2.0 Hiring Practices

2.0 Hiring Practices

Policy No. 2.0

Policy: Berklee's hiring practices are designed to provide fair and impartial assessment of every applicant and to identify, recruit, and retain the best possible faculty and staff in accordance with Berklee's policy related to equal employment opportunities and state/federal laws.

Managers filling open positions will choose from among all qualified internal and external candidates, and will base their hiring decisions on a fair assessment of a candidate’s ability to perform the essential functions of the position.

It is Berklee's policy that no qualified individual shall be excluded from employment at Berklee based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, disability, or any other protected characteristic covered by state or federal laws. Employment screening and hiring will be based on the candidate’s ability to successfully perform the essential functions of the position.

Berklee will consider every request for reasonable accommodation from any qualified applicant who requests an accommodation. Reasonable accommodation shall be offered to any qualified applicant with a disability unless Berklee determines that the accommodation imposes an undue financial or administrative hardship on the operation of its programs.

Note: If you are adding a new position/addition to head count, please reach out to your Human Resources business partner before proceeding with creating a job requisition. Positions must be created and approved before creating a job requisition. For more information on hiring in Workday, reference our Recruiting Job Aid.

 

Requisition for Staff

The following process must be followed prior to replacing a position or creating a new position at Berklee. Managers should meet with the Human Resources business partner for guidance related to the hiring process.

Human Resources is responsible for the oversight of the recruitment and selection processes, including temporary employment agency relationships, salary negotiations, and offers of employment.

The appropriate authorization is required to initiate any action for an open position, including any recruitment efforts, advertising, interviewing, and offers of employment.

Creating a Job Requisition 

The requisition is an approved form authorizing the recruitment of regular full-time and part-time employees as well as temporary employees on Berklee payroll (note that requisitions are not required for agency temporary hires). All requisitions require appropriate approvals. Exceptions include internal promotions or transfers within the same department.

  1. Access and complete the "Create Job Requisition" task in Workday. Use the Workday instructions to complete this step.
  2. Once the "Create Job Requisition" task is completed in full, the information will automatically route to the appropriate reviewers/approvers in the following order:
    • Reviewer 1: the designated vice president (If there is an associate vice president, it will go to them first and then to the vice president; if there is no vice president, then it will be sent to the senior vice president.)
    • Reviewer 2: the designated Human Resources partner or generalist
    • Reviewer 3: the Budget Office (Note: This step will only route to the Budget Office if there is an impact to the budget.) A budget for the position will be updated or created if it does not already exist.
  3. Upon final approval of the job requisition process, the assigned primary recruiter will post the job.

Human Resources will post notice of open positions on Berklee’s internal and external job boards. Positions must be posted for a minimum of five days before an employment offer may be made. The Human Resources recruiter works closely with the hiring manager to coordinate and make all official offers of employment. Offers of employment will not be considered valid unless they are approved and initiated in Workday by Human Resources.

Recruiter Responsibilities

Human Resources makes every effort to recruit and maintain a strong pool of candidates to fill vacant positions at Berklee.

The recruiter will:

  • meet with hiring manager(s) to review the open position job description, modality, proposed interview process and timeline, share the anticipated salary range, and any other relevant information.
  • determine a recruitment strategy (e.g., media channels, candidate sourcing, and who will screen candidates) in partnership with the hiring manager(s) to build a diverse, qualified candidate pool.

  • assist with communication of recruitment activity and screening process with the hiring manager(s).
  • work collaboratively with the compensation manager on salary recommendations for specific candidates and share with the hiring manager(s).
  • make the verbal offer of employment, including salary negotiation, obtaining a start date, the initiation of the official offer letter, and coordination of all new-hire paperwork, including the completion of a background check.
  • communicate all of the final hiring details to the hiring manager(s).

Hiring Manager Responsibilities

The hiring manager(s) will:

  • complete the "Create Job Requisition" task in Workday.
  • meet with a Human Resources recruiter to discuss the open position(s) and develop a recruitment strategy.
  • coordinate phone screens with recruiter and interview qualified internal and external candidates.
  • follow up with the recruiter and provide feedback on candidate interviews.
  • select a final candidate, conduct reference checks (for both internal and external candidates), and upload information into Workday. Please note, the hiring process will not proceed in Workday without uploaded references.
  • once the final candidate is selected, consult with the Human Resources recruiter regarding salary.
  • when the offer is accepted, communicate with all of the candidates that were interviewed and made it to the final round that they were not selected.
  • create an onboarding plan (that includes requesting space, signing new hires up for training, and equipment requests) to facilitate a smooth start for new hires.

 

Conducting Non-Discriminatory Interviews

Hiring managers are responsible for conducting timely, effective interviews of qualified candidates for the open position(s).

Managers must adhere to Berklee's policies and legal obligations in all aspects of the recruitment and selection process. Managers are responsible for ensuring that interviews focus on the necessary qualifications required to perform the responsibilities of the vacant position. Managers should work with the Human Resources recruiter to ensure that all staff and/or faculty members who might be involved in the selection process have received information and coaching pertaining to open and inclusive hiring, interviewing skills, and non-discrimination laws. Information can be found on the Staff Recruiting Resources site.

Managers should not seek any information from candidates pertaining to the following: age, race, color, disability, religion, national origin, family/marital status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, veteran status, or any other protected characteristics under state or federal law. Additionally, managers should not solicit any information related to a candidate’s current compensation.   

Additional information is available from the Human Resources recruiter. Human Resources also hosts workshops, training sessions, and other forums, and partners closely with the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to assist managers in gaining further knowledge and skills to ensure an open and inclusive candidate selection process.

Search Committees

Members of a search committee generally include representatives of relevant departments with whom the new employee will likely be working or interacting with on a regular basis.

Search committee members should be selected carefully; should be fully apprised of their role in the search, interview, and selection process; and should have a clear understanding of the specific questions that they will be asking prior to the interview. Questions should focus on gaining specific evidence/examples of proficiency, qualifications, and experience.

Making a Job Offer

Once the hiring manager identifies the final candidate for the position, they should work closely with the Human Resources recruiter to discuss the terms of the offer of employment. The recruiter will make the verbal offer and prepare a formal written offer of employment.  Upon receipt of acceptance and a signed offer letter from the final candidate, Human Resources will close out the requisition in the applicant tracking system and message all of the applicants that were not interviewed and coordinate with the hiring manager to contact all of the candidates that were interviewed and made it to the final round.

Berklee requires a criminal background check for all positions. All offers of employment are contingent upon a satisfactory completion of both a professional reference check and a criminal background check.

Hiring an Employment Agency Temporary Employee

Periodically, departments may require temporary staff to assist with a special project or fill in a vacancy. Hiring managers may request either a Berklee temporary employee, who is paid on the Berklee payroll, or a temporary employee who is provided by an outside employment agency. This process is coordinated with the Human Resources recruiter. Hiring managers must follow the requisition process and, when approved, may hire a temporary employee for a period of time not to exceed six months. Temporary assignments lasting longer than six months require consultation with Human Resources. The department requesting a temporary employee is responsible for funding the cost of the temporary employee.

Temporary employees provided through an employment agency working as part of a temporary-to-permanent hiring arrangement may be transferred from their respective agency payroll to Berklee's payroll in accordance with negotiated arrangements with the temporary employment agency and contingent upon satisfactory performance. Human Resources will coordinate this process.

Berklee reserves the right to amend, suspend, or cancel this policy at any time, with or without notice. In the event that a conflict exists between this policy and the terms and conditions of the Berklee faculty union contract agreement, the union contract agreement will supersede this policy. 

March 2023