• Hire from Search Appointment Form Overview
• How to Access the Cornerstone System
• How to Submit Hire from Search Appointment Form
• Hire from Search Form - Summary/Narrative Examples
  • EXAMPLE #1
    • Proposed Appointee Justification:
    • Non-Selected Finalist Summary:
    • Non-Selected Semi-Finalist Summary:
  • EXAMPLE #2
    • Proposed Appointee Justification:
    • Non-Selected Finalist Summary:

Hire from Search Appointment Form Overview

• Please note, this form must be fully approved before an offer is made.
• The Hire from Search appointment form summarizes the search process. The documentation must explain why the proposed appointee was selected over others, and for each person interviewed (i.e., finalists and semi-finalists), an explanation for why they were not selected to move forward must be included as well.
• Reasons for selection and non-selection must be based on specific job-related criteria including experiences, skills, qualifications, interview performance and references. Vague statements such as “not a good fit” or “best qualified”, are not sufficient explanations. (An example of selection and non-selection statements can be found at the end of this document.)
• Reference check information should be included as well. Reference check guidance can be found at: reference checking resources. If IHR has given approval to proceed without references, please note this on the form in the section for missing documents.
• In addition, documentation of the recruitment and selection process, which is required for record keeping purposes, will need to be attached to the cornerstone requisition. This includes copies of advertisements, a recruitment plan spreadsheet, a copy of the applicant screening/evaluation criteria and a copy of the interview questions/criteria. These can be added throughout the search process. (Add Search Documents to Cornerstone Requisition)
• Applicant statuses and dispositions must be updated in the Cornerstone requisition. Please see the Applicant Status and Disposition Code Guidance for additional information.

How to Access the Cornerstone System

1. Open internet browser and go to: apps.uillinois.edu
2. Select Cornerstone - Urbana (found on the Human Resources card)
3. Log in to Cornerstone using your net ID and password

How to Submit Hire from Search Appointment Form

1. In the top right corner, click the three white lines to open the Navigation Menu

   

2. Go to Additional Resources, click the arrow, and then select Useful Information

   

3. Click on Appointment Form

   

4. Click on Fill out new form and proceed to complete the form (fields with a red asterisk* are required)

   

5. Proposed Appointee: Is the proposed appointee a current employee? * - Select Yes or No (If yes, please enter the employee UIN or Net ID)

   

6. Click Next and proceed to complete the form (fields with a red asterisk* are required)

   

   1. Cornerstone Requisition ID *
   2. Proposed Title * – must match what was approved on the job description
   3. Proposed Date of Appointment
   4. Percent Time of Appointment
   5. Proposed Salary Offer *
   6. Appointee First Name *
   7. Appointee Last Name *
   8. Applicant Email – If the appointee is not a current employee, the email address must match the email address the applicant provided on their application

      

   9. Type of Appointment * – Click arrow to open drop-down menu and select Hire from Search
   10. Current Employee Group – Used for current employees only; leave blank for external hires
   11. New Employee Group * – Click arrow to open drop-down menu and select employee group
   12. Secondary Contact for Approval Notifications
7. Click Next and proceed to complete the form (fields with a red asterisk* are required)
   1. Hire From Search (Summary/Narrative)

      Please complete the below questions for the proposed appointee selected via an external or internal search process. If you have a summary/narrative document that is responsive to the following questions, please attach it using the Choose File button below and type “see attached” in the relevant response fields.

      

   2. Proposed Appointee Justification *

      Please describe why the proposed appointee was selected over all other finalists. The explanation should include specific details regarding the appointee’s qualifications, skills, experiences, performance during interview, and references, that led to the selection decision. Please include a minimum of two to three sentences.

      

   3. If the search committee recommendation for hire is different from the of the hiring manager, please explain.

      

   4. Non-selected Finalist Summary *

      For each finalist that did not advance in the search, please provide the interview date, and describe the reason(s) they were not selected to receive an offer at this time, such as specific skills, experiences, performance during the interview, references, etc. that they lacked in comparison to the proposed appointee. Please avoid vague statements such as “not a good fit”. Include a minimum of one sentence for each non-selected finalist.

      If there were no finalists (other than proposed appointee), please provide an explanation. Topics to address could include if the department considered reposting the announcement, if this was a specialized positions for which a small pool was anticipated, information regarding why qualified applicants where not interviewed, or any other information that would be relevant to clarify why only one person was interviewed.

