Hiring approvals vary by schools, entities, and departments at Duke. A hiring supervisor should check with his or her school, entity, or department for the specific hiring approval requirements before making any offers of employment. If all approvals are not obtained, the assistant vice president of Human Resources, Recruitment and Talent Management - or a designee thereof - may declare an offer of employment invalid or subject to reversal.

A job candidate's offer of employment is conditioned by his or her proper completion of Duke's online application, satisfactory reference checks, and satisfactory pre-employment qualifications - including background checks, governmental sanction checks, health screenings, and/or drug and alcohol screenings. The Form I-9 is also required for all hires. A new Form I-9 must be completed for hires, including employees rehired by Duke, within 3 business days of the date employment begins. The form must be completed by the employee and a Duke representative from the hiring department. A new Form I-9 is not required when an employee transfers positions within Duke University and Duke University Health System with no break in service.

All offers of employment should be in writing and should be accepted in writing. Offer letters should contain all information necessary for the candidate to understand the salary, benefits and requirements of the position. The offer letter should include:

• Salary and any additional financial considerations
• Amount/type of relocation benefits, if applicable
• Position title, department name
• Start date
• Any contingent background checks required prior to start date
• Orientation information
• Contact person for pre-arrival period (in addition to the hiring official)
• Request for written acceptance or rejection of the offer

Examples of employment offer letters are available on the Duke Human Resources web site here.