The goal of bargaining selection procedures, whether for entry or inservice positions, is to ensure that qualified people are selected to fill the positions. Eligibles selected, promoted, or reassigned at any level must meet all the requirements of the position as stated on the qualification standard, and the vacancy announcement or job posting. Employees fully meet the physical requirements of a position if they are physically able to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation where appropriate, and without posing a direct threat of harm to themselves or others. (See Handbook EL–307, Reasonable Accommodation, An Interactive Process.)
Bargaining qualification standards, available on Bqnet, Qualification Standards, Bargaining Positions on the Intranet, indicate the requirements that all bidders or applicants must meet to be eligible for placement in the position. The qualification standards are applicable when filling both entry and inservice positions. Additional requirements for positions may be established only as specified in 725, Special Requirements, and 76, Bargaining Position Qualification Standards. These additional requirements must be specified on the job posting or vacancy announcement. Section 76 contains further instructions on the use of qualification standards.
Some bargaining positions do not have qualification standards. Requirements for these positions must be developed locally and be included in the vacancy announcement or job posting. Appropriate documentation used to develop requirements must be retained in the vacancy file.
Human resources personnel are obligated to ensure that successful bidders have demonstrated that they meet all the position requirements, including the following:
- Bidding for a Change in Schedule. When a bid is to a position of the same title and level in order to obtain a change in the work schedule, an evaluation of qualifications is limited to typing or driving requirements and special requirements, if any, that may be different from those in the current duty assignment.
- Bidding to Return to a Position Previously Held. When a bid is to return to a position previously held, appropriate records must be reviewed to determine if the requirements for the position are the same as when the bidder originally obtained the position. If any requirements have changed, the bidder must meet all new requirements, regardless of how long it has been since the bidder left the position. An eligible bidder may be disqualified on a current bid if the bidder was previously taken out of the same or similar position for not meeting a job requirement. Similarly, a record of pending removal in a previous position may also be justification for disqualification. In both cases, the amount of time passed between bidding out and bidding back, and the bidder’s record in the interim must be considered.
Time frames and sequences appropriate to the evaluation process, indicated elsewhere in this chapter and in the collective bargaining agreements, state that while applicants and/or bidders must meet the requirements of the position, not all the requirements must necessarily be demonstrated at the same time. For example, after a senior bidder has been found to meet all other requirements of a position with training requirements, the bidder is placed into training and then must demonstrate satisfactory completion of the training. Also, an applicant or bidder may be awarded a position pending review of driving history records and the actual driver’s license to ensure its validity (see 516, Driving History, and 517.5, Driver’s License Review). Evaluators, review committees, and selecting officials must take such sequences into account when evaluating qualifications or requesting that applicants and bidders demonstrate their qualifications.
When qualifications are evaluated, applicants and bidders have the obligation to demonstrate that their qualifications meet the requirements. If there is insufficient information to establish a senior bidder’s qualifications, information from the bidder is requested after close of the posting (see 728.22, Bidding and Qualifications). If an applicant or bidder does not meet all the requirements of the position, including an examination, the person is not qualified and therefore, not eligible for further consideration. (See 714.1b, for an explanation of meeting the requirements, and 727.4, for information that covers when requirements must be met.)
In evaluating qualifications, evaluators must consider available pertinent information that tends to show whether the employee does or does not possess the qualifications. Pertinent information may include, but is not limited to, any of the following:
- Interviews.
- Supervisory appraisals.
- The written application specifying verified experience, education, and training.
- Certificates of course completion or transcripts, accompanied by school catalog specifying course content, when requested.
- Examination results.
- Personnel records.
Note: Interviews for best qualified positions must be used as indicated in 728.34, Conducting Interviews. For senior qualified positions, interviews must be used as indicated in 728.23d.
