By SUSAN JONES
The Pitt Talent Center job site is currently offline as the Office of Human Resources and the Office of the Provost work to finalize the exceptions process to the hiring freeze announced on March 10 for staff and faculty.
In a message to responsibility center heads on March 19, James Gallaher, vice chancellor for human resources, said: “As part of the commitment to only recruit and hire for essential or operationally critical positions during the hiring freeze, all current requisitions will be unposted from the career site this afternoon (excluding student employment). This will allow senior leadership to finalize the review of current requisitions.”
Provost Joe McCarthy said in a statement: “As we pivot in a challenging environment, the Office of the Provost is working on a path forward for transparent and collaborative consideration of cases that warrant exception from the current hiring freeze as it applies to faculty and others with academic appointments. This process is being devised in consultation with, and will ultimately require advocacy from, our deans and regional campus presidents. While we expect that this process will evolve over the remainder of the fiscal year, we are already working with leaders on the most urgently time-sensitive cases.”
McCarthy said at Faculty Assembly last week that there will be an interim exceptions policy, which because of the need for expediency will not be able to go through shared governance. But he said he will want input from faculty and other units about what kinds of considerations need to go into a more robust exceptions policy if the hiring freeze continues. For instance, he said, one consideration would be if there are positions funded by foundation money that needs to be used or returned.
For staff positions, leaders will determine which positions are:
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Essential personnel: Roles requiring physical presence to ensure campus safety, address personal health, maintain critical infrastructure, and provide operational support.
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Operationally critical: Roles with an immediate business need essential for maintaining University operations; delivering University services; or complying with federal, state, or local laws and regulations. These positions may be remote or in-person, depending on the nature of the work.
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Positions not meeting these criteria will be placed on hold or canceled.
Sometime next week, following the review, all staff, executive, labor union and temporary requisitions that were deemed essential or operationally critical will be reposted on the Talent Center. Faculty and other academic requisitions being reviewed by the provost’s office may take a little longer to re-post.
The join.pitt.edu site now has a message explaining that, due to the hiring freeze, all open positions are under review, and applications are not currently being accepted.
On March 12, two days after the hiring freeze was announced, the Office of Human Resources distributed further information to directors of administration, HR partners and the HR Advisory Council, and created a page with frequently asked questions.
While some of the information covered in the letter and FAQ has now changed, find below some of the most pertinent answers:
When will the hiring freeze be discontinued?
This hiring freeze is in effect through the end of the fiscal year (June 30, 2025) and may be extended.
How will I know if my requisition is determined to be essential or operationally critical?
Following the review of current requisitions by the area’s senior leadership, a communication will be sent to each responsibility center regarding the final determination of which requisitions have been identified as essential or operationally critical.
How do we handle recruitments where we have completed interviews or have interviews scheduled?
If the offer was not submitted in Talent Center by the end of day on March 9, that offer will not be extended. If the requisition is deemed to be essential or operationally critical over the coming weeks, the recruitment and offer will be allowed to proceed.
How do I manage hiring offers that are pending approval or extended?
All offers that were submitted in Talent Center by the end of day March 9, will continue to be processed.
What if my candidate declined the offer and I want to pursue the alternate candidate?
If the offer to the alternate candidate was not submitted in Talent Center by the end of the day on March 9, that offer may not currently be extended. If the requisition is deemed to be essential or operationally critical over the coming weeks, the offer will be allowed to proceed.
Does this hiring freeze pertain to regional campuses?
Yes, the hiring freeze pertains to all hiring at all University campuses.
Does this hiring freeze pertain to temporary workers?
Yes, the current hiring freeze applies to temporary workers. However, essential or operationally critical opportunities will be allowed once further guidance is provided the week of March 24.
Does the hiring freeze pertain to positions that are grant-funded?
Yes, the hiring freeze pertains to all hiring at the University regardless of the funding source.
How will this impact promotions, off-cycle salary increases or individual compensation plans?
Only promotions, salary increases and ICPs that were submitted in Pitt Worx or DocuSign by March 9 will be processed. Submissions after this date will be rejected. Further communication will be forthcoming regarding these actions.
Any immediate questions about the hiring freeze not covered by the FAQ, can be submitted via the HR contact page by selecting “2025 Hiring Freeze” under the available dropdown menus.
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.
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