Topics Map > Human Resources
HR SOPs - PeopleAdmin Applicant Tracking - HR Staging of a Recruitment
This article provides a step-by-step guide for Human Resources to begin a Recruitment.
This guide is intended as a Standard Operating Procedure for Human Resources Staff to coordinate the processing of Recruitments.
The first step in the recruitment process is for the Supervisor/Chair to present to other units that need to approve Recruitments, their request. This request is done through a software program called "PeopleAdmin." This step-by-step guide will provide you guidance on how to enter the specific details of your Recruitment and hire the best, most qualified person for the open position.
Before you begin, please review the approvals that must be obtained prior to the Recruitment being authorized.
Step 1 - Make sure the position description is updated in Position Management
All position description information at UW-La Crosse is maintained in the "Position Management" tool located in "PeopleAdmin". To review your position and ensure it has been updated for the current needs of the office, please review this resource. Your position updates will require approvals from the Budget Office, Human Resources, and Affirmative Action. The diagram below helps illustrate for you this process:
Once you have reviewed, updated, and received approval for your position, you may proceed with starting a Recruitment.
Step 2 - Creating a Recruitment in PeopleAdmin
First, log in to PeopleAdmin. Use this resource for assistance or guidance on how to log into PeopleAdmin. The direct login link for accessing the program is https://employment.uwlax.edu/hr.
When you have logged into PeopleAdmin, you will be brought to your Dashboard. Select "Recruitments" from the top menu.
When you have clicked, "Recruitments", you will be asked if you would like to view "Staff/Administrative" positions OR "Faculty/Instructional". Select the most relevant classification for your Recruitment.
When you have made the selection, you will be brought to the "Recruitment Dashboard". It is in this view that you can view all of the searches for which you have had access. It will display previous searches, as well as current, active searches. If you do not have any past Recruitments, this screen will not show any details.
To begin your new Recruitment, click on the button labeled "Create New Recruitment" from the upper right corner of the screen.
The next step of the process will be to create the recruitment from one of several available resources. Please note, that from the options below, you may only be able to take action on one or two of these:
- Create from Position Type
- Create from Classification
- Create from Recruitment
- Create from Pool
- Create from Position Description
You will most likely create from previous recruitment OR from a Position Description.
For this example, we will walk through the steps of starting a Recruitment from a Position Description.
When you have made your selection, you will be taken to another screen that resembles your "Recruitment Dashboard". Here you will be able to select any Position Description, (or recruitment) that is available to you in order to create your Recruitment. You can narrow your search by searching for a department, previous recruitment #, etc.
In this example, we will search for positions that are currently held in the "Human Resources" department. As most Recruitments are for vacated positions, searching for the department yields the easiest way to find the position or previous recruitment to start your new Recruitment. Outlined in the box, you will be able to correctly identify the "title" of the Position Description in which you wish to start your new Recruitment. DO NOT CLICK THE TITLE TO START YOUR RECRUITMENT.
To begin your Recruitment, select the "Actions" button to the far-right column of the presented information and select "Create From".
The next few steps will ask you specific questions about your search. It will pre-populate information from the Position Description, but will also ask for you to take action on several items.
Please confirm:
- The Working Title is correct;
- The Organizational Unit, Division, and Department are correct;
- Select the State at which you wish to begin all applicants in the process, (for almost all searches this will be: Under Review, Level 1);
- Determine at what state you would like to 'trigger' the automatic letters of recommendation.
(Please note, that in PeopleAdmin, you have the ability to automatically request letters of recommendation from a candidate's references - if you choose. This option will have the candidate enter the email address and contact information for their references. The PeopleAdmin system will then send an automatic trigger email to those references, asking for a letter. This can be staged at a certain time in the Recruitment Process; for example, when they first apply, or when you determine you want to interview them. More on this later in the guide).
The next question you will need to take action on is what application 'form' do you want to present to your applicants. UW-La Crosse offers three forms; one for Staff, one for Faculty, and one for Faculty with the Reference Portal (as mentioned above, this option should be used if you wish to automatically collect letters of recommendation). Chose the option that matches your Recruitment needs.
