ARCareers101
Welcome to ARCareers, the Official Career Site of the State of Arkansas provided by the Department of Transformation and Shared Services in coordination with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Classification & Compensation
Arkansas is a right to work state. No person may be denied employment because of his or her membership in, affiliation with, resignation from, or refusal to join or affiliate with a labor union. Employees working in State Departments are governed by the Uniform Compensation and Classification Act, administered by the Office of Personnel Management.
The General Assembly is responsible for authorizing the appropriated grades assigned to a classification. All positions are assigned to a classification and grade with a pay level (salary range). The 15 State Departments, which fall under the Executive Branch, have an appropriation act with assigned positions and the ability to fill those positions and pay employees. This is how Departments are able to carry out the business of the State in accordance with their statutory requirements.
Employees serving in positions covered by the Uniform Classification and Compensation Act are compensated in accordance with one of the following pay tables: (1) General Salaries, (2) Information Technology Salaries, (3) Medical Professional Salaries, and (4) Senior Executive Salaries.
New hire employees will be paid at the entry pay level for the grade assigned to the classification unless a special rate of pay above the entry pay level is approved by the Department Secretary, OPM and/or Legislative Council. For example, if a candidate for a position in a State Department is hired for a position at a Grade 07 and is a new hire, the employee would start at the entry rate of pay which is $40,340.
Job Qualifications & Candidate Selection Process
To be considered for a position, applicants must meet the minimum qualifications, which consist of the education and experience listed on the job description, required to perform the job. After an applicant submits his or her application for a position into the ARCareers site, a recruiter or hiring official reviews the application to determine whether the applicant meets the qualifications. If an applicant meets the qualifications and needs for the position, a recruiter or hiring official may contact the applicant to schedule an interview.
If the applicant successfully makes it through the interview process, he or she is now considered a candidate for the job. Hiring officials may conduct a second round of interviews, administer a job-related assessment or exam, or conduct a panel interview to finalize their list of candidates. Once the final list of candidates has been determined, the hiring official(s) ranks the candidates and adjusts for veteran’s preference, if applicable.
The Department’s human resource office completes the verification steps before an offer can be made to the selected candidate. Verification may include reference checks, employment and education review, and pre-screening such as drug tests and/or background checks. If the candidate successfully passes the verification process, a formal offer of employment will be made. If the selected candidate accepts the offer, the onboarding process begins, and the candidate is considered “hired”.
Veteran’s Preference
Departments are required to give preference in hiring, promotion, and retention to qualified veterans, disabled veterans, spouses of disabled veterans, or the surviving spouse of a deceased qualified veteran. Applicants must voluntarily submit official proof of his or her status to receive veteran’s preference. Veteran’s preference does not apply to elected officials or political appointees or to any person holding a strictly confidential administrative or secretarial position in relation to the appointing officer.
E-Verify
The State of Arkansas uses the web-based system E-Verify. Through E-Verify, employers confirm the identity and employment eligibility of newly hired employees by electronically matching information provided on the I-9 Form, Employment Eligibility Verification, against records available to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Employees must complete an I-9 form and provide the appropriate identification documentation. To check current eligibility, you can visit SELF CHECK.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The State of Arkansas is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, citizenship, national origin, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.
