Hiring at MIT

It is important to distinguish some terms that are often used interchangeably:

• A job description is the official, generic description developed by the Compensation Office.
• A position description is developed at the DLCI-level from the job description. This is a more specific description of the duties involved.
• A job posting description is the 250-word summary (job ad) that is posted on the MIT jobs site.

Preparing for posting

• First, review or write the full job description. See our guidelines.
• Then draft the job posting description. Posting descriptions should be no more than 250 words and should follow our guidelines for ensuring bias-free job postings (see below).

  When you post the job in our Applicant Tracking System (ATS), you will copy and paste this description into the "Job Posting Description" field and paste the job requirements in the "Job Requirements" field. The Posting Description and Job Requirements, together, should not exceed 250 words.

Research has shown that that some of the words used in job postings can play into the unconscious biases of people in the job market and this can have a big impact on who applies. The research focuses on coded words that encourage some applicants while discouraging others. 

MIT position descriptions and job posting descriptions should be reviewed by the DLCI Human Resources professional or Administrative Officer to ensure consistency. The descriptions should be free of bias and reflect the Institute’s shared values of excellence, community, equity, belonging, openness, integrity, and mutual respect.

Tips to avoid bias in job postings

• Use gender neutral posting titles, e.g., “Chairperson” instead of “Chairman”
• Avoid exclusionary words, e.g., “legacy plan” instead of “grandfathered plan”
• Refer to ADA Compliant Language for Job Descriptions
• Try out these free tools to identify neutral alternatives to gendered words in job postings
  • Gender Decoder
  • Eploy
  • Applied Text Analysis

Additional reference:

• Conscious Style Guide

Use caution

Some words play to female and male stereotypes. Male-sounding words may discourage women from applying. Female-sounding words may discourage men from applying.

It is okay to use some of the words identified as male leaning or female leaning but try to find balance by using neutral language when possible.

Remember, the job posting description is communicating the specific skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to do a particular job. Take care not to change the meaning of a job attribute when choosing alternative words.

• Set a hiring range. Pay grade ranges set the salary boundaries for a role or group of roles — with an established minimum, midpoint, and maximum. Pay grade ranges are based on external market data from various salary surveys and are broader than hiring ranges. A hiring range allows hiring managers to narrow the pay span that would realistically be considered for a position when recruiting.
  
  EXAMPLE: Administrative Assistant 2
                     Pay Grade 5:      $23.10 - $31.59 - $40.08 (min - mid - max)
                     Hiring Range:    $25.00 - $33.00
  
  Job postings should include a hiring range that falls within the pay grade range for that position listed in the job catalog. If the job catalog does not indicate a hiring range for a position, please consult with your Compensation representative before posting a job. Please consult with your Compensation representative before an employment offer is made to decide on the specific salary to be offered within the hiring range.
• Get all required approvals from your DLCI. Approval processes vary by School/Area. If you are not sure of the process for your DLCI, check with your Administrative Officer or HR Coordinator. If you don’t know who those individuals are, please contact your Human Resources Officer (HRO) in central HR.

• Determine who will be involved in the screening and selection process, including who should have access to candidates in the Applicant Tracking System. When determining who should be included in the interview process, consider the role and responsibilities and include the people best suited to help you assess an applicant’s ability to be successful in the role. Ensure that your process includes people who are different from yourself and who represent the diversity of people and experience in your work team.​ Where a search committee is used, one member of the search committee should be designated as the Equal Opportunity Representative responsible for assuring that the search committee makes every effort to attract a diverse pool of candidates. 
• Develop a plan for recruiting, including how you will reach out to a diverse pool of candidates.
  • If required for the position, complete a Serious Search Plan using your DLCI's document or our template (below under Resources). Submit it to your School/Area Headquarters for approval, and retain for audit purposes.
  • See Advertising and Diversity Outreach below.
• Human Resources recommends posting a position for at least 10 business days. Depending on the candidate pool, some positions are posted for much longer.

• Create/Manage Requisitions
• Search Jobs

Help is available: Visit our ATS information guide for detailed instructions on creating a requisition in the Applicant Tracking System. 

