PURPOSE: To define the employment process for full-time equivalent positions and to ensure compliance with equal employment opportunity laws and enforcement of the College's affirmative action plan. 

DEFINITIONS:

• Trident Technical College Human Resources:  the Human Resources Department at Trident Technical College
• System Human Resources office: the Human Resources Office personnel employed by the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education (SBTCE) located in Columbia, SC
• South Carolina Office of Human Resources (OHR):  the Human Resources office personnel employed by the Budget and Control Board located in Columbia, SC
• Underutilization: a situation where the participation rate of a population of employees in a job category does not meet or exceed the availability rate of our recruiting area
• Human Resources Hiring Manager:  the employee at TTC who handles matters involving the classification and compensation of positions
• Human Resources Director:  the employee at TTC who oversees the Human Resources department at TTC

RECRUITMENT AUTHORIZATION

Established positions:  After the President provides TTC Human Resources with an official acceptance of the employee's letter of resignation or Notification of Termination of Employment (Trident Form T3-71), TTC Human Resources will send the appropriate hiring manager a Job Opening Notice (JON - Trident Form T3-12) - which includes underutilitzation information for Affirmative Action purposes, a copy of the current Position Description (PD) and OSHA compliance checklist.

       1.  The hiring manager must review the PD for accuracy.  If the PD requires updating or if the position merits a reclassification, the hiring manager must meet with the Human Resources Manager to process these changes. Upwardly reclassifying a position requires the Vice President's as well as the President's prior approval.  The hiring manager must forward the completed JON and the OSHA compliance checklist as well as the advertisement information to Human Resources when he/she finalizes the PD.  These forms and information will serve as the requisition for recruitment.  Generally, Human Resources should receive the JON and its accompanying documents no later than noon on Wednesday in order for the position to be advertised externally the following Sunday.  (See the RECRUITMENT section for advertising internally.)

       2.  Some situations may warrant exceptions to the above paragraph.  For example, due to the cyclical nature of faculty employment, recruitment for faculty may generally begin when the Vice President for Academic Affairs provides written authorization to Human Resources.  This authorization may be based on anticipated and prioritized vacancies as well as confirmed vacancies.  Another example is in the case of an emergency hire situation.  In any case of this nature, the hiring manager must follow up with an approved Job Opening Notice prior to making any employment recommendation(s).

       3.  New positions:  The President or designee must approve establishing a new position to include a review of the availability of funds.  The hiring manager must develop a PD describing the functions and specific duties of the position and the minimum qualifications required to perform these duties for review by the Human Resources Manager.  After gaining all institutional approvals, the Human Resources Manager will forward the PD to the System Human Resources office for appropriate action. After reviewing, the System Human Resources office will forward the PD to the South Carolina Office of Human Resources (OHR) for establishment.  When a new position is approved by the South Carolina Office of Human Resources, the TTC Human Resources office will send the appropriate hiring manager a Job Opening Notice (JON -Trident Form T3-12) - which includes underutilization information for Affirmative Action purposes as well as a copy of the approved Position Description (PD) for the job and the OSHA compliance checklist. The manager should retain the PD for later reference and update, when necessary.  The hiring manager must forward the completed JON and OSHA compliance checklist along with advertisement information to Human Resources.  These forms and information will serve as a requisition for recruitment.  Generally, Human Resources should receive the JON and its accompanying documents no later than noon on Wednesday in order for the position to be advertised externally the following Sunday.  (see the RECRUITMENT section for advertising internally)

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE CHANGES

     1.  The hiring manager/supervisor must obtain concurrence from his/her supervisor and Vice President when he or she considers organization structure changes.

     2.  Upon concurrence the Vice President may propose the organizational structure change to the President.

     3.  The President, or designee, provides the final approval/denial for the organizational structure change to the Vice President.  The Vice President conveys this approval to the hiring manager and the Human Resources Director.  Revisions to the institutional organizational chart will be made by HR department staff as soon as the approval is complete.

RECRUITMENT

     1.  Human Resources will advertise job vacancies with appropriate application deadlines.  The advertisement must run for at least five (5) working days.

