Recruitment and Interview Guide
Section 2 - Administrative and Support Recruitment

Forecast your staffing requirements

Internal Factors

The University of Saskatchewan faces some specific and immediate challenges that will also influence your staffing forecast. The University’s new strategic plan has created a unique opportunity to build upon the University’s strengths while responding to the new mandate and mission through organizational change, innovation, and restructuring. Many of the colleges/department and units have been called upon to look at their operating costs for major opportunities for permanent cost reductions. As the majority of the University’s budget is spent on direct people costs, cost reductions lie in reconfiguration of the administrative and academic workforce. Creating or filling a position that does not fit your business strategy or plan is a common hiring mistake you do not want to make.

If you want to restructure, renew or reengineer your department or unit:
Consider the impact on the goals and priorities you have established for your department/unit. What kind of expertise is required to meet them? Even if you anticipate that the work of your department/unit will remain essentially the same, your staff may still need to augment their skills.

Your HR Consultant can assist you in your staffing strategies and long range planning needs.

Additional departmental/unit considerations to help you forecast your hiring needs:

• Pending resignations, retirements, leaves of absence, potential long term sick leave replacements
• Potential of work redistribution

Therefore, the current organizational change, your strategic plans and resulting restructuring, program changes, or other change factors are all major considerations in identifying your staffing needs.

Assessing and Determining the Need

The initial state of the recruitment process is anticipating when and where vacancies will arise within the department. However, often a vacancy will arise with little notice – when a current employee announces their resignation. The department should have a clear understanding of its present state and future prospects. This plan will allow the department to maintain, strengthen or develop its position when recruitment opportunities arise.

Each college/department and administrative unit has a Human Resources Consultant assigned to work with leaders in the strategic planning process of recruitment. They are available to assist in developing the strategy for recruitment and selection, ensuring the hiring of staff meets the business needs of the unit.