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TAM Recruitment Frequently Asked Questions

If you do not find the information you need in the FAQ’s below, you can reach out to your Talent Acquisition Consultant (TAC) or email Talent at hiring@ucsc.edu. We are also offering Hiring Manager Training throughout the year. Please see our training schedule on the Recruitment Training site or sign up via the UC Learning Center.

  1. Should the Position Control Request be submitted at the same time as the Job Opening Request?
  2. How do I request a new position?
  3. I have a position number, but I need to update the job description. What is the process to update the job description?
  4. If a Job Code (formerly known as title code) has never been used before at UCSC, who do I talk to get more information?
  5. Will there be a place in UCPath for me to see job descriptions?
  6. If I already have a job posted and later determine that I want to hire more candidates from the recruitment, can we add positions to the job opening?
  1. Should the Position Control Request be submitted at the same time as the Job Opening Request?
    1. No, you will want to submit a position control request form first and ensure it is completed before submitting a Job Opening Request form to Talent Acquisition. Please remember that these are TWO SEPARATE STEPS that need to be completed independently to post a new recruitment.
  2. How do I request a new position?
    1. To request a new position, you will need to log into Job Builder to request a Position Control Request (PCR). You will get a notification alert that your request has been completed. At this point you can proceed to request a new recruitment by submitting an SHR TA Job Opening Request.

      All new positions and existing jobs that have changes require you to submit a Position Control Request form to Compensation. *Note, if there are no changes, you still need to confirm the Job Description is already attached to the position in UCPath before you submit your Job Opening Request to Talent Acquisition.
  3. I have a position number, but I need to update the job description. What is the process to update the job description?
    1. To update the job description of an existing position that is vacant or will be vacant by the time of the update, you should log into Job Builder and select the Job Description Update workflow.
  4. If a Job Code (formerly known as title code) has never been used before at UCSC, who do I talk to get more information?
    1. Reach out to your Compensation Analyst. Please note that having a new job code brought to the campus can be a lengthy process.
  5. Will there be a place in UCPath for me to see job descriptions?
    1. While job descriptions are stored in UCPath, most campus users do not have access to view them. You can request a copy of a job description from your Compensation Analyst. When a competitive recruitment is in process, we will store your job description in the Recruitment Document Suite for your reference.
  6. If I already have a job posted and later determine that I want to hire more candidates from the recruitment, can we add positions to the job opening?
    1. Yes. Additional positions can be added to a job opening after the recruitment is started. You can request that additional position numbers be added to your job opening via the Comments feature in your Job Opening Request. Any additional positions added to your recruitment will go through the normal approval process with your Recruitment Approvers.
  1. Can a Hiring Manager delegate someone else to initiate the work in the Job Opening Request?
  2. What is the role of the Budget Contact in the Job Opening Request form?
  3. In the Job Opening Request field for “Worksite Location,” what location should I select for offsite remote employees?
  4. If I want to recruit for multiple positions in the same job opening, what features of those positions need to be the same? How would I show multiple shifts?
  5. In the Job Opening Request form, if I select an Initial Review Type of Ends After Specific Duration, does the duration that I enter start from when the request is submitted?
  6. Should I use a Job Opening Request Form to start a recruitment for hiring a student worker?
  7. How is the Recruitment Approver (RA) assigned in the Job Opening Request?
  8. Can the hiring manager and the recruitment approver be the same person?
  9. If our unit has multiple Recruitment Approvers (RAs), do all of those populated in the Job Opening Request need to approve the job opening or job offer?
  10. What is the time frame from when the Hiring Manager submits the Job Opening Request to when the recruitment posts?
  11. For a returning retiree filling a non-rec, where would I indicate the candidate information and approvals in the Job Opening Request?
  12. For a returning retiree filling a non-rec, where would I indicate the candidate information and approvals in the Job Opening Request?