When you have reviewed this first step in the process and are ready to move to the next step, scroll to either the top or bottom of the page and select "Create New Recruitment".
Step 3 - Set up your recruitment and prepare it for approval
This next phase of setting up your Recruitment will ask you, in detail, about how you wish to manage your Recruitment. This information will be presented to your direct supervisor for approval, Human Resources for approval, Budget & Finance for approval, and Affirmative Action for approval. Be specific and complete. This information is collected so that Human Resources knows how to process our new employee and enter them into the Human Resources Information System (HRS). Failure to provide complete information may result in delayed hiring or incomplete information entered into the Human Resources Information System, (HRS).
You will be able to 'save' your progress and return to the PeopleAdmin system to finalize your Recruitment. The Recruitment will stay in "Draft" form until you have advanced it to forward.
When you begin to prepare your Recruitment, you will see a new menu appear on the left side of your screen. This menu will help you navigate through the many sections that are involved in preparing successful recruitment. All of these sections will be visible from the main Recruitment Summary view. You will begin at the "Posting Details" section.
As you begin the journey of providing information about your Recruitment, you will notice that much has already been pre-populated from the Position Description that we selected earlier. You can modify many of these areas; however, there are some that are restricted. If a restricted area must be updated, please contact Human Resources at 608.785.8013 or hrinfo@uwlax.edu to make those changes.
Position Information
| Field Title | Field Description | ||||
| Recruitment Number | This number will be left blank and automatically created once you have finalized the Recruitment details. This number helps the Applicant Tracking System code each recruitment as unique and helps HR quickly find recruitments. | ||||
| Working Title | This field will most likely be pre-populated but can be modified in the set-up phase of the recruitment. | ||||
| Position Type | This field is directly linked to the Applicant Portal, (where people will apply for jobs). This will tell the system which area to place the posting. | ||||
| Appointment Percentage | While this may be pre-populated, the Budget Office will make the final determination here in the next section of setting up the recruitment. | ||||
| Pay Basis | Employees of UW System are paid at regular intervals, based on their appointments. For example, Faculty are paid on an Academic Year (9-month contract) basis; whereas a staff member may be paid on an Annual (12-month contract) basis. These are important qualifiers as they set what types of paid leave benefits the employee will receive. For more information visit: https://kb.uwlax.edu/29890 | ||||
| Previous Incumbent/New Position | This field will identify if there was a previous employee who held the now vacant position OR if this is a new position, that will also be identified. | ||||
| Previous Incumbent's Last Day on Payroll | This field identifies when the last date of payment will be for the previous incumbent. At UW-La Crosse, it is not permitted that overlap can occur between a separating employee and a starting of a new employee. | ||||
| Will this person be teaching and/or advising students? | This is a required field. It identifies if the position will be involved in the direct teaching of a course OR if they will be advising students. This is a critical note for HR. HR uses this field to provide WINGS access to the new employee so that they can be attached to a course or identified as an advisor. | ||||
| Position Reports to | This field is needed to correctly define the true reporting relationship of the new employee. This field should correctly record the supervisor or department chair. | ||||
| Is this a position of trust? | Some positions on campus may need to be identified as a position of trust, or have fiduciary, executive, access, or other restricted responsibilities. Marking this box identifies this person as needing a criminal background check every four years. To see if this position should be marked as a position of trust, review the policy here: https://kb.uwlax.edu/103851 | ||||
| Is this a position with access to vulnerable populations? | Some position son campus has access to vulnerable populations, such as minors. These positions are required to be identified and the incumbent undergo a criminal background check every four years. To see if this position should be marked as a position with access to vulnerable populations, please visit the policy here: https://kb.uwlax.edu/103851 | ||||
| Division/College | Please select to which division the position will report. | ||||
| Description of the College/Department/Program/Division/Unit | This is your chance to introduce applicants to your division or work unit. You can view examples of these descriptions on the currently posted Recruitments page here: https://employment.uwlax.edu/ | ||||
| Position Summary | This may be pre-populated. This field is a brief introduction to the position being recruited and should capture the audiences attention. Two examples of excellent introductions for faculty positions are:
