Career Employment

October 2011 Newsletter

In This Issue

  • Annual HEP Survey
  • Cut Off Date for New Hires to Receive Special Holidays (Bonus Days)
  • Did You Know?
  • Upcoming Trainings
  • Selecting for Success TIP

Annual Survey: Tell Us How We’re Doing!
Once again it is time for you to tell us how we are doing and provide us with feedback on the Hiring Enhancement Program! The Hiring Enhancement Program (HEP) has grown tremendously over the last two and a half years and we hope to continue this growth in the years to come, but we can’t do it without your help!  This program continues to evolve from the multiple requests and needs that our Hiring Officials share with us. 

Click here to complete the Hiring Enhancement Program Survey. The survey should only take you 5-10 minutes and will be active until Tuesday, October 11th.  We have truly enjoyed building this program with your help and appreciate the time and effort you continue to invest in hiring the best employees for UK. 

Cutoff Date for New Hires to Receive Bonus Days
For new employees to be eligible for the December Special Holidays, or “Bonus Days” (12/27 – 12/30/2011), the new employee must be employed on or before Sunday, November 6, 2011.  Regular part-time employees will be granted bonus days on a pro-rata basis (for example, 0.50 FTE employees will receive two bonus days).  Remember to plan ahead in case your new employee needs to complete any pre-employment screenings or is a STEPS employee who must start at the beginning of a payroll period.

Did You Know?
In 2006, the Kentucky Legislation passed House Bill 3, requiring state postsecondary institutions to conduct pre-employment national background checks (PNBC) on all prospective initial hires. UK defines “initial hires” as regular full-time, regular part-time, temporary full-time, temporary part-time and student employees hired.  The PNBC includes a national criminal history check (most recent 7 years) and a check on the national sex offender registry. In response, the University implemented HR Policy & Procedure 11.0: Pre-employment Screening which applies to all initial hires and promotes a safe and secure environment for all University constituents. 

In addition, all regular UK HealthCare employees are required to complete a pre-employment drug screen (PDS).  This practice was implemented in 2005 in order to comply with and maintain The Joint Commission accreditation standards.

Upcoming Trainings
We have several upcoming trainings scheduled. Please join us and expand your hiring and selection knowledge! To learn more about these trainings, click on the training title or visit http://www.uky.edu/HR/employ/HEPTraining.html.

Behavior Based Interviewing 1-Day Training
Thursday, October 13th  
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
220 Scovell Hall, suite 1

Legal Considerations
Tuesday, November 8th  
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
220 Scovell Hall, suite 2

To register for the trainings, please use the “myUK” Training Center available under Employee Self-Service at http://myuk.uky.edu. For a quick tutorial on how to register, click here.  If you are interested in a customized training, where we come to your  worksite and train your employees, please contact Allison Peevy at 257-2608.

Selecting for Success TIP: Know the Pre-employment Screening Process!
It’s valuable to know how the pre-employment screening (PES) process works to help ensure your new hire can get started in a timely manner.  It is also important to note there are a few differences in the pre-employment screening process for regular full-time positions verses temporary or student positions.  Here are a few TIPS to help you understand the differences as well as ensure the quickest turnaround time:

Regular full-time staff new hires (including faculty) must successfully complete a pre-employment screening BEFORE starting in his/her new position.

  • During the interview process confirm and discuss the criminal history question on the application.  If felony convictions are listed, determine if they are job related.  This information is valuable to the pre-employment screening office as they conduct a thorough background check (includes 7 year past history of misdemeanors and felonies) to help ensure that the new hire is an appropriate fit for the position. 
  • Communicate (preferably by e-mail) immediately with your dedicated Employment Specialist or Consultant (ES/EC) once the candidate has officially accepted the contingent offer of employment.  The ES/EC is responsible for requesting the PES through the Online Employment System (OES). 
  • Inform the candidate about the PES process and that the Human Resources PES office staff will be contacting him/her to begin the process.  Confirm and discuss the best way he/she can be contacted so that you can forward this information to the appropriate ES/EC. The ES/EC will ensure the PES office receives this additional information. 
  • Once the PES office obtains the appropriate paperwork from the candidate to initiate the background check, it typically takes 3-5 days to process.

Temporary and student new hires who only require a PNBC must have his/her PES initiated before starting a new position; it does not have to be completed before he/she can start.  However, temporary and student positions that require both a PNBC and PDS must have successfully completed both BEFORE starting a new position.

  • During the interview process confirm and discuss the criminal history question on the application.  If felony convictions are listed determine if they are job related.
  • Once the candidate has officially accepted the contingent offer of employment, ensure that he/she has an updated application with the appropriate contact information.
  • The department’s direct user is responsible for requesting the appropriate screening through the OES system. If you have questions as to what type of PES should be requested, please review the PES website at http://www.uky.edu/HR/employ/PESCentral.html.
  • Once the PES is initiated by the department, the new hire can be directed to report to Scovell Hall to complete the appropriate PES paperwork as well as complete the required I-9 form.  

Utilizing these tips will help make the PES process as smooth as possible and will avoid unnecessary delays to getting your new employee started in a timely manner!

Happy Hiring!

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