  1. Can a Hiring Manager delegate someone else to initiate the work in the Job Opening Request?
    1. Yes, a Job Opening Request may be submitted on behalf of another user. When initiating the Job Opening Request form, the Requestor Name will auto-populate with the name of the logged in user, but it is editable. The user identified in the Requestor Name field will be the main point of contact for this request and will receive the main bulk of notifications for the request. If the hiring manager and the requestor are different people, both will get email notifications. If someone other than the hiring manager will be acting as the requestor, it’s beneficial they take the Hiring Manager Recruitment training offered by Talent Acquisition.
  2. What is the role of the Budget Contact in the Job Opening Request form?
    1. When the request is submitted, the Budget Contact will receive an email to let them know that this recruitment is being started, to remind them to verify that funding has been entered for the position(s). The Budget Contact has no approval role in the Job Opening Request form, unless the department has also assigned them as the department’s Recruitment Approver.
  3. In the Job Opening Request field for “Worksite Location,” what location should I select for offsite remote employees?
    1. The Job Opening Request (JOR) location will default to the location associated with the DEPARTMENT, not what’s in position management, so you’ll need to ensure the Job Opening Request is updated to to indicate the appropropriate work location.
  4. If I want to recruit for multiple positions in the same job opening, what features of those positions need to be the same? How would I show multiple shifts?
    1. The following properties of a position must be the same for multiple positions to be recruited for in the same job opening:
      1. Employee Classification (appointment)
      2. Job Code (title code classification)
      3. FTE (percentage of time)
      4. Department
    2. Technically it’s ok to enter multiple shifts, but strategically it’s better to post them as separate recruitments as many applicants will want to only work one of the shifts offered (typically the day shift). However, if you want to post them together, you can select all boxes that apply in the Schedule Information Options section, and then list special instructions regarding the multiple shifts in the “Additional Comments for Talent Acquisition” comments box at the bottom of the Job Opening Request form.
  5. In the Job Opening Request form, if I select an Initial Review Type of Ends After Specific Duration, does the duration that I enter start from when the request is submitted?
    1. No. The specific duration entered starts when the job is posted.
  6. Should I use a Job Opening Request Form to start a recruitment for hiring a student worker?
    1. No. Hiring student workers at UCSC is a different process and requires outreach to the Career Center.
  7. How is the Recruitment Approver (RA) assigned in the Job Opening Request?
    1. The RA is assigned by the principal officer and there can be up to four assigned. The assigned RA’s names will pre-populate for you in the form.
  8. Can the hiring manager and the recruitment approver be the same person?
    1. No. In the case that the primary recruitment approver is also the hiring manager, the backup recruitment approver will need to approve the request.
  9. If our unit has multiple Recruitment Approvers (RAs), do all of those populated in the Job Opening Request need to approve the job opening or job offer?
    1. All Recruitment Approvers (RAs) populated in the Job Opening Request will receive a notification when there is a request pending approval. Typically there is a primary approver identified within the unit, and they will approve a given request. It is the responsibility of the primary approver to let backup approvers know if they need to take action to approve a request.
  10. What is the time frame from when the Hiring Manager submits the Job Opening Request to when the recruitment posts?
    1. There are a multitude of factors that can influence the turnaround time. It can take up to two weeks, from the time the hiring manager submits the Job Opening Request until the recruitment is posted to the candidate gateway. More detailed information can be found on our Talent Acquisition turnaround webpage.
  11. For a returning retiree filling a non-rec, where would I indicate the candidate information and approvals in the Job Opening Request?
    1. The process is the same as it is in a typical non-recruitment. You should select the Non-Recruitment option when initiating the Job Opening Request. The only difference is that you will need to attach a PDF of the appropriate returning retiree approvals. Use the “Additional Instructions for TA” comments box if you have specific comments or information to communicate.
  12. When would you need to include a non-UCSC employee in the Job Opening Request?
    1. You may or may not have a business need to include a non-UCSC employee in this request. One example given is that a hiring committee may include a city inspector in the selection of an engineer.
