Talent Strategy

The Office of Human Resources partners with hiring managers to attract, source and select diverse, world-class talent. Your recruiter can assist you in developing a recruiting plan and help you through the process of finding, interviewing, hiring and welcoming the best talent.

On this page:

• Recruiting Resources
• Recruiting Support Available
• Recruiting for Diversity
• Hiring a Remote Worker
• Hiring an Adjunct Instructor
• Hiring a Foreign National
• Having an Employee Work Overseas

Recruiting Resources

• Guidelines for Hiring Staff [pdf] — details the hiring process at CMU, which ensures that the university meets all local, state and federal laws and regulations that govern employment
• Staff Recruitment, Hiring and Onboarding Process Flow [pdf] — overview of the steps involved in the process, from pre-request to completion of onboarding
• Advertising Your Position — free and paid job boards and advertisement options
• Interviewing and Evaluating Candidates — guidelines, best practices, sample behavioral interview questions, tools and templates to assist with the interview process
• Conducting Reference Checks — guidance and templates to assist with the reference check process for staff positions
• Relocation Services — local agencies that the Office of Human Resources has partnered with to provide relocation assistance for new hires relocating to the Pittsburgh area
• Engaging a Staffing Firm - provides information on how to engage a staffing firm and resources on approved staffing firms that you can work with

Recruiting Support Available

Recruiters are here to support you in your hiring efforts and are equipped to help you throughout the recruitment process, including:

• Developing inclusive job advertisements using Textio, the tool CMU uses to scan job posting language for bias
• Developing a recruiting and/or sourcing strategy to attract a diverse and highly qualified applicant pool
• Initial assessment of an applicant’s qualifications
• Initial phone screens to confirm interests, experience and compensation expectations align
• Initiating reference checks
• Reviewing and preparing offer details
• Extending contingent verbal offers and navigating negotiations
• Preparing and extending contingent written offers
• Initiating pre-employment background checks

Recruiting for Diversity

There are four key factors in developing a departmental strategy for inclusivity:

1. Alignment with university strategic goals — Ensure alignment with the goals for diversity and inclusion as outlined in the university's Strategic Plan and Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policy.
2. Fair and Equal Treatment — Follow sound employment and salary compensation practices.
3. Effective Networking Resources — Use the most effective sourcing and recruiting tools available.
4. Success Measurement — Develop an internal review protocol to ensure university guidelines and procedures are followed and your sourcing plan is effective.

Hiring a Remote Worker

Requests for remote work arrangements and telecommuting require approval by:

• Academic units: department head, dean and the Flexible Work Arrangements Committee
• Administrative units: vice president and the Flexible Work Arrangements Committee

See Flexible Work Arrangement Guidelines for Staff [pdf] for details. Contact your HR business partner for assistance.

Hiring an Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct instructor positions must be posted/advertised for a minimum of five calendar days. Contact Sara Nazemian for assistance with posting/advertising adjunct instructor positions in Interfolio.

Hiring a Foreign National

When hiring foreign nationals with H-1B visas, please refer to the Wage Determination Packet [docx].

For those entering the United States to work or study at Carnegie Mellon, the primary source of support and information is the Office of International Education (OIE). OIE's Foreign Scholars Information Directory contains information about coming to Carnegie Mellon and settling in, travel advice, J-1 and H-1B visas and other work visa categories, and immigration services and resources. The OIE website also has information about families and dependents, and many other useful resources.

Having an Employee Work Overseas

If you are considering having an employee work in an international location (i.e., where the remote work location is outside the U.S.) please submit the International Remote Working Arrangement (IRWA) Request Form — Faculty and Staff [pdf] to the Office of Human Resources before work commences. There may be employment or tax issues to be aware of that will impact the employee's ability to work legally in the foreign location.

See the International Remote Working Arrangements Guidelines for Faculty and Staff [pdf] for details. Contact your HR business partner if you need assistance.

Winter Break Deadlines

To ensure we meet deliverables associated with posting and filling positions before Winter Break, please note the following deadlines:

• New hires starting in 2024:
  • The latest someone can be hired to start in 2024 is Monday, December 16, 2024.
  • Hires requested to start after December 18 will need to have a start date of January 6, 2025 or later.
• New hires with a start date the week of January 6, 2025:
  • To have a team member start the week of January 6, 2025, their new hire process should be completed by December 16, 2024.
    • This includes references, written offer acceptance, pre-employment background checks and/or clearances (if applicable), and onboarding tasks.
  • Formal written offers should be sent from Workday by December 6, 2024.
• Advertising/posting a new position:
  • To post a new positions before Winter Break, please work with your departmental contacts or contact your HR generalist to request the positions as soon as possible, preferably before December 2, 2024.
  • Staff hiring position requests received after December 16 may not be posted until after the new year.