Even though they might not use search consultants, hiring committees can employ their tactics
Many hiring committees in academe never use search consultants: those conducting searches for faculty positions, searches for entry- and mid-level administrative positions, and perhaps searches in which the pool is defined as essentially local or even internal.
But many of those committees could adapt for their own purposes some of the approaches and strategies that consultants use. With the academic year under way and many searches getting started, I’d like to offer some advice to panels that are going it alone.
Consultants enhance a search process in many ways, but I will focus on just two of them here: pre-search activities (laying the foundation for the search) and active recruiting (seeking out candidates rather than just waiting for applicants to respond to an ad.)
Pre-Search Activities: The work that consultants do before a search really begins is often overlooked when searches are done without consultants. That’s because this work -- conducting a careful analysis of the job and the institution -- can be difficult for insiders.
Like many search consultants, I begin a search with an institutional analysis and organizational profile. At the start of every search, I typically talk to dozens of people in and around the institution -- the predecessor in the job, the supervisor, peers, subordinates, external partners, and other interested parties. Asking questions and writing up the results of the conversations can provide the occasion for thinking through issues that might have been overlooked, for making a frank appraisal of the competitive advantages and disadvantages you have in recruiting for this position, and for resolving differences of opinion among committee members and others.
A report summarizing this information can help answer the questions likely to be asked by candidates. Just as the consultant has to be prepared to answer those questions, the head of a search committee should be trying to anticipate what candidates will want to know and should include that information in a written profile of the position and the institution. That profile doesn’t have to be quite as detailed as the one a search consultant would provide, but it should offer much more information than the position description.
Once the hiring committee approves the profile, it can be provided to all of the candidates so that they have a solid understanding of the job. The statement should be both attractive and accurate; if there are challenges associated with the position, I believe in describing them and setting a candid tone from the beginning of the search process.
Active vs. Passive Recruiting: The primary way that you can improve a search that doesn’t use a consultant is by making it an active search rather than a passive one.
Most searches without consultants are passive searches. The underlying assumption is that good candidates will learn about the position, they will be eager to have the job, and they will apply. So, search committees place ads and wait for responses. While they may send some letters and make some calls, actively seeking out candidates is usually a minor effort. But the best candidates may need to be ferreted out and persuaded to apply. They may not be aware of the position, in part because they are not looking for a new job. They may not initially be interested in your position; they may even have a negative view of it.
I find that active recruiting is an alien concept for many search committees. Committee members want candidates who are eager for the job and enthusiastic about the opportunity it represents. But this preference causes them to miss candidates who may be stronger than those who apply on their own.
The first step is to construct a recruiting plan. Define the universe of institutions from which your candidate is likely to come. (Candidates from other institutions are welcome, but you need to decide where to invest the most effort.) Consider these items as you construct your plan:
- Level of institution: Take a look at peer institutions, aspiring institutions, and emerging institutions that are making rapid progress in the area where you are recruiting.
- Location: Many people like to stay in the region where they live, so you may want to focus on institutions in your region.
- Information about individuals: Committee members should brainstorm about candidates, considering, for example, who may have a new and unappealing department head and thus be motivated to move on. Who may have been denied tenure at a very prominent institution and be ready to move to one with more modest expectations? Who may have a partner who is also looking for a better situation? Who may want to do research at your institution because you can offer colleagues in his or her field? Who is a toxic person or a scholar without integrity or a terrible teacher whom you wouldn’t want to work with?
The next step involves simply working the phones. You’ll make two basic kinds of calls: sourcing and prospecting.
In sourcing calls, you are looking for people who can be sources of information and ideas -- senior faculty members who are not looking to move, graduate-program directors, senior administrators in the area in which you are hiring. It is a very good investment of time to make your first round of calls to those sources, who may be able to give you the names of some top talent. By contrast, prospecting calls are the ones you make to people who may be good candidates.
Once you have a plan, you can assign calls and construct a tracking system. You might consider using your course-management system as an electronic tool for sharing information among committee members. Once calls have been assigned, results can be posted on your password-protected Web site and shared among committee members. The committee chair should follow up to be sure that calls were made, or there can be short weekly meetings to check on progress.
Strong potential candidates who are reluctant to throw their hats in the ring should be recruited with special energy and care. Figure out who your best contacts are and encourage them to connect with the candidate and make him or her realize how strongly you are interested.
What do you say when you make those calls? Remember, you are looking for candidates who are not necessarily looking for you, so your job is to attract them. Callers should be well informed and enthusiastic about the position and the institution. You should be honest and clear about its strengths, aspirations, resources, research opportunities, perks, etc.
A new job is also a new lifestyle. Be prepared to talk about the things that make your institution a great place to find colleagues and friends, the attractions of the community, work opportunities for spouses. Tell prospective candidates how shared governance works on your campus, and describe the ways in which your leadership is putting the institution on the map. Describe the beautiful and cheap housing, climate, recreational opportunities. If the location isn’t so attractive, you can talk about the ease of getting to the airport and out of town.
Those conversations should also describe the search process, including the timetable, decision-making process, and compensation. When candidates are recruited for a position, assuring confidentiality is especially important. You are asking someone to take a risk, and you should help to minimize that risk by keeping their possible interest in the job confidential.
Searches for faculty positions shape the future of a department, and entry- and mid-level management positions bring people who can rise in your institution to become senior leaders. Putting thought, time, and energy into hiring them is a very important investment. These suggestions call for search committees to do more work, but they should also help to bring about a better result.
Jean Dowdall is a vice president with Educational Management Network/Witt Kieffer, a search firm serving higher education, health care, and other nonprofit organizations. She specializes in searches for presidents, vice presidents, and deans in colleges, universities, and foundations. This column was originally presented at a workshop for department heads sponsored by the American Sociological Association. You can find an archive of her previous columns here.
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Section: Career Network
Volume 50, Issue 7, Page C3