  1. Can hiring managers enlist others to help them with administrative aspects of a recruitment?
  2. What is the Recruitment Approver (RA) role?
  3. Does the Recruitment Approver (RA) have the ability to make changes to the TAM job posting?
  1. Can hiring managers enlist others to help them with administrative aspects of a recruitment?
    1. It is appropriate to get administrative assistance at any stage of the process.
  2. What is the Recruitment Approver (RA) role?
    1. Recruitment Approvers are designated by the Principle Officer. For recruitment requests: The RA is responsible for confirming approval of a job posting and the advertised salary. For Job Offers: The RA approves the salary to pay each selected candidate and moving expenses, if necessary.

      Beyond that, anything else an RA approves is determined by the division based on their own business processes. *Note: The Hiring manager can never act as the RA for their own recruitment.
  3. Does the Recruitment Approver (RA) have the ability to make changes to the TAM job posting?
    1. The RA cannot make changes in TAM. The RA will receive an approval request email with a PDF of the posting attached. If changes are necessary, the RA can reject the approval request in the email. When they select the reject button, a new email will pop-up and the RA can enter comments to say why they are rejecting it and what changes they want to make. Then the TAC will make the requested changes in TAM.
  1. Can I post a recruitment for multiple positions in the same job opening?
  2. Would supplemental questions be used to ask applicants whether they possess a particular license?
  1. Can I post a recruitment for multiple positions in the same job opening?
    1. Yes, multiple positions can be recruited for in the same job opening. The following properties of a position must be the same for multiple positions to be recruited for in the same job opening:
      • Job Code
      • Department (possible to change later… contact your TAC)
      • Position FTE (possible to change later… contact your TAC)
      In addition, the Employee Classification (Career, Contract, Limited, etc.) will also need to be the same for all positions recruited for. This is indicated in the Job Opening Request, not the position.
  2. Would supplemental questions be used to ask applicants whether they possess a particular license?
    1. Yes, and if possessing the license is a special condition of employment, the supplemental question may be required.
  1. What is the Candidate Gateway?
  2. Can applicants edit or withdraw their applications once they have been submitted?
  3. What is the full list of application statuses found in the candidate gateways in the My Activities tab?
  1. What is the Candidate Gateway?
    1. The candidate gateway is the website that one goes to view and apply for staff jobs at UC Santa Cruz. The website is available at jobs.ucsc.edu. There are two Candidate Gateways - the External Candidate Gateway is used by the general public, and the Internal Candidate Gateway should be used by current UCSC employees when applying.
  2. Can applicants edit or withdraw their applications once they have been submitted?
    1. Applications can be withdrawn once submitted, but they cannot be edited. If an applicant wants to update their application, they can submit a new one prior to the IRD and the most recent submission will be routed to the hiring unit.
  3. What is the full list of application statuses found in the candidate gateways in the My Activities tab?
    1. There are five application statuses. See our full list of status details HERE
      1. Application Received: someone has applied and no actions have been taken on any of the applicants
      2. Routed for Further Consideration: someone applied and after the IRD passed, their application materials were routed to the hiring unit for review
      3. No Longer Under Consideration: someone has applied and they were rejected
      4. Offer: someone has applied, been selected, and has yet to accept the Offer in TAM
      5. Offer Accepted: If someone has accepted the offer in TAM
  1. Who will receive the link to the Recruitment Document Suite?
  2. What are the required documents?
  3. Why use the Document Suite through Google Drive and not email?
  4. How should I open the documents in the Recruitment Document Suite?
  5. If I am working with the forms in the Google Docs, why is it in the Microsoft version
  6. Can the Hiring Manager share the Recruitment Document Suite with others?
  7. Is the Recruitment Document Suite password protected?
  8. How can other members of the hiring committee learn how to effectively use the Recruitment Document Suite?
  9. When should we fill out the Recruitment Document Suite documents?
  10. If there are changes along the way, can I continue to go back in and change the documents?
  11. If an initial offer falls through and I need to hire a secondary candidate, do the Recruitment Document Suite documents allow flexibility to change the information?
