NC School of the Arts

MERIT-BASED RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PLAN Chancellor Alex C. Ewing Brenda McGinn, Director of Human Resources
PURPOSE	The purpose of this merit-based recruitment and selection plan is to fill positions subject to the State Personnel Act from among the most qualified individuals. In the recruiting and selection process, the North Carolina School of the Arts will give equal employment opportunity to all applicants, without regard to race, religion, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, or political affiliation/influence, and will be based solely on job related criteria. The recruitment and selection process will be consistently applied, nondiscriminatory, and promote fairness, diversity, and integrity. The recruitment and selection process will comply with all Federal and State laws, regulations, and policies.
COMMITMENT FROM MANAGEMENT	The Chancellor, Human Resources Director, and executive management accept responsibility for ensuring that all hiring practices are applied consistently and equitably, thereby demonstrating commitment and support of the merit-based recruitment and selection plan. The Chancellor, Human Resources Director and executive management accept responsibility for ensuring the recruitment and selection process complies with all applicable and existing state and federal laws, policies, and rules governing personnel actions, including Senate Bill 886. The merit-based recruitment and selection plan will also comply with established policies issued by the Office of State Personnel. Positive efforts will be made to recruit qualified individuals including minorities, women and persons with disabilities for applicant pools. In addition, the Human Resources Director and executive management will demonstrate efforts to consider and apply contemporary human resource practices.
ETHICS STATEMENT	The citizens of North Carolina and the state workforce deserve strong assurances that knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) are the basis for state government hiring decisions, not political patronage. In order to assure the integrity of state government, every employee has a responsibility to view public service as a public trust and to act impartially. Preferential treatment will not be given to any private organization or individual based on political affiliation or influence.
COMMUNICATION	The North Carolina School of the Arts will implement strategies to inform employees, applicants, and the general public of the merit-based recruitment and selection plan. After receiving approval from the Human Resources Commission, employees will be informed of the merit-based recruitment and selection plan and processes through an information sheet included with the monthly pay stubs. Additional information, such as a copy of the agency plan, will be available in the Human Resources Office, and will become a part of the Recruitment and Selection section in each supervisor's Human Resources Manual. Employees with questions may contact the Human Resources Office at (336) 770-3317. In addition, the North Carolina School of the Arts will post the merit-based recruitment and selection position statement on bulletin boards and include a statement regarding the school's position on all vacancy announcements.
TRAINING	The North Carolina School of the Arts will provide merit-based recruitment and selection training to managers/supervisors, and human resources staff on a scheduled basis. Updates and revisions to North Carolina School of the Arts merit-based recruitment and selection plan will be communicated through written materials and training sessions. Human Resources staff should be consulted for assistance and will be responsible for review of selection tools and procedures.
ROLE DEFINITIONS/ EXPECTATIONS	A. Executive Management staff is responsible for leadership in developing and implementing merit-based procedures and demonstrating commitment and support for merit-based recruitment and selection. B. Managers and supervisors are responsible for evaluating the need for filling vacant positions, maintaining accurate and current position descriptions for subordinate jobs, understanding the concepts of the merit-based system and communicating the process to employees and applicants, making every effort to achieve and maintain a diverse workforce, demonstrating commitment and support for merit-based recruitment and selection, making all hiring decisions based on merit principles, and documenting selection decisions. C. The staff of Human Resources are responsible for: · demonstrating commitment and support for merit-based recruitment and selection in daily operations; · providing technical advice and assistance to managers and supervisors; · developing school specific policies and procedures for merit based actions; · ensuring the training of managers and supervisors on a variety of issues relating to merit-based recruitment and · selection; · monitoring recruitment and selection activities for adherence to merit-based policies and procedures; · maintaining recruitment and selection data in order to conduct employment trend analysis. Individuals with responsibilities which include human resource functions may also provide assistance and guidance to managers and supervisors. For the purposes of this plan, such individuals will be considered a part of the Human Resources staff. D. Employees and applicants are responsible for obtaining vacancy information in order to submit the required materials, providing full and complete information to their qualifications, and submitting materials for the vacancy by the established deadline.
