Search Procedures

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION SEARCH COMMITTEE OVERVIEW

I.  INTRODUCTION.  Youngstown State University (YSU) is committed to equal employment opportunity and affirmative action in career advancement and employment.

Affirmative action is a process in which employers identify areas of improvement, set goals, and take positive steps to enhance opportunities for protected class members (individuals with disabilities, minorities, qualified veterans, and women) in order to help eliminate the effects of past and present discrimination. 

Equal employment opportunity involves procedures that insure that all qualified persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, disability, age, religion or veteran/military status have equal access to positions and/or advancement.  Protected class is defined by federal law and YSU policy.

The Office of Equal Opportunity and Policy Development (EOPD) has oversight of the search process at YSU in order to ensure that all applicants are provided fair and equitable consideration for employment and that recommendations for appointment/hire are made on the basis of merit and qualifications.

II. CONFIDENTIALITY. Members of a search committee need to maintain a strict level of confidentiality to protect the privacy of applicants and to preserve the integrity of the search process.  It is each committee member’s responsibility not to discuss any details of the search with non-committee members. If you discover that confidential information related to a search may have been compromised or shared outside of the committee, contact Human Resources immediately.

Search Committee members are not authorized to communicate to an applicant their employment status (recommended/not recommended for hire). All information regarding an applicant’s recommendation or non-recommendation for a position originate from Human Resources.

Written and electronic documentation pertaining to any given search may be subject to public record requests by applicants or other individuals.  Requests may encompass committee member notes and e-mails.  All public records requests are to be forwarded to the Office of General Counsel at 330-941-2340.

III. SEARCH PROCESS OUTLINE-All search committee members are required to have successfully completed the search committee training prior to serving on a search committee.

  1. Approval of position.
  2. Posting of the position.
  3. Hiring Authority reviews posting with the Search Committee Chair including any timeframe, # of finalists to be forwarded (if not already specified by the bargaining agreement) and if finalists are to be ranked.
  4. Search Committee development of applicant review criteria or rubric (a sample rubric is available on the Organizational Development Website and in Blackboard).
  5. Search committee review of applicants’ materials.
  6. Search Committee development of interview questions.
  7. Search Committee selection and Search Chair submission of Applicant Interview Requests* to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Policy Development (EOPD).
  8. EOPD approval of Interview Requests.
  9. Hiring Manager submission of Recommendation for Hire to EOPD for approval.
  10. EOPD approval of Recommendation for Hire.

* For each set of interviews the Search Committee repeats steps 6, 7, and 8

Search Committee members are not authorized to communicate to an applicant their employment status (recommended/not recommended for hire). All information regarding an applicant’s recommendation or non-recommendation for a position originates from Human Resources.  The Hiring Manager may let an applicant know that they are recommending them for hire and that once all approvals have been received, a formal offer of employment will come from Human Resources.  Only an HR Representative should discuss salary, benefits, and other offer details with an applicant.  

IV. SEARCHING FOR AN APPLICANT ON THE INTERNET AND/OR SOCIAL MEDIA. Although the Internet and Social Media are common means of communication and research, conducting internet searches on applicants for employment by entering their names in search engines such as Google, Bing, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc., is not permissible.

Such information is frequently unverifiable, anonymous and /or untrue. Also, the use of social media can provide information about personal characteristics or traits that are not job-related. Avoid prohibited topics such as age, race, gender, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religious affiliation, disability, military status, marital status, family status, personal appearance, and/or political affiliation, etc., which can compromise the search process and give rise to a potential hiring discrimination claim.

Questions regarding the above processes and procedures should be directed to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Policy Development (330-941-2216).