Candidate Selection

Priority Re-Employment: The State of North Carolina requires that certain individuals receive priority consideration for State employment. Two categories of employees are eligible for priority re-employment:

• Employees scheduled for or already separated by layoff (reduction-in-force)
• Employees (State agency political appointees) separated from policy-making or confidential Exempt positions for reasons other than just cause.

State Government Employee Priority: The applications of permanent State employees are eligible for priority consideration over non-State employees when the individuals possess substantially equal qualifications.

Note: A current State/University employee is to be selected when his/her related qualifications are substantially equal to or greater than the best qualified outside applicant.

Priority Based on University Service: When SPA permanent employees of the University are the best qualified candidates for an opening and are "substantially equal" in related qualifications, the candidate with the longest University service has priority and must be selected.

Veteran's Preference: Departments must give preference in initial employment decisions to qualified applicants eligible to be considered for Veteran's Preference. State Veteran's Preference law and policy requires the selection of an applicant who is eligible for Veteran's Preference when he/she is "substantially equal" in qualifications to the best qualified applicant not eligible for Veteran's Preference. To qualify for Veteran's Preference, applicants must submit the "Veteran's Worksheet" with their Application.

Employment Priority Due to Workers' Compensation: When employees who have been injured on the job and placed on workers' compensation leave are released to work by their treating physician, there are several possible return-to-work or transfer situations. Reemployment or transfer is based primarily on the amount of the employee's medical improvement. If worker's compensation priority referrals are involved, the ECC Specialist advises the hiring department of its responsibilities to give priority re-employment consideration.

The "Referral Closing Report" is the official University record of those referred by the Office of Human Resources and the hiring department's selection and non-selection reasons. The hiring supervisor uses the "Non-Selection Reasons List," to record the appropriate reason(s) for non-selection, and documents the letter and number corresponding to the reason(s) on the Referral Closing Report. The hiring supervisor may also write more specific, job-related reasons for non-selection. The Referral Closing Report must be completed before a job offer can be extended to the final candidate.

Hiring departments must also submit an Authorization for Criminal Conviction Check and submit a Nepotism Certificate, if needed, for the selected candidate along with the Referral Closing Report.