Staff Transition Resources
Staff transitions include creating new positions, hiring and onboarding, internal position transitions or changes, disciplinary action or performance improvement plans, and termination and offboarding. You can expand each section below for more information about each process. Please contact Human Resources if you have any questions.
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Always start at the Pantano Job Descriptions folder on Google Drive. Do not use old Word documents or Google Docs that you have created in the past to start a new Job Description, all files that should be used to create a new or modified Job Description must come from this folder.
There are two options for creating new or modified job descriptions:
If you are making a brand new Job Description, use one of the templates in the folder titled Job Description Templates. MAKE A COPY of the template, save it to your Drive, and fill it out as prompted for the new position.
If you are modifying an existing job description, find the existing file in its appropriate ministry folder, and MAKE A COPY of the file, save it to your Drive, then make the necessary changes.
Once you have finished your initial edits of the job description, submit an official Job Requisition. If any changes are needed to the job description, HR will let you know by commenting on the document itself or via email.
Transfer ownership of the document to the HR Director.
When the final version of the job description has been approved, the final version will be saved in the Pantano Job Descriptions folder in the appropriate ministry team folder.
*Please note, that the Job Description must be fully completed, and an official Job Requisition submitted before a current position is adjusted or a new position is posted.
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All hires, new or replacement, begin with a Job Requisition, new or updated Job Description, and approval from the Executive Pastor of Operations.
A Job Requisition and Job Description are completed and submitted to hr@pantano.church by the hiring manager.
Review and final approval of the Job Description and Requisition is made by the Executive Pastor and reviewed by HR including IT, Finance, and Facilities (note: the official hiring process does not start until the role has been approved).
Position is created in Paylocity by HR (training provided to manager if needed on the Paylocity Talent Acquisition process)
Position is opened in Paylocity by HR
Position is posted on the website and social media via Communications Request from HR
Optional: Position opening post is shared on LinkedIn and Indeed by HR
When an application is received:
Job-specific assessments may be requested to determine the skill level of the candidate.
Involvement notes are entered if available, and an initial application review (confirming completion) is done by the Hiring Manager (first Paylocity step completed)
Phone interview screenings may be done by the Hiring Manager.
Reference checks are done by the Hiring Manager. If the Hiring Manager decides to continue moving forward, they mark the “reference check” step as approved. If the decision is to decline, the Hiring manager will let HR know. The candidate’s application is removed and the candidate is notified via the Hiring Manager.
If the candidate passes the skills assessment or initial review:
It is encouraged to send a copy of the job description, the Pantano Playbook, and any other relevant information to the candidate before any interviews are held.
The first interview is held by the appropriate staff (Hiring Manager, Ministry Team, HR Director upon request, etc). If the Hiring Manager decides to continue moving forward, they mark the first interview step as approved and set up the next interview in the process. If the decision is to decline the candidate, the Hiring manager will let HR know. The candidate’s application is removed and the candidate is notified via the Hiring Manager.
The next interview is held by the appropriate staff members. If the Hiring Manager decides to continue moving forward, they mark the interview step as approved. If the decision is to decline, the Hiring manager notifies the HR Director. The candidate’s application is removed and the candidate is notified via the Hiring Manager.
After the second interview is completed, the hiring manager should take time to check the candidate’s social media accounts, ensuring there are no questionable posts or information to review.
Repeat the above steps for any additional interviews.
Background check link is sent by HR.
If needed to assist in a hiring decision, the Working Genius and Enneagram assessments are sent to the candidate by HR.
If everything has been approved to this point, the Hiring Manager should alert HR that they are ready to send an offer, and move the candidate to that category in the Paylocity process.
HR will set up the offer paperwork with pay and benefits information. An offer letter is drafted to be signed by the candidate via Paylocity (the Executive Pastor over the ministry area must approve the offer via Paylocity before the letter is sent).
Once the offer is accepted and signed, the Hiring Manager should contact all other candidates they interviewed who are still in process in Paylocity to let them know the position has been filled before the position is officially closed. A generic email may be sent by HR via Paylocity to any candidates who were not interviewed.