UWL will offer salaries commensurate with experience and qualifications. The target offer for this position is $XX,XXX. (Here you will need to define if the position is a full 12-month, annual position, or some other derivative). | ||||
| Required Qualifications | This may be pre-populated. This field will communicate to applicants what required qualifications, such as Master's degree, certification, etc. will be required for them to be successful candidates. Be mindful when setting these requirements. Setting too narrow of scope may disqualify otherwise competent candidates. | ||||
| Preferred Qualifications | This may be pre-populated. This field lets applicants know that you will place a preference on applicants who hold these credentials/qualifications. | ||||
| Physical Demands | This field should contain the following statement:Reasonable Accommodations This job announcement and other material on this site will be made available in alternate formats upon request to an individual with a disability. All position descriptions are required to provide physical demands and working condition/environment and may not be published in the job announcement. For information on the physical demands and/or working conditions/environment for this position, please contact Human Resources at hrinfo@uwlax.edu or 608.785.8013. | ||||
| Working Conditions | Similar to Physical Demands, the Working Conditions describes the type of environment in which the position will be exposed. For example, "Rapid pace, office setting", or "Required to work in confined spaces", etc. | ||||
| Miscellaneous Information | Anything else you wish to communicate to applicants can be placed in this box. HR will modify this section and include the type of benefits this position will be eligible for so that potential applicants can evaluate the entire position before applying. If the position is benefits eligible, either of the following should be used:
In addition, the following should be provided to all positions: Information about UWL and the Surrounding Region The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UW–La Crosse) provides a challenging, dynamic, and diverse learning environment in which the entire university community is fully engaged in supporting student success. Grounded in the liberal arts, UW-La Crosse fosters curiosity and life-long learning through collaboration, innovation, and the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge. Acknowledging and respecting the contributions of all, UW-La Crosse is a regional academic and cultural center that prepares students to take their place in a constantly changing world community. For more than a decade UW-La Crosse has been named one of Kiplinger’s 100 Best Values in Public Universities and has appeared prominently on the U.S. News & World Report list of “America’s Best Colleges” for more than 15 years, and is ranked #4 on its list of the Best Regional Public Universities in the Midwest. With a student population of roughly 10,500, the university offers 91 undergraduate programs, 21 graduate programs, and 2 doctoral programs through the following three colleges, the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities, the College of Business Administration, and the College of Science and Health, as well as the School of Education. There are over 600 full-time faculty and instructional academic staff, 75 percent of whom hold terminal degrees. UW-La Crosse boasts a retention rate (freshmen returning as sophomores) of 84 percent, graduation rate (degree within six years) of 70 percent, and is among only 12 institutions cited nationally by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities for its success in linking campus culture and university leadership to outstanding graduation rates. UW-La Crosse’s strategic plan Sustaining Excellence continues to move our community forward through its four pillars: increasing community engagement, achieving excellence through equity and diversity, investing in our people, and advancing transformational education. More information about the ongoing work of Sustaining Excellence is available at www.uwlax.edu/info/strategic-plan. The UW-La Crosse campus is in southwestern Wisconsin, nestled in a residential area of the City of La Crosse and positioned as part of a larger metro area with a population close to 140,000. The area, known as the 7 Rivers Region, is famous for its exceptional natural beauty which includes the Mississippi River on one side, majestic bluffs on the other, and views of rolling farmland and forested valleys in between. Abundant water, woodlands and varying terrain provide ample opportunities for year-round outdoor recreation. Only a couple of hours from Minneapolis or Madison, La Crosse enjoys the affordability and charm of small town living with larger city benefits. Three colleges, two world-class medical institutions, the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, a restored nineteenth century downtown business district, and a number of galleries and art centers have made La Crosse a regional center for culture, entertainment, medical care, shopping, sports and recreation. More information about the La Crosse metro area can be found here: Choose La Crosse. Learn more about UW-La Crosse here: https://www.uwlax.edu/human-resources/services/talent-acquisition-and-employment/finalist-welcome/ AA/EO Statement The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained faculty and staff. We strongly encourage women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans to apply. UWL, in compliance with applicable laws and in furtherance of its commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, or protected veteran status. DEI Statement UW-La Crosse’s diversity and inclusion efforts are guided by our adherence to Inclusive Excellence. We define Inclusive Excellence as “… our active, intentional and ongoing commitment to bridge differences with understanding and respect so all can thrive." The goals of Inclusive Excellence are to increase the retention of diverse faculty, staff and students while encouraging a campus climate that is inviting and welcoming to all. UW-La Crosse strives to promote acceptance of all facets of diversity from racial/ethnic diversity to diversity of thought and experience. UW-La Crosse ranks 6th nationally among the Top LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges for 2018-19 by AffordableCollegesOnline.org (ACO). Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (Clery Act) For the UWL Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports (i.e., Clery Report), which includes statistics about reported crimes and information about campus security policies, see https://www.uwlax.edu/police/annual-security-report/ or contact the University Police Department at 608.785.9000. | ||||
| Duties/Responsibilities | This section will be pre-populated from the Position Description, however, if blank, the Supervisor/Chair should outline/provide, at a minimum, the illustrative examples of the work the position will perform. | ||||
| Advertising Sources | The hiring official should identify the advertising sources here. If there are other websites, journals, or other mediums in which the supervisor/committee wish to promote your posting, please indicated them in this section. |
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Posting Detail Information
| Field Title | Field Description |
| Level 1 | Level 1 refers to the hiring supervisor/chair AND/OR the Search Committee/Panel Chair(s). Anyone listed in this group will receive all communications, emails, notifications, etc. about the Recruitment. It also identifies who is 'in charge' of the Recruitment. It is recommended that no more than three people be placed in this field and that it be the "Reports To" Supervisor and the Search Committee/Panel Chair(s). |
| Number of Vacancies | While some Recruitments may have the goal of placing several candidates into a position, you will most likely only be recruiting for one candidate. List "1" in this field if that is the case. |
| Desired Start Date | Please place the desired start date in this box. Please note, that it takes a full two-weeks from verbal acceptance to fully onboarded in the HR systems for new employees. |
| Posting Date | Enter a date that accounts for at least 3-5 days for administrative review and approvals. This date will inform HR as to when you want it posted - that could be two or three weeks from now as well. |
| Close Date | This date may be left blank. If you wish that there be a specific 'cut-off' date for receiving applications, chose this date. It will automatically close the search on this date and prevent any future applications. |
| Continuous Recruitment | Choose this option if you plan to keep the Recruitment 'active' or 'open' during your first review of applicants. This option allows you to review candidates and interview while still collecting applications. |
| Continuous Recruitment Date First Review | This date should be included in your Recruitment. It communicates to candidates the first date you will begin reviewing applicants. |
| Special Instructions | This field can be used to instruct candidates on what else you may want to see from them in their application materials. For example, this is commonly used for Faculty Searches, where Committees may ask Letters of Recommendation speak to the applicant's ability to advise students, etc. In addition, all searches should contain the following: Application deadlines TO ENSURE CONSIDERATION: Priority consideration is given to those candidates who apply by the listed ‘First Review Date’. Applications received after that date may be given consideration at the discretion of the search committee. Application materials will be evaluated, and the most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the selection process. Incomplete and/or late application materials may not receive consideration. If you have questions regarding this recruitment, or if you are not able to complete the application online due to a disability or system problem, please contact the Office of Human Resources. Confidentiality of Applicant Materials UWL is a state agency and subject to Wisconsin’s Open Records Law. UWL will not, however, reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing except as may be required by Wisconsin’s Open Records law. In certain circumstances, the identities of “final candidates” and/or the identity of the appointed applicant must be revealed upon request. CBC & Reference Check Policy All candidates for employment are subject to a pre-employment screening which includes a criminal background check, work authorization, and verification of education. It will also require you and your references to answer questions regarding sexual violence and sexual harassment. |
