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When interviews have been completed, the hiring manager facilitates the evaluation process. The goal is to objectively evaluate candidates against the selection criteria, the department needs and preferred competencies to determine if there is a good match. Consider Access, Community and Belonging (ACB) principles during the evaluation process, ensuring a fair and unbiased final selection.

The evaluation considers:

• Application documents (resume and cover letter). Note: Absence of a cover letter should not prevent consideration of an applicant and the system allows candidates to maintain their profile that can be used to apply to multiple roles without the need of continually uploading a unique cover letter and resume for every role.
• Certifications, education credentials, interview assessments (incorporates selection criteria) or other bonafide requirements (as outlined in the job description and posting, if applicable).
• Team meeting feedback (if applicable).
• Personal suitability, including; competence, experience, and interpersonal skills relevant to position requirements, team culture and diversity of thought.
  • Work unit-specific factors, such as work environment, professionalism, work location and existing team competencies.

To minimize subjectivity, each candidate should be evaluated against the same selection criteria and factors. Interview scoring and feedback is collected within the system. Any interview guides or notes will need to be uploaded as a document into the Career Portal job requisition for records retention and are no longer kept in separate Google folders.

• Debriefs of evaluations should happen within a short timeframe after the interview to ensure the discussions are fresh and offer relevant input to support selection considerations
• Avoid making quick decisions; take a day or two to consider all factors and evaluation results prior to proceeding with reference checks.
• For close matches, consider a second round of interviews and/or reference checks on top candidates.
• Understand the hiring environment and candidates situation where possible. Be mindful that delaying processes too long can also introduce the risk of losing your top candidate to other offers or disengaging them if the hiring process takes too long.
• If none of the candidates meet the requirements, re-post the job if necessary.
  • Consider adjusting the approach by updating the posting to be more compelling or consider additional advertising and sourcing options. Reach out to Talent Acquisition to support you with options or recommendations.
• The official note-taker records competition outcomes, summarizes evaluations and lists the rationale for the selection decision and notes must be added to the Career Portal for future reference.
  • If notes are taken on paper, please scan and upload them into the job requisition within the Career Portal.

Reference checks are a tool that can substantiate and validate a final candidate’s information and provide further insight into a candidate's qualifications, skills, and experiences.

Current and previous º£½ÇÉçÇø employees reference check

• Inform your top candidate that you are proceeding with a reference check:
  • Request a minimum of two work-related references, including a current and/or recent supervisor(s), allowing for probing follow-up questions from the interview and assessment.
• Ensure the candidate signs the  to prevent legal or POPA implications.
• For current and previous º£½ÇÉçÇø employees, reference information may be obtained from their personnel file as well as from their current and previous supervisors at the university. Connect with your  for support.
• When considering a previous or current º£½ÇÉçÇø employee for a position, consult your  prior to making an offer.

Online reference check (preferred method)

• Our reference check process is completed online through direct integration with the Career Portal allowing references to respond at their convenience, therefore expediting the process.
• If using our online reference platform, you do not need to collect the references or have the consent form signed as this happens automatically. 
• Inform your top candidate that you are proceeding with a reference check:
  • They will receive an email notification to provide their reference information and digitally acknowledge the consent form.
• Review the questions in the  , which can be customized to the specific job requirements.
• Once the references are complete, the report results will be available directly within your job requisition in the Career Portal and you will receive a confirmation email once they are available for you to login in and review directly within the system.

Phone reference check (recommended for leadership roles)

• The automated online reference check is the standard method. If you intend to complete phone references, advise Talent Acquisition when submitting your posting request.
• Phone reference checks are the most informative method if you need to probe for specific follow up information.
• Inform your top candidate that you are proceeding with a reference check:
  • Request a minimum of two work-related references, including a current and/or recent supervisor(s), allowing for probing follow-up questions from the interview and assessment.
    • Secure candidate consent before contacting individuals known to both you and the candidate. Inquire about the candidate's willingness to use that person as a reference, recognizing they may choose not to include them on their reference list.
• Ensure the candidate signs the  to prevent legal or POPA implications.
• Review the questions in the  , which can be customized to the specific job requirements.
• Start the reference check by introducing yourself, explaining the purpose of the call, confidentiality standards and whether this is a good time (or confirm a call back time).
  • Establish a rapport and provide a brief description of the position.
  • Listen carefully to what is said and what is not.
  • Probe for details if flags are raised.
  • Human rights legislation applies the same as in the selection interviews.
  • If required, confirm credentials (e.g. educational accomplishments, previous employment, research or licences/certifications).
• Document the completed phone reference and upload into your job requisition to retain reference information securely for privacy and POPA compliance.

• Provide an update to the interview panel/selection committee upon completion of the reference checks.
• If reference checks are not positive, consider hiring decision options such as, checking references of other shortlisted candidates or re-posting the position to identify additional candidates.
  • Connect with Talent Acquisition or your  for support.
• Inform all candidates of the outcome promptly and stay in touch if there are delays in the decision.

Send regrets to unsuccessful candidates

Hiring managers should contact interviewed candidates by phone or email to thank them for their time and advise them that they are not the successful candidate. This promotes goodwill between potential employees and the university and is consistent with current best practices in recruitment. Once the offer has been extended and accepted, updates within the system should be made so candidates can see the status change to know they are no longer in consideration. They will be able to see this status by logging into their candidate profile within the Career Portal. Review the Candidate Experience step for best practices on providing feedback.