The Art of Search Committees: Increasing the Quality and Diversity of our Faculty and Staff

The Art of Search Committees: Increasing the Quality and Diversity of our Faculty and Staff

• Kevin Jacobs, Assistant Vice Chancellor,
• Human Resources
• University of Colorado Denver

Each year, UC Denver conducts approximately

• Each year, UC Denver conducts approximately

• 700 searches, including about 200 regular

• faculty searches ----

• costs range from $500 to over $25,000 each, not counting committee and staff time.

• Given the time and investment, it’s imperative

• that the search process produce quality, lasting

• results.

How much money and time is spent annually on recruitment/hiring activities compared to other department activities?

• How much money and time is spent annually on recruitment/hiring activities compared to other department activities?

• How does the cost/benefit analysis work– does the effort on recruitment/hiring pay off?

• What is the cost of a ‘bad’ hire (e.g., someone who leaves within a year or two)?

• What defines a ‘successful’ search for your department?

It’s an ART – Not a Science

• It’s an ART – Not a Science

• But there are ‘Best Practices’ and

• a few ‘RULES’

• Successful searches begin with successful search committee members— trained, dedicated and experienced individuals.
• Search committees succeed when they build highly qualified, diverse applicant pools.
• Highly qualified, diverse applicant pools lead to the potential for outstanding hires which, in turn are natural recruitment vehicles for the next searches.

Search Committee Methods

• SEARCH
• *Actively, continuously
• search for applicants
• *Aggressive, creative outreach

It’s mostly dependent on committee members availability and level of commitment!

• It’s mostly dependent on committee members availability and level of commitment!

• TIP:

• Review timeline at the first meeting to ensure everyone begins with realistic expectations and can commit to the schedule.

The few candidates of color are being sought out by

• The few candidates of color are being sought out by

• numerous institutions, and are not affordable.

Reality ~ Candidates often weigh

• Reality ~ Candidates often weigh

• location and job environment more than salary

• —so market our assets!

• Research on fellowships indicates that only

• 11% of minority scholars were sought by more than

• one institution at a time—89% were not subject to

• competitive bidding wars. (Wolf & Busenberg, 1996, AACU)

Fact or Fiction?

• Faculty of color won’t select academe—they choose

• more lucrative positions in government or industry.

Reality ~ Minority and women PhDs are no more or

• Reality ~ Minority and women PhDs are no more or

• less likely to work in academe than other PhDs.

White males have no chance of getting positions

• White males have no chance of getting positions

• due to the focus on minority applicants.

Reality ~ Recent hiring statistics show otherwise.

• Reality ~ Recent hiring statistics show otherwise.

• Note: In 1989 75% of tenured faculty were white males; in 1997 77% of tenured faculty were white males. (Chronicle of Higher Education, 2001)

Role of Compliance

• Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) monitors compliance towards Executive Order 11246, as amended

All federal contractors must do an annual Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) to:

• All federal contractors must do an annual Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) to:

Searches are most successful when hiring department/school has a diversity plan to guide the search committee.

• Searches are most successful when hiring department/school has a diversity plan to guide the search committee.

• School/College/Dept Diversity Plans

• Invite minority and women scholars to present symposia, serve as visiting scholars, etc.

• Provide mentoring and other resources for junior faculty, esp. women and minority faculty.

• Build cultural competency into clinical and educational experiences.

• Build diversity into curriculum.

Sample Diversity Initiatives, con’t

• Messages start with words and behavior of leaders (deans, department chairs, etc.).

• Build networks and resources/ continuous recruiting.

• Develop the ‘business’ case for diversity, and build that into the school/dept mission statement.

• Identify one or more persons who receive EEO/AA training and serve on all search committees.

Review dept. climate, policies, practices, and physical environment to ensure retention/support for women, minorities and other underrepresented groups.

• Review dept. climate, policies, practices, and physical environment to ensure retention/support for women, minorities and other underrepresented groups.

• Grow the pipeline—invest in underrepresented graduate students, medical residents, post doctoral trainees, etc.

• Build in diversity accountability by making diversity efforts part of faculty expectations, evaluation, and promotion/compensation practices.

Generally 5-7 members, but may be smaller (n=3) or larger

• Generally 5-7 members, but may be smaller (n=3) or larger

• May identify other individuals to evaluate candidates during interview process

The composition of the search committee is critical to its success. Involve diverse people with fresh ideas and diverse viewpoints.

• The composition of the search committee is critical to its success. Involve diverse people with fresh ideas and diverse viewpoints.

• Note: Departmental faculty and staff not on search committee still play critical role in search process.

Search Committee Composition

• Include women and minorities wherever possible—may use community members.