  12. Will the hiring committee have continual access to the RDS?
  13. How do I avoid committee members being influenced by how other committee members assessed the candidates?
  14. How can the committee chair tell who is which evaluator in the Screening Matrix?
  15. Are the cells in the shared matrix locked to ensure things are not deleted?
  16. If I do phone interviews as a mini screening in order to see who we will move onto the next interview, are there different forms to use for the two rounds of screening?
  17. Where would I indicate that the interview was done via phone?
  18. If the hire has been working on campus, are the reference check documents required?
  19. Can we change the questions on the reference check form?
  20. Should I update the Applicant and Candidate Disposition Log when we have a final disposition for each applicant, or should I wait until the end and complete the document all at once?
  21. Before an informal offer is made for a competitive recruitment, does the hiring manager need to complete the documents in the Recruitment Document Suite?
  22. When and how do I notify Talent Acquisition the documents in the Recruitment Document Suite are complete?
  23. How do I submit recruitment documents in the context of multiple hires? How will the recruitment documentation work with continuous recruitments?
  24. What is the turnaround time from completion of the recruitment documents to getting access to enter my selected candidate?
  25. Will the unit need to add hard copy documents into the Recruitment Document Suite?
  1. Who will receive the link to the Recruitment Document Suite?
    1. The link will be sent to the requestor and the hiring manager. The hiring manager can then share that link with members of the hiring committee, as appropriate.
  2. What are the required documents?
    1. The required documents are outlined in document “0. Recruitment Forms Overview”. With the exception of the overview document and Applicant and Candidate Communications Guide, all of the forms that are provided in the Recruitment Document Suite are required - there is one screening matrix that is optional for those that have more than one round of screening, but if used, it is also required.

      All of the documents that the unit created during the recruitment planning and screening process are also required to be housed in the Recruitment Document Suite. This also includes internal communications between committee members and communications between the applicants/candidates and department contact - this will likely require you to save relevant emails that were sent and received.
  3. Why use the Document Suite through Google Drive and not email?
    1. For a variety of reasons, ITS has advised that sharing information through Google Drive is much more secure than email. There are also some advantages in using Google Drive, including ease of sharing, ability to update permissions and reduced email traffic.
  4. How should I open the documents in the Recruitment Document Suite?
    1. With the exception of the routed applications, you should double click on a document, and then click the option to Open with Google Sheets/Docs. Do not download documents from the Recruitment Document Suite. Do not convert the files into the sheets or docs format. When you are working with these documents in your browser, Google will save your progress automatically.

      EXCEPTION: Because the applications are PDF files, it’s best to double click on the file to view (versus opening as a Google Doc). If you need to open the PDFs, you can download or print them from the browser view. If you open with Google Docs, the format will be degraded and you will inadvertently create a duplicate file.
  5. If I am working with the forms in the Google Docs, why is it in the Microsoft version?
    1. Creating the documents in the microsoft version allows us to have the formatting we need to share the documents effectively. It is important that you always interact with these documents in your browser. To access a document, double click on the document and then click the ‘Open with {Docs/Sheets}’.
  6. Can the Hiring Manager share the Recruitment Document Suite with others?
    1. Yes, anyone who has a UCSC email is able to access the Recruitment Document Suite if they have the link. It is the unit's responsibility to ensure that only those who are involved in the process have access. If you find that the link to the documents has been shared beyond the intended audience or the data has been compromised, please reach out to Talent Acquisition immediately.
  7. Is the Recruitment Document Suite password protected?
    1. There’s no password for the Recruitment Document Suite. ANYONE that has the link will have editing capability for all the documents in your suite, so please be mindful when sharing this link. These are confidential records. If you have questions about permissions, please reach out to hiring@ucsc.edu.
