If there is a need to hire within your group or section, please contact Blyss Vincent, Staff Human Resources Manager, to begin the process. When hiring a new staff person, each position description must be approved by the GIM Administrator, the Department of Medicine Personnel Director, and Human Resources before being posted for recruitment, so please allow sufficient time for this process.
Process Overview
The basic timeline from job creation to hiring a new employee:
- Determine that a need exists for hiring new staff.
- Identify a funding source and obtain approval for funding the position.
- Develop the job description. (See Writing the Job Description.)
- Notify the Division’s Human Resources Manager, Blyss Vincent, that a new position is needed. The HR Manager will assist in filling out the Requisition Form.
- The HR Manager will enter the requisition into UWHires. It will go through the chain of approval, which includes the Division Administrator and Department of Medicine Personnel Director.
- The Compensation Office will review the job requisition to determine appropriate title, salary, etc.
- If approved, the Compensation Office forwards the requisition to Human Resources to post publicly. HR then forwards applications of job seekers. (This process varies slightly for professional, classified, and hourly positions. Contact HR for specific information.)
- The hiring unit reviews applications and conducts interviews. After selecting a candidate, the job offer is submitted to HR for approval. The approved offer is made to the applicant, usually by the hiring manager or the HR manager.
- HR confirms hiring via email; new employee is entered into payroll system.
Additional Factors to Consider
The job description is the most important aspect of new positions, and this process should be given careful consideration. Development of an accurate, complete job description will help to ensure that the hiring process goes smoothly and is completed in a reasonable length of time.
It is critical that positions with similar duties have the same job classification, educational requirements and salary range. Specific salaries within the range will vary depending upon an individual’s qualifications, but equity is critical. An organization chart is helpful in this process and it is required by the Division Administrator to show how each position fits in the chart.
If the proposed position is being created to support a grant, it is a good rule of thumb to follow the proposal as much as possible so that we do not exceed our budget allocations. This will not always be possible – but it is important not only for budgetary purposes but compliance purposes as well. If a position is created and filled that is not in the original grant proposal, it is very important to create documentation in the budget file that justifies the hire in the event of an audit.
NOTE: If the position is a replacement and the duties have not changed, using the same job description that was used to hire the departing person will speed up the hiring process significantly.
Hiring Short-Term Staff
To fill temporary needs, there are a number of options for hiring staff on a short-term basis.
- Direct Hire Temporary (Classified titles)
- Fixed Duration Appointments
- Handshake (for student employees)
Writing the Job Description
Guidelines
The level of duties and educational requirements should be in balance. For example, very few classified staff positions require master’s degrees. In any unit, there should be a greater number of classified than professional staff. Remember that professional staff positions should be the exception, not the routine choice.
Job duties determine the salary level. For example, if you need to pay a lower salary because of budgetary constraints, then the duties need to be consistent with the salary level. This works in the reverse as well; do not request a high salary if the job duties do not warrant it.
Do not combine two positions into one because of funding when the parts are not equal. In other words, if a position will work on more than one project, duties on all projects should be at the same level. Most importantly, do not combine classified staff duties with professional staff duties.
Professional staff positions are set by grade. Be familiar with what each grade means. Differences between grades are the duties, educational requirements, work experience – all of which then determine the salary range. Grades are not random or arbitrary.
The Division and the Compensation Office will review the position request to determine if the grade, salary, and educational requirements match the duties. The duties are the component on which all other pieces are determined. This is why developing a thorough, accurate job description is critical.
Writing the Job Description – Classified Staff
- Consider the following:
- What is the position’s primary purpose?
- What are the general duties?
- Are any duties unique to this position?
- Does the position have lead or supervisory responsibilities?
- What are the REQUIRED skills, knowledge, abilities, or experience?
Each classified job title has established educational and experience requirements. We must follow these guidelines in our requests. View the complete list of Classified job titles and descriptions on the Human Resources website.
Writing the Job Description – Professional Staff
Consider the following:
- What are the exemption criteria that classify the position as a professional staff position?
- What are the education and work experience qualifications?
- What is the level of difficulty in thinking and problem solving?
- At what level will personal interactions occur?
- How much supervision will this position be responsible for?
- What are the working conditions (i.e., work schedule, deadlines, etc.)?
- What is the impact of this position on the University of Washington?
View more information on hiring professional staff.