DAS General Letter 194 - Filling Vacancies


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PURPOSE

This General Letter establishes uniform and equitable policies and procedures for filling vacancies using candidate lists. Candidate lists are official lists of applicants who are eligible to be hired for specific State positions, pursuant to the State Personnel Act.

POLICY/DELEGATION 

Pursuant to the State Personnel Act, once an appointing authority is authorized to fill a vacancy, the Commissioner of Administrative Services, upon request, shall provide the appointing authority with a list of candidates. The appointing authority shall designate subject matter experts (“hiring managers”) and empower them to select and hire the most qualified and suitable candidates. Hiring managers shall use sound judgment to effectively manage their operations and fill vacancies as soon as possible while complying with all vacancy-filling requirements and merit, equal employment opportunity, and affirmative action principles.

SCOPE

This General Letter applies when hiring managers receive approval to fill a vacancy in any permanent position in the classified service within the executive branch under the jurisdiction of the Department of Administrative Services, Statewide Human Resources Management Division. However, hiring managers may, at their discretion, apply these protocols and tools to other vacancies when doing so is in the best interest of their agency and conforms to all applicable requirements.

REQUIREMENTS

The parties listed below shall act in good faith and comply with all applicable Federal and State employment laws, regulations, collective bargaining agreements, policies, and procedures governing vacancy filling. Hiring managers shall adhere to the above policy and fulfill their responsibilities, and the other parties shall enable and support them in doing so.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The vacancy filling process involves four key, interrelated roles: hiring managers lead the vacancy filling process and make candidate selections; agency human resources (“HR”) staff provides procedural support and compliance guidance; Department of Administrative Services Talent Solutions (“TS”) team manages centralized talent acquisition operations and information systems; and agency equal employment opportunity and affirmative action (“EEO/AA”) officers provide oversight, training, and monitoring for compliance with applicable requirements. The following sections provide examples of the duties and responsibilities for each role.

Hiring Managers

  • Take an active and influential role in defining what the most qualified and suitable candidate profile looks like and drive the vacancy-filling process while maintaining full accountability for the hires they make;
  • Review and recommend updates to job classes, including minimum qualifications, to ensure they remain current with industry and agency developments, so job openings attract the most qualified and suitable talent;
  • Lead proactive outreach efforts to secure well-qualified candidates to carry out State programs effectively and efficiently, including building and maintaining professional networks and actively promoting vacancy information through appropriate channels, such as professional associations and social media (e.g., LinkedIn, etc.);
  • Make position management decisions that are judicious, align with applicable job class guidelines, and support sound organizational structure;
  • Comply fully with all laws and collective bargaining agreements governing rights to vacancies (“mandatory rights”);
  • Develop preferred qualifications (“PQs”) that are job-related, objective, and effective in determining which candidates are most qualified and suitable;
  • Request candidate lists from the Commissioner of Administrative Services, as needed;
  • Select for hire candidates from appropriate candidate lists who are determined to be the most qualified and suitable; and
  • When needed during the vacancy filling process, engage in the interactive process and provide reasonable accommodations as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Agency Human Resources ("HR")

  • Serves as the primary point of contact for hiring managers and provides guidance and support throughout the vacancy-filling process;
  • Partners with TS and EEO/AA to support hiring managers’ outreach efforts;
  • Collaborates and coordinates with other parties to support hiring managers in meeting their responsibilities for filling their vacancies;
  • Advises on position management, vacancy filling best practices, including PQ development, job opening structure, and other compliance obligations; and
  • Engages with the Office of Policy and Management, Office of Labor Relations on mandatory rights and other related negotiated requirements, as necessary.

Department of Administrative Services Talent Solutions (“TS ”)

  • Administers job openings based on hiring managers’ and HR’s needs and, when applicable, the examination process for filling vacancies (e.g., post job opening/examinations, create candidate lists, and facilitates the appeal process for applicants rejected for admission into an examination, etc.);
  • Conducts various aspects of the talent acquisition process designed to widen and diversify the pool of qualified candidates considered for job openings (e.g., multi-channel outreach and sourcing of candidates, digital recruitment, and applicant engagement and support, etc.); and
  • Administers and maintains information systems (e.g., applicant tracking systems such as JobAps, social media, and other digital platforms, etc.) that support the creation of candidate lists and the vacancy filling process.

