Administrative Service Center
235 Sage Hall
Phone : 607- 255-7541
Fax : 607-255-2823

Hiring Procedures for Nonacademic Employees

For additional information on types of employees, please see Employee Definitions.

Hiring or Replacing a Regular Part- or Full-Time Permanent Nonacademic Employee

Appointment Process

To officially place a new employee on the payroll, the following information is needed from the Hiring Supervisor at least two weeks in advance of the employee's start date:

  • A signed copy of the Offer Letter.

  • A copy of the resume of the candidate selected.

  • A completed Information Needed from Supervisors Form.

  • A Nonacademic Applicant Recruiting Record Form. This form documents everyone who actually submitted an application or applied for the position. It will be provided to you by the Administrative Service Center (ASC). Under the rationale column on the form, you need to provide the ASC with information on each candidate as to why they were not selected for interviews, or if interviewed, why they were not offered the position. Examples can be found at the end of the form. Taleo (formerly RecruitSoft) insists that a reason be given for each "rejection" and this information is needed for the ASC to input into Taleo (formerly RecruitSoft) to close the search. This form will be sent to you electronically.

    Indicate your rationale for rejecting or selecting, but remember not to suggest that the individual chosen is qualified because he/she may have served in a temporary capacity while you searched for a permanent employee. Anyone who had the same advantage might qualify, and therefore, it is not an acceptable rationale and could even work against us if audited. Also, do not indicate that a candidate is "unqualified" if they meet the minimum job requirements of the Band. If you are not sure what those requirements are, please contact HumanResources@johnson.cornell.edu for clarification. If minority candidates were interviewed and not selected, include detailed interview notes on the resume(s) explaining why they were not chosen.

    All applicants should be compared to job-related criteria that are consistent with the posted requirements.

    Include confirmation of the reference checks on the Nonacademic Applicant Recruiting Record Form.

  • Information from the executed Recruiting Applicant Form will also allow the Administrative Service Center to complete the Appointment Confirmation and Search Summary Sheet on your behalf.

  • A Waiver of Posting Request, if applicable.

  • Finally, once all the information requested is received, in addition to processing the paperwork to officially appoint the new hire, an Employee Profile will be circulated which authorizes various departments -- Tech Services, Facilities, etc., to include the individual on listservs, provide building access, keys, etc. Such notification confirms that the individual has accepted a position and can be legitimately contacted for personal information, computer acquisitions, etc., as well.

Introduction to the Hiring of Nonacademic Employees

Departments are expected to develop and implement a recruitment plan that is designed to attract qualified applicants with diverse backgrounds. If contacts are established out of the norm, departments are expected to apprise the Administrative Service Center of any recruitment and selection activities, which demonstrates a good faith effort to address diversity and affirmative action goals.

Does this sound familiar? My Administrative Assistant or a current employee of mine has just resigned! You are feeling anxious. You need to replace that employee as quickly as possible, but you do not know where to begin. If this adequately describes your dilemma, the information below will be of interest.

  • The first order of business is that of working through the School's self-imposed hiring moratorium. If your intentions are to hire anyone other than a student, you need permission from the Management Committee member to whom your area reports. That individual will alert the other Management Committee of the vacancy. Vacancies will be posted and can be filled automatically once the Management Committee member notifies the others and advises the Administrative Service Center. New positions must be discussed and the only exception to this is when the individual to be hired is essential because he/she will provide invaluable assistance to the academic program, freeing up professorial time and enhancing research initiatives.

  • A second obstacle may surface if the individual you want to hire is a foreign national. If that is the case, you must ensure that the individual has the proper visa that will allow him/her to accept employment. If there is uncertainty, ask the individual to visit the International Students and Scholars Office, B50 Caldwell Hall, or call them at (607) 255-5243. The most common visas are: F-1 (student visas); H-1 (temporary workers, available for academics only); J-1 (visiting scholars); TN (Canadian or Mexican residents). In addition, B-1 visas are required for visitors whose stay will not exceed 9 days; F-1OPT for practical training.

    Cornell remains unequivocally committed to hiring US workers. Therefore, the University does not support H-1 visa requests for nonacademic positions.