  8. How can other members of the hiring committee learn how to effectively use the Recruitment Document Suite?
    1. We offer an ongoing Recruitment for Hiring Managers class through the UCSC Learning Center. Anyone that needs to know how to use these documents should attend one of these sessions. For specific information about how to use a particular document, you may contact your Talent Acquisition Consultant (TAC).
      We also have drop in office hours on Mondays from 11:00 - 12:00 pm. To get the link to join via ZOOM, please reach out to your TAC or to hiring@ucsc.edu.
  9. When should we fill out the Recruitment Document Suite documents?
    1. The best practice is to review, use and/or update the documents as you go through the recruitment process. They will need to be completed before Talent Acquisition processes the job offer, but it’s up to the unit to decide when to fill them in.Please see “0. Recruitment Forms Overview” in your Recruitment Document Suite for further guidance.
  10. If there are changes along the way, can I continue to go back in and change the documents?
    1. This depends on the change, so we recommend you consult with your Talent Acquisition Consultant (TAC) before you make any changes. The TAC will assist you in determining whether any changes can be made, or if a note to the recruitment file is best.

      You should not change, remove or reorder the applicant names on the matrices - this will break the formulas that exist across the multiple tabs. The Applicant and Candidate Disposition Log (ACDL) should represent your final decisions. We will status candidates when you are ready to close the recruitment and we cannot change the statuses in TAM once they are submitted.
  11. If an initial offer falls through and I need to hire a secondary candidate, do the Recruitment Document Suite documents allow flexibility to change the information?
    1. Yes. When preparing to make an informal offer, best practice is to have one or two back up candidates that you “hold” just in case something changes with your first choice candidate. On the Applicant and Candidate Disposition Log, there is a “hold” status for these candidates so they are not rejected during the applicant dispositioning process.
  12. Will the hiring committee have continual access to the RDS?
    1. The hiring unit will have view only access after the recruitment is closed. Talent Acquisition is the steward of these records and we will purge the information after four (4) years. The expectation is that the units will develop the habit of housing all the recruitment documents in the “Unit Documents” folder within the Recruitment Document Suite, including relevant internal conversations, applicants communication, reference check information, and any other recruitment-related documentation.
  13. How do I avoid committee members being influenced by how other committee members assessed the candidates?
    1. The Hiring Manager or Chair should let the committee members know that the screening matrixes are shared documents. Even though evaluators can see all evaluator tabs in the document, all committee members should do their own work individually and then come together to discuss the details to come to a consensus. Robust conversation among committee members about their individual assessments is a key step in helping to identify mistakes in the assessment process (such as overlooking a particular skill) as well as surfacing common biases that should be avoided.
  14. How can the committee chair tell who is which evaluator in the Screening Matrix?
    1. The evaluators will add their name to the top of their Evaluator tab, so their names will populate on the Summary page when they add that data. We also recommend you rename the evaluator tabs to reflect the names of the individual evaluators.

      Please note: whereas this is one place where hiring managers and committees are able to customize these forms, other changes to these documents may cause issues in these documents. If there is some other customization you are interested in, please reach out to hiring@ucsc.edu first to make sure the customization won’t create any problems.
  15. Are the cells in the shared matrix locked to ensure things are not deleted?
    1. Most cells in the Evaluator tabs are meant to be edited, so they are not locked. The fields that we do not want edited are shaded in grey - these should only be edited by Talent Acquisition. You will want to read the Instructions for Required Documents to be clear on what information the unit will provide.
  16. If I do phone interviews as a mini screening in order to see who we will move onto the next interview, are there different forms to use for the two rounds of screening?
