Below are frequently asked questions regarding the university’s recruitment and hiring processes including the most recent updates as of April 21, 2025. For more information, please contact us at accessandequity@illinois.edu.
Why has the university updated its employee recruitment and hiring guidelines?
The university’s recruitment and hiring guidelines, training materials, and related resources are regularly reviewed and updated. The updates as of April 21, 2025, reflect the university’s continuing commitment to equal employment opportunity, while also removing references to federal regulations that are no longer in effect due to Executive Order 14173 which rescinded federal affirmative action requirements regarding employment of minorities and women.
Where can I find the current guidelines and training for search committees and hiring units?
The Office for Access & Equity’s Search Process Toolkit web page contains the current versions of the university’s Recruitment and Hiring Guidelines, links to the “Inclusive Hiring at Illinois” training modules, and related resources. All campus units should continue to refer to these resources in order to ensure that their recruitment and hiring practices are consistent with our campus values and equal employment opportunity policies.
What does “equal employment opportunity” mean?
Equal employment opportunity is a longstanding core value of the university. It includes ensuring that our recruitment and hiring practices are fair, consistent, and merit-based, without bias or preference for or against any person based on their race, sex, or any other legally protected classifications. It also includes maintaining a welcoming, respectful, and inclusive climate for all people, including employees and job applicants.
What affirmative action practices will the university be ending?
Compliance activities under the (now rescinded) Executive Order 11246 will no longer be part of the university’s practices. These include preparing annual reports for the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs regarding the racial and gender diversity of the university’s employees, with placement goals based on comparisons to external populations of available and qualified individuals in each job group. Outreach to minority and women applicants for job groups where they are statistically underrepresented is no longer mandatory, but hiring units are still encouraged to advertise job openings broadly.
Did the university’s previous affirmative action practices ever include quotas or preferential treatment for minorities or women?
No. The university’s affirmative action practices have always been, and will continue to be, consistent with federal anti-discrimination laws and with the University of Illinois System Nondiscrimination Statement, which has long stated:
“The commitment of the University of Illinois System to the most fundamental principles of academic freedom, equality of opportunity, and human dignity requires that decisions involving students and employees be based on individual merit and be free from invidious discrimination in all its forms.”
Will we still have Diversity Advocates, EEO Officers and Vice Chairs?
Yes. These roles are essential to promoting equal employment opportunity, generating a broad and competitive applicant pool, avoiding biased decisions, and maintaining a welcoming and inclusive climate during the search process. Individuals serving in these roles receive specialized training to enable them to perform these functions effectively.
Will the university still collect self-ID data from employees and applicants?
Yes. The university will continue to provide employees and job applicants the option to voluntarily self-identify across multiple demographic categories including race, ethnicity, gender, disability and veteran status. This information is used for aggregated analysis and assessment purposes. It is not shared with search committees or hiring managers, and it is not used in any way to discriminate, exclude, or compromise individual privacy. We will continue to provide current and historical employee diversity statistics on our Employee Diversity Dashboard.
Do these changes affect affirmative action for individuals with disabilities and veterans?
No. Federal affirmative action regulations related to the employment of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities remain in place. These practices include data collection and reporting; comparison to national benchmarks; and intentional advertising of job openings to protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. Please see our Affirmative Action page for more information.