     2.  The hiring manager, with guidance from TTC Human Resources regarding Equal Employment Opportunities/Affirmative Action and other concerns, and the Vice President, shall have discretion to advertise internally and/or externally.  The hiring manager should make final determination of recruitment method(s) and sources(s) and must comply with the college's Affirmative Action plan.

    3.  Advertising a job vacancy may be waived under two extenuating circumstances and only with the President's prior approval.  The first circumstance is if an emergency situation exists requiring the vacancy to be filled immediately, justification of the emergency must be made to the President by the Vice President.  The second circumstance is when the President approves the promotion of an employee one organizational level above the employee's current level.

    4.  In limited circumstances, the hiring manager may request consideration of an experience equivalency in lieu of the SBTCE minimum education requirement for a job vacancy, provided that the minimum requirements are not less than those required by the SBTCE requirement. In this situation, the hiring manager must consult with his/her Vice President.  If the Vice President concurs, then the Vice President forwards the request for an equivalency to the General Counsel and the Human Resources Director.  The General Counsel or the Human Resources Director will present the request to the President.  If the President approves the equivalency, the job vacancy must be advertised with language similar to "An equivalent combination of education and directly related work experience may be considered".

NOTE:   If the President believes that an exception to the State's minimum education and experience is warranted, a request must be made through the System Human Resources office to OHR for an equivalency approval.  The OHR Director must approve such equivalency prior to consideration of any such applicant.

     5.  When appropriate, applications for specific vacancies may first be limited to TTC employees occupying permanent positions, then, if necessary opened to external candidates.  Depending on the type of position and its potential applicant pool, either all or selected TTC employees occupying full-time equivalent positions will receive a vacancy announcement.  These internal job announcements will include a statement similar to "Applicants for this position will be limited to Trident Technical College employees occupying permanent positions.  However, this position may be advertised externally at a later date."  If the position becomes available to external candidates as well, Trident's temporary employees may submit an application.

When the situation merits it, the Vice President may request an exception from the President to include temporary employees in the initial internal announcement.  The hiring manager must forward the written approval from the President to the Human Resources Director prior to advertising.

     6.  TTC Human Resources, in consultation with the hiring manager, will plan and implement external searches.  Managers will use the JON to communicate the extent of involvement they desire.  The College will mail weekly announcements of all positions available to community agencies, colleges and universities acknowledged in Trident's Affirmative Action plan.  In addition, the College will advertise all such announcements in at least one Sunday edition of The Post and Courier. Trident will use additional newspapers, websites, journals and media as appropriate.

    7.  Positions which have been advertised externally will appear in a link on the Monday Edition, the College's weekly information publication, so that Trident employees are apprised of opened positions.  Trident employees who apply for such positions will compete with external candidates on an equal basis.

     8.  If the college does not receive a sufficient pool of qualified applicants or if the initial number of applicants does not provide an adequate minority or female representation and the position is in a race/sex group that has an underutilization, the college may extend the closing date.  If the number of qualified applicants is not sufficient or if the applicant pool is not diverse, the Human Resources Director consults with General Counsel or the supervising Vice President on re-advertising the position.

ESTABLISHING AN INTERVIEW TEAM

     1.  An interview team must be established and used for all vacancies, with the exception of administrative support staff who report to one person.

    2.  The supervising Vice President works with the hiring manager to establish a diverse interview team and selects or approves the team members and chairperson.  The hiring managers will communicate the members of the interview team to the HR Director before interviews are to take place via the JON.  The Vice President and the chairperson of the Committee work with  HR Director to achieve EEO/AA goals.

    3.  The chairperson coordinates the review of application materials with the team.  He/she also discusses EEO/AA concerns with the team prior to interviewing candidates.  He/she also discusses compliance with AA/EEO regulations during the interview process as well as encourages confidentiality by all before, during and after the screening/interview process.

     4.  The interview team members review complete application packets that meet the minimum advertised requirements prior to interview.  They develop questions for the candidate(s) and participate in the interview process.  They participate in recommending the hiring of a candidate using qualifiable criteria to the extent possible.  They may assist with completing the candidate evaluation forms and must maintain confidentiality of conversations and all materials regarding the screening/interview process with team members.