PRE-RECRUITMENT/ RECRUITMENT ACTIVITIES	The North Carolina School of the Arts will strive to actively recruit from a variety of sources to achieve a diverse workforce that successfully meets the needs and demands of the school. The hiring manager, with assistance and guidance from the Human Resources staff, will: - assess the need for the position to ensure it contributes to meeting the goals, objectives, and mission of the work unit; - conduct a job analysis including a review of the duties, responsibilities, and qualifications of the position; and - revise the position description if necessary. Job analysis is necessary only when there is a change in the duties and responsibilities that impacts qualifications required. Therefore, if a current, accurate job analysis already exists for a given job type, there is no need to conduct a new one for each individual vacancy. For example, in instances where there is a high volume of positions in a class, frequent turnover in a class, or little job change, there will likely not be a need to conduct a new job analysis each time a vacancy occurs. As long as there is a job analysis on file that accurately assesses the position, there is not a requirement to conduct another one. The hiring manager and Human Resources staff should assure that the critical tasks, KSAs and training and experience requirements, including any selective criteria necessary to successfully perform the duties of the position, have been identified. In order to assure a timely and efficient process, generic KSAs (included on class specifications) may be utilized for recruitment and selection purposes where they are sufficient for differentiating qualifications of applicants. Information from the job analysis and position description will guide the hiring manager in drafting the vacancy announcement. Human Resource staff will ensure the vacancy announcement meets the requirements of State policy. The hiring manager and Human Resources staff will determine the appropriate option in posting a vacancy (internal to the school, state government, or external). In addition, Human Resources staff consults with the hiring manager to determine additional recruitment sources, if needed, to target specific audiences, including professional journals, newspapers, and performing arts colleges and universities. Prior to the vacancy closing date, the hiring manager will determine any selection tool(s) that will be used in the final evaluation process. Any selection tool(s) utilized will be objective, based upon job-related KSAs, and be consistently applied to all applicants in the final selection pool. Human Resources staff should be consulted for assistance and will be responsible for review of selection tools and procedures.
SELECTION PROCESS	A. Definitions 1. Selective criteria: additional essential qualifications specifically related to the duties and responsibilities of the individual position. 2. Knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs): - knowledge: information which makes adequate performance on the job possible - skill: a proficiency that is readily observable, quantifiable, and measurable , i.e. typing, vehicle operation, etc. - ability: capacity to perform an activity at the present time 3. Preferences: Specific types of experiences, degrees, licenses, KSAs, or other selection factors above those minimally required to perform the duties and responsibilities of a position. 4. Essential qualifications (minimum qualifications): Minimum training and experience requirements including knowledge, skills, abilities and selective criteria included on the vacancy announcement. 5. Qualified: Those applicants whose credentials indicate the possession of training and experience, selective criteria, and KSAs included in the vacancy announcement. 6. Most Qualified: The group of applicants who, to the greatest extent, possess qualifications which exceed the essential requirements described in the vacancy announcement. B. Differentiating qualified and most qualified applicants: 1. Determining qualified applicants: Applications are to be submitted to the Human Resources department. The Human Resources Director and a designated Human Resources staff member will screen applications to determine which applicants meet essential qualification requirements including any selective criteria. In situations where there are 10 or less applications meeting the essential qualifications, all may be forwarded directly to the hiring manager in alphabetical order. This group then becomes the pool of most qualified applicants. If the quality of applications forwarded is deemed insufficient, the hiring manager may choose to re-advertise the position. 2. Determining most qualified applicants: If there are more than 10 qualified applicants, a second level of evaluation will be conducted to determine those that are most qualified. Applications are evaluated to determine to what extent essential qualifications are exceeded in order to identify the most qualified. The Human Resources Director and hiring manager will evaluate the applications to determine those that are most qualified. The job related evaluation criteria will be determined prior to the second level of evaluation. Those applicants clearly exceeding the essential qualifications will be a manageable number, typically between 5 and 10. Any further analysis must continue to be based upon the job related qualifications identified in the vacancy announcement. If there are no applicants which clearly exceed the essential qualifications, the hiring manager may determine that the existing applicants should be considered the most qualified applicant pool, or a decision may be made to re-advertise the vacancy. Applications must be reviewed in relation to all applicable policies and issues.