| Position Contact Name | This is a free form field in which you should place either the Search Committee/Panel Chair(s) name(s) or the true, reports to a supervisor. This contact is for questions about the position or the search in general. |
| Recruiter | Include the name of your Human Resource Partner in this field. Use the format of "First Name" "Last Name" and Email |
| Quick Link for Internal Postings | This link is automatically generated when the Recruitment activates. It is a quick link you can use to include in other advertising materials or to send to colleagues about the job opening. |
| Pass message | This field is used when "Qualification Groups" is active. PeopleAdmin has the ability to 'automatically' screen a candidate's resume and either PASS the candidate because they met the minimum requirements, or it will FAIL the candidate. This is the custom message you can create that will be seen in either case by the candidate. |
| Fail message | This field is used when "Qualification Groups" is active. PeopleAdmin has the ability to 'automatically' screen a candidate's resume and either PASS the candidate because they met the minimum requirements, or it will FAIL the candidate. This is the custom message you can create that will be seen in either case by the candidate. |
| Classification Information | This field and subsequent information are restricted. It cannot be changed. If the information is incorrect, contact Human Resources. |
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Position Budget Information
This section will be completed by the Budget Office, once you have finalized the Recruitment. You can skip this section for now but can revisit it when the position is fully approved.
Save to keep working on this section, or Save and Continue to move on to the next section.
Supplemental Questions
Supplemental Questions allow for you to create additional screening questions that may be helpful to determine if a candidate should receive an interview. You can ask them questions about how they may handle a situation, ask for information on their publications, etc. There are several areas on campus that have created a set of questions they ask all of their candidates. These are:
- Assistant Coaches
- Custodians
- Facilities
- Police Services
These areas have specific questions that help determine if a candidate should be interviewed and would be successful in their future role. If you wish to develop a set of questions for your search, please consult with Human Resources for assistance.
If you have no questions you would like to ask for pre-screening, please note there are "REQUIRED" questions for all searches. These questions must be included with every search. To add these questions, please follow these steps:
1. Click on "Add a Question"
2. from the "Category:" option, choose "Required for all postings". Select all questions as they are needed for legal and/or HR processing at the conclusion of the Recruitment.
When you have finished adding the questions, Save to keep working on this section, or Save and Continue to move on to the next section.
Qualifications Group
WARNING, this is an advanced area of PeopleAdmin. If you are expecting a large applicant pool, Qualifications Group is a useful tool to help automatically pre-screen applicants prior to your initial review. You can directly ask candidates if they meet certain 'qualifications' or criteria that will be pre-screened by the PeopleAdmin program. The candidate will receive a "Pass" or "Fail" message, (as noted in the Posting details section), as to whether they met the qualifications or did not.
Save to keep working on this section, or Save and Continue to move on to the next section.
Guest Users
Guest Users are your EXTERNAL Search Committee/Panel members. Click on the "Create Guest User Account" to add the email address of your Search Committee/Panel members. Once you have clicked "Create Guest User Account" a new option will appear for you to enter the email address of those users. Enter each person on one row as pictured below:
When you have finished entering the information, click "Update Guest User Recipient List. A few notes on Guest User Accounts, how to activate them, and who should be included.
- Other uses for Guest Users - there are some searches that ask an Academic Department Associate for assistance with contact candidates to establish an interview time, arrange travel, etc. There are also other cases where another department/unit may be involved in the hiring process or review, (e.g. SOE or ESS). In these cases, add any additional person needing access to this information as a guest user.
- Activation of Guest User Accounts - if you enter Guest Users prior to the Recruitment being approved, then the Guest User access will activate automatically when the Recruitment is posted. If you enter Guest User accounts after the approval and posting of the Recruitment, then you will need to click on "Activate Guest User Accounts" located under the "Take Action on Recruitment" button on the Summary Page of the Recruitment.
- The email and information presented to Guest Users - If you are interested in reviewing the email and training information presented to Guest Users, please review this article.
