K. Make The Final Decision

Checking Professional References

Reference Check Form 

A minimum of at least three email or telephone professional references must be documented for the candidate being considered.

If the person giving the reference says the candidate would not be eligible for rehire, you will want to consider removing that candidate from further consideration.  

1. Do not put anyone's current job in jeopardy. The search committee should contact those references listed in the references section of the TWU application. If the candidate does not want to allow TWU to contact the current employer, refrain from contacting them.
2. Hiring authorities should not raise any questions that fall under the EEO discriminatory practice areas, such as questions regarding sex, race, color, national origin, age, disability, or religion. The same questions should be asked for all references. Questions and answers should be recorded.
3. The interviewer should contact the candidate to provide another reference, if you are unable to contact the reference listed on the application.
4. Hiring authorities should not tell the applicant or the reference source(s) that he or she is conducting reference checks because the candidate has "been selected" for the position. The interviewer should only indicate that the candidate is "being considered".
5. Hiring authorities should not accept references from friends, relatives, or persons who have not had the opportunity to observe job-related performance.
6. Written letters of reference may be attached to the paperwork, but should not substitute for telephone or email references.
7. A previous employer may, on occasion, have rules regarding supplying references and may provide only the position title, dates of employment, salary, and eligibility for rehire. If this is found to be true, the hiring authorities should record this in the reference contact documents.
8. Hiring authorities should document identified problem areas or responses.   

Determining The Final Candidate

When making the final hiring decision, the hiring authorities should use only the weighted job-related criteria. Gathering, integrating, and evaluating interview information includes identifying the candidates' specific knowledge, skills, and abilities, and job requirements. Interview evaluations, in conjunction with other information, gathered during the selection process (e.g., reference checks, interview responses, resume, correspondence), should form the basis for the final decision. The hiring authorities should select the individual that best meets the identified job criteria.

Making the Job Offer

The committee must complete the Request to Appoint Regular Faculty form along with all HR search documents and forward it to the Dean before a job offer. Following a faculty selection decision, the appropriate university representatives should notify the selected candidate. Initial notification may be done verbally, but the candidate should also receive an official written contract from the Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and confirming the salary, job title, and start date.  

For staff at the Director level and above selection decisions, notifications and official offers are extended by the appropriate university representatives.

For “Classified” and most “Professional and Administrative” staff, the Office of Human Resources will extend the official job offer after the hiring department has submitted all HR documentation listed on the staff checklist. In addition, the background check and [if necessary] a degree verification/proof of selective service registration will be completed by the Office of Human Resources before the official job offer is presented to the selected candidate. As a reminder, HR has developed a guide sheet on employment criteria for applicants with criminal records.  This guide sheet is publicized on the Human Resources webpage and HR personnel will have the sole responsibility of determining an applicant’s employment eligibility.

I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification

All job offers must be made contingent upon proof of authorization to work in the U.S. In 1986, Congress reformed U.S. immigration laws to preserve the tradition of legal immigration while seeking to close the door to illegal entry. The employer sanctions provisions, found in section 274A of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), were added by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). These provisions further changed with the passage of the Immigration Act of 1990 and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996. all new employees must provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the United States. On the form, an employee must attest to the employment authorization. The employee must also present to HR personnel with acceptable documents evidencing identity and employment authorization. The HR personnel must examine the employment eligibility and identity document(s) an employee presents to determine whether the document(s) reasonably appear to be genuine and to relate to the employee and record the document information on the Form I-9. The list of acceptable documents can be found on the last page of the form. For more information visit the website:  https://www.uscis.gov/. 

Selective Service Verification

Males born January 1, 1960, or after must be registered for Selective Service. Applicants must provide registration information on the application or exemption. HR recruitment will verify registrations for Selective Service of final candidates. Additional information regarding selective service registration may be found at https://www.sss.gov/