What can universities do to make a good impression on job seekers? (opinion)

In the competitive environment of higher education, recruiting top-level leaders is a key cornerstone of an institution’s success. As we enter a new era in which seasoned professionals are looking not just for career advancement, but for more meaningful and impactful opportunities, the importance of a thoughtful and curated interview experience is essential.

This is especially true for the on-site or campus interview phase, which typically follows an already rigorous virtual interview process. While video conferencing can be convenient and cost-effective, interacting directly with candidates during the finalist stage tends to lead to more successful outcomes. In addition to providing deeper engagement with candidates to better understand their alignment with your institution’s mission, values, and culture, face-to-face meetings provide insight into a candidate’s leadership style, decision-making Provide the community with an opportunity to observe the approach, level. Passion for the role.

On-site interviews provide candidates with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the institution’s unique history, culture, values, achievements and future ambitions. Candidates look to senior leadership and the community at large as ambassadors for the university, demonstrating not only daily life on campus but also the overall cultural atmosphere of collegiality, collegiality, and professionalism. Post-pandemic candidates are considering their options more carefully and institutions are working more rigorously to retain candidates, but in many cases such factors and characteristics are still important to candidates. These are exactly the factors to look at when determining whether you are interested. All of this suggests that institutions need to create careful, insightful, and nuanced on-site itineraries.

Here, we outline strategies to ensure that in-person interviews function as the powerful recruitment tools they are meant to be, as well as specific ways to implement them.

1. Plan your itinerary strategically. Consider the candidate’s perspective. Ask candidates, “How can we most honestly, accurately, and yet positively express who we are, where we are, and where we are going?”

• We help candidates feel comfortable and reach their full potential. Assign a host to serve as a point of contact for candidates prior to their arrival and while on campus. Make sure you allow space and time in your itinerary for candidates to take a break and reflect on what they’re hearing.
• Include meetings with faculty, administrators, and students who represent a broad range of the institution’s community and can speak about various aspects of the position. Consider diversity in all forms of interviewers.

2. All participants prepare for the visit. Make sure your interviewer fully understands the key responsibilities of the role, including the challenges facing your institution and the opportunities you have to make an impact on the position.

• Distribute the job description to all interviewers before the visit and encourage them to ask questions. Consider scheduling a forum for final decision makers to address these questions and concerns about how the role is structured.
• Consider sharing the candidate’s resume with senior leadership and providing a brief background to all interviewers or community participants.
• For large group sessions, assign a skilled moderator to facilitate useful dialogue between interviewers and candidates.

3. Communicate widely. Clarify the upcoming process, including points where the community can provide feedback.

• First, remind your interviewer about confidentiality protocols. A candidate’s presence on campus suggests that they are aware of some degree of public exposure, but it also suggests to the interviewer that they respect the candidate’s position at their home university. Please guide me accordingly. Explain the process of mentioning your interviewer and the methods they can use to provide feedback.
• Prior to the site visit, communicate as much as possible the steps you took to get to this point and how and by whom the final decisions will be made.
• Use high-quality online survey tools to provide a mechanism to collect feedback immediately after meeting with candidates. Gather feedback from participants and share their observations and impressions of the candidate, focusing on the candidate’s strengths, areas of interest, and participant level of enthusiasm for the candidate.

4. Set the tone before and during the interview. Remind interviewers that they are evaluating candidates, not just hiring them, and that they will serve as enthusiastic ambassadors for the institution.

• Be honest, open, and compelling about the leadership challenges and opportunities in the position, including organizational support and initiatives already underway (such as strategic plans, fundraising campaigns, and other upcoming initiatives) .
• When discussing challenges with candidates, avoid negative language and express your concerns in a constructive and thoughtful manner.
• Don’t ask questions that require candidates to solve intractable problems, weigh in on hot-button issues, or mediate conflicts.
• Be sure to allow time for candidates to ask questions.

5. Avoid inappropriate topics. Make sure you understand the legal restrictions on interviews and ensure that everyone involved in the interview process follows them as well.

• Focus on issues related to the requirements of the position. Please do not comment or inquire about a candidate’s origin, family, age, religion, or sexual orientation.
• Please be aware that written communications about candidates may be discovered, subject to specific state laws, and educate other participants and be especially careful about what you put in writing.

On-site visits for both candidates and hiring agencies are invaluable in fostering a deep mutual understanding of employment opportunities and building bonds based on shared goals and values. While it’s important to give candidates an accurate understanding of your institution, it’s also essential to demonstrate an interest in their specific talents and experience.

Ultimately, these visits act as a bridge between aspirations and reality, allowing both parties to make informed decisions, leading to a lasting and mutually beneficial professional relationship and the role of leads to success for those employed. After a long search process, it’s important to finish strong and make sure you’re ready for the last important step in the process.