Here are some frequently asked questions about embarking on a faculty search. If you have additional questions or require assistance, contact the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at 412-648-7860 or by e-mail at cruffin@pitt.edu.
General FAQs
Q: What is the process for recruiting for faculty positions?
A: Please review Recruitment: Faculty and Academic/Executive Administrative Positions for the complete description of all tasks and responsibilities.
Q: Which candidates should be reported as applicants?
A: Please review the Internet Applicant Recordkeeping Rule
Q: How do I go about building an excellent and diverse candidate pool?
A: Start at the beginning of the process! Contact the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion to schedule a briefing on searching for excellence and diversity at 412-648-7860 or by e-mail at cruffin@pitt.edu.
Q: Once a department makes a faculty hiring decision, are we done with this process?
A: No. The department must complete the Summary for Proposed Faculty or Academic Appointment Form, which captures information on the selected candidate and the finalists for the position.
Q: How long are you required to retain information once a job search is completed?
A: Three years from the date that the selected applicant starts their position. You are to retain the resumes of the applicants, the interview guides used in the search and the notes from each of the members of the search committee.
The Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion suggests that the information be gathered from the search committee, scanned and placed in a box file with the title of the position, the position or requisition number, and the date that the information can be discarded. For example, Associate Professor, Req. 2000990, 9/1/2023.
If you require additional information, please contact Institutional Equity at diversity@pitt.edu or by calling 412 648-7860.
Q: What is an Affirmative Action Plan?
A: Please review this presentation about Affirmative Action Plans.
Talent Center FAQs
General- Talent Center
Q: Is the pre-audit search form incorporated into the Talent Center requisition?
A: Yes the Talent Center requisition replaces the paper Pre-audit Form.
Q: What searches are handled through Talent Center?
A: The OFCCP requires that the University of Pittsburgh post every open faculty position. This includes part-time faculty positions as well as full-time faculty positions including hiring dual career spouses or partners through the dual program and full-time visiting positions. Note research associates and post-doctoral searches are also handled via Talent Center.
Q: What is the Targeted External Faculty Recruitment (TEFR) and when is the process followed?
A: The Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion will no longer approve or process waivers in situation where a selected candidate is outside the University community. However, on occasion, an academic unit may have identified a specific external candidate to fill a position at a conference, through collaborations in research, or through other networks. In those rare occasions, the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion will allow academic Units to request a targeted or directed external; hire by submitting a Targeted External Faculty Recruitment (TEFR). Administrators will submit the requisition into Talent Center with the understanding that the targeted individual must apply for the position. A search committee is not required but the academic unit must identify a search committee administrator. To comply with OFCCP, the position will be posted for five (5) calendar days to the University’s career site, join.pitt.edu. At the end of five (5) calendar days, the administrator must review and disposition all of the candidates who may have applied for the opportunity. Then they can move forward with hiring their desired candidate.
Q: What is the process to hire a dual career partner or spouse?
A: Once the Office of the Provost has approved a request to hire a partner or spouse as part of a dual-career hire, a Targeted External Faculty Recruitment (TEFR) request must be submitted to the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for hiring the partner or spouse. The position will be posted for five (5) calendar days, and the partner or spouse must apply. At the end of the five-day period, the administrator must review and disposition all candidates who may have applied.
Q: Can an unpaid volunteer move temporarily into a part-time faculty appointment to cover a class for a semester without conducting a search?
A: No, volunteers are not paid and thus not employees of the University. Academic units should follow the standard recruitment process for hiring part-time faculty.
Q: Often there is a short-term need and academic units will temporarily increase the workload of a current part-time faculty to full-time. How should that be handled?
A: Please contact the Office of the Provost or Senior Vice Chancellor Health Sciences for guidance.
Q: How should unforeseen hiring situations be handled when there is an urgent need to hire a part-time faculty immediately?
A: These situations can be discussed with the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. However, in most cases, academic units should follow the standard recruitment process for hiring part-time faculty.
Q: Is it possible to hire multiple faculty from one requisition in Talent Center?