EMPLOYMENT/ RE-EMPLOYMENT PRIORITIES	The Human Resources Director and designated Human Resources Staff individual will review the initial applicant pool to identify applicants with priority status. All employment/re-employment priorities are to be afforded in accordance with State policy. This will require, in some instances, that applications of individuals with certain priorities will be included among those referred to the hiring manager. All individuals involved in application evaluation, including the hiring manager, will receive advice and guidance from the Human Resources staff regarding the priority consideration which must be afforded. Consideration must be given to applicants that have the following priorities: Priority Re-employment: Employees scheduled to be separated or separated through reduction-in-force have priority consideration over non-state applicants. RIF candidates must only meet essential qualifications to receive priority. Exempt Policy-Making/Confidential and Exempt Managerial: Employees separated from exempt policy-making/confidential and exempt managerial positions for reasons other than just cause have priority consideration over non-state applicants and must only meet essential qualifications to receive priority. Veterans Preference: Preference is to be given in initial employment opportunities to qualified veteran applicants. Promotional Priority: Career state employees are eligible for priority consideration over non-state applicants when the individuals possess substantially equal qualifications. Injured-on-the-job/Workers' Compensation: Employees injured-on-the-job, placed on workers' compensation leave, and who have been released to return to work by their physician have re-employment consideration based upon maximum medical improvement.
MAKING THE FINAL SELECTION RECOMMENDATION/ DECISION	The final selection recommendation/decision will be made from among the most qualified applicants. Applicants with priority re-employment must also be given appropriate consideration. The hiring manager will utilize selection tools that are objective and based upon job-related KSAs. Any selection tool will be consistently applied to all applicants in the final pool. The hiring manager will also be responsible for documenting the selection process and justifying the hiring recommendation and/or decision. Human Resources staff will be available for guidance and assistance to the hiring manager at any time during the selection process. Human Resources staff will review the applicant package to ensure employment/re-employment priorities are properly afforded. Applicants not selected for the position will receive timely written notice of the selection decision.
APPROVAL PROCESS	Upon selection of the most qualified applicant, the hiring manager must have signatures from the department head, the Vice Chancellor for the hiring manager's department, the budget office and the Human Resources Director. No offer of employment can be made until all signatures are obtained, the completed documents are received in the Human Resources Office, and the hiring manager is notified by Human Resources staff that an offer may be extended.
DOCUMENTATION OF PROCESS	It will be the practice of the North Carolina School of the Arts to maintain documentation of the merit-based recruitment and selection process in order to support the decisions and to provide fact-based information for monitoring and evaluating recruitment and selection practices and procedures. A file will be maintained for each hiring event for a minimum of three years. Each file will contain: any record of job analysis conducted for the vacancy including any additional KSAs and/or selective criteria that resulted from job analysis (or a reference to the job analysis utilized for the vacancy) vacancy announcement recruitment sources selection tools and criteria applications received priority re-employment inventory/register selection/decision log inventory of applicants as unqualified, qualified, and most qualified recruitment and selection checklist
APPEALS PROCESS	If an applicant has reason to believe they were denied employment due to political affiliation or influence, the applicant may appeal the hiring decision directly to the Office of Administrative Hearings within 30 days of written notification that the position has been filled if all the following conditions apply: applicant timely applied for the position in question applicant was not hired into the position; applicant was among the most qualified persons applying for the position; successful applicant for the position was not among the most qualified persons applying for the position; and hiring decision was based upon political affiliation or political influence
MONITORING/ EVALUATION	Human Resources staff will periodically review program data across the North Carolina School of the Arts to ensure the recruitment and selection activities are in compliance with the school's plan. Human Resources staff will compile and analyze an annual summary of selection activity for the Commissioner/Chancellor. This report will include analysis of the impact on demographic groups, exceptions to policy, and other relevant facts. Human Resources staff also will comply with the reporting and plan update requirements from the Office of State Personnel.

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MERIT-BASED RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PLAN