HRAR-3.01 - Recruitment Processes

City of Portland Core Values: Anti-racism | Equity | Transparency | Communication | Collaboration | Fiscal Responsibility

Purpose

Recruitment processes are established to attract, evaluate and select the most qualified candidates to fill vacancies for all regular and limited duration positions. The criteria used in these processes are based on knowledge, skills, abilities, experience and other characteristics needed for the effective performance of duties assigned to position(s) being recruited. Competitive or limited competitive recruitment and selection processes are also used to attract and evaluate qualified candidates to fill temporary and casual workforce needs.
Recruitment processes must be job related and developed and administered in accordance with non-discrimination and equal employment federal, state, and City administrative rule guidelines and procedures. All recruitment and selection processes must be equitable and competitive.

Eligibility, Definitions and Types of Recruitment Processes

Recruitment processes for positions in the classified service may be Open, Internal, Continuous or Promotional.
Classified Service: All positions in the city except as exempted by City Charter 4-301.

Open Recruitment: Recruitment open to all applicants (including applicants that are not currently City of Portland employees).
Internal Recruitment: A recruitment open to applicants who are, or have been temporary, limited duration, seasonal, or regular City employees within the timeframe specified on the announcement.

Promotional Recruitment: A recruitment open only to regularly appointed City employees who meet the announced requirements. Applications for promotional recruitments may be restricted to employees within certain designated classes or to employees with designated time in service, as determined by the Director of Human Resources or designee.

Continuous Recruitment: A recruitment without a closing date.

Limited Competitive Recruitment: A recruitment and selection process open to a limited pool of applicants who are uniquely qualified for the position.

Recruitment Announcements

The announcements for each recruitment will at a minimum contain information about the position, salary, and form(s) of competition which the recruitment, qualifications, application procedures including the process for requesting disability accommodation or veterans’ preference, the application filing location(s) and application deadline. Employees may not participate in a recruitment process for a classification in which they currently hold regular status; however, they can request a transfer to the vacant position. Refer to related Administrative Rule.

Applications

The number of applications accepted for a recruitment process may be limited by specifying the time during which applications will be accepted and/or any other limiting criteria the Director of Human Resources or designee determine to be appropriate.

Visas

Under certain circumstances, the City may sponsor successful candidates who require an H-1B or TN Visa to work in the U.S.
For an H-1B visa the City may only sponsor a candidate if each of the following criteria are met:

1. The hiring program or bureau must demonstrate a critical need for the candidate, that they have unique qualifications and that the bureau has not been able to fill the position,
2. The candidate must be legally entitled to work in the U.S.,
3. The program or bureau’s request must be reviewed and approved by City Administrator, or their designee, the Director of Human Resources and the City Attorney to ensure all federal criteria are met, 
4.  The candidate must be in one of the eligible occupations (as determined by federal regulations),
5. The program or bureau’s request must be initiated between April and September (the only time during the calendar year when an H-1B visa can be obtained); and
6. The candidate must pay all outside attorney’s fees for completing the H-1B visa application process.

For a TN Visa, the following criteria must be met:

1. The candidate must be in one of the identified professional categories (as determined by federal regulations),
2. The candidate must be legally entitled to work in the U.S.,
3. The candidate must pay any required Visa fees; and,
4. The position must only be approved for up to 3 years, or the maximum initial period of stay as allowed by federal law, unless an extension is granted by the Human Resources Director upon filing a petition following an employee’s request.

The Human Resources Director, or their designee, and the City Attorney must approve requests to hire a candidate with a TN Visa to ensure all federal criteria are met.

Rejected Application

The Human Resources Director, or designee, may reject the application of any person who either:
a) lacks the qualifications for the position,
b) has made false statements of any material fact on the application,
c) has been dismissed for cause from the classified service,
d) has resigned in lieu of discipline or termination, (including resigning during the disciplinary investigative process), or
e) has provided unclear or incomplete information.

Prior to rejecting an application under (c), (d) or (e) above, the Director will determine whether there are any special circumstances or accommodations that should be considered.

Unsolicited Resumes

The City of Portland does not accept or maintain any copies of unsolicited resumes and letters of inquiry from persons seeking employment with the City of Portland in lieu of a current recruitment process for that classification. When unsolicited applications are received the Bureau of Human Resources will return the original resume to the sender via email, if known, and include the link to the City’s job opportunities. A person can inform the City of their interest in specific City employment opportunities by suing the City’s Job Interest Notification.

Disability Accommodations

Recruitment procedures may be modified to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. Refer to related Administrative Rule to learn more. Requests for a modification in procedures should be submitted to the Bureau of Human Resources at the time of application for the examination.

Veterans’ Preference Points

Refer to related Administrative Rule. 

Waiver of Examination

If, after reasonable efforts at recruitment, five or fewer qualified applicants respond, the examination process may be waived, and the names of the qualified applicants may be placed on the appropriate eligible list.