A: Academic units can hire multiple faculty from one part-time requisition in Talent Center. However, it is not possible to hire multiple faculty on a full-time requisition. Full-time positions have position numbers and only one person can occupy a position number.
Q: In regards to the Targeted External Faculty Recruitment, are we still required to do a national advertisement for this type of requisition or is it sufficient that OEDI will post it to Talent Center and PA job boards?
A: It is sufficient that the position be posted to Talent Center and Pennsylvania state job boards, which happens automatically once posted on the University’s career website, join.pitt.edu.
Q: Can an academic unit transfer a current University of Pittsburgh Post-Doctoral employee into a faculty position without conducting a full search? Following the normal recruiting process like above.
A: No, academic units must follow the standard recruitment process for hiring faculty.
Job Posting Guidelines
Q: What are the minimum posting requirements for a part-time and full-time faculty requisition on the University’s career website?
A: All requisitions must be posted a minimum of 5 calendar days at join.pitt.edu. Talent Center provides academic units with the ability to select posting timeframes beyond five (5) calendar days when creating the requisition.
Q: How do I remove a posted requisition from the University’s career website?
A: Contact the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at diversity@pitt.edu or 412-648-7860.
Q: How are failed searches handled? Should the academic units contact the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion to close-out or cancel?
A: The Academic Units should accurately disposition all candidates who applied to the requisition and then contact the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at diversity@pitt.edu or 412-648-7860 to cancel the requisition.
Job Boards/Job Ads
Q: Why are faculty requisitions posted on the state job board?
A: The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) requires all open requisitions to be posted on the state job board. Therefore, all staff, faculty and temporary job postings on the University’s career website, join.pitt.edu, are cross-posted to PA CareerLink our state job board based on the zip code of the campus location. For example, Johnstown job postings are posted to the Cambria County PA CareerLink.
Q: Are faculty requisitions posted on any other job boards at no cost?
A:
- The Pennsylvania State Job Board
- Higher Education Recruitment Consortium
- Glassdoor
- Indeed
The boards listed on this PDF represent where your position notice may appear in some capacity to assist with diversity outreach.
Q: Does the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion require a minimum number of external job ads?
A: There is not a requirement for the number of external job ads. The Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion requires an explanation of the good faith effort put forth by the academic unit in diversifying the applicant pool. It is recommended that postings include sites or periodicals that attract women, underrepresented minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans.
Q: Will The Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion provide specific guidance for writing ads for faculty positions?
A: Academic units are responsible for the content of the ads they create for faculty positions. Information and guidance regarding job ads can be found on the Provost website. The Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion can also provide helpful guidance on formatting ads so that they are written to aid in accurate dispositioning. The standard University affirmative action statement will be automatically added to every posted requisition on the University career website, join.pitt.edu, and therefore should not be included in a job ad. However, academic units must add the following standard University affirmative action statement to all external advertisements: The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer and values equality of opportunity, human dignity and diversity, EOE, including disability/vets.
Q: Can academic units access a link to include in online and print ads directing candidates to their posted requisition that is on the University’s job board, join.pitt.edu?
A: Once the requisition is posted by the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, a unique link is created by Talent Center. Academic units can retrieve this URL by searching for the opening on join.pitt.edu. This link should be listed in all online and print ads directing candidates to the specific postings to apply directly within Talent Center.
Q: How does Talent Center interact with external recruiting sites, such as the Chronicle of Higher Education?
A: Academic units can still post to any sources that they desire. Once the requisition is posted by the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, a unique link is created by Talent Center. Academic units can retrieve this URL by searching for the opening on join.pitt.edu. This link should be listed in all online and print ads directing candidates to apply directly within Talent Center.
Q: Does the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion require that, for any given faculty search, print ads be placed or can all ads be electronic?
A: The Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion does not require print ads. Ads can be electronic, such as online job boards, but if your school prefers print ads, you may continue to use print ads.
Candidate/Applicant
Q: Is there guidance from the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion on the proper use of applicant disposition codes?
A: Yes, the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, with the Office of the Provost, developed disposition codes that meet OFCCP compliance. Refer to the Pitt Worx Resources Hub for the disposition codes and other educational guides.
