1. InsideHR
  2. Staff HR
  3. Employment
  4. University and Academic Professionals
  5. Screen applicants
  6. Special considerations

Special considerations

Internal employees
Internal and external applicants must be treated fairly to avoid the appearance of discrimination, favoritism or unfairness. Typically, it is in the best interest of VCU to consider current employees for vacant positions as they often have experience and knowledge of university systems, policies and structure. Handling the applications and interviews of internal candidates is, however, a delicate matter because hiring managers or search committee members may be more informed about these candidates than external applicants. Like all applicants, internal candidates must be evaluated objectively. Whether the internal candidate has the right amount of experience and the appropriate credentials should be the qualifying measure, not the extent to which other employees find the internal candidate pleasant to work with. “Courtesy interviews" of internal candidates who, because they are unqualified, have no chance of a job offer is strongly discouraged. Such interviews falsely raise a person's expectations. Internal candidates should only be interviewed if they meet job requirements.

Eligible veterans status
Eligible veterans status must be taken into consideration, consistent with state and institutional policy, where the applicant meets the minimum qualifications for the position. See details in the Veteran's Preferance Guidelines. 

Workforce transition (layoff) 

Individuals who are in layoff status, either as a result of a layoff from VCU or another state agency, need to be given a hiring preference. Hiring Managers should consult with their HR Professionals if they have layoffs in their pools.

VCU University & Academic Professionals in layoff status are eligible for preferential interviews during their notice period. A priority interview is a guaranteed interview for a vacant position comparable to the employee’s current job, and hiring managers should schedule interviews with eligible applicants. A comparable position is defined within the VCU compensation structure as the same VCU job title as the employee’s current position. University employees who are in the senior-level of a job series are guaranteed priority interviews for their current job title and the matching base job. For example:

  • A Senior Accountant at a level 2 is eligible for priority interviews for any of the following positions: Senior Accountant 1, 2, 3 and Accountant 1, 2, 3. 
  • An Accountant at a level 2 is eligible for priority interviews for any of the following positions: Accountant 1, 2, 3.

University employees must meet the minimum qualifications of the position in order to receive a priority interview for the open position. The interview does not guarantee placement in the open position. Hiring managers must consider priority interview candidates according to the same standards as other candidates interviewed for the position (see employment guidelines).

Classified employees are eligible for preferential placement rights for positions. Rights vary depending upon whether an individual is in their notification period or if their layoff date has passed. Benefits are based on State Role Codes, which crosswalk to University Job Titles. If a Classified employee in layoff status is minimally qualified for a position (or can gain the skills to be qualified in six months), they may be placed/hired into the position with no or limited consideration of other applicants. If a Layoff is in a hiring manager's applicant pool, they should consult with their HR Professionals for guidance.