What to Expect in Our Recruitment, Hiring & Onboarding Process
Below is an overview of the typical recruitment, hiring and onboarding process for the Office of University Advancement at William & Mary. Because each search is personalized to the team and role, these steps may vary slightly depending on the position and hiring manager.
Submit an Application
Fill out an application for a position on the university job site and upload your resume and cover letter. Some jobs will ask for a writing sample or work portfolio.
Initial Contact from the Hiring Manager
If your application is competitive, based on the required and preferred qualifications and relative to the applicant pool, a member of our team will contact you to schedule a voice or video call. We call this an “initial screening call,” which can be anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes. This is an opportunity for you to learn more about the role and our team and for us to learn more about your skills and interest in working at W&M.
Do your research ahead of time about the job, team and supervisor as well as review recent news about W&M. Review the job description again and prepare a few questions.
Semi-Finalist Interviews
Based on the screening call, the supervisor for the role you have interviewed for will decide if you will advance to the next stage of the process: a semifinalist interview. The semifinalist interview will be a 45 to 60-minute Zoom interview with the search committee. The interviewers will ask you a series of prepared questions, and you will have the opportunity to ask them questions at the end of the interview.
You will receive the list of participants and a copy of our organizational chart in advance of the interview to help you prepare.
Finalist Interviews
Based on the semifinalist interview, the supervisor will decide if you will advance to the next stage of the process: a finalist interview. The finalist interview is on campus in Williamsburg. It consists of a series of group and one-on-one interviews and will last from a half day to a full day, depending on the role. The interview day may also include a short walking and driving tour of our beautiful campus. You will receive a detailed schedule before your interview day to help you prepare.
We want to make your visit as comfortable as possible. Please inform us of any dietary or accessibility needs, and we will happily accommodate them.
Follow up
After the finalist interview, the supervisor will contact you to debrief your interview and discuss your status. You will either be their selected candidate, which means they will want to discuss details of a potential offer, or you will receive the news that you are not the selected candidate. You may have one or two follow-up calls.
Verbal offer
If you are the selected candidate, the supervisor will schedule a call with you to extend a verbal offer. This may happen in the previous step, or it may be a second call. The verbal offer defines your new salary and start date and is not legally binding. In this call, the supervisor will also discuss details of the position with you once again, to get a sense of your excitement for the position and answer any remaining questions that you have. They will ask permission to contact your references; one reference should be a current supervisor.
This is your opportunity to ask clarifying questions about the job, based on what you learned in our interviews, and negotiate salary.
References
Having received your permission to contact your references, the supervisor will speak with them to learn more about you. Reference calls are generally no longer than 15 minutes long.
Offer letter
Based on your conversation with the supervisor to define the verbal offer, within one to three business days, you will receive a legally binding offer letter via email from University Human Resources. If you accept the offer, you will digitally sign it and return it via email.
Background check
You will receive an email from University Human Resources requesting your permission for us to conduct a background check. All offers are contingent on the successful completion of this background check.
Next steps
After you have signed the offer letter, you will receive an email from the Talent Team with instructions to initiate the legal start of your new job at W&M. You will also receive welcome emails from your new supervisor and others on the team.
Onboarding
The onboarding process begins as soon as you accept the role and is tailored to meet your individual needs. Our goal is to set you up for success from day one. Upon joining our team, you’ll receive a comprehensive onboarding plan with resources to guide you as a member of University Advancement. You’ll also be paired with a mentor, carefully selected by your supervisor. Our year-long onboarding process ensures you have ample time to get acclimated and feel confident in your new role.
We appreciate your interest in the Office of University Advancement at William & Mary.