Q: What if an applicant emails their CV and other documents? Can I accept and consider the Candidate for the open search if I’m accepting applications via Talent Center?
A: The department should contact the candidate and invite them to apply within Talent Center.
Q: What is the OFCCP’s definition of an applicant?
A: OFCCP provides a specific definition of an applicant:
- The individual submitted an expression of interest in employment through the Internet or related electronic data technologies;
- The employer considered the individual for employment in a particular position;
- The individual’s expression of interest indicated that the individual possesses the basic qualifications for the position; and
- The individual, at no point in the employer’s selection process before receiving an offer of employment from the employer, removed himself or herself from further consideration or otherwise indicated that he/she was no longer interested in the position.
Q: What is the OFCCP’s definition of a candidate?
A: The OFCCP does not define candidate. However, The Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion states a “candidate” as individuals who express interest in an opportunity but do not meet the definition of an applicant.
Collection of OFCCP Data
Q: If a candidate applies for more than one position, do they have to complete the EEO information more than once?
A:EEO information is required on each application a candidate submits. However, the EEO information will prepopulate if they’ve submitted previous applications within Talent Center. The gathered EEO information provides the complete diversity of the candidate pool for each requisition. This is also a requirement for OFCCP compliance.
Q: How does the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion utilize the disposition code data that is collected?
A: Dispositioning/applicant status data will be gathered to give to the OFCCP as well as reported in the Affirmative Action Plan. The Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion will periodically review the code usage to ensure that the academic units are making a good faith effort to disposition accurately. Academic units should refer to the Faculty Applicant Status Workflow (disposition codes) for assistance.
Q: Can academic units have access to the aggregate EEO information on searches? If so, what is the process to access or obtain this information?
A: Currently, there are two processes to obtain this information:
- All Responsibility Centers and Dean Areas have access to dashboards for requisitions that were requested through Talent Center. The Talent Center dashboards provide de-identified EEO information per requisition.
- EEO information from job postings through the Pre-Audit Search Form process can be requested through the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Note: the timeliness of the information will depend on how quickly applicants fill out the EEO information form.
Talent Center System Access
Q: Can non-Pitt search committee members access Talent Center?
A: Any non-Pitt affiliate will need to be added into Pitt Worx as a Non-Pitt Purchaser with a sponsored account. Once they are added into Oracle, they will immediately be granted Applicant Reviewer access in Talent Center. At that point, the faculty administrator can add the Non-Pitt Purchaser to the requisition as a collaborator for the ability to view candidates to the assigned requisition.
Q: Can multiple faculty have access to Talent Center to see applicants?
A: Talent Center offers a collaborator feature allowing multiple faculty members and/or search committee members to access and review applicant materials.
Education and Reference Tools
Q: Are training tools available online?
A: Training tools are available in a number of ways. In-person or virtual training is available via Pitt Worx Learning, where sessions are instructor-led. Pre-recorded sessions and other informational videos are also available on the Pitt Worx Resources Hub, under Pitt Worx Videos. The Pitt Worx Resources Hub also contains helpful guides for hiring faculty.
Q: How do I register for Talent Center training session?
A: Registration for Talent Center training is done via the Pitt Worx Learning platform. To have a Pitt Worx Learning account created for you, please email worx@pitt.edu. Afterward, you will receive your account information and instructions on how to enroll for a session.
Q: Can the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion assist with implicit bias training for the search committee?
A: The University strongly supports a diverse and inclusive environment. Towards that goal, the Office of the Provost frequently offers seminars and workshops on Implicit Bias. We encourage you to take advantage of these offerings. For convenience, recorded sessions can be found on the Provost’s Implicit Bias page.
Also, the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion offers implicit bias training to provide the tools to maintain an objective view when assessing candidates and making hiring decisions. Register for an upcoming course.
Search Committee
Q: What is the process to change the search committee members of an active open search?
A: We understand that, on occasion, the composition of a Search Committee must change. Please send an email including the requisition number of the open position, names of the search committee, the rank of the positions, the demographics of the new search committee, and the reason for the change to Cheryl Ruffin at cruffin@pitt.edu. After review, the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion will update the search committee information in Talent Center.