FAQ
Q: Does the University and Academic Professional posted hiring range apply to classified employees?
A: No. The posted hiring range for University and Academic Professional positions is only applicable to offers made for University and Academic Professional positions. If an employee chooses to remain Classified, their salary offer must adhere to state policy and would be limited to no more than 15% above their current salary.
Q: Can a supervisor/hiring manager request that a position be posted for classified staff only? Posted for University and Academic Professionals only? (perhaps due to budgetary concerns?)
A: No. All staff positions are posted as University and Academic Professional positions. Postings that indicate “VCU employees only” must accept applications from anyone currently employed at VCU regardless of employment classification.
Q: Is the applicant required to complete all fields of the online application?
A: Not necessarily. Most required fields will be indicated with an “*.” Applications without all of the required fields completed and/or all supplemental documentation uploaded cannot be submitted and will remain in a pending status until the applicant has completed the requirements and clicked the “Submit” application icon. For technical assistance with the online application, inquiries can be made by phone at (804) 828-0177 or by email at vcujobs@vcu.edu.
Q: Are paper applications accepted?
A: Generally, paper applications will not be accepted and only applications submitted through the application tracking system will be accepted [or considered]. If applicants need accommodations during the interview process or assistance in completing the online application, they should contact VCU Human Resources at (804) 828-0177 (Voice), (800) 828-1120 (TDD), or askhr@vcu.edu; or visit the VCU Welcome Center on the Belvidere Street side of the Lindsey House, 600 West Franklin Street. The Welcome Center is a one-stop shop for HR-related questions and transactions, and walk-ins are welcome. The human resource representative can work in consultation with the ADA/Section 504 Coordinator to identify needed reasonable accommodations.
Q: Can an applicant apply to more than one job at a time?
A: Yes. An applicant is able to submit their online application to multiple postings.
Q: A candidate missed the job closing date, can they still apply?
A: No. Only applications received by the posting close date are eligible for consideration. A posting may be reopened for a minimum of five business days in an effort to increase the number of qualified or diverse applications in a recruitment pool.
Q: Is it acceptable for a subset of the search committee to review application materials? Is it acceptable to divide the materials in order to reduce the amount of review required by members?
A: Search committee members are held accountable for the committee’s selection decisions, and as such, they are expected to actively participate in each step of the recruitment process. A search chair may, however, decide, due to time constraints or a large volume of applications, that a subset of the committee review application materials or divide the materials among members to reduce the workload. That being said, it is imperative to exercise consistency in who reviews materials, and the screening criteria that are applied to each candidate.
Q: What happens if a current classified employee is offered a University position but requests to remain classified?
A: Current classified employees who were not automatically converted to University employees on January 1, 2018 or do not elect to opt in during the open enrollment period have the option to remain a Classified employee or convert to a University employee once an offer of employment for a University employee position has been received. If an employee chooses to remain Classified when offered a new position, they will be given a revised offer of employment, will be subject to state compensation policy and may be limited with regard to the amount of salary increases they will be eligible for in the new position.
Q: If a Classified employee is offered a University and Academic professional position, but elects to remain Classified instead, will that impact the offer they receive?
A: If an employee chooses to remain Classified, their salary offer must adhere to state compensation policy and will be limited to an offer of up to fifteen percent (15%) more than their current salary. If they accept the offer as a University employee, the offer is not bound by the state compensation policy.
Q: Are background checks performed for new employees?
A: Yes. Successful completion of a criminal conviction investigation is a condition of employment for newly hired, rehired and employees transferring into resource critical or sensitive positions.
Q: If a job related criminal conviction is found during the background check process, is the employment offer rescinded?
A: Not necessarily. Each conviction is reviewed on a case-by-case basis and the hiring manager has the chance to petition to retain the employee. See the criminal convictions investigations policy for more information.
Q: If I opt to remain a classified staff member but apply for a position under the new University and Academic Professional plan, will I be required to redo a probationary period?
A: An employee only needs to complete one probationary year. If a Classified staff has more than one year of service, applies and is selected for a new position, the employee does not serve a new probationary period. However, if the employee applies and is selected for a new position while they are still in a probationary status, the employee starts a full new probationary year in the new position.
Q: Can I rehire an applicant that has previously been terminated from VCU for cause?
A: Typically, no. Applicants excluded by this provision may request their status be reviewed if after a minimum of five years they can present evidence to the chief human resources officer that the behavior or competency deficiencies that led to their dismissal have been corrected.