TAM - FAQ - Talent Acquisition Manager (TAM)
This document covers frequently asked questions related to TAM.
Is there a place to determine if the underutilization is between minorities or gender?
No, the checkbox on the Job Opening Details page is generic for both. It indicates under underutilized as a whole. Users could add that information in the comments box or upload an AA plan.
Are you still accepting configuration for the posting description library or the screening question library?
Yes, we will accept configuration updates at any time. Just contact UW-Shared Services Support Team to create a ticket with the details.
Is the question “Are you eligible to work in the US?” included in the application?
No, at the advice of UW System General Council it is not included as part of the application process. However, campuses can add it as a screening question when creating a Job Opening.
How will an applicant see job opportunities for our campus? What will the job posting look like on our campus website?
A link to TAM’s Candidate Gateway and Self Service Careers (for UW employees) must be placed on each institution's website. Each campus can determine to either send the applicants to Candidate Gateway/Self Service Careers through one major page on their employment opportunities webpage or to reenter the individual job posting information on the campus website and add a link at the end of each posting to take them to Candidate Gateway/Self Service Careers. The applicant will need to search for that opening in Candidate Gateway/Self Service Careers.
Is there a space limit on applicant uploaded documents?
No, not at this time. Attachment Types and allowable number:
- Resume - 1
- Cover Letter - 1
- Reference Letters - 3
- Transcripts - 4
- Other - 10
How will the records retention guidelines be handled in TAM?
The recruitment records contained in TAM will follow UW records retention policy. Archiving of data will be controlled by UW-Shared Services, Service Operations.
Are applicants required to upload the requested documents?
Applicants are only required by the system to upload a CV/Resume for Faculty/Academic Staff/Limited openings. University Staff openings do not require a resume. Applicants will be able to upload all other required materials. Applicants are reminded to be sure they have attached all required materials via a pop up message before final submission of their application. However, the UW user will need to verify that the proper materials have been received.
At what point can an applicant no longer update his/her materials?
Once they hit submit.
What data will be flowing through from TAM to HR in HRS?
To take advantage of the data flow between TAM and HR the Manage Hires process MUST be used. Then, the applicant’s personal data, such as address, name, contact information, gender, ethnicity, veteran, and disability will flow through. Veteran and disability data will not flow through in cases of internal applicants who already have data in these fields in HR. Also, data such as social security number or date of birth will not flow into HR because this data is not captured at the time of application. Compensation data will flow into HR if the Prepare Job Offer functionality is used, except lump sums or other compensations which require Additional Pay. Recruitment source (How did you find out about this position?) and Degree information (if entered) will flow into HR. Additionally, Criminal Background Check Date, Position of Trust, and Sexual Harassment Check Date will flow into the Person Assignment Checklist in HR if the Manage Hires process is used for the hire. And if a position is used when creating a Job Opening in TAM and the Manage Hires process is used to initiate the hire, then all position data will flow into HR.
Can we query to see the applicant pool and sources for where they learned about the job?
Yes, a public query is available for campus use to indicate the applicant pool and sources of where they learned about the job. The query is named Tracking Advertising Sources. See KB 20552 HRS TAM - TAM Report List for more information.
Will applicants be required to apply online or can we accept paper applications?
Paper applications can be taken but HR (or another UW employee) will have to enter it manually. In this method, applicant ethnicity, gender, veteran, and disability status will not be captured unless it is done manually. Additionally, you will not be able to take advantage of the online screening functionality if paper applications are accepted. Terms and Agreements are also not presented to applicants if paper applications are accepted. Acceptance of the Terms and Agreements will need to be gathered via other means, i.e. email or hard copy.
Can you upload an offer letter for a specific person?
Yes, the letter can be added to the online job offer, uploaded and emailed to the applicant, or uploaded to the job opening for storage.
There are areas in the system where notes can be added. Currently campuses do not keep personal notes (such as personal interview notes). Is it required to enter notes?
