How do you reduce the number of steps from 198 to 26 when hiring a new employee at Eastern Michigan University? You go electronic.
In a move to make the hiring process on campus more efficient, Human Resources will soon be using PeopleAdmin.com, an Internet service provider that has software systems uniquely designed to automate the recruitment process used in higher education and the public sector. The program — expected to launch in phases beginning March 14 — eliminates paper expenses and manual data entry, eliminates or reduces mailing costs, and reduces recruitment advertising costs and process steps.
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ELECTRONIC EMPLOYMENT: Jada Wester, a
personnel specialist in Employment and
Recruiting HRIS, takes a look at the Web
site where Eastern Michigan University
employment applications will be handled,
beginning March 14. The move to
automation for job applications will
improve efficiency in Human Resources
and decrease the time it takes to fill vacant
positions on campus. |
"An online hiring system is part of our overall redesign of the hiring process. This is the implementation of the technical aspect of it," said Craig Reidsma, director of Employment, Compensation & HRIS. "Our ultimate goal is to eventually make the hiring process paperless."
Ultimately, job requisitions will be completed and submitted electronically, and routed through the appropriate approval channels. At each stage of approval, each contact will be notified via e-mail. Once received by Human Resources online, these available positions are automatically posted to the Web site. The use of online requisitions will speed the time for departments to create a requisition, while eliminating the need for Human Resources staff to enter data and manually post jobs to the Web site.
An online hiring system also reduces the average "time-to-refer" by providing hiring authorities, panels and search committees online access to application materials at the appropriate time in the search. Employment applications can be directed to hiring managers and search committees immediately, Reidsma said. Other departments also can be built into the electronic application workflow.
The Internet service provider hosts the applicant information for the University, which means EMU did not have to purchase hardware or server space for this venture, Reidsma said. Many of EMU's peer institutions, including Wayne State, Central Michigan, Oakland and Grand Valley State universities, are already using the program.
The program will be rolled out in phases, with the first phase expected to launch March 14, Reidsma said. In the first phase, job postings for staff positions will appear online in a new format and applicants for staff positions (both internal and external) will begin applying using the online hiring system. During this short phase period, departmental personnel requisitions will still be submitted via the current paper form and be entered by Human Resources.
In addition to the convenience of using one's own desktop computer, computer stations will be available in Human Resources, the Hover Building (payroll) and Halle Library for both external and internal applicants that may not otherwise have access to a computer.
In the second phase, hiring authorities will be trained and begin to enter their open positions directly to the online hiring system. Hiring authorities will be able to review applicant information and documents online and record their screening, interview and hiring decisions. Creating a posting requisition will be very user friendly with most of the necessary information (including the classification specification) entered automatically just by entering the correct position control number, Reidsma said.
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JOB SITE: This HR Web site will go live March 14 and
move Eastern Michigan University's employee hiring
process to an online system. |
In the third and final phase, Academic Human Resources staff will be trained and academic postings added. Faculty recruitment involves a different process than staff and professional positions, Reidsma said.
"We will have the ability to collect different application materials, such as vitas and Statement of Teaching Philosophy, while enabling a completely different work flow from staff and professional positions," Reidsma said of academic job postings.
The hiring process will work something like this. Internal applicants would fill out an online bid form and attach an electronic resume. External applicants will be required to fill out an online application or applicant certification statement, which will have applicants verify that, among other things, their resume is accurate and that EMU has permission to contact references and conduct a background check. External applicants might also attach their cover letter, resume and any other pertinent documents to the online application form.
The online hiring system will then assist the communication effort between EMU and the applicant by providing applicants a self-service ability to review the status of their application to every position for which they apply. Applicants also can complete a profile of their specific skills and abilities and, at the HR office's discretion, receive notices through e-mail as similar positions become available.
The program will allow HR to review and authorize applicant pools online and provide the information to hiring authorities, who eventually also will access the materials online for their review and decision processes. In addition, the system, based on classification specification related criteria, can create a preliminary ranking of applicants, eliminating a lot of the manual screening.
"The EMU online hiring system will absolutely speed up the hiring process for HR," Reidsma said. "But, it is only going to be as good as how quickly hiring authorities act."
By literally spending less time on processing paperwork, the online hiring process will free up HR employees to be more consultative with respect to helping departments hire employees that are the best fit to the position and department.
"We can spend more time helping department heads get good quality candidates and reaching diversity initiatives as opposed to spending a lot of time processing the paperwork," Reidsma said.