• Include members with track records for hiring

• underrepresented groups and/or educated in

• affirmative action policies and procedures.

• Contact Diversity or HR Office for assistance with

• identifying trained, effective committee members.

RULE

• The Appointing/Hiring Authority/Supervisor

• is NOT a search committee member.

Hiring Authority Charge To Committee – First Meeting

• Describe title, job description, essential and preferred criteria (make sure these are in the job description and evaluation criteria)

• Salary and benefits budget

• Describe position’s scope and challenges/opportunities

• Give realistic timeframes

• Preferred # of finalists, form of finalist feedback (ranked, random)

• Committee support (administrative assistance, travel budget, etc.)

Particularly for high level, leadership positions --invite department leaders, affiliate partners, and other interested parties to share their views about the position. This gives committee members a better understanding about the position, and the qualities necessary for successful candidates.

• Particularly for high level, leadership positions --invite department leaders, affiliate partners, and other interested parties to share their views about the position. This gives committee members a better understanding about the position, and the qualities necessary for successful candidates.

Committee Member Responsibilities

• Be an active recruiter

• Consistently and fairly evaluate all applicants

• Show up at meetings!

• ALL search committee members share responsibility to attract diverse pool and ensure fair and equitable treatment of all applicants.

Search Committee Chair

• Should be person at same or higher level than vacant position

• Chair must ensure diversity accountability for members

• Chair must ensure proper recordkeeping

• Determines committee process, including voting vs consensus for decisions

Search Committee Chair, con’t

• Serves as liaison between hiring authority and committee.

• Ensures committee charge is carried out.

• Keeps Hiring Authority informed.

Ensure hiring process is followed, including appropriate, timely entries into HR system.

• Ensure hiring process is followed, including appropriate, timely entries into HR system.

• Respond to applicants on behalf of committee chair

• Schedule committee meetings and applicant interviews

• Maintain applicant confidentiality

RULES CONFIDENTIALITY

• All discussions among committee members are confidential. Be particularly careful about internal applicants.

• Applicant names and materials should be kept in secure location.

• Confidentiality breeches should be disclosed to committee chair.

RECRUITMENT PLAN

• Job Description and other position/campus information

• Job ad(s) and posting locations

• Outreach activities

• Note: If search firm is employed, most of these activities will be handled by firm.

Recruitment Plan—Why?

• Consider the search process as first step in the retention process.

• How well you match the person to the position will determine their success in the position.

Cast a Wide Net

• Cast a Wide Net

• Some associations or institutions may exclude

• potential candidates. Tapping these resources can

• make you a victim of their exclusionary thinking. That’s

• why it’s important to recruit from a wide range of

• sources and use a variety of methods to cast a wide

• net.

• Applicants must be educated about the position –- it’s as important as the committee learning about the applicants.

• TIP:

• Remember… Outstanding candidates often do not apply for advertised positions—you must ‘court’ these potential applicants.

• Announcements should include proactive language targeted toward applicants of color, women, people with disabilities and veterans.

Consider including:

• Consider including:

• Mentoring activities/opportunities for underrepresented groups

• Campus commitment to building a culturally diverse educational environment

• How multicultural issues have been incorporated into courses/clinical work

• Practicums/internships

Opportunity/support for minority support/training grant

• Opportunity/support for minority support/training grant

• Access to special groups/resources (e.g., American Indian reservation, migrant workers, unique library collections, etc.)

• Mentoring opportunities

Outreach Activities

• Telephone calls

• Personalized letters to potential applicants

• Personalized emails

• Talk face-to-face with people who might nominate candidates

Approach potential candidates at professional meetings

• Approach potential candidates at professional meetings

• Consult with diverse faculty and staff members on campus about outreach activities

• Contact traditional professional organizations that have affiliated groups for women, minorities, and other underrepresented groups.

• Other ideas?

Outreach Activities, con’t

• During each outreach activity stress the institution’s commitment to diversity.

• Attend to language and image in all printed and verbal communications.

• Treat all applicants consistently and fairly.

• Acknowledge receipt of application.

• Be courteous and prompt in correspondence.

• Remember your own experiences as an applicant.

RULE

• Applicant Definition:

• Someone who submits all required materials for a posted position.

• Do not count references as required materials for initial evaluation steps.

RULE

• Applicants are confidential until they reach ‘finalist’ level – must follow Colorado Open Records Act.

SELECTION PROCESS

• 1. Develop evaluation process

• 2. Conduct initial applicant evaluation

• 3. Develop interview format

• 4. Conduct interviews

• 5. Conduct reference checks

• 6. Select finalists

Evaluation Criteria

• Must be based on job description and ads

• Must be written, available to committee members, and saved as part of the committee materials

• Does not need to be numerical—can sort applicants into groups and rank order (Recommend committee members do initial evaluations on their own, then reach consensus through group discussion)

RULE

• Committee must establish selection/evaluation criteria and scoring process before reviewing any applicant materials.