    1. There are multiple forms that you can use if you will have more than one round of screening interviews. You will use the “4. Screening Matrix - All Applicants” to do the initial screening of all applicants to select those you wish to move to the next selection phase. If you want to do the “mini” screening of those applicants, you can use the “5. Screening Matrix - Continuing Applicants” to evaluate those screened by phone to indicate who will move forward. The “6. Screening Matrix - Interviewed Candidates” will be used to document the interview screening. You can make copies of the “6. Screening Matrix - Interviewed Candidates” if you have additional rounds of interviewing, as needed.
  17. Where would I indicate that the interview was done via phone?
    1. If a candidate is interviewed in some way different from the other candidates, this should be noted in the Notes field for that candidate on the Summary tab of the “6. Screening Matrix - Interviewed Candidates” document.
  18. If the hire has been working on campus, are the reference check documents required?
    1. The strongly recommended best practice is to complete two or more reference checks for a current UCSC employee. Contact Staff Human Resources to arrange to view the personnel file as a part of your reference check.
  19. Can we change the questions on the reference check form?
    1. Yes, you can use the existing questions, add more or change them altogether. Best practice is to update the master reference check form with the questions you intend to use and then duplicate the tab so you have one for each reference check the unit will complete. You can rename the tabs to indicate the candidate name and the name of the committee member or designee completing the reference check.
  20. Should I update the Applicant and Candidate Disposition Log when we have a final disposition for each applicant, or should I wait until the end and complete the document all at once?
    1. We recommend that you update the Applicant and Candidate Disposition Log any time a final determination has been made about an applicant. This reduces the amount of data entry needed at the end of the screening process, and allows Talent Acquisition to provide this information to applicants that reach out looking for an update on the status of their application.
  21. Before an informal offer is made for a competitive recruitment, does the hiring manager need to complete the documents in the Recruitment Document Suite?
    1. This is not required at the informal job offer stage. Some departments extend an informal offer to their selected candidate before working with Talent Acquisition to extend the formal job offer. Your required documents should be ready for Talent Acquisition to review when you are ready to provide the selected candidate and job offer details to Talent Acquisition to initiate the formal offer process.
  22. When and how do I notify Talent Acquisition the documents in the Recruitment Document Suite are complete?
    1. To alert Talent Acquisition that your documents are ready, add a comment in the Job Opening Request to let your TAC know the Recruitment Document Suite is complete, and you’re ready to enter your selected candidate details. As an alternative, you can email hiring@ucsc.edu to alert the Talent Acquisition team.
  23. How do I submit recruitment documents in the context of multiple hires? How will the recruitment documentation work with continuous recruitments?
    1. If you have multiple hires, the completed documents are not due to Talent Acquisition until you are ready to make your final hire. We understand some documents may not be complete, but will check to ensure you are documenting and tracking progress as you start to make offers. With the exception of the Reference Check Form, which should be completed for each candidate you hire, the documents will be used to track information for ALL applicants and candidates that were routed to the unit.

      For continuous recruitments, we expect that your applicant screening work will be done over a longer period of time and that you will need to disposition applicants at different stages of the screening work. As you do your screening and hiring, you will want to indicate dispositions for those that you have made a final determination on. For example, if you have screened out a handful of applicants that are no longer under consideration, indicate these on the Applicant and Candidate Disposition Log (ACDL). For those who you want to keep under consideration, you can use the “hold” status on the ACDL to indicate that you will disposition them at a later date. When you are ready to proceed with the first of multiple job offers in this situation, reach out to Talent Acquisition via Job Opening Request comments and we will verify that your documents are being utilized in the way they are intended. At that stage, Talent Acquisition will open the candidate(s) selection field and you can proceed with your offer(s). Once the field is opened, it will remain open for additional hires.
  24. What is the turnaround time from completion of the recruitment documents to getting access to enter my selected candidate?
    1. We understand that this step is time-sensitive. Our response time will vary from 1 to 2 business days depending on how much information there is to review and how many other units we are working with. Once you notify Talent Acquisition that your documents are complete, we will do our work to verify the completion of the documents and open the Candidate Selection field in the Job Opening Request as soon as we can.