Agency Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action (“EEO/AA”)

  • Ensures that agencies comply with Federal and State equal employment opportunity and affirmative action laws, as well as agency-specific anti-harassment and discrimination policies;
  • Advises and updates hiring managers and HR on equal employment opportunity and affirmative action program matters, initiatives, and issues;
  • Recommends process solutions to agency heads to prevent discriminatory conduct in the vacancy-filling process;
  • Develops and delivers guidance on establishing PQs and properly reporting vacancy-filling decisions for inclusion in agency affirmative action plans;
  • Develops and delivers outreach programs in support of hiring managers’ outreach efforts;
  • Receives vacancy-filling justifications from hiring managers and incorporates them in agency affirmative action plans;
  • Documents and saves all vacancy-filling justifications as they are submitted, to include outreach efforts and other relevant material, for use in developing agency affirmative action plans;
  • Serves as the ADA coordinator, as assigned;
  • When EEO/AA functions as a stand-alone office, it shall remain independent from the vacancy-filling process to preserve impartiality and shall not participate directly in selection or hiring decisions; and
  • Conducts or leads investigations into alleged violations of Federal and State equal employment opportunity and affirmative action laws, as well as agency-specific non-discrimination and harassment policies, as assigned, and reports findings and recommendations, upon conclusion, to appropriate authorities.

PROCEDURES FOR FILLING VACANCIES

These procedures outline the end‑to‑end process for filling a position after the Office of Policy and Management approves an agency’s position request, as applicable, covering the steps from initial planning through hiring and onboarding. They provide hiring managers, HR, TS, and EEO/AA with a clear, uniform, and equitable framework that supports timely, fair, and high‑quality hiring decisions across four interrelated phases: (1) Planning, (2) Networking, (3) Selection, and (4) Hiring and Onboarding.

Planning Phase

  • Post-approval collaboration: After receiving approval to fill a vacancy and fully complying with all requirements governing mandatory rights to that vacancy, the hiring manager collaborates with HR to decide whether it is more appropriate to fill the vacancy from an existing candidate list in the same or comparable job class to fill the vacancy as soon as possible or to initiate a new job opening request to establish a new candidate list;
  • Finalize new job opening details: If use of an existing list is not feasible, the hiring manager, with support from HR, may instead finalize key details within the requisition, such as the announcement type, official and working titles, work location, shift, employment status, job specific duties, and job opening and closing dates. This ensures that the job opening aligns with the correct job class and the specific needs of the vacancy;
  • Develop Introduction and Highlights: The hiring manager, HR and TS work together to develop an engaging "Introduction and Highlights" section that conveys the vacancy's impact, the agency's mission and culture, and the benefits of State employment using clear, concise, and inviting language with a call-to-action tone;
  • Develop or Refine PQs: The hiring manager and HR develop or refine the PQs to ensure they are measurable, objective, and closely tied to the vacancy’s requirements. The overall number and frequency of use of PQs are at the discretion of the hiring manager. The PQs should be consistent with all applicable laws and policies, including EEO/AA guidance on establishing PQs and HR and TS best practices. Key skills or experience included in the introduction should be reflected in a corresponding, job-related PQ. The hiring manager and HR may develop new PQs when using preexisting candidate lists. In rare circumstances PQs may not be necessary. When this occurs, hiring managers shall work with HR and EEO/AA to ensure a fair, unbiased and objective selection process;
  • EEO/AA review: The appointing authority may opt to have EEO/AA review PQs to confirm that they are objective and unbiased. When an appointing authority gives express approval for this step, and once the hiring manager and HR complete the job requisition, HR submits it to EEO/AA to review and confirm that PQs are objective and unbiased. The hiring manager has the discretion to use any PQs previously approved by EEO/AA for the same or comparable job class without further EEO/AA approval for consistency and to reduce the time to fill the vacancy; then
  • Final mandatory rights check: Before posting a job opening, HR must again determine whether any candidates have mandatory rights to the vacancy. If such candidates exist, HR is responsible for confirming their interest and validating their rights before proceeding. If a mandatory candidate accepts the job offer, the recruitment process for that vacancy ends, and there is not a need to post a job opening. Once the mandatory rights requirements have been fully cleared, HR may move forward with requesting to post the job opening.

