Talent Acquisition

This step is completed by Hiring Manager.

1. Selecting a Search Firm
   • Access the UT Arlington list of pre-approved search firms.
   • UT System contracts include a provision that allows all system institutions to utilize these search firms without initiating a new Request for Proposal (RFP) process.

    

2. Approval Process

   The hiring manager must submit a request to use a search firm for recruitment. - Email the request to the Vice President of Talent, Culture, and Engagement (TCE), Jewel Washington at jewel.washington@uta.edu, to initiate the approval process.

   • Upon approval, the Vice President of TCE will email a UT System-approved addendum specific to the selected search firm.
   • This addendum is attached to the firm’s contract, as each search firm has unique terms that must be reviewed and agreed upon before engagement.

    

3. Contract Review and Finalization
   • Send the addendum to the selected search firm. The firm will review and return the addendum with any edits.
   • Forward the edited addendum to Shelby Boseman at Shelby.boseman@uta.edu for a legal review to ensure compliance with UT Arlington and UT System standards.
   • Once reviewed by legal, submit the addendum to John Davidson at john.davidson@uta.edu for final approval.
   • Upon receiving final approval, retain a signed copy of the approved addendum.
   • Once the agreement is signed, the Search Firm will start billing the University. The hiring team should have a search committee selected and job profile completed before sending a final agreement. Completing these steps can potentially save the University, tens of thousands of dollars.

      

4. Set up a Shared Drive to keep all Search Documents
   • Ensure a search committee is selected and a comprehensive job profile is completed before sending the final agreement to the search firm. Completing these steps beforehand helps avoid unnecessary expenses and accelerates the search process.
   • Request a detailed timeline of next steps from the search firm, outlining their process, deadlines, and estimated completion dates for each recruitment stage.

This step is completed by Hiring Manager and Executive Assistant or Coordinator.

1. Establishing Committee Membership Requirements
   • Ensure that all prospective committee members understand the commitment required to attend all search committee meetings. Members unable to meet this commitment should be replaced with an alternate who can fully participate.

    

2. Selecting a Diverse and Representative Search Committee
   • Form a well-rounded committee that represents various stakeholder groups to ensure a balanced perspective in the search process. Suggested stakeholder groups include:
     • Non-Academic Representatives: Vice Presidents, direct reports, Staff Advisory Council (SAC) members, Faculty Senate VP and Chief Officer and representative from department
     • Academic Representatives: Deans, Department Chairs, Staff Advisory Council (SAC), faculty representatives, Faculty Senate members and open forum student participants.

      

3. Finalizing the Committee Membership
   • Create a draft list of potential committee members and submit it for final approval by the Executive overseeing the search.
   • Reach out to prospective committee members to discuss their participation and secure preliminary approval, then send formal invitations to those approved, including a confidentiality agreement to ensure the integrity of the recruitment process.

    

4. Candidate Demographics Tracking
   • Request that the selected search firm track and report candidate demographics throughout the recruitment process to support UTA's commitment to inclusive hiring practices.

This step is completed by Executive Assistant or Coordinator.

1. Schedule the Kickoff Meeting
   • The UTA Executive Assistant or Administrative Assistant will schedule a kickoff meeting with the selected search firm.
   • Kickoff Meeting and Listening Session are usually 1 ½ hours.

    

2. Develop the Meeting Agenda
   • The committee chair or designated administrator will set the agenda, coordinating with the search firm to allocate time for each agenda item. Confirm if the search firm can provide bias training during the meeting.
   • If bias training is conducted by the search firm, it must be pre-approved by the Chief Legal Officer, Shelby Boseman.

    

3. Required Attendees
   • The following UTA stakeholders should attend the kickoff meeting:
     • Hiring Official “Charge”.
     • Search Chair.
     • Firm Representative.
     • Search Committee Members.
     • Search Firm Representatives.
     • Legal Representative (If conducting biased training only).

