Staff Recruitment Guide
The tools and resources provided in this guide are designed to help hiring managers, search committee chairs, and search committee members take a proactive, intentional approach to the search and hiring process designed to hire the right person in the right position. NJIT’s goal is to help our students become leaders and innovators who shape industry and the nation- we believe that starts with hiring the best and most qualified, diverse, employees to join our team. The hiring process begins with defining the position in context of your area’s strategy and ends with the successful onboarding of the new hire. Each step throughout the process is equally as important as the next, and if carried out, will mitigate barriers to achieving a high quality, diverse staff.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
If you have any questions on the content or the process in this guide, please reach out to a member of NJIT HR’s Talent Acquisition team at: careers@njit.edu or (973)596-3140.
Please refer to the Roles and Responsibilities Guide as a reference.
Hiring the right person is an opportunity to evaluate and align resources with NJIT’s Strategic Plan, Building on a Strong Foundation--NJIT 2025, as well as the vision and mission of the university and your department. Prior to posting a position, the hiring manager should obtain approval from the area Vice President or Dean before proceeding.
If the position is new or existing but undergoing significant changes, consult with your HR Partner. You will work together to perform a job analysis, which will provide a way to develop an understanding of the job by examining the tasks performed in the job, the competencies required to perform those tasks, and the connection between the tasks and competencies. Your HR Partner will work with you to develop a job description for the position. Information from the job analysis will be used to determine the position classification and hiring pay range. Your HR Partners will consult with the HR Compensation team for additional expert guidance on establishing the appropriate position classification.
A properly written job description will include responsibilities, essential functions and qualifications required for the position and will be a source document developing the recruitment strategy and selection criteria. When recruiting, a clear, detailed and enticing job description is essential for attracting the best talent. Top would-be employees will want to apply for roles which utilize their best skills or cover an area of interest; therefore, you should ensure that the job description covers the main responsibilities and aspects of the position. It details who performs a specific type of work, how that work is to be completed, and the frequency and the purpose of the work as it relates to the organization's mission and goals.
Please use this job description template to aid with writing the job description.
Once the job description is complete, the position request form should be submitted.
The recruitment and diversity strategy is designed to attract and solicit a highly qualified diverse pool of applicants. Before a search commences, the Hiring Manager, in consultation with the Talent Acquisition team, should develop a recruitment strategy.
It’s important that Talent Acquisition fully understands the need for the position, the responsibilities and qualifications needed to successfully perform the position, as well as the specific attributes the successful candidate should have.
Talent Acquisition will also discuss the recommended advertising and sourcing strategy, pre-screening questions, interview format and length the position should remain open.
After the meeting, the Hiring Manager will receive an email which recaps what was discussed and agreed to during the meeting, as well as the costs of any external advertising. Once this strategy is agreed upon, the search begins.
All positions must be posted for a minimum of 5 business days and have a defined end date. The end date will typically be 30 days from the date the position is posted, unless otherwise discussed, and will be extended in consultation with the HR Partner and Hiring Manager.
Positions for internal candidates only will be posted on the NJIT Internal Career Site, which can be accessed through the Highlander Pipeline. Additionally, certain positions that warrant an internal posting before an external posting will be posted first on the internal career site.
A request to waive the recruitment process for certain positions, in certain situations, may be submitted; please refer to the policy for more information.
Your Talent Acquisition team will work with you to post positions on additional external sites.
Internal candidates should not apply for lateral or promotional opportunities until they have successfully completed their probationary period.
Search committees are responsible for participating in recruiting, screening, and recommending candidates for hire to the Hiring Manager. Search committees play a critical role in shaping NJIT’s future by identifying promising candidates likely to increase the university’s success. Utilization of a search committee demonstrates a commitment to fairness in the process and creates a sense of shared decision making for those individuals likely to work with the successful applicant.
The Talent Acquisition Team will discuss whether forming a search committee is appropriate for your search during the recruitment strategy meeting. If the decision is made to use a search committee, the Hiring Manager, in collaboration with the Talent Acquisition team, will identify potential search committee members. The Talent Acquisition team will work closely with the search committee during the recruitment process.
More information on search committee composition and responsibilities can be found here.
The review process should include the following:
SUCCESSFUL ONBOARDING OF NEW STAFF MEMBER
Onboarding at NJIT is the process of strategically integrating new employees into their work environment, which helps them perform better in their roles, sooner. Effective onboarding promotes frequent communication with the new employee, boosts their engagement, and ensures a smooth transition into the university. Onboarding occurs in the period between acceptance of an offer and continues until the employee is fully integrated into the NJIT community. The Talent Acquisition team will work with the Hiring Manager to recommend onboarding activities to be completed by both the Hiring Manager and the new hire, as well as make recommendations for other onboarding activities specific to the role, where appropriate. Please review the Manager’s Checklist for Successful Onboarding.
RECORD RETENTION
Based on several federal laws and our Records Retention Policy, NJIT must retain hiring records for each position for at least three years from the date of the hiring decision (i.e., the date the position was filled). Hiring records include, but are not limited to, all applications and resumes considered for the position, interview and search notes and reference and background checks.