2.09 Promotions, Transfers, and Appointments

Policy: Promotions, transfers, and appointments provide staff members with an opportunity for continued learning, career growth, and development. Berklee is committed to the professional development, advancement, and retention of every staff member. Individuals are encouraged to apply for job openings for which they are interested in and qualified for. This policy outlines the specific procedures associated with promotions, transfers, and leadership appointments.

Note: All promotions, transfers, and leadership appointments must serve the best interests of Berklee. Decisions will be based on skills, qualifications, and overall performance of the applicant. 

Job Postings

A list of current job openings is posted on the Jobs at Berklee web page. Newly created positions and vacancies will be internally posted via Berklee’s intranet for a period of no less than five days.

One Year of Continuous Employment

Prior to becoming eligible for a promotion, transfer, or a leadership appointment, staff members must successfully complete at least one year of continuous employment from the date of hire as a regular employee at Berklee. 

Promotions

A promotion occurs when a staff member moves to a position with a higher pay grade. In addition to a higher pay grade, a promotion usually means that the new position requires skills that are broader and more complex than what the previous position required, and may also include managerial and leadership responsibilities.

Transfers

A transfer occurs when a staff member moves from one position to another that is either:

  1. within the staff member’s current department and in the same pay grade, or
  2. in a different department and in the same pay grade.

Note: Departmental reorganizations that result in position changes will not be considered “transfers” as defined in this policy.

Appointments

Leadership appointments at the level of assistant vice president, associate vice president, vice president, senior vice president, and executive vice president require consultation review and approval from the senior vice president of Human Resources and the President. The President retains sole discretion and final approval for any appointment to the executive level.

Promotion, Transfer, and Appointment Prerequisites

All internal applications should be reviewed by Human Resources, prior to applicants being contacted, to ensure they meet the following prerequisites for eligibility: 

  1. Staff members must successfully complete at least one year of continuous employment from the date of hire as a regular employee at Berklee.
  2. Staff members who have previously transferred must remain in the position to which they transferred for at least one year.
  3. Staff members must not have received written corrective action within the six months preceding the transfer. 

Staff Member Responsibilities During the Promotion or Transfer Process

During the transfer or promotion process, staff members seeking a new position in another area must initiate the following process:

  1. Staff members must apply online through Workday for the position of interest. Résumés of internal applicants will be reviewed by the hiring manager and/or the human resources recruiter. 
  2. Staff members who meet the requirements and qualifications for the position will then be interviewed by the hiring manager and/or human resources recruiter.
  3. If a staff member is identified as a final candidate, the staff member and prospective manager must notify the staff member’s current manager to inform them, and a reference check must be conducted. 

Hiring Manager Responsibilities During the Promotion or Transfer Process

As with all hiring activities, the hiring manager should work closely with Human Resources to provide a coordinated and efficient process for all candidates.

  1. The hiring manager will interview internal candidates who have been identified as qualified and eligible. 
  2. If a staff member is identified as a final candidate, the hiring manager must contact the staff member’s current manager to complete a reference check. References must focus on the skills and performance of the individual seeking the promotion/transfer.
  3. The hiring manager should consult with Human Resources to ensure that they are conducting the reference check at the appropriate stage in the promotion/transfer process and that they are following Human Resources’ guidelines for reference checking. 
  4. The hiring manager may also make a request to Human Resources to review the staff member’s personnel file. 
  5. Prior to offering a position to the staff member, the hiring manager must consult with Human Resources to evaluate the impact on the staff member’s salary and to determine the final salary before an offer of employment is presented to the staff member. Executive level appointments require advance review, discussion, and approval from the senior vice president of Human Resources and the President. The President retains sole discretion and final approval for all terms of an appointment to the executive level.
  6. Human Resources will coordinate the offer process with the hiring manager. Executive appointments will be reviewed with the senior vice president of Human Resources and the President, who will make final determinations on all terms of the appointment, including title, rank, salary, reporting line, and start date.
  7. The hiring manager will notify all internal candidates who participated in the interview process but were not selected for the position. If appropriate, the hiring manager should provide feedback on areas of development.
  8. The current and future managers should agree on a mutually satisfactory date when the promotion/transfer will occur. Generally, the transition time to the new position should not exceed four weeks. 

Adjustment Period

When a staff member changes positions due to a promotion or transfer, even within the same department, the first six months in the new position is an adjustment period. Throughout the six-month adjustment period, the manager will assess the staff member’s performance. The manager will provide the staff member with feedback related to their performance. If the staff member is not meeting expectations, the supervisor should consult with Human Resources to discuss performance improvement measures. 

Berklee reserves the right to amend, suspend, or cancel this policy at any time, with or without notice. In the event that a conflict exists between this policy and the terms and conditions of the Berklee faculty union contract agreement, the union contract agreement will supersede this policy.

 

Revised June 2025