Hiring Guidelines - Regular Staff

GW is committed to hiring practices for regular staff that are compliant and supportive of the university’s mission and of the career aspirations of staff, where possible. The purpose of these guidelines is to provide guidance on how to navigate hiring across the spectrum of staff positions, to clarify when posting waivers are permissible, and to help GW maintain  a fair, inclusive and non-discriminatory hiring process that attracts and selects candidates from a diverse pool of qualified talent. Governing the hiring process in all cases are both applicable university and Human Resources policies along with local and federal laws and regulations.

Default Approach

The university’s default approach for career opportunities is to post vacant positions for competitive recruitment. Postings may be advertised as available to only internal applicants or available for application by both internal and external applicants. 

Posting Standards

Prior to posting, the following criteria should be met:

Establish objective criteria.

1. Create clear and objective job descriptions that outline the essential functions and qualifications of the position.
2. All posted positions should satisfy the minimum standards established by Equal Employment Opportunity & Access as follows:
   1. Post for a minimum of three calendar days
   2. Minimum of three qualified applicants in the pool must be interviewed
   3. Identified candidates must satisfy the minimum qualifications for the job classification as it appeared in the posting to which they applied.
   4. Promote an equitable and inclusive environment by implementing practices that broaden the candidate pool and ensure fair, nondiscriminatory hiring processes.
   5. Postings that are internal to GW Employees only must be university-wide and follow the posting standards as outlined above.
   6. The HR representative responsible for the posting will make determinations on whether posting standards are satisfied.
   7. The HR representative responsible for the posting will also monitor and ensure  compliance by direct participation, analysis, monitoring or audit of  your hiring practices

Definitions

1. External Candidates: Individuals with no current direct employment relationship with GW, including contractors, temporary “wage” staff and student employees are also considered external candidates.

    

2. Internal Candidates: Individuals currently employed in a role that is “regular” staff or “GWTemps” are considered internal candidates.

Waiver of Posting for External Candidates

1. WAIVER OF POSTING. While HRMD advocates for the posting of positions for recruitment in general, in certain circumstances it is advisable for the university to allow external candidates to be hired without a posting requirement.GW allows for a Non-Competitive Recruitment Waiver in select situations to account for the  dynamic nature of the labor market and the corresponding need for flexibility to meet business needs. The Non-Competitive Research Recruitment Waiver process is appropriate when candidates are in possession of such highly specialized credentials and/or experience for a position that competitive recruitment would likely not attract a more suitable candidate or when extenuating circumstances warrant otherwise.

    

2. Requests for “Other” types of staff recruitment waivers require approval from the Equal Employment Opportunity & Access (EEOA) unit prior to any offer of employment. The approved exceptions are outlined below:

   1. Research: if GW hires a researcher who brings grant funding to GW and as a condition of accepting the offer, has negotiated to bring select staff to GW as part of the research endeavor; or staff are explicitly identified by name in a grant.
   2. Critical Research Staff: the identified candidate is to be hired as a Post-Doctoral Scientist, Research Scientist, Senior Research Scientist, Lead Research Scientist, Senior Research Associate or Research Associate and possesses credentials which meet or exceed the minimum qualifications for the position. Automatic waiver applies to these categories.
   3. Retired Research Staff: Retired research staff may be appointed without a competitive search when they return to the same hiring unit to perform the same type of work at the same or lower pay grade or rank and if their break in service does not exceed twelve (12) months from the date of retirement. Procedure: Documentation for the noncompetitive hire of a retired GW research employee without emeritus status must contain a justification letter explaining the circumstances and be submitted to  HR for review.
   4. Athletic Coaches: Athletic Coaches may be appointed without a competitive search when the identified candidate is to be hired as a Head Coach for an official GW athletic team and possesses credentials which meet or exceed the minimum qualifications for the position, or if GW hires a Head Coach who, as a condition of accepting the offer, has negotiated to bring select coaching staff to GW as part of the coaching team and the individuals are included by name in the Head Coaching contract. Automatic waiver applies to this category.
   5. Employees who have terminated their employment with the University other than for cause or performance may be appointed without a competitive search if they return to the same hiring unit to fill their former position that has not been filled and if their break in service does not exceed twelve (12) months.
   6. Current or Previous Search: Within 90 days, a search was conducted for a regular position with the same classification and duties, the selected candidate rescinds their job acceptance  or resigns of their own volition and the identified individual was a finalist from the original search pool.
   7. Select Staff Positions at the Executive Classification Level 2 (E2) or Above: Staff positions at the (E2) level or above who directly report to the Board of Trustees, the President of the university, or other top-level executive (E4) position within the university. The candidate must satisfy the minimum qualifications for the position. The following criteria may be considered for approval of an external candidate appointment:
      1. Limited term – engagement of an external candidate for a limited term not to exceed a 12 month period.

