salary, or lump sum stipend. The receiving department will create an HR. 25 form and attach any supporting documentation to facilitate the assignment. ODHR will document the action in the personnel system.
5. Faculty-Requested Transfers:
   1. A full-time (tenured, tenure-track, and annual contract) faculty member may request a lateral transfer on professional or academic grounds to another campus to fill an existing vacancy in the receiving division. Transfers are considered in light of existing student demand, program needs and respective campus needs.
   2. The faculty member seeking transfer shall provide written notification of the request to transfer to their current dean and provost/vice president or submit the transfer request to the Regional Director of ODHR. Faculty transfer requests received by the Regional Director of ODHR will be forwarded to the current dean and provost/vice president normally within three (3) business days. Requests to transfer should be received by the last day of February, though extensions may be granted for special circumstances.
   3. The current dean and provost/vice president shall meet with the faculty member seeking transfer to determine the feasibility and reasonableness of the transfer request. The current dean and provost/vice president will render approval or disapproval of the request to be reviewed by the prospective receiving campus.
   4. If the transfer request is approved by the current dean and provost/vice president for further review, the faculty member seeking transfer shall submit a letter of request and curriculum vitae to the prospective receiving dean and provost/vice president outlining the reason(s) for the request, professional teaching experience, and projected contributions to the receiving division including area(s) of teaching expertise, service to the College, and professional development interests.
   5. The prospective receiving dean and provost/vice president shall meet with the faculty member seeking transfer, review performance artifacts, gather relevant feedback from the campus community, and render final approval or disapproval of the transfer. The transferring faculty member may withdraw their request after meeting with the prospective receiving dean and provost/vice president.
   6. The faculty member seeking transfer shall relocate to the receiving campus at the beginning of the semester mutually agreed upon by the sending and receiving academic divisions.
   7. The receiving department will create an HR. 25 form and attach any supporting documentation to facilitate the move. ODHR shall document the appropriate action in the personnel system and the ODHR Total Rewards Office shall reassign the position vacancy to the sending campus.

Procedure History: Adopted 1-19-83; Amended 11-18-92; Amended and Renumbered 5-28-2014; Amended 9-27-17; Amended 10-19-17; Amended 06-09-21; Amended 4-2-25; Formerly 6Hx28:07-03; Formerly 6Hx28:3B-04.1 and 6Hx28:3B-04.2

Date of Last Procedure Review: 04-02-2025