Networking Phase

  • TS job opening and promotion: TS reviews and, if needed, refines the job opening requisition, posts the job opening on JobAps, and promotes it through social media channels, professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn, and various job boards and conducts outreach and proactive sourcing of candidates based on factors such as role and occupational area;
  • Hiring manager support: The hiring manager should actively support these efforts by sharing the job opening through professional networks and social media (e.g., LinkedIn, etc.), encouraging team members to share it as well, and collaborating with HR and TS to develop testimonial or narrative posts that highlight the job and workplace culture;
  • EEO/AA and HR Additional Outreach: EEO/AA and HR may, in coordination with TS and the hiring manager conduct additional outreach to help broaden the potential candidate pool for the vacancy; then
  • Early application review: Once the job opening is live, the hiring manager may, with HR's knowledge, begin reviewing and screening applications to become familiar with the candidate pool and reduce the time to fill the vacancy. However, selection decisions shall not occur until the job opening and any appeal period have closed, and a candidate list has been created. This ensures equal employment opportunity and maintains the integrity of the vacancy filling process.

Selection Phase

  • TS creates candidate list: As part of the application process, candidates answer supplemental questions (SQs) that reflect the minimum requirements for the job class of the vacancy. Candidates whose responses indicate that they meet those requirements are deemed qualified and placed on a candidate list. Candidates whose responses indicate they do not meet the minimum requirements are considered not qualified. When required by the State Personnel Act, the SQs serve as the official examination unless the Hiring Manager, HR, and TS agree on a different examination method before the job posting. Candidates who are deemed not qualified may have appeal rights;
  • Shortlist development: Once TS certifies the candidate list, the hiring manager should work with HR to narrow it to a shortlist that the hiring manager considers sufficient. When appropriate, referral questions (“RQs”) may be developed in partnership with HR and TS as a tool to help narrow down a large candidate pool by assessing specific knowledge, skills, and abilities that align with the PQs;
  • Use RQ responses: TS distributes RQs to candidates during the application period and/or on the certified list based upon the preference of the hiring manager. The hiring manager uses candidate responses, along with application materials, to identify those candidates whose qualifications most closely match the PQs. RQ responses serve as a shortlisting tool but are not the sole basis for interview selection;
  • Hiring manager discretion: As the subject matter expert, the hiring manager may justify the inclusion of candidates in later stages, in consultation with HR. If shortlisting assistance from TS is not requested, the hiring manager should work directly with HR to determine suitable alternative methods;
  • Interview selection: Candidates are then selected for interviews based on their applications, PQs, and any RQ responses. The hiring manager collaborates with HR to review selected candidates before scheduling interviews to confirm eligibility;
  • Form interview panels: Interview panels should generally include three or more members (an odd number is recommended) who understand the occupation and vacancy, such as a supervisor, prior incumbent, peer from another agency, etc. Panels should reflect diverse perspectives and backgrounds to the extent possible, provided there is the requisite knowledge of the occupation and vacancy. Panels should not consist of anyone that would be reporting to the vacancy or have any other conflict of interest. Proposed panelists are submitted to HR for review and assistance with scheduling and logistics;
  • Multiple rounds: If and when conducting multiple interview rounds, hiring managers should consider using different interview panels for each round so that the same individual does not serve on more than one panel. For example, junior staff may participate in the first round and managers or directors in the second. Panelists' time should be reserved early to minimize delays, and HR will coordinate interview scheduling, including self-scheduling through JobAps when appropriate; 
  • Develop interview questions: Interview questions should be behavior-based, meaning they ask candidates to describe specific past experiences that demonstrate relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities, and must be directly linked to the PQs or other job-related subject matter. Including brief context in questions may help candidates frame their responses (e.g., “We work in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment. Tell us about a time you…”). Additional informational questions may be used to better understand candidates; however, responses to these questions may not be used as selection criteria unless they are directly tied to one or more PQs. All interview questions must be submitted to HR for review and approval prior to use and, once approved by HR, kept confidential to maintain the integrity of the vacancy-filling process;
  • Conduct interviews: Interviews must be conducted consistently, fairly, and impartially and must be wholly focused on identifying the most qualified and suitable candidate. All candidates shall be asked the same set of interview questions, and any follow-up questions must serve only to clarify responses. Leading or guiding questions should be avoided;
  • Evaluate and document: Panelists evaluate candidates based on their responses relative to the PQs. After each round, the panel discusses how each candidate performed and determines which candidates should advance. Any documentation, including interview notes, should be returned to HR for inclusion in the recruitment file and must not be discarded;
  • Work Samples: In certain cases, work samples (e.g., presentations, writing samples, etc.) may be required to assess candidates’ knowledge, skills, and abilities. Any work sample must be developed in consultation with HR and include clear, consistent instructions and expectations. When a work sample is used, the same assignment must be given to all candidates who are actively being considered to ensure a fair and consistent selection process. Work samples can provide valuable insight into candidates’ knowledge, skills, and abilities and help distinguish among well-qualified candidates;
  • Candidate communication: Finally, it is important to maintain positive communication with candidates throughout the process. Hiring managers or HR shall acknowledge the time and effort candidates invest by thanking them for their participation and providing general updates on timelines and next steps. Use professional, neutral language such as "We appreciate your time" or "We will keep you informed of the next steps." Avoid making promises of employment or implying that a particular candidate is preferred or guaranteed selection. Consistent, respectful communication reinforces the State of Connecticut's reputation as an employer of choice;
  • Final selection: After interviews and other assessments are complete, the hiring manager selects the most qualified and suitable candidate, ensuring that the decision is made in a manner consistent with this policy. In consultation with HR, the hiring manager then determines job offer timing to compete effectively in the job market and fill the vacancy as soon as possible;
  • Offer letter: HR shall deliver a conditional offer letter to the selected candidate with no further reviews or approvals required. The letter shall include all critical details of the role, including, but not limited to, salary, shift, location, and applicable bargaining unit information. The conditions of the offer shall also be included;
  • Document decisions: Throughout the selection process, all decisions must be well documented. This includes noting the reasons candidates were not advanced at each stage and providing clear justification for the selected candidate. Hiring managers must comply with EEO/AA's tracking procedures and justification guidelines as expressly approved by the appointing authority. Complete, accurate documentation should be submitted in coordination with HR and EEO/AA no later than the completion of the candidate's working test period or when necessary to incorporate this information into the affirmative action plan submission timeline, whichever is sooner.
  • Documentation contents: This documentation may include the completed applicant flow or equivalent, outreach, and other recruitment‑related material. Candidates’ action‑taken codes should be updated in JobAps and Hire Detail information should be populated for the selected candidate with the date of job offer acceptance; then
  • Handling of vacancy filling decisions: EEO/AA shall accept applicant flows or equivalent as submitted by hiring managers and HR to support timely vacancy filling, requesting revisions only for major structural deficiencies.