  • Upon receipt of a resignation letter from the current employee and the necessary approvals to post the position, contact the Administrative Service Center immediately. A Human Resources Associate will be assigned to work with you or your Administrative Assistant from the Job Posting to the actual Offer Letter.

  • The position will be posted as is, unless the Hiring Supervisor indicates that changes to the job description are warranted. The Staff Position Description Guidelines and Form (aka Position Analysis Worksheet) should be utilized if the job description is to be changed. Assuming that is the case, the Director of the Administrative Service Center will examine the changes and if there are no significant differences, the position will be posted as edited. If the Director of the Administrative Service Center believes that the job description has been sufficiently changed, the position will be sent to the Position Review Team for consideration of banding prior to posting.

    Once the appropriate Job Title, Job Family and Band is determined, the position will be posted internally and elsewhere if desirable. In March of 2003, the University introduced Taleo (formerly RecruitSoft), a recruitment/applicant tracking system. Taleo (formerly RecruitSoft) will help current Cornell staff more easily identify available job opportunities, aid in reducing the length of time a job search takes, increase Cornell's effectiveness in building and recruiting from a diverse pool and better market Cornell to prospective candidates from other organizations. All interested parties wishing to apply for nonacademic Cornell positions will do so on-line at http://www.ohr.cornell.edu/jobs/. All applications for permanent part- or full-time positions must come directly through Taleo (formerly RecruitSoft) to the Administrative Service Center where they will be acknowledged and referred to the Hiring Supervisor. If additional advertising is deemed appropriate, ad copy will be prepared by the ASC and ads placed after consultation with the Hiring Supervisor as to venues. Any charges associated with the placement of ads will be billed to the Hiring Supervisor's departmental account.

  • Cornell is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. In addition, the University and the Johnson School are committed to diversifying their workforce and providing maximum opportunity for internal mobility. Hiring Supervisors should ensure that all qualified internal applicants are considered for vacancies before considering external candidates. If you have an individual in mind, contact the Director of the Administrative Service Center (who is also the School's Affirmative Action Representative) to discuss a Waiver of Posting. If there are no internal candidates who meet the criteria for a Waiver of Posting, the position will be posted.

The Interviewing Process and Pending Offers

Once all the "house keeping" chores are out of the way; the ASC has provided you with a pool of applicants; and you have identified those individuals you want to bring in for interviews, you may proceed. The Administrative Service Center must be involved with all searches from beginning to end - prior to any offer being extended. The Director of Administrative Services should look at the pools to determine, as well as possible, whether or not any minority applicants are in the pool. The final decisions as to who will be invited for interviews and how schedules are to be arranged are the responsibility of the Hiring Supervisor.

The selection of candidates to be invited for interviews and arrangements to accommodate that process are the responsibility of the Hiring Supervisor or his/her designee. Note: If you have internal candidates from within the School, as a courtesy, the current Supervisor should be informed of their employee's interest in your position. It is suggested that the Johnson School employee have this conversation with their Supervisor, with your encouragement, or you need to apprise the Supervisor prior to scheduling an interview with the candidate.

The interviewing process can follow any format you choose.

Although there are no standard practices when filling vacancies, the following is offered in an attempt to share how others of your colleagues have handled searches in the past.  Whether you chose to do all the interviewing yourself or prefer to involve others is ultimately your decision.  When you are interviewing, be cognizant of how “customer service oriented” he/she might be.  Will his/her personally complement the Johnson School’s goals?  Your goals?  Does his/her background lend itself to the duties and responsibilities outlined in the position description? 

When you are interviewing, protocol might include: 

  • Describing the way you and or your office interacts with the various departments in the Johnson School;
  • Talk about the skills you think someone should posses to be successful in the position;
  • Share your thoughts regarding the potential for the Office;
  • Ask questions!