APPLICATIONS

     1.  The College accepts applications in response to announced vacancies ONLY and requires a separate application for each vacancy for which a person applies.  To apply, external and internal candidates should use Trident's application for Employment (Form T3-41A).

    2.  All applications for full-time and part-time positions must be submitted to the Employment Manager in the TTC Human Resources Department.  The Employment Manager will review all applications to identify those who meet the advertised minimum education and experience requirements.  The Employment Manager will only forward applications of those individuals who meet the advertised minimum education and experience requirements to the hiring manager.  However, the hiring manager may review ALL applications upon request.  When necessary, the TTC HR staff will request assistance from the hiring manager to determine whether or not an applicant is qualified.  Individuals who do NOT meet the advertised minimum education and experience requirements are NOT considered applicants.  Candidates are NOT considered applicants until they fulfill the following criteria: a) they complete a Trident Technical College application, AND b) they meet the minimum education and experience requirements advertised for the position.

     3.  TTC Human Resources will send a response letter to: unqualified individuals, for unsolicited applications forms, and for other employment inquiries for full-time equivalent positions to acknowledge receipt of the information and provide an explanation as to why his/her information is not forward to the hiring manager.  These letters will also explain that the College requires a separate application form as each vacancy occurs.  TTC Human Resources will send unsolicited applications and other forms of employment inquiries about part-time faculty and other hard-to-fill positions to the appropriate manager in case the manager wants to retain the information for future access.

    4.  TTC Human Resources does not track information received for part-time positions for affirmative action purposes, nor does TTC HR send these individuals an acknowledgement letter.

    5.  The Human Resources Manager will work with each hiring manager as appropriate throughout the process.

EMPLOYEE SELECTION

    1. The hiring manager along with appropriate members of the interview team(at the discretion of the hiring manager) will be responsible for determining which applicants from the referral file will be interviewed.  They should make their decision based on the job requirements advertised and set forth in the PD and JON.

     2.  Originally, the JON captures any EEO/AA underutilization information.  TTC Human Resources will also use the Employee Selection Summary (Trident Form T3-31) to remind the hiring manager of any underutilization that he/she must consider for the College and the division.  The summary also indicates the number of applications from minorities and/or females included in the referral file.

    3.  The College must treat all interviewees in the same manner; thus the same person(s) should conduct all interviews, if practical.  To assist hiring managers toward this end, TTC Human Resources will provide a packet of information with each referral packet (Orange folder).  This packet of information provides the following:

• A check list outlining the employment forms
• Affirmative Action Plan implementation guide
• "Do's" and "Don'ts" of interviewing and checking references
• Record of interview forms
• Reference check forms
• Sample interview questions
• Employee Selection Summary
• Employment Recommendation form
• Employment process evaluation form
• For faculty hires:  the Compensation Questionnaire and the Faculty Credential Review form

   4.  The hiring manager or interview team chair must document each interview conducted by completing and signing the Record of Interview (Trident Form T3-65) form.  When more than one person conducts the interview, the Record of Interview should reflect the group's consensus.  Only if consensus is not possible should each interviewer complete a separate Record.

   5.  Affirmative Action/Equal Employment efforts are the responsibility of everyone in the hiring process.  The Human Resources Manager will assist and ensure that those efforts are adequately documented.

    6.  Hiring managers must complete at least two (2) supervisory Reference Checks (Trident Form T-3-32) for the recommended candidate.   When possible, one of these references must be the applicant's current/most recent supervisor.  If the applicant does not give consent to contact his or her current/most recent supervisor on the application, the hiring manager must advise the applicant that a reference check with this supervisor will be necessary prior to extending a job offer. This is typically done after the recommended salary is approved by the President.  The other(s) should be former supervisors.  If two supervisory references are not possible, the hiring manager should complete two additional professional references and provide documentation of why two supervisory references were not possible to obtain.  Managers are also encouraged to check additional references, particularly professional peers.  The referral package will contain additional forms for this purpose.

