How to recruit a GSO faculty that looks like America

1. How to recruit a GSO faculty that looks like America Some research-based strategies Supported by URI’s ADVANCE-IT NSF Grant Award# SBE 0245039

2. “Recruiting a diverse faculty is not a discrete event, it’s an ongoing departmental activity.” • Before • During • After …a successful search

3. STEM Faculty at URI No Full Professors!

4. Do pre-search activities matter in creating a fair & equitable search? mnmbmbm

5. Search Committee: Composition • Diversify search committee by: Gender, race/ ethnicity, social skills, behaviors, expertise… • Why? • To avoidsimilarity effects(Goldberg, 2005) • White recruiters were more likely to favorably assess and make job offers to White applicants • To avoid workforce homogeneity and employment discrimination(Petersen & Dietz, 2005) • Research participants instructed to maintain workforce homogeneity chose fewer applicants who were unlike them than those participants who did not receive such advice.

6. Search Committee: Actions • Set goals • Focus on equity in conducting the search • Discuss candidate selection criteria and position description • Brainstorm “search” practices to identify underrepresented candidates • Conduct an active search • Learn the rationale, context, implementation, and effects of Affirmative Action policies • Don’t put junior or underrepresented faculty in an untenable position on the search committee • Devise a retention plan NOW

7. Understand Departmental History • What worked in the past • What helped underrepresented candidates stay, or not

8. Don’t Write a narrow position description Narrowly focus on subfields Demand what is desirable beyond minimal needs Do Write broad hiring goals Write 2 position descriptions – minimal vs. desirable Use “preferred” vs “required” & “should” instead of “must Strategize support of your new hire – cluster hiring, collaborative networks, and facilities Position Definition: Dos & Don’ts for Not Limiting Applicant Pool

9. Advertising & Language for Position Descriptions Organizations which include detailed EEO statements(see pg. 43 of handbook) – expressing not only institutional commitment to diversity, but also its reasons for doing so – are rated as more attractive by underrepresented candidates (McNab & Johnston, 2002) while leaving majority candidates unaffected (Avery, 2003; Brown et al., 2002).

10. Advertising Dos • Use proactive language (see pgs. 10 & 43 of handbook) • Use a wide array of marketing venues (such as personal contacts, newspapers, journals, websites, listservs, & minority caucuses in professional organizations) • Develop an information packet for interviewees containing information (such as course-loads, research facilities, funding information, URI & GSO strategic plans, & work-life information) • Sell the department and university to the candidate, rather than the other way around (Williamson, Lepak, & King, 2003) • Check departmental website

11. During the search

12. Recruiting Actively • Identify national pools of qualified candidates. • Contact individuals or institutions that are especially successful at producing underrepresented candidates. • Enlist colleagues to find & contact potential candidates • Contact relevant professional organizations for rosters of underrepresented PhD recipients

13. Some helpful reminders • Develop a diversity reputation: With a good reputation, you can attract lots of underrepresented candidates with little work (Cox & Blake, 1991; Greening & Turban, 2000). • Understand tokenism: Tokens, no matter who they are, have a reduced chance of being hired (van Ommeren, et al., 2005). • All candidates are attracted by similar factors: Job, institution, diversity, & recruiter factors (Thomas & Wise, 1999).

14. Do Avoid biases & stereotypes (see pg. 49 in handbook) Gender Schema () Fundamental Attribution Error Consider a wide range of career paths & institutions Avoid tokenism Make personal contacts Don’t Inadvertently omit candidates Rely on a single aggregate ranking list (see p. 46 in handbook) Broadening the Pool

15. Creating the Short List • Use multiple criteria to select interviewees (see pg. 46 in handbook) • Create several short lists – rank for each major criterion • Maintain confidentiality consistently • Evaluate yourself & the search process: Try to include more than one underrepresented candidate in your medium & short lists

16. Do Give equal time to all candidates Interact with the candidate in multiple ways Use a common set of questions & activities Solicit input from all colleagues Remain aware of unexamined biases Stereotype threat Confirmation bias Don’t Ask illegal or offensive questions (see pg. 56 of handbook) Vary your level of enthusiasm with different candidates The Campus Visit

17. Do Familiarize yourself & campus community with the candidates’ work Provide policy- & diversity-related info to all candidates Connect the interviewee with similar others not on the search committee Provide the candidate opportunity to ask sensitive questions Don’t Evaluate a candidate based on their demographics Leave candidates alone with potentially hostile faculty Make assumptions based on your preconceptions The Campus Visit (cont’d.)

18. Negotiating Contracts:You control the tone • Honesty & transparency pay off (Allred, Mallozzi, Matsui, & Raia, 1997) • Appoint an advocate • Provide • information about all negotiable items • information about mentoring & dual-career policies • a timeline (preferably within the offer letter) for providing all negotiated items • Put all negotiated items in the offer letter • Help identify high-quality available office & lab space • Identify responsible administrative contact person

19. Final Selection • List strengths & weaknesses of each candidate • Include comments from a broad range of people • Dean & Provost make the final selection

20. The search does not end with the offer letter; strategize the retention of your new hire. • A successful transition is the first crucial factor in retaining your new hire. ADVANCE can help!

21. How ADVANCE Can Help • Serve as a resource for the search committee • Arrange lunch meeting with candidates • Provide information in a casual setting • Work-life balance • Dual-career opportunities • Mentoring programs at URI • Campus climate • Serve as a post-hire resource for junior faculty