      

4. Meeting Objectives
   • The committee chair will facilitate introductions and clarify each stakeholder’s role.
   • The hiring official will formally charge the committee with its duties.
   • The search firm will discuss the desired candidate profile and clarify the committee’s responsibilities and expectations.

    

5. Timeline and Logistics
   • The search firm will present a proposed timeline and confirm logistical details, including key milestones and deliverables, in collaboration with the search committee.

    

6. Conducting Listening Sessions
   • The search firm will organize listening sessions with relevant stakeholders to better understand the qualifications and attributes needed in prospective candidates.
   • The search firm will ask for contact information for key personnel who will coordinate and conduct the listening sessions.
   • Listening sessions should include a variety of groups, such as key stakeholders, faculty, staff, and other relevant representatives.

This step is complete by Hiring Manager and Executive Assistant or Coordinator.

1. Create the Job Profile
   • The executive assistant/administrative assistant can reach out to David Abercia david.abercia@uta.edu or Jewel Washington Jewel.washington@uta.edu for support formatting the Job Profile draft, using available templates. (Template 1, Template 2)
   • The Job Profile should include:
     • A comprehensive description of the role and responsibilities.
     • Sections detailing the position’s opportunities, key priorities, and desired attributes.
     • Preferred qualifications and background.
     • An overview of UT Arlington, including relevant leadership information for context.

      

2. Obtain Required Approvals
   • Submit the Job Profile for review and approval by the following stakeholders:
     • Send to Marketing, Messaging, and Engagements: Email branding@uta.edu for editing and fact checking approvals, indicating that the profile will be published on the TCE webpage.
     • Department Head/Hiring Official: Review for role-specific accuracy.
     • Deliver approved Job Profile to Agency Firm so they can create a shortened Job Profile.

      

3. Once all approvals are received, finalize, and prepare the Job Profile for distribution and posting.

This step is completed by Executive Assistant or Coordinator. Only VP/Dean role should be posted on website.

1. Campus-Wide Communication
   • Coordinate with the correct communication officer to distribute an announcement about the executive search to the entire campus.
     • Jeff Carlton jeff.carlton@uta.edu – Represents the President’s office.
     • Rachel Biggs rachel.biggs@uta.edu- Represents the Provost’s office.
     • Vice Presidents and Dean’s please contact this individual office directly to confirm appropriate point of contact.

      

2. Website Posting
   • Contact Ashley Downey in the Office of Learning and Communications at Ashley.downey@uta.eduor the department at olc-comm@uta.edu to add the search announcement and job profile to the Executive Search webpage.
   • Request that OLC posts the finalized Job Profile and creates a cover illustration for the profile.

    

3. Timeline Coordination with University Communications
   • Work with University Communications to ensure the campus-wide messaging aligns with the established search timeline.

    

4. External Advertising
   • Send the completed Job Profile to the search firm for external advertisement.
   • The search firm will handle job postings on selected job boards and external websites to attract qualified candidates (there will be an extra charge for these job boards).

This step is completed by Firm.

1. Application Review Session
   • The search firm will organize an application review session, during which the committee will assess application submissions and identify top candidates for internal interviews.

    

2. Interview Preparation and Question Assignment
   • The search firm will lead the committee through the interview process, preparing a list of interview questions and assigning specific questions to committee members for consistency and clarity.

    

3. Scheduling Interviews
   • The search firm will coordinate interview scheduling by sending appointment request through a scheduling tool, such as Doodle Poll, to determine members’ availability and confirm optimal times and dates.

    

4. Candidate Selection for Interviews
   • From an initial pool, the committee will select candidates for first-round interviews.
   • It is recommended to interview 3-4 candidates.

    

5. Attendance Commitment
   • Committee members are expected to attend all interview sessions. For members traveling domestically or internationally, advance confirmation of their commitment to participate in each session is required to ensure continuity and consistency in the interview process.

