Q: This year we'll be hiring three new faculty and one new administrator (a newly created position). When we have administrative openings, usually a few internal people come forward to apply once they get word about it. Last year one of our faculty members got angry when she heard about an administrative opening too late to apply. What can we do to prevent another situation like the one we had last year? Is there a standard procedure we should be following?
A: Putting in place a "job posting" process may be helpful to the school. This is a structured process where all openings are communicated to faculty and staff (such as in an e-mail, memo, etc.) either before they are announced publicly (i.e., advertised in the newspaper) or at the same time. The benefits of doing so include:
Fairness—All members of your school community are notified of the opening and have an equal opportunity to apply for the position (if they have the required qualifications).
Stronger applicant pools—You eliminate the risk that you have a fully qualified employee right in your midst who doesn't come forward just because they don't know about the opening.
Career Development—It provides the opportunity for faculty and staff looking to advance in their careers to do so at the school (i.e., keeping burgeoning talent "in-house"). It also provides the opportunity for supervisors (such as Division Heads and/or Department Chairs, depending on the size and structure of the school) to have productive discussions with employees about career goals and how they can be supportive (example: if a faculty member wants to advance into administration, a posting often prompts a discussion of what opportunities can the Head provide so that when the next opening comes about, the faculty member is better qualified to pursue it).
Legal protection—Last but not least, a transparent job posting process provides some measure of legal protection for the school with respect to discrimination claims. When openings are not posted, it can lead to conclusions that the "old boy network" is firmly in place and that only favored individuals are considered for key positions—whereby discriminatory intent (whether it exists or not) may be inferred.
We would encourage schools to consider whether a job posting process is right for their school.