HR will send an email upon approval confirming the changes and any additional details, such as the start date and pay information.
HR will send an email to the Onboarding Team (including members of HR/Finance, IT, and Facilities) with information about the hire to prepare to meet all onboarding needs.
Outside Job Posting sites:
For some high-level positions (Pastor or Director), it may be more appropriate to post and advertise via job posting sites such as Church Staffing. If it is decided to post using these tools, the job will not be advertised on Facebook or posted on the website.
A shortened Paylocity process may be used for these positions, it is the responsibility of the hiring manager to alert HR to any candidates who have passed the second interview and are in need of beginning the Paylocity process starting at the third interview.
Upon the decision to hire, HR will set up the offer paperwork with pay and benefits information. An offer letter is drafted to be signed by the candidate.
HR will send the candidate a link to a conditional hire Paylocity process to input them into the system.
Upon Hire but before the start date:
The Hiring Manager will make an announcement to the staff about the new hire.
The new employee will need to bring any requested documents/items in for Accounting to process their employment verification and set up direct deposit for payroll. Documents may include:
Driver’s License and Social Security Card OR valid US Passport
Blank Check OR Direct Deposit form from their bank
HR will make formal requests to IT, Communications, and Facilities via an Asana Onboarding project:
IT
Google workspace account, email and distribution list memberships
Server share permissions
Phone assignment and set up
Equipment needs (software requirements determine hardware)
Equipment deployment meeting set
Communications
Name badge and workspace sign if appropriate
Communications Training
Facilities
GMK
Alarm codes (if necessary)
Office or workstation needs
FMX Access and Training
Accounting
Benefits forms (Insurances, 403(b))
Paycom completion (Tax forms, direct deposit, etc)
Order a Credit card if the position requires
Financials Training as appropriate
HR will set up additional tools access appropriate to the position, including Asana, Slack, Planning Center, etc.
A “Welcome to Pantano” project is created for the new employee in Asana to track training, provide resources, and begin the process of integrating them into staff.
The Hiring Manager may start the Onboarding Agenda and send to hr@pantano.church for additional entries before HR sends it to the new employee prior to their start date.
If the new hire is a Pastor:
The Licensing or ordination process will need to be started (if not previously ordained).
If a pastor has opted out of SS, their 4361 IRS form will need to be sent to HR.
A Housing Allowance form will be prepared and given to the elders for approval at their next meeting.
SPOD information is sent by the Discipleship Team, and training is completed by their supervisor.
Credit check run on new hire (& spouse if married) on all pastors & anyone else who significantly handles money (ie: Accountant, Check signers, etc), prior to start date.
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All hires, new or replacement, begin with a Job Requisition, new or updated Job Description, and approval from the Executive Pastor of Operations.
A Job Requisition and Job Description are completed and submitted to hr@pantano.church by the hiring manager.
Review and final approval of the Job Description and Requisition is made by the Executive Pastor and reviewed by HR (note: the official hiring process does not start until the role has been approved).
HR will send an email upon approval confirming the changes and any additional details, such as the start date.
Upon Hire but before the start date:
The Hiring Manager will make an announcement to the staff about the new hire.
HR will create an onboarding project via Asana with the following requests/tasks:
Tools Access
Email account and distribution list memberships
Slack access and channel assignments
Asana access and team assignments
Google Workspace account
Planning Center permissions
Communications
Name badge
Facilities
GMK
A “Welcome to Pantano” project is created for the new employee in Asana to track training, provide resources, and begin the process of integrating them into staff.
The Hiring Manager will start the Onboarding Agenda and send to hr@pantano.church for additional entries before HR sends it to the new employee prior to their start date.
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All staff transitions begin with a Job Requisition, updated Job Description, and approval from the Executive Pastor of Operations.
A Job Requisition and Job Description are completed and submitted to hr@pantano.church by the hiring manager.
Review and final approval of the Job Description and Requisition is made by the Executive Pastor and reviewed by HR (note: the transition process does not start until the role has been approved).
