Hire Like a P.R.O.

The Hiring Process

The Hiring Process forwards the mission of the university by hiring the right people for the right positions, at the right time. While it can seem intimidating, it can be broken down into three overarching steps:
  • A. Preparing to Post
  • B. Requesting to Post and Recruiting
  • C. Onboarding
  • D. Departmental Orientation
  • D. Department Orientation
Following this process will help you obtain a robust applicant pool while staying in compliance with the law and the university hiring policy.

The goal of these pages is to help guide you through the process; however, given the needs and the size of the university, it is not possible to cover every situation that could arise. To counter this, each section will have a departmental contact. If you have questions at any point in the hiring process, please do not hesitate to reach out to the contact listed.

Needing to fill a vacant position? Review and follow the following processes so you can hire like a P.R.O!

Note: This process is designed to explain the hiring process for permanent staff positions here at the university. Faculty positions will be handled by each respective campus’ provost office. For information on hiring temporary staff positions, please visit the Temporary Employees page.

A. Preparing to Post

Before the position is posted on jobs.ou.edu, there is some preparation that needs to be done. This includes obtaining a position number, job code, job description, and learning what the university is able to compensate for the services provided.

Refer to the Compensation Guidelines  to assist you in understanding how to properly compensate your employees.  If you have any questions, reach out to our Compensation Team at hrcompensation@ou.edu.

  1. Position Review
  2. Complete the Position Description Questionnaire
  3. Submit a Preauthorization 1 Form

B. Requesting to Post and Recruiting

Now that the prep work has been completed and you have your PA1, it is time to post the position, attract candidates, interview, and select a finalist! To find your finalist, please follow the steps below.

If you have any questions about this part of the process, please reach out to our Talent Acquisition Team at HRTalent@ou.edu.

  1. Request to Post
  2. Screen Candidates
  3. Conduct Interviews
  4. Check References
  5. Make an Offer
  6. Initiate a Background Check

C. Onboarding

Congratulations! You have selected a finalist and are ready to bring them onboard! New hires must complete paperwork to receive an Employee ID number and have their Hire ePaf submitted. To complete the onboarding process, please follow the steps outlined on this page.

If you have any questions about the onboarding process, please reach out to our Records Team at HRRecords@ou.edu for Norman, HRRecords@ouhsc.edu for HSC, or Tulsa-HR@ouhsc.edu for the Tulsa Campus.

D. Department Orientation

A well-planned department orientation is key to welcoming and acclimating new OU team members. A strong orientation helps new employees understand their job expectations, equips them with essential knowledge, skills, and resources, and fosters connections that highlight how their role supports the success of their department and the university.


This toolkit provides guidance and resources to help departments design a customized, culture-focused orientation program. The program should span from two weeks before a new team member’s start date through their first 90 days of employment.
 

When developing a department orientation, it’s important to document and share key processes, procedures, and cultural elements specific to your team. Additionally, consider how each section of your department orientation may need to be tailored based on the position type (faculty, staff, student, etc.) and the format (on-campus, remote, or hybrid).

If you have any questions regarding this guide, please contact the Learning and Development team at LearningandDevelopment@ouhsc.edu.

  1. Two Weeks Before the Start Date
  2. First Day
  3. First Week
  4. First Month
  5. Second and Third Month
  6. Future Goals