Staff and Contracts: Hiring Process

The hiring process begins when a department decides to fill a position, either by creating a new position or refilling an existing one. Confirm that the position aligns with departmental needs before moving forward.

Before proceeding, confirm that funding is available for the position. Budget confirmation is the responsibility of the hiring manager and department and is completed internally, outside of the UApprove system. Consult with the Budget Office to confirm position number.

The hiring manager writes or updates the position description for the role. The position description defines the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and classification of the position. It is the foundation of the hiring process and will be used by the Compensation Team to confirm the classification and pay range.
If you need assistance writing or updating a position description, contact the HRS Compensation Team.

Once the position description is ready, the hiring manager submits the Electronic Hiring Form (EHF) through UApprove.

The EHF automatically routes through the necessary approvals before the position can be posted.

Once all approvals are complete, the Recruitment Specialist sends a drafted job posting to the hiring manager. Note that this posting will not be identical to the position description. Postings are written to balance providing enough information with staying concise enough to attract job seekers.

Approved positions are posted on UM's job boards every Tuesday and Friday. Your Recruitment Specialist will confirm when the posting goes live.

The position remains open for applications during the recruitment period. Minimum posting requirements vary by position type: 

• Staff positions: must be posted for a minimum of 7 to 14 days 

• Contract Professional positions: must be posted for a minimum of 30 days 

The Recruitment Specialist monitors the applicant pool during the posting period and will contact the hiring manager if an extension appears necessary to build an adequate pool. 

For internal only searches, the Recruitment Specialist confirms applicant eligibility before the pool is provided to the search committee. 

Once the posting closes, the Recruitment Specialist provides the applicant pool to the search committee for review.

The search committee reviews all applications, determines which candidates will be interviewed, and submits written justifications for their selections. Justifications should clearly explain why selected candidates meet the qualifications for the role and why others were not advanced.

The search committee drafts interview questions before conducting any interviews. Questions should be consistent across all candidates and focused on the qualifications and competencies required for the role.

The search committee provides the interview questions and notifies the Recruitment Specialist when justifications are complete. The Recruitment Specialist reviews all materials, asks clarifying questions if needed, and approves moving forward with interviews.

The search committee schedules and conducts interviews with selected candidates. All candidates at the same stage of the process should be asked the same core questions.

Before conducting reference checks, the search committee drafts reference questions and submits them to the Recruitment Specialist for approval.

The search committee conducts reference checks on finalist candidates after the Recruitment Specialist approval of the reference questions.

If the search committee determines that an additional round of interviews is needed, repeat steps 4 through 7 for the remaining candidates.

Once interviews and reference checks are complete, the search committee submits final written justifications for their recommended hire along with all interview notes and reference check documentation to the Recruitment Specialist.

The Recruitment Specialist reviews all submitted materials and justifications, asks clarifying questions if needed, and gives approval to move forward with an offer. Do not make any offer, verbal or written, until Talent Acquisition Team approval is confirmed. 

Two additional steps apply in specific circumstances: 

• MUS Contract and Contract Professional positions: The Recruitment Specialist must obtain approval from the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE) before an offer can be made. 

• Current UM employees: The HRS Compensation Team must complete a pay rate check before an offer is extended. 

The Hiring Authority or Search Chair makes a verbal offer to the selected candidate. The verbal offer should be consistent with the terms approved by the Recruitment Specialist.

The Hiring Authority or Search Chair negotiates the terms of employment with the candidate as needed. Negotiable items may include salary, start date, and moving expenses. Contact the Recruitment Specialist before making any commitments outside the approved parameters.

The candidate provides verbal acceptance of the offer. 

For LOA and Contract Professional positions: A written offer letter must be sent to and signed by the candidate before employment is confirmed. The offer letter must be reviewed by the Recruitment Specialist prior to being sent to the candidate. 

The Hiring Authority or Search Chair notifies the Recruitment Specialist of the candidate's acceptance and anticipated start date. The Recruitment Specialist will then initiate any preboarding or onboarding tasks that are necessary.

The Recruitment Specialist sends a DocuSign contract to the candidate with the role description attached.

If the selected candidate declines the offer, the search committee should consult with the Recruitment Specialist before taking any further action. The following steps apply: 

1. Contact the Recruitment Specialist to determine whether an offer can be made to another candidate from the existing pool. 
2. Confirm that reference checks have been completed for the next candidate if not already done. 
3. Once the Recruitment Specialist gives approval repeat Phase 4 steps 2 through 6 as applicable for the new candidate. 
4. If no suitable candidate exists in the pool, the search chair or hiring authority may fail, cancel, or repost the search in consultation with the Recruitment Specialist. 

No. The applicant pool is provided to the search committee after the posting closes. Reviewing applications before the posting period ends is not permitted as it may compromise the integrity of the search.

No. All candidate communication during the recruitment phase is coordinated through the Talent Acquisition Team. Do not contact applicants directly until the Talent Acquisition Team has provided the pool and approved moving forward with interviews.

The process is the same. However the HRS Compensation Team must complete a pay rate check before an offer is extended to a current employee. Notify your Recruitment Specialist as early as possible if a finalist is a current UM employee.

Contact your Recruitment Specialist. The Talent Acquisition Team monitors applicant pools and will advise on whether an extension is appropriate. Extensions are handled by the Talent Acquisition Team and are not initiated by the hiring manager.

Visit the Talent Acquisition homepage or contact HRS at AskHR@mso.umt.edu or 406-243-6760 to be connected with the right person for your department.