Guide for Candidates

Guide for Candidates Applying in Open Competitions for Research (R1–R4) and Administrative Positions

Submitting Applications

1. Applications may be submitted in paper form or electronically, to the address indicated in the Competition Announcement. The University of Bielsko‑Biała responds only to applications sent in reply to an official UBB vacancy notice (see current job offers).
2. All documents required in the Competition Announcement must be prepared in Polish or English, or translated into Polish or English from other languages.
3. Only applications submitted by the deadline stated in the Competition Announcement and containing every required document—including a consent statement for the processing of personal data for recruitment purposes—will be considered.

Candidate Selection Procedure

1. Candidates for R1–R4 positions are assessed by a recruitment committee; candidates for administrative positions are assessed by recruitment staff.
2. Committee assessment has two stages: formal and merit‑based. Candidates with formal deficiencies are asked to correct them within three working days. Applications that still fail to meet formal criteria are excluded from further consideration.
3. If a disability prevents or seriously hinders a candidate’s participation, the committee (or recruitment staff for administrative positions) will, together with the Rector’s Plenipotentiary for Persons with Disabilities, determine an individual recruitment procedure.
4. After reviewing all documents, the committee (or recruitment staff) conducts interviews with candidates who meet the formal criteria, either in person or online.
5. The committee (or recruitment staff) may verify a candidate’s identity before the interview.
6. In addition to education and experience, the committee evaluates research potential, creativity, communication skills, teamwork, knowledge transfer, language proficiency, and sector mobility, guided by principles of ethics, impartiality and professional objectivity.
7. Recruitment staff for administrative posts select candidates through application review, interviews and—where consent is given—reference checks; the verification method depends on the nature of the vacancy.
8. Committee members and recruitment staff are bound by confidentiality regarding information obtained about candidates, except for reporting irregularities to the Rector or the Ombudsman for Academic Rights and Values.
9. Following evaluation, the committee:
   • either submits a justified recommendation with a ranked list based on professional achievements (weight 0.5) and interview results (weight 0.5); if scores are equal, gender‑balance criteria are applied, or
   • provides justification for not recommending any candidate, including in the absence of applicants.
   The minutes of the meeting are submitted to the Rector.
10. The Rector makes the final decision on the competition outcome and, for administrative posts, on hiring the selected candidate.

Information on Competition Results

1. The Human Resources Department publishes the results within 30 days of the competition’s end:
   • on the University’s Public Information Bulletin (BIP) website,
   • on the website of the ministry responsible for science and higher education.
2. For academic positions (R1–R4), the committee chair informs the selected candidate by phone, in writing or by e‑mail. For administrative positions, the Human Resources Department notifies both the selected and non‑selected candidates whose applications were considered.
3. Candidates not selected receive individual feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of their application, together with a request to complete an evaluation questionnaire. Feedback may be provided as a scanned document sent by e‑mail.
4. Every candidate has the right to review the committee’s evaluation and its justification.
5. If a participant suspects a breach of law or University regulations during the procedure, they may appeal to the Rector within three working days of receiving feedback on the results.