A Selection Committee is a group of people who review applications for a position and select the best candidate. These members are generally employees from different departments, with a mix of levels and experience within the company. The committee should also include a mixture of men and women. Ideally, a chairperson is assigned to oversee the process and make sure that everybody gets their turn in interviews.
Those who serve on the committee should be willing and able to participate with enthusiasm and objectivity. They should understand the nature of the role and the characteristics that are sought, as well as have a good understanding of (and agreement on) the selection criteria to apply during the short listing process. In addition, they should be able to work in an efficient manner during the meetings and not spend a lot of time on preparation, such as research on candidates or reviewing application forms.
The Committee will have a wide range of observation, consultation and data resources available to them throughout the season and during the selection week process that support their discussion and deliberation. This includes extensive season-long evaluation through watching games, conference monitoring calls and NABC regional advisory rankings; full box scores with detailed statistics; head to head comparisons; balance of schedules; team strength versus common opponents; and many other statistical metrics.
Depending on the type of programme, committees may have to apply other specific criteria that are stipulated in the call for proposals. For example, for an individual scholarship, committees may have to consider the level of specialist qualification and quality of the research project.
If a member of the committee has an obvious conflict of interest, they must inform the Chair immediately and ask to be excused from the meeting. The Chair will then consider the conflicting interest and if necessary, the person who holds that position should stand down from the committee.
In order to avoid bias, it is important that the committee is composed of a mix of staff from different areas of the department and employee groups and not just those who are looking to fill the position. This ensures that the committee views the applicants from a variety of different perspectives and is more likely to make an objective decision.
It is strongly recommended that hiring managers invite a representative from OPSEU Local 415 to participate in Selection/Interview Committees for academic staff. This will ensure that the committee is aware of and sensitive to issues that are important to the union. It will also help to promote a healthy working environment in the department, which is critical to the success of any organization. The person who represents the union on the committee can act as a liaison between the committee and the applicant during the interview process. This will help to alleviate any potential tensions between the employer and the applicant. It will also help to ensure that questions are asked that allow the applicant to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in a fair and objective way.