Step 2: Recruiting and Preparing for Campus InterviewsInterviews

1. Planning Logistics of the Search
The Chair/Director, Search Committee Chair and unit support staff should review the entire search process, review the requisite duties, and assign roles and responsibilities. A timeline for screening applications, reference checks, candidate conference calls, and scheduling interviews should be established and shared with the faculty of the unit to ensure availability during the Finalists' campus interviews and a timely and successful completion of the search.

2. Advertising
The Academic Unit is responsible for distribution of the position description to the venues specified in the Recruitment Plan. The Provost’s Office will send the ad copy to Marketing and Communication for internal posting. Final approved ads should be posted to college websites and shared with colleagues at other universities as appropriate to recruit a large and diverse pool of applicants. Any additions to the Recruitment Plan including additional advertising venues should be noted by the Chair/Director and kept as part of the record for the search.

3. Search Committee Training
The University’s plan for affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity and achieve diversity is integral to each individual step of the recruitment process. Throughout each search, adherence to the plan, in spirit and in letter, is required. To facilitate compliance with state and federal regulations and to cultivate an inclusive environment on campus, search committees shall view the Search Committee Orientation materials at the OHR web site

Members of the Search Committee, Chair/Director, and support staff should also review the following HireTouch support documents:
-    Review by Search Committee
-    Review by Search Committee Chair, Department Support or Hiring Manager, Department Chair or School Director
-    Committee Review Process
-    Letter of Reference Process
-    Reviewing Letters of Recommendation
-    Phone Interview & Begin On-Campus Interview Process

4. Soliciting Nominations
If part of the Recruitment Plan is to reach out to contacts or colleagues at other programs, sample letters are available (Chair Request for Nominations, Letter of Notification – Nomination Status). Seeking nominations can be an effective method of recruiting a diverse and qualified pool of applicants or when recruiting a senior hire.

If timing permits, faculty from the Academic Unit may wish to recruit applicants at national conferences or regional meetings.  The approved PVA and materials promoting the Academic Unit, College, BGSU and the Bowling Green community may be distributed.

5. Applicant File Management
HireTouch will maintain an applicant file containing the letter of application and CV for each applicant.  HireTouch will also notify each applicant that the letter of application and the CV have been successfully uploaded.  During the application process, each applicant will be prompted for contact information for reference letters.  HireTouch will contact potential referees by e-mail and referees will be able to upload reference letters via HireTouch.  The Academic Unit will be responsible for monitoring the receipt of reference letters in HireTouch.  The receipt of reference letters is not required for a candidate’s application to be considered complete.

If the Academic Unit requires additional application materials, the Academic Unit shall be responsible for providing instructions to the applicants and maintaining applicant files (electronic or hard copy) for those materials.  Unit support staff, the Search Committee Chair, or another individual should regularly log on to HireTouch to identify newly completed applications so that instructions for providing additional application materials can be sent in a timely manner.  Applicants should be apprised of the completeness of their applications.   A sample letter is provided, Letter of Acknowledgement – Applicants.

HireTouch will provide some communications with applicants during the search.  These communications are generic.  It is important that the Academic Unit also reach out to candidates whether to update the status of the search process or to promote the collegiality of the unit.  Simple e-mails similar to the Letter of Acknowledgement that are customized for the Unit’s search can be an effective way to enhance the recruiting effort.

To ensure full consideration of each applicant, an Applicant Roster for Committee Discussion and Vote should be created and maintained.  HireTouch may also be used to record the decisions made during the screening process (Committee Review Process).