EPP 64: Recruitment Policy

I. Purpose and Scope

This policy provides direction for recruiting candidates for open positions within the County. This policy applies to all departments and positions unless otherwise specified and where not in conflict with an applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement or the County’s Personnel Ordinance.   

II. Authority

County Code 2.09.060 authorizes the County Administrator to draft administrative rules and implement operational policies.

III. General Policy

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Clackamas County has an open and competitive recruitment process to fill employment vacancies. All recruitments shall be open and competitive unless:

• A strong business case can be made by a department director for an internal-only recruitment. 
• The position is part of a classification series with an approved classification advancement path and has specific parameters on who can apply.

IV. Definitions 

Applicant Tracking System (ATS): The software system used to advertise open positions, collect applications, and process applicants for hire and promotional opportunities.

Classification Advancement Path: A written training and development program that establishes the training criteria which an employee is expected to meet prior to advancement within a classification series. 

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO): Consistent with state and federal law, employment opportunities must be afforded equally to all individuals regardless of any protected characteristics. This principle applies to all aspects of employment including recruiting, hiring, promotion, termination, or compensation for all positions.

Internal Recruitment: A recruitment in which only current employees of the County may apply. An internal recruitment may be limited to a particular department, division, or work group. Such limitations will be used only when justified by the presence of sufficiently qualified candidates. Such limitations require approval by the Director of Human Resources or their designee. Unless prohibited by a Collective Bargaining Agreement, limited term, temporary, and seasonal employees are eligible to compete in internal recruitments if they were originally hired through a competitive process administered by Human Resources.

Job Opening (JO) Request: A request to fill an existing vacant or new position that is used to initiate a recruitment process.

Open Competitive Recruitment: A recruitment in which any interested person may apply for employment consideration.

Open Until Filled Recruitment: A recruitment that does not have a set closing date but utilizes application review date(s) and remains open until the position is filled. 

V. Policy Guidelines

Vacant positions in the Classified Service will be announced through a defined recruitment process, so that eligible applicants have the opportunity to apply, except as otherwise limited by this policy. 

Hiring authorities have the responsibility to notify the Recruitment and Selection Division of Human Resources as soon as a vacancy is anticipated, and they are ready to have it filled. Hiring authorities are responsible for ensuring an up-to-date Position Classification Questionnaire (PCQ) is on file with Human Resources.

Recruitments will be conducted when deemed appropriate by the Director of Human Resources or their designee. A recruitment may be initiated in advance of a position becoming vacant so long as the current incumbent has provided a notice in writing of their intent to retire or resign from the position.

A. Job Opening (JO) Request

All JO requests must go through the proper approval processes and must include all required information before being submitted to Recruitment and Selection to begin the recruitment.

B. Required Minimum Qualifications

Required minimum qualifications will be established for a position in accordance with legal requirements, the appropriate classification specification, the duties of the position, and occupational standards. Such qualifications will be based upon an evaluation of the knowledge, skills, and standards required for the position. Applicants may be required to submit additional information about their backgrounds, evidence of completion of courses of study or training, or evidence of licenses or certificates. Applicants are required to meet employment-related requirements.

C. Waiver of Recruitment for Direct Appointment 

Under unique and limited circumstances, exceptions to waive an open competitive recruitment process for regular status positions not currently covered under a Collective Bargaining Agreement to allow hiring an employee directly may be requested and will be reviewed on an individual basis to meet the business needs and goals of the department and the County. A recruitment may not be waived for direct appointment for positions that are represented.

The Director of Human Resources may approve a recruitment process waiver request when one or more of the criteria below applies and is accompanied by a strong business case, the position is a non-represented position, and being filled by a non-represented candidate: 

• The candidate meets all required minimum qualifications and has highly specialized and unique skills and/or experience required for a critical position which otherwise would be challenging/difficult to acquire from a competitive recruitment.
• The candidate was previously employed by the County in the job which is now open and is eligible to be rehired. A candidate has been deemed eligible through a competitive selection process but was not appointed and the same role or similar role becomes vacant in the following twelve (12) months. This would fall outside of reinstatement.
• There is a high demand for and a short supply of qualified individuals in the relevant recruitment area and having the position vacant poses a risk to the organization. 
• A recent recruitment was done, and no viable candidates were selected to fill the vacancy. 
• A direct appointment is needed as a result of a department reorganization.