  25. Will the unit need to add hard copy documents into the Recruitment Document Suite?
    1. If they are used during the recruitment, then you’ll need to ensure they are accessible to Talent Acquisition, either as soft copy documents in the Recruitment Document Suite or hard copy documents that are sent to us via intercampus mail. We will accept hard copy documents just like we have in the past, but if you have the bandwidth to scan these and save the digital copies to the Recruitment Document Suit, that would be ideal.
  1. Do I log into TAM to retrieve applications? If we do not have access to TAM, how and when will I have access to application materials?
  2. How do we request additional applications from Talent Acquisition?
  3. Can a hiring unit receive applications before the initial review date (IRD)?
  4. What happens if an applicant withdraws from the job opening after their application is routed to the hiring manager? Will the hiring manager be notified?
  5. If there are alternates for interviews, will those applicants have a different status? We may not actually interview them, but we may still be considering them.
  1. Do I log into TAM to retrieve applications? If we do not have access to TAM, how and when will I have access to application materials?
    1. All of the applications will be routed to the hiring manager via the Recruitment Document Suite. Talent Acquisition will upload the application materials into a folder in your RDS for that recruitment within two business days of your initial review date.
  2. How do we request additional applications from Talent Acquisition?
    1. Send an email to hiring@ucsc.edu requesting additional applications.Talent Acquisition will add the additional applications to the Recruitment Document Suite and add the new applicant names to the relevant forms UNDERNEATH the other routed applicants. The names will no longer be in alphabetical order, but we do this so there is no confusion about which applications have already been viewed.
  3. Can a hiring unit receive applications before the initial review date (IRD)?
    1. Our campus policy requires us to wait to route applications until after the IRD has passed. An IRD period is a minimum of two weeks. Talent Acquisition will route applications within two days after the IRD.
  4. What happens if an applicant withdraws from the job opening after their application is routed to the hiring manager? Will the hiring manager be notified?
    1. At this time there is no automated notification associated with an applicant withdrawing their application. Talent Acquisition will periodically run a report to find applicants that were routed to hiring managers that have since withdrawn their application and will reach out to hiring managers to let them know of the withdrawal.
  5. If there are alternates for interviews, will those applicants have a different status? We may not actually interview them, but we may still be considering them.
    1. Applicants identified as alternates will see their status as “Under consideration” while they are an alternate, which is the same as the rest of the routed applicants and candidates. The applicant and candidate statuses in the candidate gateway do not change until the job is closed and they are statused based on the information provided in the “8. Applicant and Candidate Disposition Log”. To track anyone you’d like to keep under consideration, you can use column (E) on the “8. Applicant and Candidate Disposition Log”.
  1. What are the steps involved in a job offer once I’ve submitted the information in the JOR?
  2. What do I do once I’ve identified our selected candidate(s)?
  3. At the job offer stage, where would I enter information about special circumstances?
  4. What is the difference between informal offers, conditional offers, and formal offers?
  5. Does the unit still need to make the informal offer?
  6. How are job offers extended to candidates?
  7. Once I’ve completed the recruiting documents and submitted the details about my selected candidate, how long before Talent contacts my candidate?
  1. What are the steps involved in a job offer once I’ve submitted the information in the JOR?
    1. Once your selected candidate information is submitted, Talent Acquisition will:
      • Review the job offer details
      • Consult with you if there are any questions or issues
      • Get approval from your Recruitment Approvers
      • Extend the conditional verbal offer to the selected candidate
        • If applicable, Initiate the background check process
      • Finalize the formal offer and establish the start date with the candidate
      • Approve and post the job offer in TAM
  2. What do I do once I’ve identified our selected candidate(s)?
    1. In order to proceed with a job offer, you will first need to complete all of the required documents in the Recruitment Document Suite and alert Talent Acquisition via the comments field in the IT Request RITM or via an email to hiring@ucsc.edu. Once Talent Acquisition verifies the documents are complete, we will unlock the Selected Candidate section in the Job Opening Request. You will receive an email notification once you have access to the Selected Candidate section.
