Executive search ‘can be help not hindrance on diversity’

Universities need to avoid “tokenism” and “look beyond the obvious” to attract a more diverse range of candidates for top roles, according to a leading recruiter.

Sarah John, higher education lead for executive search firm Perrett Laver, said diversity in senior leadership teams is a “huge, huge issue” for the sector.

But she dismissed concerns that firms such as hers are part of the problem, insisting that they can help bring about change by putting in the hard work to broaden the pool of candidates and ensure they are properly considered for the post.

Ms John told Times Higher Education that making links with new networks and industries – including the commercial sector – is essential if job adverts are to reach a wider range of people.

“There has been a lot of tokenism, I would say. Not just in this sector but other organisations trying to respond to the societal requirement for organisations to deliver better,” she said.

There have been cases of candidates shortlisted “simply to demonstrate that there are people on the list but they have not necessarily got the skills to do that role”, she added.

Universities’ use of executive search firms has mushroomed in recent years and Ms John said that Perrett Laver is now being called on to help recruit not only vice-chancellors and senior leaders but for a range of lower-level roles in areas such as research and communications, as well as governance positions.

While there has been a buoyant jobs market in the past eight months, people are still often wary of moving roles because of global uncertainties, and universities are finding it difficult to fill posts that they would have previously recruited for on their own, she continued.

Despite the difficulties, including recruitment challenges arising from Brexit, securing a diverse range of applicants is crucial in “every single search”, Ms John said, adding that firms must avoid doing the “easy thing” by only contacting the candidates that are already known to them.

“Our approach is one of creativity and persistence – using the networks that we have but also going out and finding people that you don’t know otherwise you will never deliver on diversity," she said.

She added that supporting people all the way through the process is “vital”, including by creating welcoming, inclusive job adverts and providing additional training for hiring committees.

Ms John continued: “We’re very clear that we are there to serve the institution in making crucial appointments.

“We are always very keen to give the institutions the voice and it is not the search firm coming in and directing and leading the search activity. We are there to put forward people and serve the committee and the wider institution.”

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com