VI. Process and Procedures 

A. Job Opening (JO) Request

1. Approval to fill a new or existing position is the first step to get the recruitment process started. JO requests must be submitted to the Recruitment and Selection Division of Human Resources and must include all necessary information. JO requests must be signed/approved by the budget authority or designee prior to submitting the request. JO requests should only be submitted to Recruitment and Selection when a department is ready to initiate a recruitment. 
2. Hiring authorities should review the Position Classification Questionnaire (PCQ) prior to the start of any recruitment to ensure it is current and valid. PCQs are retained in HR in a digital format. A copy of the most recent PCQ for a position can be requested through Classification and Compensation. 
3. The hiring authority will work with the assigned Recruitment and Selection Business Partner to develop the job announcement once the approved JO request is processed. 

B. Posting a Job for Recruitment

• The Recruitment and Selection Division of Human Resources is responsible for County-wide recruitment announcements.
• The job announcement will accurately reflect the scope, responsibilities, required minimum qualifications, and preferred qualifications of the position. Each job announcement will include the following:
  • The position title,
  • A summary of the position (job introduction),
  • A description of duties,
  • A pay range,
  • Summary of benefits,
  • Required minimum qualifications and, if applicable, preferred qualifications,
  • Closing date or application review date (open until filled recruitment).
• Job announcements are typically posted on the Clackamas County Career Page and will be posted in accordance with Collective Bargaining Agreements, if applicable. Each job announcement will be posted for a minimum of seven (7) calendar days. Upon posting the announcement, the position is considered open for applications. 
• The hiring authority may decide to cancel a recruitment or not to fill a position at any time per business need. When a hiring authority decides to cancel an open recruitment, they will notify their Recruitment and Selection Business Partner and will ensure all candidates are notified of such cancellation.

C. Process to Request an Internal Recruitment

1. A request for internal recruitment should be sent via email from the Department Director or their designee to the Recruitment Manager or their designee.
2. The request must include:
   1. The department’s business case providing the reason(s) to justify limiting or restricting the recruitment to internal applicants only. 
   2. The type of internal recruitment being requested (County-wide, department-only, division-only). The more limited/restrictive the request, the stronger the business case must be. 
3. The Recruitment Manager or their designee will review the request for internal recruitment.
4. The Recruitment Manager or their designee will forward the request to the Director of Human Resources, who will review and have the final authority to approve or deny the request.

D. Process to Request a Waiver of Recruitment for Direct Appointment

1. Requests for waivers of the recruitment process must be submitted and approved through the position approval request process.
2. Waiver requests must provide a written, detailed rationale for the request based on the criteria set forth in this policy. The request must also be signed/approved by the Department Director and submitted to the Recruitment Manager.
3. A resume of the candidate must be submitted for review with the request along with an organizational chart. 
4. The Recruitment Manager will review each request and recommend approval or denial to the Director of Human Resources.
5. The Director of Human Resources has the final authority to approve or deny the request. 

E. Sourcing & Recruitment Costs

The Recruitment and Selection Division of Clackamas County's Human Resources Department promotes job opportunities to attract a diverse and qualified workforce. This includes advertising on job boards, collaborating with agencies, and position-specific outreach strategies. Hiring authorities should consult with their Recruitment and Selection Business Partner to determine appropriate advertising sources for each vacancy. Standard recruitment advertising costs are covered by Recruitment and Selection, while expenses beyond standard methods must be funded by the hiring department.

F. Record Keeping

Recruitment and Selection will retain all recruitment-related records for each position recruited for through the Applicant Tracking System and in accordance with EPP 42 and the Recruitment and Selection records retention schedule.

VII. Access to Policy

Access to this administrative policy shall be as follows:

• Filed in the County’s policy management system. 
• Posted to the County’s internet.

VIII. Addenda 

N/A

Actions on this Policy:
Original Policy effective date: 9/29/2026
Amended Policy effective dates:

Name of Policy: Recruitment Policy
Policy Owner Name: Evelyn Minor-Lawrence
Policy Owner Position: Human Resources Director
Approved By: Gary Schmidt, County Administrator
Policy # EPP 64
Effective Date: 9/29/2026
Approved Date: 9/29/2026
Next Review Date: 9/27/2029