Hiring and Onboarding Phase

  • HR support: HR shall support the hiring manager in completing all other applicable checks and requirements by the end of the candidate's working test period or when statutorily required, whichever is sooner;
  • Welcome email: Once the candidate accepts the offer and a start date is confirmed, the hiring manager or HR should send a welcome or introductory email that includes first-day logistics such as time, location, parking, and building access, along with information on dress code, workplace norms, and initial expectations;
  • Prepare workspace: The hiring manager or HR shall coordinate with other internal units to arrange parking and identification badges, computer and phone access, workspace setup, and any specialized equipment required for the job;
  • No accepted offer scenario: If the above efforts do not result in an accepted job offer, the hiring manager should work with HR to identify other candidates, re-consider the PQs and other aspects of the job opening, or consider posting a new job opening, if needed;
  • Onboarding plan: To support onboarding and early integration, the hiring manager should develop a plan for the employee's first one to two weeks that includes introductions to team members, key contacts, and organizational leaders, as well as initial assignments and training activities;
  • Team integration: The hiring manager is responsible for ensuring the employee feels welcomed and supported by the team. This includes actively encouraging team members to engage with the employee and help build comradery. The hiring manager must also provide a clear overview of how the employee’s role contributes to the agency’s mission and serves the public. Emphasizing the purpose and “why” behind the work helps employees understand the impact of their contributions which drives engagement, retention, and long‑term success; then
  • Communication with candidates not selected for hire: The hiring manager or HR shall notify candidates that they have not been selected for hire as soon as practicable in a professional and respectful manner. Communications should thank candidates for their interest and participation and may encourage future applications or notify them that they may be considered for other opportunities.

POST AUDIT

The filling of vacancies under this General Letter is subject to post-audit by the Department of Administrative Services, Statewide Human Resources Management Division.

OTHER

State agencies are responsible for the following regarding the filling of their vacancies:

  • Responding to any administrative and/or legal challenges to the filling of their vacancies;
  • Meeting all document retention requirements;
  • Responding to all requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); and
  • Maintaining the security and confidentiality of all vacancy filling materials.

For questions regarding this General Letter, please contact the Department of Administrative Services, Statewide Human Resources Management Division.

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