As the job market becomes increasingly competitive, it is becoming more common within the University to retain search firms to locate qualified applicants for vacancies in high demand and/or specialized areas. Use of a search firm, however, often makes it difficult, if not impossible, for a hiring authority to document that the recruitment process was in compliance with the university’s AA/EEO policies and procedures and to provide the data needed to fulfill the university’s AA/EEO reporting requirements. The following guidelines were developed to help hiring authorities avoid this problem.
As a federal contractor, the university is required to ensure that recruitment for positions within the university is in compliance with federal laws, orders, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action. To fulfill this requirement, the university has developed policies and procedures governing the recruitment process. It is the responsibility of the hiring authority to ensure that a search conducted by an outside firm complies with Rutgers’ policies and procedures governing recruitment and hiring. This responsibility includes:
- Completing the Search Firm Recruitment Letter template and providing to the search firm
- Notifying the search firm of Rutgers AA/EEO Policy
- Instructing the firm to actively seek a diverse pool of candidates who meet all the necessary qualifications
- Replacing a search firm, or supplementing its recruitment efforts, if that search firm fails to produce a representative applicant pool
- Ceasing to use a firm that fails to produce applicant pools with qualified minority and female applicants