Options--select one or more

• Options--select one or more

• Telephone interviews

• In-person interviews

• Videoconference interviews

• Applicant presentations

• Applicant written response to set of questions

• Curriculum vitae/resume

• Cover letter

• References

• Applicants’ published or other written materials

Evaluation of Internal Applicants

• Should meet same levels of qualifications as external applicants.

• Should not be given ‘courtesy’ interviews—it raises unrealistic expectations for internal applicants.

Internal applicants should not participate in

• Internal applicants should not participate in

• the evaluation process of other applicants.

Evaluation, con’t

• TIP:

• Evaluation notes from individual committee

• members should be considered ‘personal

• notes’ and not distributed among committee

• members or kept as part of the official search

• file.

Interview Format

• Formal evaluation interviews are conducted by the search committee and sometimes additional evaluators.

• Must be consistent for all applicants.

• May conduct phone interviews first to determine number of in-person interviews.

• Develop questions that cover major job functions and desired skills/abilities.

• Must ask same basic set of questions of all applicants, but can ask varying follow up questions depending on applicants’ answers and/or experience/education.

• Use interview questions to probe ‘potential’ using ‘what if’ type questions.

• Probe actual behaviors (vs. theoretical responses) by using scenario questions such as “tell us how you would…”.

Committee members who miss some or all of the interviews should not participate in discussions of rank ordering of applicants, but may provide comments on those interviews that they attended.

• Committee members who miss some or all of the interviews should not participate in discussions of rank ordering of applicants, but may provide comments on those interviews that they attended.

• Typically interviews are best conducted within 45 minutes with 8-9 questions and time for the applicant to ask questions at the end.

Make it clear to both the outside person and applicant whether or not the outside person is being used in the evaluation process.

• Make it clear to both the outside person and applicant whether or not the outside person is being used in the evaluation process.

• If the outside person is being used for evaluation, make sure s/he is briefed on the job description AND the evaluation criteria.

• During a campus visit, the hiring authority may meet with the applicant– however, s/he should not share their impressions with the search committee.

• These additional interviewers/evaluators should adhere to the same rules for interviewing as search committee members must.

All contact between applicants and search committee members (as well as any outside evaluators) is considered ‘interview time’.

• All contact between applicants and search committee members (as well as any outside evaluators) is considered ‘interview time’.

• Applicants are always ‘ON’.

Inappropriate interview venues:

• Inappropriate interview venues:

• Sporting events

• Your home

• Dinner with spouses

• Skiing

• Party

RULE

• Do not ask about or discuss the following (even if

• applicants volunteer the information):

• - age

• - sexual orientation

• - marital status

• - religion

• - children (present or future)

• - ethnicity/culture

• - veteran status

• - disability status (except may ask if the applicant can perform the essential functions of the position as listed on the job description and posting.)

Arrange for applicants to meet with other faculty of similar interests or backgrounds on campus.

• Arrange for applicants to meet with other faculty of similar interests or backgrounds on campus.

• Prepare ‘welcome packet’ for campus visits (e.g., employee handbooks, school/dept policies, benefits summary, web site info, annual reports, chamber of commerce materials, etc.).

• Use an evaluation form to gather campus input.

If applicant reveals disability, inquire as to whether they can fulfill the essential job functions.

• If applicant reveals disability, inquire as to whether they can fulfill the essential job functions.

• If you or the applicant have questions, refer to Human Resources. (See ‘Campus ADA Policy’)

BE SURE TO GET APPLICANT’S PERMISSION—and let them when you will be making contact!

• BE SURE TO GET APPLICANT’S PERMISSION—and let them when you will be making contact!

• Options for reluctant references:

• Ask applicant for copies of recent performance evaluations

• Ask applicant for written references

• Conduct site visits to former employers/colleagues

• Ask references if they have ideas for additional reference

Definition of finalists:

• Definition of finalists:

• Candidates that are recommended to the

• Hiring Authority. May be more than one

• name (except in certain high level

• positions— see Regents laws).

Search committee should debrief:

• Search committee should debrief:

• What worked, what didn’t work?

• Are there highly qualified applicants that can be encouraged to apply for other UCD positions? (Contact Human Resources for assistance.)

• Human Resources

• Kevin Jacobs, Asst. Vice Chancellor

• 303-315-2700

QUESTIONS?

• QUESTIONS?

Job Description Template

• Job Description Template

• Search Committee Charge

• Job Ads

• Template
• Sample

• Search Guidelines