Before You Start

Congratulations on your new position! Please work with your department to make sure you are completing tasks to be eligible to start your first day of employment.

Background Check
New hires will receive an email requesting information for background check. Please follow instructions in the email to authorize background check. Once a new hire has received clearance on the background check, contact your department for the next step. Depending on your job classification, you may need to complete pre-employment testing.

Pre-Employment Testing
For new hires that need to complete pre-employment testing, after the background check is cleared, you will then contact Illinois Human Resources (IHR) at (217) 333-2137 to schedule a pre-employment screening. After successfully passing the pre-employment screening, contact IHR to confirm they have received your results. Then contact your department for the next step in the process.

Civil Service New Hire
This link is a checklist you can provide to your new hire to help him/her with the new hire process.

Effective Aug 3, 2020, departments will be responsible for conducting new hire sessions for all employee groups.

The department is responsible for initiating the HRFE transaction, completing the I-9 Form, and contacting the new hire regarding their new hire forms.

After a candidate accepts a written contingent offer, and after the background check has been completed:

• Check to see if the Civil Service classification requires Pre-Employment Testing (drug test, strength test, etc.). If pre-employment testing is required, it will be listed on this webpage, along with the type of test required. https://humanresources.illinois.edu/job-seekers/how-to-apply/civil-service-employees/Job-titles-requiring-medical-evaluation.html.
• If Pre-Employment testing IS NOT required, the department can proceed with new hire processing.
• If Pre-Employment testing IS required, the candidate must call IHR at 217-333-2137 ASAP to schedule Pre-Employment testing.
• Once IHR has received the results of the Pre-Employment testing, the department will be notified and can proceed with new hire processing.

For Pre-Employment Testing please make sure the candidate has the following information when they contact IHR:

•     Job Title
•     Department
•     Tentative Start Date

Academic Professionals Employment Verification Paperwork
This link is a checklist you can provide to your new hire to help him/her with the new hire process.

After a candidate accepts a written contingent offer, and after the background check, the candidate must call their departmental human resources contact to complete HR forms and the I-9 Employment Verification Form, which must be signed on or before their first day of work. You must provide a Social Security Card to initiate new hire forms/paperwork.

Mandatory Ethics Training
All state public university employees are required to complete the OEIG-approved annual ethics training program for University employees. This program is unique and completely separate from the training provided to state agency employees. As such, any employee working for both a university and a state agency, will be required to complete both forms of the training. There are two basic training requirements in the Illinois State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, Annual Training and New Hire Training.