All recruitment processes will cease for the duration of the cooperation negotiations.

A recruitment freeze on administrative staff began in the beginning of June. Now the freeze will extend to other staff as well as teaching and research staff.

The complete recruitment freeze is due to the ongoing cooperation negotiations and will remain in effect for their duration, probably until the end of November.

“As an employer, the University must treat all of its staff equally,” emphasises Rector Jukka Kola.

From recruitment freeze to recruitment permissions

During the cooperation negotiations, both core-funded and externally funded recruitment will cease.

“Ongoing recruitment processes need not be halted, but any decisions relating to them can be made only after the recruitment freeze is lifted,” explains Director of Human Resources Kira Ukkonen.

After the negotiations, recruitment permissions will be adopted for teaching and research staff, but all other staff will remain under a recruitment freeze until after decisions have been made on any staff cuts and their allocation.

In some cases, such as for positions funded through donations, special reasons may supersede the recruitment freeze while cooperation negotiations are ongoing. Depending on the position, an exceptional permission to recruit must be requested from the rector or the director of administration.

Importance of external funding to increase

Recruitment for externally funded positions has been a particular cause for concern. After the cooperation negotiations, recruitment permissions may also be applied for such positions to ensure that externally funded projects can continue uninterrupted.

“Staff must be hired for externally funded projects to get the work done. The intention is also to continue to hire doctoral students with external funding. The University will seek to increase external funding as much as possible in the future," states Rector Kola.

Impact of the cooperation procedure on staff recruitment, Rector's Letter 30 September 2015 (pdf)