Written Tests and Assessment Center Exercises

All written tests or Bureau of Human Resources designated assessment center exercises must be administered as part of the recruitment process. At no time shall a written test or designated assessment center exercise of any form be administered after the eligible list is established. Unless the written test is purchased and therefore covered by proprietorship rules and regulations, applicants taking the written test may only review a copy of the test showing the correct answers for up to 1 hour after the completion of the testing period. The candidate must specify the problem with the question(s), what correction is recommended and identify any references to support the claim. After the written testing process has been administered, the Senior Recruiter, or designee, responsible for the recruitment will review any items indicated as needing reconsideration. If the Senior Recruiter and the subject matter expert agree there is a problem with the question, a correction will be made in one of two ways:

1. The question will be eliminated, or
2. Multiple correct answers will be accepted.

The Bureau of Human Resources’ Senior Recruiter will send notification of resolution on all test item questions. The notice will include the conclusion of the review along with the action that was taken to complete the testing process. A purchased written test is covered by proprietorship rules and regulations and applicants may not review any of the testing content. If assessment center exercises are purchased and therefore covered by proprietorship rules and regulations, applicants taking assessment center exercises may only review the feedback reports supplied by the consultants who administered the exercises. Applicants may refer concerns to the administrator of the purchased tests or assessment center exercises via the Senior Recruiter.

Examination Review

Examination results will be available online for review by applicants for positions within the classified service for 14 calendar days from the date of the notice of the examination results. Each applicant is entitled to review, online, their individual results during this 14-day period. Hard copy review of the actual testing documents including instructions, evaluation forms, answer keys, distribution reports and other documents used in the testing process will be made available for review by the applicants one time during the 14 day review period. Applicants may take notes on some promotional examinations with hiring authority area approval. Applicants may not take notes, pictures or video.

Post-Eligible List Classification-Based Evaluations

Performance and skills-based evaluations may occur after Human Resources provided eligible lists are established to assist hiring authorities in identifying required skill sets not identified during the initial recruitment processes. Analyses of candidates that occur after creation of the eligible list do not qualify as an examination including task-based interview prompts and written or oral questions that call for written or oral responses.
Hiring authorities must receive approval from the Human Resources Director, or designee, prior to requesting a skills-based evaluation. Refer to Guidance provided under this rule for examples, including equal employment considerations.

Recruitment Process Appeals to the Human Resources Director

Only appeals of recruitment processes for positions in the classified service are allowed. Any appeal of recruitment process results for positions in the classified service must be submitted in writing to the Human Resources Director, or designee, no later than 14 calendar days after the notice of examination results is mailed. Within 14 calendar days of the date the Director receives the appeal; the appellant shall be sent a letter acknowledging receipt of the appeal. The Director, or designee, will offer to meet with the candidate to discuss the appeal and shall respond in writing to the appeal within 14 calendar days after the meeting, or if a meeting is not held, within 14 calendar days following an offer to meet. Appeals will only be considered regarding the recruitment process, in whole or part, if they include at least one of the following statements of reason:

a) It was administered in a manner that was contrary to the related Administrative Rules governing recruitments,
b) It was contrary to the law; or
c) It was administered based on decisions that were politically based rather than on merit.

The Director may elect to halt or modify a recruitment process if the Director determines that the appeal raises a probability of questionable validity or integrity of the recruitment process.

Examination Appeals to the Civil Service Board

A candidate for a position in the classified service may appeal the Human Resources Director decision to the Civil Service Board. Refer to related Administrative Rule for procedure and timelines.

Recruitments for Positions Outside the Classified Service/Executive Recruitments

An appointing authority may choose to fill a vacant position outside the classified service through a limited-competitive process or may, request that the Bureau of Human Resources assist in the recruitment and selection process. Additionally, at the recommendation of the Human Resources Director and as permitted under City Charter, employees may be excluded from classified service if they are in a classification where a critical element is exercising independent judgment in the formulation of policies that have citywide impact or importance.

Recruitment and Employment Incentives

The City Administrator, or designee, may determine which regular or limited duration positions are key, or in need of special recruitment efforts and therefore merit recruitment and/or employment incentives. Such positions are not limited to directors of bureaus but may also include candidates whose job qualifications are uniquely suited to a particular City position or in a profession for which there are only a limited number of qualified candidates and should be identified as "key" before recruitment and examination efforts begin. The following recruitment and employment expenses are authorized under these conditions:
 

Travel Expenses

The City of Portland may pay for reasonable travel expenses for those candidates asked to attend one or more interviews.
Travel expenses may include:

• economy class round-trip airfare or its equivalent;
• appropriate ground transportation, or
• necessary lodging and meals.

Approval of payment for such expenses is at the discretion of the City Administrator, or designee, with the affected bureau, office or program area bearing the cost.

Vacation Accruals
When authorized by the Human Resources Director or designee, newly appointed employees in key positions may be credited for prior professional service by placement at the appropriate step of the City’s vacation accrual table. Once placed on the schedule, future service with the City shall count normally towards additional vacation accrual rates. The City Administrator, or designee, may also authorize the one-time crediting of up to 40 hours of vacation available for use from date of hire.

Recruitment incentives are limited to employees newly appointed to City employment and are not available to current City employees except as specifically outlined here. However, in limited circumstances when recruiting for key positions and if approved by the Human Resources Director, the vacation accrual incentive may be offered to temporary City employees applying for regular employment. Refer to Guidance under this rule for information about identifying key positions and processes for authorization.

Resources

• Visa Information: US Department of Homeland Security Immigration Services
• City Charter
• Related Human Resources Administrative Rules: 2.06 Reasonable Employment Accommodations, 3.02 Eligible Lists, 3.07 Veterans’ Preference, 3.15 Civil Service Board, 6.03 Vacation, 7.01 Transfers
• Guidance