HR will send an email upon approval confirming the changes and any additional details, such as the start date or pay changes.
The updated or new job description and offer letter (if applicable) are sent to the employee to sign.
Prior to transition date:
The new or existing supervisor will make an announcement to the staff about the staff transition.
HR will create an transition project via Asana with the following requests/tasks:
Tools Access
Update email distribution list memberships
Slack access and channel assignments
Asana access and team assignments
Planning Center permissions
Updated supervisory changes (if applicable)
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A violation of staff conduct policies is reason for discipline up to and including termination. The following is the process used to bring attention to and corrective action to an employee.
Investigation: Upon notification of or discovery of a violation, an investigation of the concerns will begin. The staff member will be informally counseled regarding the conduct, attendance, work standards, or other violations of policy or procedure by their supervisor. The staff member will be given the opportunity to explain and clarify any misunderstanding of the policy violation. If this informal counseling does not bring about the required improvement or reveals a more serious infraction, the formal disciplinary procedure listed below will be invoked. Documentation of each meeting will be signed by both the supervisor and staff member and placed in the staff member’s personnel file. The following is the process that will be followed.
Stage 1 – Verbal Warning
A meeting will be held with the staff member in violation of policy and/or procedure, their immediate supervisor, and an HR representative. The staff member will be advised of the violation and invited to respond to explain their actions. Confirmation of this verbal warning to include the improvements required of the staff member in respect to the behavior which led to the warning and the timeframe within which the improvement must be made, documented, and signed by all 3 parties. You can use the Disciplinary Counseling Report form to document this step.
Stage 2 – Written Warning
A written warning can be issued within the period of time advised for monitoring after the verbal warning, provided there is little or no improvement in conduct or performance. Another meeting will be held and the staff member will be told of the transgression and given the opportunity to respond. The written warning will clearly set out the nature of the problem, suggest solutions such as retraining, and advise of the possible sanctions including termination of employment if no improvement is observed within a set amount of time. You can use the Disciplinary Counseling Report form to document this step.
Stage 3 – Final Warning
A written final warning will be issued when the required improvement is not achieved within the given timeframe. This will be the final meeting prior to dismissal and will only refer to the matters which have been the subject of the disciplinary procedure to date.
During this stage, Pantano reserves the right to suspend the staff member while a decision as to the continued employment or further action is reached. The staff member will receive a written document containing the reason for suspension, reference to and conclusions from the prior stages, inclusive dates of the suspension and the staff member’s right to appeal the action through Pantano’s Grievance Policy. Depending on the individual situation, the staff member’s suspension will be one of the following:
Investigative Suspension is the temporary release from duty for up to five working days with pay to permit investigation of the violation and steps taken up to this point. Extensions may be granted in increments of up to five working days if required. Requests for such extensions, including a justification for the request, will be presented in writing to the staff member. Upon completion of the investigation, the staff member will either be allowed to return to work without penalty, placed on disciplinary suspension, or discharged.
Disciplinary Suspension is the temporary release from duty for up to thirty calendar days without pay and is applicable when the Executive Pastor and/or Board of Elders determines that a violation(s) or repetition of violation(s) is serious enough to warrant suspension. A disciplinary suspension given to an exempt staff member must be for full workdays.
Stage 4 – Dismissal
If there is no improvement after the final warning, employment will be terminated due to failure to improve performance as is in accordance with Pantano’s disciplinary procedure as well as Arizona state labor laws.
Serious Misconduct
A staff member who has committed an extremely serious violation or who has committed one or more violations subsequent to receiving a suspension with pay will be terminated immediately. There is no legal definition of “serious misconduct”, however, it would include things like:
Criminal Acts
Theft
Intentional damage to property
Assault
Substance abuse or intoxication
Serious breach of health and safety standards
Fraudulent behavior
Falsification of records
Appeals Process
Staff members are permitted to present evidence to refute information Pantano has used as the basis for disciplinary action. This is done in order to provide insight into any extenuating circumstances that may have caused the staff member’s performance or conduct issues while allowing for an equitable solution. If the staff member does not present this evidence during any of the disciplinary meetings, they will have five business days following each of those meetings to do so.