No, it is not required to enter notes in the system. However, any appropriate items for records retention should be included in TAM. Each campus will need to make sure that inappropriate comments are not entered in the system as they will become part of the recruitment file and are subject to open records laws.
Will there be a different way to use the system for pool hires?
Yes, by setting up a continuous recruitment for a specific department. A continuous recruitment could also have multiple openings and be left open until all openings are filled. Another option would be to state in a posting that a review of applicants will start on a certain date. On that date you would pull the recruitment off line to review candidates and then later restart it.
Can job family be left out when creating a Job Opening?
No, it is a required field.
Are positions set in advance and flow backward from HR to TAM?
Yes, if at all possible positions should be all set up/updated in HRS prior to starting a Job Opening in TAM so position data will be pulled into TAM at the time the recruitment is started. It will then flow back into HR at the time of hire as long as the Manage Hires process is used to initiate the hire.
Is desired start date a required field when creating a Job Opening?
No, a desired start date is not required; it can be added or changed in the system at any time.
Does the desired start date drive the hire date?
No, the desired start date does not drive the hire date; it is there for informational purposes.
Is there something that the search and screen chair would do within the system that would notify people that the interview pool needs to be reviewed?
If the search and screen chair is provisioned with a TA Coordinator role, the chair would be able to use the Route or Forward feature in the system to notify people of the interview pool to be reviewed. If the chair is not provisioned with this role, then the chair would need to notify a TA Coordinator or a Recruiter to do the notification.
Can you only see your own campus library items or can you see the entire library when creating a Job Posting?
All campuses users will be able to see the entire posting description library.
Do you have to identify the specific name of the journal or newspaper when selecting a posting destination for a job posting?
No, it is not required to identify the specific name of the journal or newspaper. However, it is recommended to use this feature to have a record of where the job will be advertised. Some campus specific newspapers and journals are configured in the system that can be selected and there is an option to type the name if the name is not in the list.
Is the sequencing for description types set when creating a job posting or can they be reordered by the campus?
The sequencing is set in the system. However, not all description types are required in a job posting.
Is there a character limit within a description?
There is no character limit.
Are attachment uploads in Word format or PDF documents?
Attachments can be uploaded in any file format, i.e. Word, PDF or Excel. However, .exe files should be avoided. Applicant attachments that are not in a format that can be converted to PDF, such as video files, will not be included when using the Print Application Details function to create a PDF file.
Are the uploaded files changed to PDF format after uploaded?
They are not automatically changed to PDF in the system. The document would need to be put into the PDF format before being uploaded if that is the desired format.
What documents can an applicant upload?
An applicant can upload any document that is required as part of the application. i.e. Transcripts, Cover letter, Resume/Vita, audio or video files.
Can an applicant upload whatever they want and name it whatever they want?
Yes, applicants can upload whatever items they would like with the caveats below. Search Committees will need to verify that the files uploaded meet the requirements for the application.
- File names are limited to 64 characters.
- Certain characters do not work in a file name, such as :, /, \, ", and extra periods.
Do you have to use the interview section of TAM?
No, it is not a required section. However, it is recommended to take advantage of efficiency this section provides.
Can the comments section of interview evaluation be removed?
No, they cannot be removed without it being a modification to the system. If the comments section is used, each campus will need to make sure that inappropriate comments are not entered in the system as they will become part of the recruitment file and are subject to open records laws.
Can a single applicant apply more than once to the same job opening?
The only way a single applicant can apply more than once to the same job opening would be to create additional accounts with different user profiles, separate user names and passwords.
If an applicant applies a second time can they change information from what was selected on the first application?
Yes, if an applicant applies a second time using a different account, then different information can be entered by the applicant.
When selecting a position while creating a Job Opening, how do you know which position to select from the drop down menu?
Only positions for each institution, the selected job family, and the selected department, will be visible in the menu. The creator of the Job Opening may need to have a discussion with the person who maintains positions on their campus to identify which position number should be selected.
If a Job Opening is rejected does it stop the entire Job Opening or just send it back to the person who created it?
