Remember that you may have to work for a while with the people you hire, so it’s worth taking time to find people with whom you can work well. Look closely at the letter of interest and CV of each prospective employee. Does the person have good communication skills? Are the application materials free of errors? Does anything stand out as needing more explanation? This is your time to investigate details in work history so problems won’t surface later.
Here are some other practical considerations.
- To be eligible for employment at Pitt, all job-seekers must post an application online through PittSource and have three references checked by the hiring manager.
- In checking references, be prepared to ask specific questions about the candidates’ work history, writing and presentation skills, work attendance record, personality, and any previous clinical research experience.
- Be mindful that, depending on your department, you may be hiring students, postdocs, and staff through either Pitt or UPMC, and you'll have to follow the hiring guidelines for each institution.
- Prepare interview questions that will elicit detailed responses, not “yes” or “no” answers.
- On interview days, arrange to have current staff members present and introduce them while giving the candidates a tour of the office to get staff members’ impressions and to see how well the candidates would fit into the group. Consider introducing a colleague to the candidates as well for feedback from an outsider’s perspective.
- Inform job candidates about your funding situation and how long you expect to be able to employ them based on your level of funding and/or future funding prospects.
In the process of finding the right personnel, be sure to become familiar with the University of Pittsburgh’s procedures for interviewing and hiring through the Office of Human Resources.
