In the absence of unions, personnel policies are fully supporting McGill's emphasis on performance and a strong decentralization of management. Academic personnel policies Hiring, tenure and promotion based on highly selective processes Promotion to full professor by individual Statutory Selection Committees, acting on proposal by the Chair and Dean, supported by letters of reference usually from five peers from reputable universities worldwide.
Same policies apply to all categories of staff, irrespective of source of funding.
Deans, Chairs and research directors have full control on the creation of support staff positions and on definition of job description and qualification.