The Hiring Process

Posting Requirements

Vacant positions must be posted on the Staff Employment Opportunities Listing. The earliest a job offer can be extended is the Thursday morning following the Friday posting of the position. Before the job offer can be extended, the appropriate recruitment process must also be completed.

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Obtaining Approval to Extend the Hire the Job Offer
After the hiring department has obtained satisfactory references on the final candidate, it must submit a Recruitment Disposition Form for a Selected Candidate (RDFS) form to the Department of Compensation Administration. In addition, at the time of the request for hire, the hiring department must complete and submit to the Staffing and Compensation Services Division a Recruitment Disposition Summary Form for Non-Selected Individuals (RDFN) form. Applicable additional documentation, as outlined in The Recruitment Process For Staff Positions at The George Washington University, must accompany the RDFS and RDFN.

The Staffing and Compensation Services Division places a high priority on expediting requests to extend job offers. The department may receive authorization to extend a job offer within 1 business day after submitting all required information. The review process may take longer if the hiring department does not return the required documentation to the Staffing and Compensation Services Division or there is a concern or question about the hire request. For example, questions may arise regarding the individual's qualifications or the salary level requested.

When reviewing hire requests, the Staffing and Compensation Services Specialist assigned to help fill the vacancy will review all the documentation returned as well as the following:

• The candidate's qualifications in comparison with others who applied for the position
• The proposed salary in relation to its place in the grade range
• The candidate's qualifications in comparison to the entry-level or minimum qualifications
• Departmental salary equity issues
• Institutional salary equity issues
• Prevailing market salaries
• Other circumstances that may be relevant to this vacancy

The Staffing and Compensation Services (SCS) Specialist, in consultation with senior Human Resource Services managers when necessary, approves or disapproves the hire request and explains his or her decision to the hiring department.

Departments may extend job offers only after the Staffing and Compensation Services Division has reviewed the hire request and notified the hiring department that the salary level has been approved and the job offer can be extended.

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Extending the Job Offer
Supervisors should follow the University's guidelines when extending a job offer. The supervisor should identify himself or herself to the candidate, explain the reason for the call and inquire whether it is a convenient time to talk, particularly if calling the candidate at work.

The supervisor should specify the official University title of the position that is being offered and inform the candidate of the salary and the proposed start date for work.

If the candidate wants to consider the offer, the hiring official should give the candidate a time and day to respond to the offer (i.e., a deadline) and encourage the candidate to review the University's employee benefits in order to consider the entire compensation package. In extending the job offer, the hiring department may not exceed the salary level approved by the Staffing and Compensation Services (SCS) Division. If the hiring department finds that further salary negotiations with the candidate are necessary, the Staffing and Compensation Services Division must review and approve the revised salary level before the hiring department makes any commitments to the candidate.

If the hiring department prefers, the Department of Compensation Administration will extend the job offer. This should be arranged with the Staffing and Compensation Services (SCS) Specialist when submitting the hire request.

Please note that the supervisor's school or division may have additional instructions on how this process is to be handled. Please click here for additional school or division instructions.

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When the Job Offer Is Accepted
The hiring department should immediately notify the Staffing and Compensation Services (SCS) Specialist assigned to the vacancy, via email, of the candidate's acceptance of the offer and of the salary level accepted by the candidate.

On receipt of the email notification, the Staffing and Compensation Services Specialist assigned to the vacancy will contact the candidate to finalize the administrative steps associated with the accepted job offer.

The Staffing and Compensation Services Specialist assigned to the vacancy will, if the prospective employee is an external hire, enroll him or her in the first available New Employee Orientation session, enter him or her into the University's information system, and mail the prospective employee the hire letter confirming his or her acceptance of the job offer. If the prospective employee is an internal hire, the Staffing and Compensation Services Specialist assigned to the vacancy will send him or her a transfer letter.

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When the Job Offer Is Declined
If a candidate declines the job offer, it is the hiring department's responsibility to notify the Staffing and Compensation Services Specialist assigned to the vacancy by email.

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Closing the Recruitment Process
After an individual has accepted the offer, the Staffing and Compensation Services Specialist closes out the requisition on the Staff Employment Opportunities Listing.

At the close of the recruitment process, the Staffing and Compensation Services Division sends letters to unsuccessful applicants, notifying them that another applicant was selected.

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Initiation of Employment Forms
The Department of Compensation Administration will coordinate the final documentation and associated administrative activities for the hire of a regular employee after the processes and documentation requirements outlined in Hiring the New Employee have been successfully completed.

The hiring department must initiate appropriate employment forms for research professional positions (i.e., Research Assistants, Research Associates, Research Scientists, etc.).

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