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There are times when an employee is struggling to successfully accomplish the duties on their Job Description, is struggling relationally with other staff, or no longer aligns with the “DNA” of Pantano. In these cases, we want to respond with love, grace, and candor. Our goal is to build up our staff to accomplish all that God intends through them, but it is also necessary for every staff member to want to be successful. In our love for the church, which includes every staff member, we want to see growth and progress for our employees. The following process outlines how we love and serve our staff and use candor to provide growth opportunities. Their response to the process will determine the next steps.
PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT PLAN
The purpose of the Performance Improvement Plan is to work with an employee to help them become aware of issues that have arisen in the workplace related to their performance, attitude, or church cultural fit. Our goal is to give an allotted period of time for the employee to rectify these issues with the understanding that failure to do so will result in termination.
Supervisors must meet with the employee in person to discuss the situation and to process the performance improvement plan. Ensure that the employee recognizes, understands, and accepts the areas they need to improve and then accepts the specified progress that needs to be made in order to remain employed at Pantano. (A person may not agree to the plan, which would mean a discussion of the termination process would ensue.)
Upon completion of the Performance Improvement Plan, provide a copy of the filled-out and signed form to HR to place in the employee’s personnel file, as well as a copy to the employee to keep for reference.
The goal of the PIP is to redirect poor performance from a staff member to restore them to be successful in their work. Notes should be kept, evaluated, and filed with HR. If the employee is successfully redirected then progress should be noted and placed in their personnel file. If the employee fails to be redirected the termination process will proceed.
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Termination may occur either voluntarily by the employee or can be initiated by the employer. Significant moral or spiritual failures (theft, adultery, etc.), significant misalignment with the Pantano “DNA” or serious handbook policy violations may be cause for immediate termination.
Prior to Termination:
No one should ever be surprised with a discussion of termination of employment. Therefore the following steps should occur prior to a discussion involving potential termination.
1. Develop a Pantano Performance Improvement Plan (PIP).
2. Make sure that you have clear and adequate documentation of all conversations and meetings, including the PIP. This documentation must be included in the employee’s personnel file.
3. All conversations and written documentation must be handled with the biblical value of speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). In other words, we have to be clear, forthright, and candid about the issues within the context of gentleness and kindness.
4. If a PIP is instituted or refused, there must be clear statements that without improvement, the employee is facing the reality of being relieved from their job.
Upon termination decision:
Alert HR to the termination prior to the actual termination. Provide reasoning for the decision and give a specified end-of-employment date.
Develop a plan with HR to announce the termination to staff in a manner appropriate to the conditions of termination. If the employee is voluntarily terminating, it may be appropriate to have them announce their transition (new job, moving, etc). If the termination was involuntary, use your best judgment based on the situation for how to approach the announcement.
Develop talking points for staff to use as necessary.
Before the specified end date:
HR will perform an exit interview if necessary to collect notes on the employee’s experience at Pantano. Note: Even if an employee is voluntarily leaving Pantano, holding an exit interview can provide valuable insight into their experience as an employee of Pantano and provide us with ideas on how to improve as an employer. Not all of the questions on the form will fit the employee’s situation, so choose the questions that fit best for whether the termination was voluntary or not.
Specify if the employee will need access to their Pantano email account and land on the final date of access
Specify if another employee will need temporary access to the email account to field important information
Have the employee transfer ownership of important Google documents to an appropriate employee
Ensure employee returns all computer equipment (as recorded by the IT Department), keys, credit card (if one was issued), and uniforms (if issued) before office closure on their final day of employment (can be returned to Operations Assistant, Accountant, or HR Director).
Any celebration plans will be determined by the supervisor and ministry team.
It is the responsibility of the supervisor to decide and inform HR of any plans to make replacements for the position or to create a new position in its place.
HR will do the following upon termination:
Confirm retrieval of computer equipment and keys
Revoke tools and account access