1. Schedule Update and Screening Meetings

• The search firm’s administrator will schedule any interim update meetings with the committee, as well as an initial screening meeting.
• This will be done online.

This step is complete by Executive Assistant or Coordinator.

1. The evening before each finalist day of interviewing, please send the evaluation and Credentials/Resume for each finalist to the interview committee.
   
   
2. Arrange 2- day onsite interview itinerary for selected candidates (Day 1 - dinner, Day 2 - interviews).
   • All finalists must be offered the same accommodations regardless of where they may reside.

    

3. Finalize Itinerary and Meeting Rooms
   • The designated UTA administrator will complete the candidate visit itinerary and book meeting rooms in advance for each session.

    

4. Assign Meeting Facilitators
   • Assign facilitators, ideally committee members, to introduce and moderate sessions consistently across all candidate interview days.

    

5. Organize In-Person Interview Logistics
   • After the first round of interviews, the UTA administrator will coordinate all necessary travel and accommodation arrangements for candidates, including:
     • Hotel Reservations: Prefer Loews Hotel Arlington or Live by Loews.
     • Transportation: Arrange car service through A&D Transportation, prioritizing hired service for liability purposes. Avoid using personal vehicles.
     • Campus Transport: Reserve a vehicle or campus cart for onsite travel. Contract Rose Hall at vrhall@uta.edu, 817-272-9469, to obtain defensive driving certification as required by EHS.

      

6. Arrange Refreshments and Tours
   • Coordinate refreshments such as coffee, water, and lunch for VPs and the candidate during the interview day.
   • Mark Reeder- mreeder@uta.edu can assist setting up tours. There are a few pieces of information he will need in order to complete a tour setup:
     • Tour starting location.
     • Tour ending location.
     • Tour length: usually either 45 minutes or 1 hour long.
     • Total number of guests in attendance.
     • We most often conduct these tours on our golf cart, which means that we usually cannot accommodate more than 3 guests.
     • Any particular areas of campus to highlight during the tour.
   • If you are having a difficult time finding a nice room for search, contact Don Lane dklane@uta.edu.
   • Contact facilities to schedule a campus tour for finalist.
   • FOR DEAN LEVEL SEARCHES:
     • Create a listing of invitees (name and email) for each finalist session.
     • Send Resume the night before Forum to all participants in forum.
     • Arrange virtual access through OIT for open forum.
     • Develop forum topics and questions for campus group meetings.
     • Collaborate with university communications for an open forum if required and consider involving student ambassadors to provide a student perspective.
     • Send Survey’s after Forum to get participant feedback.

      

7. Offer Stage

• Detailed Itinerary Creation: Prepare a comprehensive itinerary for candidates, including flight and lodging arrangements.
• Contact Tom George tom.george@uta.edu if you are doing an open forum for OIT support and set up. i.e. student’s forum for Dean search.
• Send the Non-Employee reimbursement form for direct deposit to the candidate and assist them with completion if necessary.
• Firm will complete CBC/background check and reference check.
• Final offer letter comes from hiring official.
• $20-$25K may be offered for relocation for VP and Dean level roles.This is now transitional and will be received after candidate starts. This is taxable income.

Necessary administrative steps for vendors. This step is done withing Department of hiring official.

1. Vendor Management and Billing Requirements
   • The executive assistant or administrative assistant supporting the search will oversee vendor coordination and payment processing.
   • For each vendor service, confirm the billing method – whether it requires direct billing, a non-purchase order, or a purchase order.

    

2. Invoice Processing and Payment
   • The search agency will generally issue three separate invoices through the engagement.
   • Immediately forward all invoices to the accounting specialist to ensure timely processing against the purchase order.
   • Verify all received invoices from the search firm, candidates, and any additional vendors for accuracy before submission for payment. Once reconciled, send to the accounting specialist for final processing.

    

3. Additional Administrative Requirements
   • Ensure the creation of a temporary ID at the earliest opportunity to facilitate smooth access for candidates and vendors.