The following is offered as a suggestion.  Please use this as a guideline and add or delete as you see fit.  You are encouraged to establish your own criteria.  The goal is to identify the best of the best.  On a scale of 1 to 5, rate the candidate on the following: 

Candidate’s Name: ________________________________________________________

Excellent Poor
5   4   3   2   1

  • Is the candidate’s overall experience appropriate for the position?
  • Do you feel the candidate will work well within the unit?  School?
  • Will he/she be able to exercise self-control, keep confidences, create positive relationships with School stakeholders?
  • Does the candidate show strong leadership skills?
  • Does the candidate show strong communication skills?
  • Does the candidate have strong organizational skills?
  • Did you feel the candidate showed attention to detail?
  • Was the candidate well prepared for the interview?  Die he/she have any knowledge about the School?
  • Will the candidate be able to handle difficult situations with faculty?  Staff?
  • Strengths?
  • Weaknesses?
  • Does the candidate have strong technical abilities?
  • Will the candidate be able to impact, influence and sell his/her ideas?
  • Will the candidate be an advocate for the staff and be able to gain confidences?  Build relationships?
  • Initiative?
  • Will the candidate be able to contribute positively to the work/lives of others at the Johnson School?
  • Knowledge of diversity and inclusion and the challenges inherit in this area?
  • Overall assessment of candidate. 


Some Core Competencies include: 

Personal Effectiveness – The ability to connect with others to represent the School well to all constituents (prospective students, current students, faculty, staff and alumni):

  • Self-control keep appropriate confidences;
  • Self-confidence – must be self assured to sell ideas and build cases for change;
  • Organizational commitment – passion for the School and its stakeholders.  This job is more than a job, but rather service to the Johnson community and the community at large.

Impact and Influence – The ability to sell ideas when trying to affect culture change:

  • Organizational awareness – knowledge of School activities and priorities;
  • Relationship building – build trusting and supportive relationships with prospective and current students, as well as alumni and corporate stakeholders.  Also, the ability to work well across functions internally.
  • Impacting and influence – sell ideas across the School as well as upward to the Management Committee.  Ability to affect culture change in a nonthreatening way.

Achievement and Action – The ability to accomplish many things simultaneously without direct supervision or guidance.  The ability to lead groups of people toward the accomplishment of a variety of goals. 

  • Achievement orientation – goal orientation;
  • Initiative – ability to contribute to the improvement of the office mission and the School’s mission without prompting;
  • Information seeking – knowing how to obtain relevant information from relevant people in a timely fashion;
  • Creativity – the ability to think outside the box both for department issues, and for School-wide issues.



Additional links that you, as a Hiring Supervisor, might find informative during the interviewing process are: Cornell Policy 6.6.1, Filling Vacancies and a copy of an article from the Cornell Employment News entitled, "Job Interviewing: Questions the Interviewer May Not Ask."

Most applicants will be interested in benefits. Central Human Resources' website at http://www.ohr.cornell.edu/benefits/index.html provides specific information. The University offers employees both life and health insurance but because of the many options available, it is always best to suggest to interested candidates that they contact a Benefit's Specialist at (607) 255-3936 or go directly to the website indicated above. You should caution candidates that the University houses two campuses - the contract colleges and the endowed colleges and the benefits differ. The Johnson School is an endowed college. This is important information to pass on to them.

At some point, you will make the decision as to which of the candidates is your choice and you are urged to talk candidly with that applicant regarding salary expectations. The Administrative Service Center cannot ascertain any individual's current salary but can "confirm" the amount if provided to us by the applicant. What is important is - what will it take to attract the candidate of choice? Therefore, you should have that conversation prior to talking with the ASC. Keep in mind, individual's making lateral moves; that is, moving from one Band C level position into another, expect to realize some monetary gain. The individual's relevant experience, internal salary information, salary expectations and market data will be considered and the Administrative Service Center will recommend what is believed to be a fair and equitable offer which you can take back to the candidate. In some instances, new employees have been brought in at the minimum rate, so the Hiring Supervisor has not felt he/she needed to talk with the ASC. Without benefit of reviewing internal salaries, this course of action may cause internal equity issues down the road.

Prior to making an offer, you must contact two references and verify the work history of the candidate. Following that, you are urged to talk with the Director of the ASC before finalizing an offer.

