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Equal Employment Opportunity Recruitment, Selection, and Hiring Guidelines

The information below identifies how to apply Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) requirements in the recruitment, selection, and hiring processes.

As an EEO employer, the university has an obligation to:

  • Ensure all employment processes are non-discriminatory and provide equal opportunity to all applicants and employees

Before the Position is Posted

Complete EEO Training

  • Anyone participating in the interview, selection, and/or hiring processes must complete the EEO Recruitment and Selection Basics training. To learn how to enroll in this training go to: https://go.osu.edu/eeotraining 

How to Identify and Remedy Barriers to EEO in Position Descriptions

  • Review duties and minimum qualifications (physical, mental, education, relevant experience, etc.) to ensure ALL are needed to complete essential job functions
  • Focus on required qualifications, not nice-to-haves
  • Remove language and terms that can create a barrier to EEO

Recruitment

Voluntarily Make Good Faith Efforts to Broaden the Candidate Pool

  • Widen the pool of candidates, and
  • Document/maintain inventory of all recruitment efforts including targeted groups, types of activities/events, and effectiveness of efforts
 

Evaluation of Candidates

Develop Consistent and Equal Evaluation Criteria

  • Evaluate only on ability to perform essential job functions based on merit and qualifications
  • Apply evaluation criteria consistently to all candidates
  • Document evaluations using OHR (staff) and OAA (faculty) templates
  • Do not consider candidate demographics in decisions
  • Provide reasonable disability accommodations when requested; such requests cannot impact evaluation
  • Enter disposition code into Workday explaining stage each applicant reached and reason they did not move forward
 

Conduct Consistent and Equal Interviews

  • Maintain a consistent interview process:
    • Provide ADA notice of the availability of reasonable accommodations and the method to request them
    • Use same format: number/length; type (e.g., virtual or in-person); questions asked; support given (e.g., preparation, resources)
    • Focus questions on the candidate’s ability to complete essential job functions, don’t inquire about identity or personal life or provide any preference and/or consider demographics
 

If a Reference Check is Performed

  • Use the same format for all candidates:
  • Number/type of references requested
  • Questions asked of each reference
  • Evaluation criteria for information obtained
 

Candidate Selections & Offers

Select the Most Qualified Candidate

  • Always select the candidate who will be able to complete the essential functions of the job most effectively based on merit and qualifications
  • Candidate demographics can never be considered in an employment decision, including when selecting a finalist. 
 

Develop an Equitable Compensation Offer

  • Make compensation offer based on external market and candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities, relevant experience
  • Compensation must consider internal equity
  • Review any benefits or compensation offered over base salary for consistency and equity
  • Additional information on university’s compensation principles is located at: https://hr.osu.edu/services/compensation/