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Confidential References
Confidential References is another powerful tool that can be used by Search Committees/Panels to engage the references provided by the candidates. Either at the time of hire or at another interval in the Recruitment process. In this section, you can optionally elect to request Confidential Letters of Recommendation from the candidate's references. In this section, you set the minimum and the maximum number of references you wish to collect for each candidate and also establish a deadline for the submission of those letters.
If you choose not to use this feature, you may skip it and go to the next step. If you do choose to engage this feature, complete the information required and click Save to keep working on this section or Save and Continue to go to the next section of the Recruitment Process.
Required Documents
This section is for the candidates. It defines what additional materials you are interested in collecting from them. As the image above indicates, there are three (3) required document types for every search. As the manager for this Recruitment, you must check as required:
- Resume/CV,
- Cover Letter/Letter of Application, and
- References
Searches collect as much information as possible for each of the candidates that apply for the open position. Much of the information is collected through the application form, but from time to time, Searches wish to see more than just the standard work, education, and other qualifications. It is in this section that you could ask for a written teaching philosophy statement, statement of research interests, etc. If you wish to add additional materials that are not already identified on the list, please contact Human Resources.
Save to keep working on this section, or Save and Continue to move on to the next section.
Posting Documents
The final section is a collection of documents needed for historical and audit purposes. In this section, you will be asked to upload documents that provide additional detail about your search. Some of these materials are required prior to your search, others may be added after it is approved. To add documents, click on the "Actions" button in the far-right column and select "Upload New".
If you need to replace the document, you can "Unassign" the document, and re-upload it as a new document.
It is important to identify what may be uploaded before the posting, after the posting, and what is required to be uploaded before the end of the entire Recruitment/Search process.
| Document Name | When to be uploaded | Required or not required, and when |
| Bylaws (for academic departments only). | Before the posting is approved. | Required before the posting is approved. |
| Search and Screen Procedures Some departments have their own search procedures; however, for most Recruitments, you can make this article a PDF and upload it to your Recruitment. | Before the posting is approved. | Required before the posting is approved. |
| Selection Criteria Use this form template to identify the Search Criteria. | Before the posting is approved. | Required before the posting is approved. |
| Position Description (if applicable) | Not needed, optional. | Not needed, optional. |
| Search and Screen Committee/Panel Composition Use this form template to identify the Search Committee/Panel Composition | Before the posting is approved. | Required before the posting is approved. |
| Full ad text - here are the guidelines Use this form template to identify the Search Full Ad Text | Before the closing of the entire Recruitment Process. | Required before the Recruitment Process is complete. Can be uploaded after the posting is active. |
| Pointer ad text used for newspaper advertisements Use this form template to identify the Pointer Ad Text | Before the closing of the entire Recruitment Process. | Required before the Recruitment Process is complete. Can be uploaded after the posting is active. |
| Reference Questions | Before the closing of the entire Recruitment Process. | Required before the Recruitment Process is complete. Can be uploaded after the posting is active. |
| First Screen Interview Questions | Before the closing of the entire Recruitment Process. | Required before the Recruitment Process is complete. Can be uploaded after the posting is active. |
| On-Campus Interview Questions | Before the closing of the entire Recruitment Process. | Required before the Recruitment Process is complete. Can be uploaded after the posting is active. |
Save to keep working on this section, or Save and Continue to move on to the next step of the process.
Step 4 - Route your Recruitment for Approval and Posting
After you have completed the Posting Documents section, you will be taken back to the Summary Page of the Recruitment.
The final stage of the process is for you to "Take Action On Recruitment" and move to Level 1 and then back to "Draft". This allows for the trigger email to be sent letting the supervisor/chair know the recruitment has been staged for their review.
Confirm using the "History" tab in that the trigger email was sent before moving the recruitment back from "Draft" to "Level 1".
Stages of Approval and when your position will be posted
The approval process must be completed before your Recruitment is posted. Below is the typical path that the approval process will take:
Contact and Support
If you have questions, concerns, or need additional support with your Recruitment, please contact Human Resources at 608.785.8013 or hrinfo@uwlax.edu.