      2. Direct – the Board, the President or other university cabinet level official (e.g., Vice President, Provost, Dean) may make a direct appointment to an external candidate for positions at the level of E2 or above.

          

   APPROVAL AND IMPLEMENTATION AUTHORITY. Equal Employment Opportunity & Access Office

Administrative Hiring Decisions

This category of exceptions to the hiring process recognizes other common situations as outlined below, where it benefits the institution to waive requirements for competitive recruitment.

1. WAIVER OF POSTING. For administrative hiring decisions affecting existing staff, the approved exceptions are authorized:
   1. Restoration of Funding: the person identified was previously employed in a term-limited, sponsored-program position, which was not renewed due solely to the lack of funds. This applies only if the funding is restored within 90 days, and if the employee would return to the same title and duties held prior to the non-renewal. In most cases, the employee would need to return to the same work unit.
   2. Restoration of Work Authorization Status: In cases where a GW employee work authorization status lapses or is temporarily rescinded and the employee is able to restore authorization within 90 days. The employee will be eligible to return to his/her former position.

   3. Select Staff Positions at the Executive Classification Level 2 (E2) or Above: Staff positions at the (E2) level or above who directly report to the Board of Trustees, the President of the university, or other top-level executive (E4) position within the university. The candidate must satisfy the minimum qualifications for the position. The following criteria may be considered for approval of an appointment of an existing staff:

       

2. Acting/Interim – engagement of an existing staff member to temporarily perform duties classified at a higher level, on an acting basis. The acting appointment should not exceed a 12-month period.

    

3. Direct – the Board, the President or other university cabinet level official (e.g., Vice President, Provost, and Dean) may make a direct appointment of an existing staff to a position at the level of E2 or above.

    

4. Restructuring or Reorganization: This waiver exception is an option after business plans for reassignment to another department, division or school as part of an organizational realignment, reorganization, or reduction-in-force are approved by Human Resources. As applicable, the following must be satisfied:
   1. Existing staff meet minimum qualifications requirements for new positions.
   2. New salaries are consistent with the university classification structure and evaluated according to qualifications.
   3. The Equal Employment Opportunity & Access  Office will conduct an adverse impact analysis, along with other statistical reviews, to assess if salary or title changes resulting from restructuring or reorganizations would impact negatively on any protected group. 

Temporary Employees

1. CONVERSION FROM TEMPORARY TO REGULAR STATUS. Under these guidelines, active temporary employees hired through GWTemps are treated as internal employees. If all of the following criteria are satisfied, GWTemps staff are eligible to be hired as a regular employee (“conversion”) without requiring a competitive recruitment. The GWTemp,

   1. must be sourced, screened and hired through GWTemps, and
   2. has satisfactorily performed all job duties for a period not less than 3 months of full-time equivalent work, and
   3. will be converted to a regular employee in the same position as to which he/she was hired as a GWTemp.

    

2. EXTERNAL AGENCY OR WAGE HIRES. Employees hired through external agencies or the wage hire process are ineligible for conversion to regular status under this option.