State of Delaware Hiring Process

The Application

• On-line applications can ONLY be accepted when there is an open job posting on the DEL website.
• Resumes can ONLY be accepted when electronically attached to a completed job application.
• Applications must be received on or before 11:59:00 p.m. on the closing date.
• No additional information or changes will be accepted after the application is submitted.
• You will receive a confirmation of receipt of your application. If you do not, you have not submitted the application correctly or have missed the deadline. Please refer to the Help Center.

Status of Application

• The hiring agency will post information about the recruitment status on the “Status of Closed Postings” board.
• Contact the recruiting agency listed on the job posting if you have questions.

Communication to Applicants

• Email accounts: The majority of communication with applicants is done through e-mail. All applicants must have an e-mail account. If you do not have one, you can quickly create an email address with one of these free e-mail providers.
• Communication with applicants is done by the recruiting agency. Keep track of jobs you have applied for and the contact information on the posting should you have questions.

Types of Postings Found on DEL

On the Delaware Employment Link Career Opportunities page, jobs are posted using the following categories: (Open Competitive, Merit Only, Casual/Seasonal and In-House). Please be sure you are eligible to apply.

• Open Competitive Postings
  All applicants are eligible to apply.
• Merit Only Postings
  ONLY State of Delaware government Merit employees who have successfully completed their initial probationary period in a classified position are eligible to apply.
• Casual/Seasonal Postings
  All applicants are eligible to apply.
• In-House Job Postings
  ONLY State of Delaware government Merit employees who have successfully completed their initial probationary period in a classified position and are employed by the hiring agency, are eligible to apply.

The Job Posting

• Jobs are posted for a minimum of 7 calendar days.
• Job Postings open at 12:00:00 a.m. and close at 11:59:00 p.m.
• Click on the Job Title to review the posting.
• Read the entire job posting. The job posting provides important information for you to assess about your ability to meet the job and screening requirements before you decide to submit an application including but not limited to the job duties, work hours, location, criminal background checks, testing such as written exams, drug testing, functional capability evaluations (FCE) and so forth.

Evaluation of Applications

• The initial assessment is an evaluation of your Employment Application, Supplemental Questionnaire and Resume to determine whether you meet the Job Requirements and any Selective Requirements listed on the job posting.
• Qualified: Applications that meet all of the Job Requirements and any Selective Requirements will be rated as “Qualified”.
• Not Qualified: If you do not provide sufficient information to support meeting all of the job requirements and any selective requirements on your application, your application will be rated as not qualified. Make sure you have addressed each job requirement specifically and directly.
• The agency where you submitted your application notifies you of the results as qualified or not qualified.

The Referral List

The recruiting agency will provide the hiring manager with a Referral List containing the names and applications of those to be considered for filling the position.

• If there are 30 or less qualified applicants, all applicants are placed on the Referral List in Alphabetical Order.
• If there are more than 30 qualified applicants, the Referral List will contain the top 30 candidates based on a rating of training and experience or, when applicable, a written exam score (plus any applicants with scores tied with the 30th name).
• The hiring manager reviews the applications and only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

The Interview and Selection Process

Applicants appearing for the interview will be screened further through interview questions and if applicable, a writing exercise. A preliminary selection will be made from this process. Depending on the job, the selected applicant may be required to submit and pass further screening such as a drug screen, criminal background check, and functional capability evaluation for assessing strength and agility and so forth. The hiring manager works with the agency Human Resource Office prior to a job offer being made to ensure other hiring processes such as checking references support the hiring decision and the particulars about employment.

Conditions of Hire

When an agency makes a “Conditional Job Offer” as a matter of passing further screening, e.g., drug testing, criminal background check, a Functional Capability Evaluation OR the requirement for an applicant to possess/obtain a certification and/or professional license, the successful candidate must successfully meet these conditions within the specified timeframe.

The Job Offer

The successful candidate will be contacted by the Hiring Manager/Agency Human Resource Office with a job offer. The agency will send an appointment letter to the candidate confirming their acceptance of the position, the agreed upon salary, starting date and other pertinent job related information.