As you are about to negotiate a start date, keep in mind it takes time to enroll the new employee in benefits, arrange for parking, etc., and the ASC tries to coordinate an Orientation for the new employee - all take time to arrange and any advance notice is appreciated. All too often, new employees begin and are frustrated to learn that they cannot obtain a parking pass, Net ID, etc., because they are not in the University systems. Past experience indicates that at a minimum a week's advance notice, before the employee actually begins working, is needed to ensure sufficient time to have the hew hire appear in all the University systems (Transportation, Benefits, etc.). In almost all instances, the employee will need to provide his/her former employer with two weeks' notice, so you should be prepared for the delay. In the case of an Overtime Pay Eligible employee, the effective date of the new appointment should be at the beginning of a payroll period - this is absolutely imperative especially if you are dealing with a transfer, either internal to the Johnson School or within the University. It is important because COLTS II cannot handle two concurrent appointments at different rates and the result is that the employee is either under or overpaid at the time of the transition. If delaying the start date is a hardship to you and the new hire, and you both agree to begin the term of employment at any time other than the beginning of the pay period, we ask that you inform the employee that there may be some problems caused by the differences in rates with their first pay check and that their pay will be adjusted accordingly in the subsequent payroll period. To reiterate, this problem occurs only if you are hiring a transfer.

Lastly, the Administrative Service Center should prepare the offer letter for the Hiring Supervisor's signature; thereby ensuring that the necessary information regarding employment eligibility, etc., is included, along with the agreed upon start date and any other terms of employment. Sample Offer Letters are available for your perusal following this section. If you would like to review or personalize the offer letter, notify the ASC so that your edits can be included in the official offer letter. Once the candidate selected accepts the offer of employment, and the ASC files the necessary paperwork, the search will officially be closed.

All offers of employment are contingent on verification of employment eligibility. See the list of Acceptable Documentation for Employment Eligibility (I-9 Identification). Such documentation must be verified on or before an employee's first day of employment.

Notification will be sent to all applicants not receiving an offer by the ASC Office via Taleo (formerly RecruitSoft).

Sample Offer Letter (OPE, New Hire) (MS Word)

Sample Offer Letter (OPI, New Hire) (MS Word)

Sample Offer Letter (OPE, Transfer) (MS Word)

Sample Offer Letter (OPE, Temporary) (MS Word)

Sample Offer Letter (OPI, Transfer) (MS Word)

For information on announcing new hires, please see New Faculty and Staff Announcements.

Waiver of Search (Posting)
(Not to be confused with the School's self-imposed Hiring Moratorium)

Contact the Director of the Administrative Service Center (aka Affirmative Action Representative for the School) to discuss the candidate and determine whether or not the individual meets the minimum qualifications specified in the job description, and at least one of the following criteria:

1. Internal Selection: A regular or part-time employee is deemed qualified to fill the vacancy and the resulting vacancy will be posted. If there is racial and gender diversity consistent with availability for that job group, a temporary employee is deemed qualified to fill the vacancy.

2. The candidate for whom the request is being made is an employee pending layoff or on layoff, or an employee returning from disability or family medical leave.

3. The candidate is a veteran or disabled veteran.

4. The candidate is a person with a disability.

5. A person who is deemed qualified to fill the vacancy and who is searching for a position as a result of the Cornell recruitment and hiring of their spouse, partner or family member (Dual Career Placement).

6. A vacancy for a regular position with the same title, band, job description, etc. was posted within the last 90 days.

Assuming compliance with the spirit of the policy and receipt of the following, the Affirmative Action Representative can recommend a Waiver of Posting:

  • A resume for whom the waiver request is being made;
  • A copy of the candidate's Cornell Employment Application if the individual is external to the University;
  • A supporting letter detailing the rationale for requesting a waiver of posting; and
  • A completed Appointment Confirmation and Search Summary Sheet. See also Appointment Confirmation and Search Summary Guidelines for additional information on how to complete the form. This form is required ONLY in waivers. The ACSSS form can be generated from Taleo, if applicants apply on line. That is not the case with waivers.

No official offer should be extended to the candidate, unless and until the waiver has been approved. The ASC will notify the Hiring Supervisor when approved.


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Last Modified: May 8, 2008

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