  3. At the job offer stage, where would I enter information about special circumstances?
    1. When you enter the Selected Candidate Information in the Job Opening Request form, this information will need to be noted in the “Additional Instructions for TA” comments box.
  4. What is the difference between informal offers, conditional offers, and formal offers?
    1. UCSC job offers occur in stages. The informal offer is optional, and is extended by the hiring unit before they submit offer details to Talent Acquisition. The conditional offer is extended by Talent Acquisition and is subject to specific conditions such as a background check. The formal offer is extended by Talent Acquisition after the background check is cleared or if no background check is required and no other conditions exist. The start date is established during the formal offer stage. We recommend that the candidate does not give notice to their current employer until the formal offer has been extended.
  5. Does the unit still need to make the informal offer?
    1. Although typical, it’s not required. If this is part of your departments process, we encourage HMs to make the informal offer before sending work into TA
  6. How are job offers extended to candidates?
    1. Once the job offer details are approved by your recruitment approver, Talent Acquisition will call the candidate to extend the conditional verbal offer. Once the candidate verbally accepts a conditional job offer, and the candidate has completed a background check (if applicable), Talent Acquisition will finalize the formal offer through the Candidate Gateway. Once the candidate accepts the formal job offer through the Candidate Gateway. Once the candidate accepts the formal job offer through the Candidate Gateway, the hiring manager will receive a notification confirming that this has happened. No action is required on the hiring manager’s part.
  7. Once I’ve completed the recruiting documents and submitted the details about my selected candidate, how long before Talent contacts my candidate?
    1. After the hiring manager submits the selected candidate’s job offer information in the Job Opening Request, and assuming no issues surface, it can take up to 5 business days. There are a multitude of factors that can influence the turnaround time. More detailed information can be found on our Talent Acquisition turnaround webpage.
  1. Does the Hiring Manager need to communicate final status to all routed applicants?
  2. In the past, I have not contacted applicants that were screened out. Are we now required to do that?
  3. Can I inform applicants and candidates about their status throughout the screening process rather than at the end?
  4. When reaching out to applicants who were not selected, can I send one email that BCCs all of the applicants?
  1. Does the Hiring Manager need to communicate final status to all routed applicants?
    1. Yes, hiring managers or their designee do need to reach out to all applicants that were routed to them, to let them know their final status. To help make this step easier, we have provided the applicants’ contact information in the Applicant and Candidate Disposition Log (ACDL) and also provided some sample language that can be used in your communications with applicants. Please see the “Applicant and Candidate Communication Guide” in the Recruitment Document Suite.
  2. In the past, I have not contacted applicants that were screened out. Are we now required to do that?
    1. It has always been expected that you would close the loop with the routed applicants to let them know that they are not moving forward. If a candidate was interviewed it's always best to call and then if you don't reach them let them know by email. For those that were reviewed but not interviewed an email is fine. In your Recruitment Document Suite there is a file entitled “Applicant and Candidate Communication Guide” which has various templates you can use for sending emails or when planning a phone call to inform a candidate they are no longer under consideration.
  3. Can I inform applicants and candidates about their status throughout the screening process rather than at the end?
    1. Yes, when you have a final determination for an applicant we would strongly encourage you to let them know and to document this disposition in the “8. Applicant and Candidate Disposition Log”. This is a best practice. You want to be sure that this is the final determination when you reach out.
  4. When reaching out to applicants who were not selected, can I send one email that BCCs all of the applicants?
    1. Yes, this is a common approach. In drafting your email, begin the email with “Dear Applicant.” For interviewed candidates, we recommend a phone call. If an interviewee can’t be reached, send a personalized email.