How do universities successfully recruit faculty and staff?

In US college and university recruitment practices, the principle of “shared governance” fosters collaboration among faculty, administrators, staff and, at times, students. When carefully deployed and widely embraced, this decision-making process leverages organisational capacity, mobilises talent and expertise, facilitates checks and balances, promotes transparency and integrity, and advances a culture of inclusion and belonging.  

This approach often faces criticism and has been seen as being conducive to inefficiencies, excessive bureaucracy, power struggles and related compromise solutions. Despite this, it remains of paramount importance since the grounding of hiring processes in the fundamental principle of “shared governance” is essential for successful recruitment outcomes in the complex and ever-evolving ecosystems of higher education. 

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Below are examples of best practice by university leadership and recruiting academic units and offices offered for further consideration.

1. Strategic planning

Recruiting academic units and offices should engage in meticulous and transparent data analysis with university leadership, including academic deans, department chairs and provosts, to justify requests for recruitment efforts that align with the institution’s strategic priorities and financial parameters. 

2. The search committee

University leadership should facilitate the creation of an inclusive and equitable search committee that is broadly representative of the academic unit or office as well as reflective of a wide range of perspectives, background and expertise. Leadership then appoints a capable and engaged individual to serve as the search chair, tasked with disseminating information on policies and procedures, facilitating efficient workflows, and fostering open and transparent communication. Additionally, leadership arranges comprehensive training modules to empower all search committee members with the knowledge and skills necessary to advance best practices in recruitment, minimise biases and ensure a fair and inclusive hiring process. 

3. The charge and process efficiency

University leadership of the hiring unit defines a clear and comprehensive charge for the search committee. The charge should be informed by the justification for the recruitment (see point one: strategic planning) and outline expectations, responsibilities and engagement norms for all members. The charge also emphasises confidentiality protocols, communication standards and the importance of active engagement and collaboration among all participants. Last, university leadership should stress timeliness and efficiency in the recruitment process. Timeliness ensures the engagement of top candidates who might be lost to competitors in a prolonged recruitment process. Efficiency minimises disruption to the workflow continuity that justified recruitment in the first place and enables a positive candidate experience. Together, timeliness and efficiency also reflect well on the organisation. 

4. Clarify the job description

Recruiting academic units and offices should develop a detailed job description outlining the desired professional qualities of prospective candidates (for example, a faculty with teaching and research expertise in the field of quantitative social science at the undergraduate and graduate levels; or a professional staff adviser with experience in transactional and developmental advising for first-generation undergraduate students), preferred qualifications (for instance, for faculty, a PhD in hand by the time of the appointment, a record of grant work, experience in curricular innovation; or for staff, an MA or MS degree; five years’ experience; proficiency in the latest advising platforms), anticipated opportunities and overarching goals and priorities expected of the role (so, for faculty, building of a new undergraduate programme, ability to engage in interdisciplinary research collaborations, or for staff, the ability to lead improvements in a retention and graduation initiative). The job description should also elucidate for candidates the institutional mission and values that guide the institution. 

5. Streamlined application process and compliance

Deploy an intuitive and user-friendly application platform to minimise barriers and ensure a seamless candidate experience. Incorporate application tracking systems to enhance administrative efficiency and facilitate the effective management of candidate profiles and materials while ensuring compliance with local and national requirements (for example, equal employment opportunity [EEO], state and federal labour laws, immigration compliance or data privacy laws).

6. Effective position posting

Leverage targeted marketing strategies to enhance the visibility of open positions across diverse audiences. Make use of partnerships with professional organisations, academic networks and industry associations to build a deep and diverse applicant pool.

7. Targeted outreach

Tailor outreach strategies to appeal to specific candidate demographics, disciplinary domains or professional backgrounds, thereby amplifying the efficacy and impact of recruitment initiatives. For example, in the US, a recruitment of a faculty member in health sciences may be facilitated by advertising through professional associations such as the American Medical Association or discipline-specific publications such as the New England Journal of Medicine, or participation in national conferences like the annual meeting of the American Society of Oncology). To recruit a diverse demographic pool, targeting specific associations (such as the American Medical Women’s Association, Graduate Women in Science or Women in Neuroscience) can be effective, as are relationships with academic organisations for under-represented minorities (historically black colleges and universities or Hispanic-serving institutions, for example).  

8. Rigorous evaluation criteria

Collaborate closely with all members of the search committee and relevant stakeholders to establish consistent, transparent and objective evaluation criteria aligned with the priorities associated with each faculty or staff position. Implement structured interview protocols, standardised scoring rubrics and peer-review mechanisms to ensure fairness, equity and rigour in the assessment of all candidates.

9. Due diligence

Conduct thorough research on candidates’ qualifications, experience and market value to inform negotiation strategies. Undertake comprehensive due diligence processes, including reference checks and media scans, to validate and verify candidates’ credentials, assess their suitability for the role and mitigate potential risks or concerns. At the same time, be aware of respecting privacy laws and regulations while performing checks and be sensitive to traps such as relying on limited information before rendering a decision, failing to seek references from multiple and varied sources, or giving excessive weight to information that might confirm pre-existing beliefs or implicit biases. 

10. Negotiating with candidates

Understand candidates’ motivations, career aspirations and personal circumstances to tailor negotiation approaches effectively. Clearly communicate the university’s offer, including salary, benefits, start date and any additional incentives. Remain open to negotiation and be considerate of reasonable requests from candidates, offering flexibility where possible to accommodate their needs.

11. Practice continuous improvement

At the conclusion of each recruitment event, evaluate the efficacy and impact of faculty and staff recruitment strategies and processes. Solicit feedback from search committees, candidates and other key stakeholders to identify areas for future enhancement so that targeted interventions aimed at optimising recruitment outcomes can be implemented.

Norma Bouchard is executive vice-president, provost and chief academic officer at Chapman University, California.

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