3.2. Veteran Hiring Preference Program

What is the Veteran Hiring Preference Program?

The University of New Mexico values the skills and experience military veterans bring to the workforce. The Veteran Hiring Preference Program grants qualified veterans an additional consideration for vacant staff positions available within the UNM system. Qualified veterans who elect to participate in the program will be granted a minimum of an initial interview for all regular staff positions, excluding contract staff classifications, for which they have applied.

What Staff positions are eligible for the Veteran Hiring Preference Program?

All Regular and Term staff positions that are competitively posted on UNMJobs are included under the Veteran Hiring Preference Program. The program does not apply to:

On-call or temporary staff positions
Contract staff positions; or,
Non-competitive Staff postings regardless of the classification, as long as the recruitment meets the Alternative Appointment criteria given in UAP 3210: Recruitment and Hiring.

What are the requirements for applicants to qualify for the Veteran Hiring Preference Program?

To qualify for the Veteran Hiring Preference Program, an applicant must meet all of the following criteria:

Apply to an eligible position via UNMJobs and submit a complete application, following all application instructions as noted in the job ad.
Elect to participate in the Veteran Preference Program in their UNMJobs application.
To their UNMJobs application, attach DD Form 214 with the veteran’s military status, dates of service, discharge type, and Honorable discharge status.
Meet the minimum qualifications for the position. Refer to the position classification description for Minimum Qualifications.
Apply on or before the For Best Consideration Date stated in the posting.

Requirements for the Hiring Department

To meet UNM's commitment to qualified veterans, the hiring department must fulfill the requirements below. It is important to carefully review this information to determine whether there are any veteran applicants who qualify for an interview before moving forward with the interview process.

Review the applicant pool to identify qualified veterans who elected participation in the VeteranHiring Preference Program. (See section below, How do I review my applicant pool to identify qualified veterans for interview?)
If you have any questions at this stage, reach out to HR Talent Acquisition at staffrecruiting@unm.edu so we can assist you with ensuring that all applicants who should be granted an interview are contacted.
Interview all qualified veterans who elected participation in the Veteran Hiring Preference Program.
Dispense interviewed veterans who were not selected for hire using the appropriate dispensation code. See Common Scenarios table below. 
Complete the Veteran Preference section on page 3 of the  Staff Justification of Hire Memo. Review Guide to Staff Justification of Hire Memo when completing this document.

How do I review my applicant pool to identify qualified veterans for interview?

Review your applicant list to determine which applicants elected to participate in the program:

1 What is the Veteran Hiring Preference Program?
2 What Staff positions are eligible for the Veteran Hiring Preference Program?
3 What are the requirements for applicants to qualify for the Veteran Hiring Preference Program?
4 Requirements for the Hiring Department
5 How do I review my applicant pool to identify qualified veterans for interview?
6 Common Scenarios

You can filter to see a list of applicants who responded Yes to participation in the Veteran Hiring Preference Program by following the steps below:

In the PRESCREENING QUESTIONS section located on the Manage Candidates page, click on + Add Question.
In the Pre-screening Question Filter box, type Veteran and click on the question that appears.
Click on Yes and then Apply.
Your list of applicants who answered Yes to the relevant question will appear. Continue to Steps 2 and 3 to determine which applicants meet the criteria for the Veteran Preference Program.

Confirm DD214 Attached/Honorable Discharge Status

Using the list of applicants you just generated, review each applicant’s attached documents to confirm that the DD214 form is attached and the Character of Service field lists HONORABLE for the most recent separation from the military.

Review Application Material

Next, proceed with screening these applicants for the additional program criteria.

Meets Minimum Qualifications
Applied by the For Best Consideration Date
Submitted a complete application as stated in the job posting.

Remember that qualified veteran applicants should be granted an initial interview based whether they meet minimum qualifications. They do not need to meet any or all Preferred Qualifications listed in the posting to be granted an interview. If you have any questions at this stage, reach out to staffrecruiting@unm.edu for assistance.

Common Scenarios

Below is a summary of common scenarios that may be encountered when reviewing applications for veterans that elected to participate in the Veteran Hiring Preference Program:

Criteria	Required to Interview	Application Status	Disposition Code (For more on disposition codes, see Managing Your Applicant Pool)

Criteria	Required to Interview	Application Status	Disposition Code (For more on disposition codes, see Managing Your Applicant Pool)
Applicant meets all of the criteria for the Veteran Hiring Preference Program.	Yes	The applicant must be granted an interview. After the interview, they should be evaluated in the same manner as the other candidates who were interviewed. If not selected after the interview, select Not Hired.	If not selected after interview, choose Interviewed Not Hired. Select the appropriate secondary Interview: Not Hired Disposition Reason on the Summary tab of the applicant's profile.
Applicant meets all of the criteria for the Veteran Hiring Preference Program but does not meet the Preferred Qualifications listed in the posting.	Yes	The applicant must be granted an interview. Applicants who elect participation in and meet all the criteria for the Veteran Hiring Preference Program must be interviewed. Interview selection for qualified veteran applicants is based on the true minimum qualifications for the job title, not the Preferred Qualifications. After the interview, they should be evaluated in the same manner as the other candidates who were interviewed If not selected after the interview, select Not Hired.	If not selected after interview, choose Interviewed Not Hired. Select the appropriate secondary Interview: Not Hired Disposition Reason on the Summary tab of the applicant's profile.
Applicant meets all of the criteria for the Veteran Hiring Preference Program but does not have as much related experience as other applicants.	Yes	The applicant must be granted an interview. Applicants who elect participation in and meet all the criteria for the Veteran Hiring Preference Program must be interviewed. Interview selection for qualified veteran applicants is not based on the overall competitiveness of the applicant pool. After interview, they should be evaluated in the same manner as the other candidates who were interviewed. If not selected after the interview, select Not Hired.	If not selected after interview, choose Interviewed Not Hired. Select the appropriate secondary Interview: Not Hired Disposition Reason on the Summary tab of the applicant's profile.
Veteran Applied after For Best Consideration Date	No	Not Hired	Application received past deadline. However, if other applications received past the deadline are reviewed, the application material should be reviewed consistent with other applicants. If not selected based on the review of the application, select Not Hired.
Veteran elected to participate in the program but did not attach their DD214	No	Failure to provide form DD214 does not eliminate the applicant from consideration for the position. The application material should be reviewed consistent with other applicants. If not selected based on the review of the application, select Not Hired.	Select dispensation code that best fits non-selection reason based on review of application material.
Veteran elected to participate in the program but does not meet minimum qualifications	No	Not Hired	Does not meet minimum qualifications
Veteran elected to participate in the program but did not follow application instructions stated in the job ad/did not provide the required application documents	No	Not Hired	Application is incomplete
Veteran attached DD214 but did not elect to participate in the Veteran Preference Program	No	Not electing to participate in the Veteran Preference Program does not eliminate the applicant from consideration for the position. The application material should be reviewed consistent with other applicants. If not selected based on the review of the application, select Not Hired.	Select dispensation code that best fits non-selection reason based on review of application material.
Applicant self-identified as a protected veteran but did not elect to participate in the program/did not attach a DD214.	No	Not electing to participate in the Veteran Hiring Preference Program does not eliminate the applicant from consideration for the position. The application material should be reviewed consistent with other applicants. If not selected based on the review of the application, select Not Hired.	Select dispensation code that best fits non-selection reason based on review of application material.