The hiring official plays an important role in the search process, as the person who hires the candidate is ultimately responsible for the search activities and appointing the search committee. They are also commonly responsible for writing the position description and, in many cases, are the supervisor of the hired candidate. With those responsibilities in mind, all hiring officials at UNL should have a firm commitment to and understanding of diversity, inclusion, equity, and inclusive excellence. They should also relay these expectations to the search committee they appoint, to ensure the enactment of inclusive practices.
As the hiring official sets the tone for the search process, they should meet the following requirements:
- Have completed the university’s search committee training sessions.
- Be trained in the role of implicit and explicit bias in search processes and hiring decision-making.
- Understand the impact of diversity on work environments and its impact on our ability to accomplish institutional, unit-level, team-level and individual goals and expected outcomes;
- Know the importance of employee onboarding and professional/career development, and of mentoring for success.