It sends it back to the person who created it and they can then make changes and resubmit. The Job Opening will remain in "Denied" status until it is resubmitted.
What do you mean by provisioning a person?
This gives the person access to the system with a specific security role through HRS. Individuals must be given a role in advance to be able to access a job opening.
Where does the “Project” Code for the funding string account code go?
Not all campuses use the separate 7-digit project code in their funding strings. For those campuses who use this code, we recommend adding it in the first line of the Essential Justification box which is located right below the funding information.
Can the system be used for part time pool position postings for use in emergency hires?
Yes, the system can accommodate pool postings for emergency hires. It can also accommodate waiver hires.
When you select a posting destination does the system send it directly?
In most cases it is just a way to document where you plan to advertise. However, HigherEdJobs advertisements will be sent directly to them through the system. You must select the UW Self Service Careers destination and Internal posting type to ensure the posting is available on Self Service Careers. You must select External - All Jobs and External posting type to ensure the posting is available on Candidate Gateway. For postings that are only available to employees of a specific institution, you must select UW-(Institution name) Employees Only destination and Internal posting type.
Will TAM create the contract letter?
A contract letter can be used within TAM at the job offer stage. You can either revise a template letter from TAM (see KB's 21486 & 20117) or create your own and upload it to the system.
How is the racial / ethnic question being asked? Is it a two-part question?
Yes, a two-part question format is used. Applicants can self-identify in as many categories as they wish. Several public reports are available which easily provides the ethnicity data needed for Affirmative Action reporting. (See KB 20552 HRS TAM - TAM Report List for more information.) All ethnicities that the applicant identifies will flow into HR.
Is it possible to bring the CV or other documents into HR to become part of the new employee’s personnel file?
No, however, it can be printed in the HR office and placed into the personnel file rather than the department printing and sending it to HR.
Does the system identify who the first approver is?
Yes, Primary Hiring Manager is the first person in the approval chain. Primary Recruiter is last, but it can be changed in the approval chain or additional people can be added where needed.
Can we tailor who we want in the approval chain for a specific opening?
Yes, additional approvers can be added to the approval chain by clicking the green + sign between the name boxes. Note: Only the person adding an approver to the chain can remove them from the chain.
What will the approvers see when they are looking at the Job Opening?
They will be able to see all job opening details, attachments, job posting details, and by clicking the preview button, they will be able to see what the job posting will look like to the applicant.
Will approvers receive an email when their approval is needed?
Yes.
When the approver logs in, what will they see?
It depends on their security role and how they log in. If they log in specifically to approve using a link in the approval notification email, then all openings or job offers will be in one list to select and approve. However, they will also have access to other recruiting menu options based on their security role.
Are there only the two roles to choose from for those who will be doing the approvals?
The primary Hiring Manager and the primary Recruiter listed on the Assignments page will be automatically pulled into the approver chain. However, any UW employee can be added to the chain as additional approvers. If any additional approvers are added who do not currently have a TAM related security role, then they will need to also be added to the job opening assignments page in the interviewer or interested party section in order to have access to approve. Once added to the assignments page, a dynamic provisioning process must run before they have access. The process runs 5 times per day 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and approximately 8:10 p.m.
Is there an approval process at the interview stage?
There is not a formal approval process at the interview stage. However, work arounds have been identified which utilizes the Route feature or the Forward feature in TAM along with email communication to accomplish approvals for interviews. See Routing and Forwarding Applicant KBs for details.
Does an approver have any way to go back and see all Job Openings they have approved in the past?
An approver can search for Job Openings in which they have been associated. A query would need to be created to provide a history of items that they approved in the past and can be done using the EPM Data Warehouse.
If an approval goes into denied status, where does it go?
Pushback goes back one person in the approval chain and Deny goes all the way back to the originator of the Job Opening or Job Offer. Denying a Job Opening will set the Job Opening status to "Denied", however, it can be resubmitted if needed.
Can we use TAM for the approval process for University Staff openings?
Yes, University Staff openings can be recruited through TAM.