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Human Resources

Clearances and HR Review

Before departments make an offer, Human Resources must complete Background and Ecclesiastical Checks. During this time Hiring Managers must also complete reference checks. To speed up the hiring process, reference checks may be done at the same time as the Background and Ecclesiastical Checks.

Ecclesiastical Clearances, Background Checks, and References

After the finalist has been chosen for the position, the next step in the hiring process is to obtain an ecclesiastical clearance, background check, and at least two employment references.

For applicants who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, BYU prefers to hire qualified members of the Church in good standing. Interviewing and hiring a non-member applicant requires vice president approval.

After selecting the desired candidate to be hired, change the applicant's workflow status to "Move to Clearance". This will generate the appropriate task to the clearance check specialist to begin the check process.

Background checks are conducted by a third-party provider and may take two days to fourteen days. Please plan accordingly.

When the ecclesiastical clearance, background check, and two or more required reference calls are complete, notification will be sent to the area Compensation Partner to then determine the appropriate wage/salary. General wage/salary calculations based on the pay level for the position, work experience, and education of the applicant. The area Compensation Partner will contact the department to discuss wage/salary.

For further questions regarding ecclesiastical clearances and background checks, please contact the HR Operations Center at (801) 422-9675.

Reference Calls

Reference calls are a great way to gather past behavior and performance information about a potential employee by personally contacting previous employers. At least two reference must be completed for all benefitted hires who are not currently employed by the department or who have not worked in the department in the last two years. It is the responsibility of the hiring department to make these calls. Letters of recommendation are not considered reference checks.

References are submitted in Workday. The reference check process can be initiated as a parallel step during the interview step or at the point of clearances. Once initiated, the candidate receives a request to input a minimum of two contacts to send a reference check to. When the applicant submits their task, the referees will then receive an automated email from the system to answer a brief survey.

The department also has the option to see the reference's contact information to call and ask questions. A Workday task titled "Manage References" will appear in the task box for all recruiters on the job requisition with a list of the referees and their contact information. From there, the department is able to resend the Workday email to the referees or directly contact the referees and manually answer the questions on the survey.

There are two aspects of a reference call:

  1. Records Check to verify information about dates of employment, job titles, salary information, licenses, etc.
  2. Position Match Check to confirm the applicant's work habits, personality, and personal character. Inquiries may include communication skills, performance, time management, work ethic, and weaknesses.

An employer MAY NOT request any information about the job applicant from:

  • Family members
  • Other sources not supplied by the job applicant.

Calling a Previous Employer

Prior to the conditional offer being made, the employer may inquire about the following from a previous employer:

  • Job functions and tasks performed
  • Quality and quantity of work performed
  • Communication and interpersonal skills
  • Professional behavior
  • Attendance record
  • Weaknesses or problems
  • Other applicable issues which do not relate to disability

If an applicant has a "known disability" and has indicated he or she could perform the job with reasonable accommodation, the previous employer may be asked about accommodations which were made.

Remember, do NOT inquire about:

  • Disabilities
  • Illnesses
  • Worker's Compensation History

Workday Tip

Change the workflow status of non-interviewed applicants (never to be considered) to “Not Hired – Sends Email.” This can be done daily, even with the posting open.