University officials hope a bill expanding the U. of I.’s hiring capability that is awaiting the governor’s signature is the first of many positive developments that could lead to less-restrictive State University Civil Service System rules.
The proposed law would give campus hiring managers the ability to consider qualified out-of-state applicants for open civil service positions alongside in-state candidates, as long as the applicants agree to relocate.
As the law is written now, out-of-state candidates are only included at the bottom of the hiring register, no matter how qualified they are.
“It’s an example of where we can try to change some civil service procedures to make them more modern and allow some flexibility for our open positions,” said Maureen Parks, the associate vice president of University Human Resources. “Today’s recruiting environment is both regional and global, and we need every tool at our disposal to hire the best candidate for the job.”
Parks said some of the rules date back to the 1950s, when the civil service statute was first established.
The rule is part of a five-part state human resources proposal presented to the SUCSS Merit Board last fall.
Another suggested change, expanding the Rule of Three procedure that limits the number of applicants for an open civil service position, is now making its way through rules committees with local legislative support.
Parks said she, along with other state university officials, also are optimistic over the national search being conducted for a new leader of the SUCSS system after Executive Director Tom Morelock’s recently announced retirement.
Bruce Finne, a 30-year employee of the state of Illinois civil service system, has been serving as interim executive director since July 7. He was selected by the Merit Board, whose membership includes U. of I. Trustee James D. Montgomery as chair, and fellow trustees Jill B. Smart and Karen Hasara, who is head of the search committee.
“He’s very familiar with classification and testing and all the things we already work on,” she said of Finne. “This is a very important job to leave unfilled, and he’s very qualified.”
She said working with a new interim director and the process to search for a long-term replacement offers everyone the opportunity to move forward on several, to this point, intractable human resources issues.
One of the bigger issues is the SUCSS job-classification audit process, which human resources officers from the U. of I. and other state universities say is cumbersome, confusing and untimely. Parks said she hopes the audit process is fine-tuned to make it more navigable for everyone involved.
“It’s an opportunity for positive changes,” she said. “I’m hopeful.”
