Recruit and Hire
Conducting an effective and efficient competitive recruitment process for open staff positions helps meet the university’s goal of attracting a highly-qualified workforce to support the mission of excellence in education and research.
This guide provides hiring managers, HR representatives, and other stakeholders with logistical and strategic guidance, tools, best practices and step-by-step direction to advance understanding of the Competitive Recruitment process.
This Competitive Recruitment guide can be used for all open staff positions from service and support positions to individual contributor, management, and executive positions by adjusting the effort towards certain aspects of the recruitment process based on the career stream. For example, you may spend more time and effort in the advertising and Sourcing stages of the Competitive Recruitment process for an executive director opening as opposed to a maintenance mechanic opening.
For all recruitment and hiring, managers should work with their HR representative to ensure that the appropriate procedures are followed and the necessary paperwork is completed.
Internal Promotion Process
GW’s internal progressive promotion program fosters the career progression of current employees through internal promotional opportunities. Where a vacancy exists or becomes available managers may identify and promote staff within their same department or unit who have demonstrated the skills, ability, and performance level to be successful in a higher level position. This streamlined promotion process is designed to cultivate career growth at the university and to readily recognize and reward staff who are stepping up to the next level. For more details, please contact your HR Business Partner and refer to the Internal Progressive Promotion guidelines (PDF).
Student Employment
Managers looking to hire GW students should refer to the Career Services Student Employment website for information and guidelines about posting student job opportunities, hiring, and managing student workers. The Student Employment website also provides information on Federal Work Study and international student employment.
Temporary Employment
The university employs individuals in non-student temporary wage positions to provide operational and staffing guidance to department managers who may need to hire temporary employees. Find information in the Temporary Employment section on the temporary hiring procedure as well as on GW Temps, GW's internal temporary agency.
International Hires and Placements
Departments may have the need to engage an individual to perform services outside of the U.S. for GW or to place a GW employee on an assignment outside of the U.S. This section discusses who to contact and provides necessary forms for the process.
Unpaid Internships and Volunteers
Managers looking to sponsor an unpaid intern or volunteer should refer to the Unpaid Intern/Volunteer Direction for Sponsoring Managers document for information and guidelines for identifying, screening, placing, training, and supervising an unpaid intern or volunteer.
Competitive Recruitment Guide and Tools
This section of the Manager's Handbook comprises the Competitive Recruitment Guide.
Throughout the guide, you will find links to various recruitment resources which are intended to provide you with additional means of understanding and completing the recruitment process. A complete list of linked resources is located in the Resources and FAQ section.
Waivers of Posting
GW is committed to equality and fairness in recruitment, selection, and employment at the university. In addition to being required in almost all circumstances, it is also preferable to conduct a competitive recruitment search in order to elicit the most qualified pool of candidates and ensure equal opportunity.
In certain rare and specific circumstances, the university may allow an individual to be hired into a position without requiring that position to be posted. This situation is known as a “waiver of posting.” All waivers of posting require approval by the HR Business Partner in consultation with the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity & Access (EEOA) and Talent Acquisition.
Only certain positions are eligible for waivers of posting. In the case of external candidates, certain research positions and top-level executive positions may be eligible – those at the E3 level or above appointed by the President, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Executive Vice President and Chief Administration Officer and Executive Vice President and CFO. In addition, the President, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Executive Vice President and Chief Administration Officer and Executive Vice President and CFO may appoint their direct administrative assistant. For cases where a selected candidate rescinds a job offer or resigns of their own volition within 90 days of competitive recruitment search, please see “If the Selected Candidate Rescinds the Conditional Job Offer.”
In the case of existing staff, waivers of posting may apply for certain top-level executive (E3 or above) positions and in particular situations involving the restoration of funding or work authorization within 90 days or in accordance with the university’s guidelines for Internal Progressive Promotions (PDF).
For information on conversion of temporary employees, please see Temporary Employment.
For more information on the requirements of a waiver of posting, please review the Position Posting Guidelines (PDF) and consult your HR Business Partner.