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Position descriptions can signal the University's values and commitments about diversity. Here
are two examples of statements that might be included in position descriptions to reflect these
values and commitments:
"The Department of X particularly encourages the candidacy of people with research and
teaching experience in multicultural, multiracial settings."
"The University of Minnesota strives to provide humane and productive work environments for
men and women from varying racial, ethnic and national backgrounds and varying family
circumstances."
Essential and Preferred Qualifications
When positions are filled at the University, individuals are evaluated according to certain predefined
standards to determine who will be considered viable candidates for the position. Two
sets of standards are used: essential qualifications and preferred qualifications.
To determine essential and preferred qualifications, list the knowledge, skills, abilities and
academic preparation you believe are relevant to the position. Then review this list and determine
what items will be considered absolutely necessary in order for a candidate to perform
successfully in the position. These necessary items are the essential qualifications for the
position. The remaining standards become preferred qualifications.
Essential Qualifications:
These are specific attributes required to perform the position successfully. They are used to
determine which applicants are qualified for the position. Unless applicants have all of the
experience and education included in the essential qualifications, they would not be considered
further for the position. When developing essential qualifications, keep in mind that they must be:
- Attributes that cannot be acquired through training normally provided on the job;
- Not so unique that it is unlikely that anyone in the anticipated applicant pool will have
them;
- Necessary to perform the job successfully;
- Job related; and
- Demonstrable and measurable.
Preferred Qualifications:
Preferred qualifications are used to measure an applicant's amount and quality of education,
experience, knowledge and skills as related to the specific duties of the position. They are used to
refine the applicant pool to determine who will be interviewed and ultimately referred to the
appointing authority for further consideration. In developing preferred qualifications, keep in mind
that they must be:
- Established as part of the full job description;
- Job related;
- Ranked by importance to the position;
- Free of bias (having no adverse impact on protected class applicants); and
- Measurable or demonstrable during the selection process.
Preferred qualifications must be applied equally and consistently to all applicants. They must be
weighed and evaluated based on the importance to the position and percentage of time spent on
tasks.
If, for instance, one is searching for a fund-raiser in an office where there is a full-time writing
staff, the fund-raiser might use oral communication 80% of the time and writing about 20% of the
time. Therefore, when assessing an applicant’s experience and skills against the preferred
qualifications, significantly greater weight should be given to oral communication skills as
opposed to written communication skills.
Also, when defining preferred qualifications, think about how they will be assessed
during the application process. For example, if one preferred qualification is the ability to
write well, sources to include might be the letter of application, publications, and written
references. If it is difficult to describe an applicant’s strength as it relates to a preferred
qualification, it may be one to eliminate.
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