   7.  In preparation of an offer of employment to a faculty candidate, the hiring manager must give the selected candidate a Faculty Compensation Questionnaire (C.Q.); the candidate should complete this Questionnaire and submit it to Human Resources by the date specified by the hiring manager.

8.  The department head/dean must complete a Faculty Credential Review (Trident Form T4-25), which will be included in the selection package.  The Faculty Credential Review provides verification that the academic credentials for the faculty candidate are appropriate for the institution to employ competent faculty members qualified to accomplish the mission and goals of the institution.  Should the recommended candidate's credentials be in question or not meet SACS requirements, the candidate must also sign the Credential Review form before the department head/dean forwards the selection file to the dean and Vice President.  Academic Affairs keeps this form on file.

EMPLOYMENT RECOMMENDATION

     1.  The hiring manager will make the employment recommendation; the appropriate managerial supervisors, including the Vice President must approve this recommendation.  The Human Resources Director, who serves as the College's AA/EEO officer, will also review recommendations.  Final approval for employment rests with the President.

     2.  When the hiring manager decides which applicant to recommend, the Human Resources manager will work with the hiring manager to establish an appropriate salary; the hiring manager and the Human Resources manager should complete this step prior to any signatures of approval.  In the case of faculty positions, the Human Resources manager must evaluate the Faculty Compensation Questionnaire and the department head and dean must concur with this evaluation.

     3.  Salary recommendations for classified positions that are above the mid-point of the salary range require justification to the System Human Resources office and to OHR.  These agencies either approve or disapprove the requested  salary based on the information provided.  For this reason, the hiring manager must provide justification in the space provided on the Employment Recommendation (Trident Form T3-68) as well as submit a narrative to the Human Resources manager.  The narrative should include specific information such as level of education, total years of experience, market demand, local market salary data, uniqueness of skills/knowledge, etc., as appropriate.  Refer to TTC Procedures 8-15-1 (Classified Employees Compensation) and 8-5-1 (Faculty, Teaching) for additional information regarding compensation.

    4.  Hiring Managers should prepare an employee selection package for the purpose of securing the required approvals.  The package should contain at least the following:

• Employee Selection Summary (Trident Form T3-31)
• Employee Recommendation (Trident Form T3-68)
• Two (2) Supervisory Reference Checks (Trident Form T3-32) for the person being recommended
• Record(s) of Interview (Trident FormT3-65) for the person being recommended as well as all the applicants interviewed
• Applicant Information Sheet (which includes EEO Information and the list of applicants)
• All the Applications for Employment (Trident Form T3-41A) that were referred for the vacancy
• Completed Faculty Credential Review (Trident Form T4-25), if applicable
• Complete Faculty Compensation Questionnaire, if applicable
• An Explanation of why minorities or females were not interviewed if the position showed underutilization for females and or minorities for the College and/or division

     5.  As the AA/EEO officer, the Human Resources Director will review each selection file before sending it to the President to ensure the employment recommendation complies with the College's Affirmative Action plan.  If appropriate, the AA/EEO officer will take the following actions:

• Review credentials of the qualified minority and female applicants and when necessary discuss the employment decision with the supervising Vice President.
• Consult with the General Counsel
• Recommend any appropriate affirmative action steps to the supervising Vice President.
• Advise the President of affirmative action efforts and compliance as well as any other concerns.

EMPLOYMENT OFFER

     1.  After the President approves a faculty appointment, the Human Resources manager will notify the department head/dean that will make the job offer.  When the candidate accepts the job offer, the department head/dean must advise the Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Human Resources Manager of the employment start date.

     2.  The Human Resources Manager will notify the hiring manager when the President approves the hiring of classified employees.  The Human Resources manager will then extend the job offer to the applicant and secure a start date, unless the hiring manager wants to make the offer.  If a position requires a physical or other pre-employment test, offers are made contingent upon receiving favorable results.

     3.  The Benefits Coordinator and the Human Resources Director will conduct new employee orientation within the first two (2) weeks of employment.

Reviewed June 1, 2009