Review EEO and AA policy

Do you know the difference between Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Affirmative Action (AA)?

Equal Employment Opportunity means that all individuals must be treated equally in the hiring process, in training and in promotion. It is the absence of discrimination. Affirmative Action goes beyond EEO in that it is designed to require specific positive measures, aggressively taken, to eliminate the present effects of past discrimination against such groups as women, minorities, disabled persons, and veterans.

UWEX has hiring goals, not quotas. Goals are numerical projections made based upon data which indicate the availability of minorities and women in a given job group/category based upon the numbers available in the labor market. Labor force availability and goals are used as a measure of how well UW-Extension's hiring and retention practices reflect equal employment opportunity. Availability and goals are established by job groups - clusters of jobs that require similar skills, knowledge and abilities. If our actual labor force representation of persons of color and women is less than these job group availability goals, it is an indication that there may be problems in how we recruit, hire and retain our workforce. We may be discriminating against persons based on their race and/or gender.

In job groups where one or more protected groups are under represented based on these labor force goals, UWEX must act affirmatively to correct the "disparity." This means making extra efforts to recruit, hire and retain members of underrepresented groups.

What does this mean to you? Take an objective look at the staff in your program and ask yourself the following questions:

A discussion with your District Director will help you identify any necessary affirmative actions to be taken in your county.

Applicant Tracking Database

Anytime you recruit applicants and hire someone for a position, you must keep records to document the process. These records are used to determine if the people applying for the positions represent enough diversity to make a good selection. The Applicant Tracking Database is a web-based system used by Cooperative Extension to record and monitor applicants for certification of compliance with EEO policies. At least two persons (usually the county coordinator and a support staff person in the county office) should be trained and available to enter information into the Applicant Tracking Database.

Go to "Review the position description"

Return to Step 1.