Human Resource Services

Preparing to Make an Offer

Reference Checking

Once a candidate has been identified as the best candidate to fill the position, the department should begin checking references to ensure the applicant meets the minimum years of experience required for the position and to ensure he or she was a strong performer in current or previous positions. For additional information, please review these reference-checking guidelines and frequently asked questions about reference-checking.

Verification of Salary to be Offered

Before making a job offer but after receiving authorization for the salary from a dean's office or authorized director, the department should contact the appropriate Recruitment and Staffing recruiter. He or she will confirm with the department that the salary to be offered is within the salary range that was advertised.

The Recruitment and Staffing recruiter will also ask the department for a copy of the experience verification/reference check it conducted. This information must show that the finalist meets the minimum years of experience required for the position. Recruitment and Staffing will verify the finalist's education--the turn-around timeframe for this process is generally less than one day. The exception, however, involves schools that have outsourced education verification to clearing houses.

Some clearing houses charge a fee for education verifications. Recruitment and Staffing will attempt to conduct the verification via fax and ask that the fee be waived. In this instance, the verification may take 2-3 days. If the clearing house will not waive the fee, the department will be asked to conduct this check itself or the finalist may be asked to provide official education transcripts or an original diploma.

Getting the "Go-Ahead"

Once Recruitment and Staffing gives the "go-ahead," the department is free to offer the position to the candidate of choice. If the candidate accepts the position, the department should personally follow-up with all applicants interviewed and let them know the position has been filled by another candidate.

Public Records Reminder

It is important to remember that searches are subject to Florida's Public Records laws and recruitment-related documents should be kept by the department for three years. Should a search or hiring decision be challenged, the departmental hiring authority is expected to be prepared to defend his or her decision.

Payroll Deadlines and Approving Job and Position Actions

Please print a Payroll Deadline Schedule.

All job and position actions must be entered in PeopleSoft and approved by Level 1 no later than the 5 p.m. on Tuesday prior to the end of a pay period. Completed paperwork must be received in the Central Office prior by 12:00 p.m. on Monday.

Each pay period, Recruitment and Staffing runs queries to identify all pending job and position actions. Actions are worked in the order they are received. You may check the status of pending actions in PeopleSoft by following the steps below.

Position Actions
Position actions that have been approved will have the current year listed instead of the 9999 pending date. Navigate to Organizational Development > Position Management > Maintain Positions/Budgets > Add/Update Position Info. Review the effective date on the Description tab.

Job Actions
Job actions that have been approved will have the current year listed instead of the 9999 pending date. Navigate to Workforce Admin > Job Information > Job Data. Review the effective date on the Work Location tab.

Approved Hires
Hires that have been approved will have the correct pay group (E12, H12, etc.) on the payroll tab instead of the PEN pay group.Navigate to Workforce Admin > Job Information > Job Data. Review the pay group on the payroll tab.

Employment Contracts

Departments have the choice of offering external applicants (including applicants who are currently OPS employees) an initial contract of 6 or 12 months upon their being hired as TEAMS employees. (A 6-month contract is recommended.) Upon successful completion of the initial contract, the department will issue a one-year contract, and the appointment will continue to be renewable on an annual basis. If a current UF employee (TEAMS or USPS) promotes, reassigns, or demotes into an exempt position, an initial 12-month contract must be issued. TEAMS non-exempt employees who promote, reassign, or demote also are issued 12-month contracts.

USPS employees who carry their USPS status to another eligible position do not receive a contract.

Conducting Criminal Background Checks

Recruitment and Staffing recommends that all departments make background checks part of their pre-offer process for all positions regardless of pay plan. However, conducting a criminal background check is especially important for departments hiring employees into sensitive positions where security is of particular concern. Examples of sensitive positions may include those that involve the safety of students and staff or where employees have access to cash, accounts, or confidential information. Florida Statutes require certain positions in specific programs that work with children or the developmentally disabled undergo security background checks.

  1. Background checks of Alachua County records are available free of charge. Results are typically available the same business day the request is submitted.
  2. For a cost of only $23, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) database is searched for criminal records throughout the state of Florida. Requests submitted by 2 p.m. generally receive results by the end of the next business day.
  3. If a broader national background search is appropriate (e.g., when an applicant has recently moved to Florida from out of state) the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) can provide this information for $47 per request. However, the prospective employee must be fingerprinted and FBI searches can take four to six weeks.

To request a background check, simply complete the Request for Background Screening form and fax it to Recruitment and Staffing at 392-7094.

VISA Information

For a complete list of positions eligible for H1-B visa status, please refer to the Immigration and Compliance section of the International Center’s web site.

In general, the entry-level requirement for the position must be a bachelor’s degree in a specific area as related to the position and the advertisement for the position must have included this minimum requirement (this is particularly important for IT expert, senior, and principal positions). In addition, the specific bachelor’s degree required for the position must be listed on the position description in order for the person selected to be eligible for H1-B status. (A copy of the position description must accompany the H1-B petition.)

A position that requires any bachelor’s degree rather than one that is directly related to the position will not suffice to make the position a specialty occupation. In addition to having the required bachelor’s degree, the person hired must also meet the experience requirements for a position in keeping with UF recruitment policies.

IT positions established at the entry, intermediate, practitioner, and specialist levels are not eligible for H1-B status.