Queen’s students, faculty and staff come from every imaginable background and hiring is an important time to consider equity, diversity, inclusion and Indigeneity (EDII). Our tips and tools below will help you navigate the recruitment process with EDII considerations embedded in each stage of the process.
How to Recruit Students
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To reach a more diverse student population, post your role centrally on MyCareer (see instructions below for how to post a role in MyCareer)
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Avoid overreliance on "word of mouth" advertising as this can limit your ability to reach diverse candidates
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Ensure sufficient time for the job posting to be available
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Include only qualifications, experience, abilities, and skills
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Avoid jargon and acronyms, use clear language
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Use gender neutral language (Gender Decoder)
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Include a diversity statement and encourage students from underrepresented groups to apply
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Register in MyCareer by completing this form. Your application will be reviewed by Career Services staff within 2 business days.
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Log in to MyCareer and follow these instructions (PDF, 113KB) to submit a job posting. Each posting is reviewed by our staff, and provided there are no issues, approved within 2 business days. An email confirmation will be sent containing the site address to view your posting. For more information, please visit our post a job page here.
Career Services will regularly post social media messages to encourage students to check job postings on MyCareer, but any additional promotion you decide to do can add to the reach of your posting. Here are some options:
- Students may follow local and campus news, as well as e-newsletters to stay connected (e.g., The Journal, Faculty email newsletter). If you hope to reach to more diverse student populations, consider advertising your job posting information in these places.
- If your department has an email list that goes to students in your area, include information about your position(s).
- Join the Virtual Career Fair this fall to reach to more students who are interested in working in your organization and field.
Conducting Interviews
An interview invitation is best sent by email, including the following information:
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When the interview will take place, and for how long
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Where the interview will take place (virtually or in-person, and how to access the virtual or physical meeting space)
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Who will be present during the interview
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What the structure of the interview might be so that candidates know what to expect
- Include a statement that indicates the unit's willingness to provide accommodations for candidates. Ensure a system is in place for candidates to request these accommodations, if needed.
Use the tips below to ensure you create an equitable and inclusive interview process for a diverse pool of candidates:
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Share interview questions by email 15 minutes in advance of the interview for candidates to review
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Use a clear, pre-determined rubric with a scale and examples that match the skills and qualifications required in the job description
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Consider having multiple interviews and having one of the hiring committee members act as an EDII lead whose job it is to keep EDII considerations active through the process
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Ask competency-based and behavioural questions e.g., Describe your approach to building relationships with team members, tell me about a time when..."
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Consider EDII training for hiring committee members facilitated through the Human Rights and Equity Office
- Have an inclusive interpretation of responses that considers English as an additional language, learning styles, and communication approaches
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Debrief the candidate’s interview performance with your hiring committee once all interviews have been completed
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Challenge possible biases in your own and fellow panelists' assessments of candidates; training can be facilitated through the Human Rights and Equity Office
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Avoid using "fit" or "gut feelings" as they often favor candidates with similar backgrounds to you and can undermine equity
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Refrain from considering external information when thinking about the candidate's abilities
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Ensure your hiring committee is reflective of the diversity of perspectives and backgrounds
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Note about Extending Job Offers to International Students
International students are eligible for employment opportunities at Queen's with valid study permit, work permit and SIN. This includes duties performed remotely or not, but within Canada. For more information on international students' eligibility to work please visit the Queen’s University International Centre website or contact QUIC at isa@queensu.ca.
Source: Queen's HREO and University of Toronto CACUSS webinar
To learn more, the Human Rights and Equity Office offers Employment Equity for Staff training.
Registering in the EL WrapAround
The EL WrapAround is a low-time-commitment, high-impact strategy tool that supervisors and students can use to engage in productive conversations about how to get the most out of an on-campus student role. Participation in the EL WrapAround is a requirement for all Work Study and SWEP roles, but is available to all student positions on campus. Please consider using this simple structure to add value to your office and to the students working with you.
To learn more about this simple but impactful strategy, please visit the EL WrapAround webpage.
Register in the EL WrapAround by emailing el.hub@queensu.ca