Advertising

In keeping with MIT’s commitment to promote an inclusive workplace that welcomes people of all backgrounds, experience, talents, and ideas, MIT job postings appear in places that reach diverse audiences.  Jobs are automatically posted on the following websites at no cost to DLCIs:

• CareerOneStop
• DiverseJobs
• Glassdoor
• HigherEdJobs
• Indeed/Simply Hired
• JuJu
• LinkedIn
• MassHire JobQuest
• National Labor Exchange
• NEHERC
• Our Ability
• RecruitMilitary

To advertise elsewhere, complete the Advertising Request Form.

Diversity Posting Guide

We also offer a Diversity Posting Guide (find it under Resources below) for those who would like to share their openings with a wider, more diverse audience. This guide includes organizations that provide job listings for their members. They invite employers to post jobs for a fee. If you need suggestions or have questions about where to advertise, please contact Talent Acquisition.

Diversity/inclusive outreach

In addition to advertising, hiring managers are encouraged to:

• Ask department staff to circulate job opportunities to the membership of academic or professional organizations they belong to.
• Ask the Talent Acquisition team to highlight open positions at upcoming career fairs or networking events. (Contact Talent Acquisition for details.)

Visit our ATS Information guide for detailed instructions about viewing resumes in the Applicant Tracking System and moving candidates through the hiring workflow. Please encourage all candidates to apply online so that records are all in one place and we are in compliance with all legal requirements.

Evaluating candidates’ equivalent experience and education

HR has developed guidelines for hiring managers to assist them in consistently evaluating candidates’ experience and education against minimum job qualifications. Equivalent combinations of education and experience, as prescribed in these guidelines, may be used to evaluate candidates against minimum job qualifications except for certain jobs requiring advanced knowledge of an academic subject.

Information regarding vaccination for candidates and new hires

MIT strongly recommends that all MIT faculty, staff, enrolled students, affiliates, and visitors follow CDC guidelines for Covid-19 vaccinations.

More interviewing resources

Find more guidelines, checklists, and reference materials to help with the interviewing process under Resources below.

Review best practices for video interviewing.

For more assistance, please email at talentacquisition@mit.edu.

Take advantage of these resources to help ensure that MIT is creating the most inclusive and equitable workplace possible.

Workshops in the Learning Center

• Hiring at MIT: Conducting Interviews
• Hiring at MIT: Bias-Free Practices

Tools

• Bias Interrupters
• Identifying and Interrupting Bias in Hiring
• Interviewing: Legal Do's and Dont’s
• From WorkWithoutLimits: Tips for Interviewing Candidates with Disabilities and help providing Accommodations for Candidates with Disabilities
• From PsychArmor: Strategies for Effective Veteran Hiring and 15 Things Veterans Want You To Know

Before extending an offer:

• Prepare the Serious Search Report using your DLCI’s document or our template (below under Resources). Submit the report to your School/Area Headquarters for review and approval of the employment offer and retain for audit purposes together with your Search Plan.
• If you have an approved a waiver of search, you must provide detailed waiver information to Human Resources for central tracking and analysis.
• Check 2-3 references. (Find a guide to reference checking in the resources below.)

• Background checks: All new faculty and staff, as well as all postdoctoral scholars (associates and fellows), must have a background check completed through MIT as a condition of hire or appointment. Rehires who have not been employed by MIT for more than one year must also complete a background check before rejoining the Institute. More information on background checks.

Once your finalist has accepted the job and you have agreed on a start date:

• Move the person into the Hired folder in the ATS
• Disposition and communicate with all other applicants, if you haven’t already
• Submit the hire transaction in Atlas

Once a new hire transaction has been entered by a hiring department, an email is generated to the newly hired employee that directs them to obtain their electronic credentials. They can then access the Atlas for New Hires application, which allows them to complete major onboarding activities. Activities include those required for Institute compliance such as completion of the I-9 and the Preventing Sexual Harassment course. Learn more about onboarding.

Benefits-eligible employees are invited to register for an MIT Benefits Orientation session, in addition to any local orientation and onboarding activities you organize.

All employees are invited to register for a New Employee Meet and Greet.