      

   5. Non-Selected Semi-Finalist Summary

      For each semi-finalist that did not advance in the search, please provide the interview date and a statement describing the reason(s) they were not selected as a finalist, such as specific skills, experiences, performance during the interview, references, etc., that made them less qualified in comparison to those selected as finalists. Please avoid vague statements such as “not a good fit”. Include one statement for each non-selected semi-finalist. If there were no semi-finalists, enter N/A.

      

   6. Reference Checks

      Click the Add Reference Checks Row button, then select Choose File and upload a copy of reference check notes/emails. If letters of reference were collected as part of the application process, skip this field.

      

   7. Reference Letters Already Attached to Applicant Profile

      Click this box if the reference letters were already attached to the applicant’s profile in the Cornerstone requisition. If you need to attach reference check forms, uncheck this box and upload your documents in the space above.

      

   8. Is this a Civil Service classification that requires a college degree or specific college coursework? * - Select Yes or No

      Note: If yes, a copy of the appointee's transcript must be attached to the HRFE transaction for this appointment.

      

   9. Search Documentation – For each document type listed below, please check the box that applies to indicate if the document has been uploaded to the requisition.
      1. Advertisements

         

      2. Recruitment Plan Spreadsheet

         

      3. Applicant Screening/Evaluation Criteria

         

      4. Interview Questions

         

   10. Applicant Statuses and Dispositions Updated

       All applicants not being selected for an offer should be in the “Closed/Dispositioned” status and an appropriate disposition code assigned. Please see the Applicant Status and Disposition Code Guidance for additional information.

       

   11. Select Next Approver (Department) * – Enter the NetID of the Department Approver

       

   12. Selected College for Approval * – use the drop-down menu to find and select your college

       

8. Click Next

   

9. Confirmation – Your form information has been entered. To confirm the submission, check the box next to “check here to confirm submission” and then click Save. If you need to go back to make corrections, or exit and return later, you can click Previous.

   

Hire from Search Form - Summary/Narrative Examples

EXAMPLE #1

Proposed Appointee Justification:

Maria Ortez – Interviewed 9/13/22 – Maria was the most proactive candidate, having prepared very well and offering thoughtful and relevant suggestions for improvements to the functions of the position. She meets all minimum and preferred qualifications. She has eight years of media communications experience, significant marketing management experience in both the private sector and higher education, as well as experience supervising staff and writing external funding proposals. All three references checked for her were exceptional.

Non-Selected Finalist Summary:

Following the finalist interviews, the committee decided on two additional candidates as acceptable for the position. If the preferred candidate declines an offer, the next two choices would be acceptable hires in the following order as listed. The other finalist is not hirable.

• Ellen Wilson – Interviewed 9/12/22 - Ellen is a strong candidate and would be the committee’s second choice. Ellen’s experience is not as closely aligned as the selected candidate. She showed evidence of excellent writing, design, and project management skills. She also has a strong background in marketing. Compared to the proposed appointee, Ellen has less overall experience in media communications and does not have the preferred experience with external funding proposals.
• Steve Johnson – Interviewed 9/13/22 – Steve is also a strong candidate but has fewer years of experience than the leading two candidates and would be the third choice. He has experience in marketing, writing and design. He was not as prepared for the interview as others and was not able to explain how some aspects of his previous work experience was transferrable to this position.
• Jack Harris – Interviewed 9/12/22 – While Jack appeared to be qualified on paper, after the interview, it was determined he would not be recommended for hire. He has experience in media communications, but it was an entry level position. He also has some experience with marketing but did not manage any of the projects. He did not demonstrate a strong motivation for this specific position and was very negative about past employers.

Non-Selected Semi-Finalist Summary:

• Donna Williams – Interviewed 9/1/22 – Donna was not able to articulate how her previous work experiences prepared her for this position.
• Linda Smith – Interviewed 9/1/22 – Although supervisory experience was on Linda’s resume, upon further discussion it was discovered she had only overseen projects but had not done other types of supervisory duties, which is a requirement for this position.
• Bob Jackson – Interviewed 9/2/22 – Bob joined the zoom meeting 20 minutes late and did not provide an explanation. He also used cuss words and spoke of previous colleagues in a discriminatory manner.

EXAMPLE #2

Proposed Appointee Justification:

Tera Johnson – Interviewed 1/13/23 – Tera was the only finalist to meet at least three of the preferred qualifications. She was able to clearly articulate experience working in HR that prepared her for this role.

Non-Selected Finalist Summary:

Courtney Roberts – Interviewed 1/12/23 – Courtney has several years of HR experience but struggled to communicate her background and qualifications. Even when asked to elaborate, she did not provide additional information.

Last Modified: April 23, 2025