Any academic institution tasked with recruiting and retaining faculty leaders and scholars, scientists, administrators and researchers knows how challenging this assignment can be in a highly competitive recruiting environment.

<h2>Part One: Preparing to Search</h2>

<p>
  Any academic institution tasked with recruiting and retaining faculty leaders
  and scholars, scientists, administrators and researchers knows how challenging
  this assignment can be in a highly competitive recruiting environment.
</p>

<p>
  The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) projects a deficit of some
  91,000 physicians by the year 2020. Academic nursing faces similar
  challenges as the rising need for RNs grows. The American Association of
  Colleges of Nursing (AACN) indicates that nursing schools across the country
  are struggling to accommodate the rapidly rising demand for nursing
  professionals. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the RN
  workforce is expected to grow to 3.4 million in 2026, with a need for 203,700
  RNs each year through that timeframe.
</p>

<p>
  Beyond the apparent numbers challenge given today&rsquo;s supply and demand
  for quality talent, this ultra-competitive landscape means candidates at the
  leadership level are securely in the drivers&rsquo; seat &ndash; able to look
  for the right position that meets all of their professional criteria. Changing
  practice roles, economic disruptors, advances in medical technology along with
  an aging population, further complicate the complex process of hiring medical
  and health science talent today.
</p>

<p>
  To compete for today&rsquo;s best leaders, academic institutions must consider
  market dynamics such as the growing prioritization of work/life balance
  expectations and use of emerging technologies, the changing landscape of new
  leadership cultures, higher salary demands, and more.
</p>

<h2>Prepare First by Establishing the Search Committee</h2>

<p>
  The initial step in preparing for candidate recruitment is to develop a search
  committee, comprised of members who are invested, positive and in sync with
  senior leaderships&rsquo; future direction and vision. Most importantly, the
  selected members must be highly committed and engaged in the search process
  &ndash; from attending all or most search-related meetings to championing the
  success of candidates and the institution throughout the process.
</p>

<p>
  Members of the search committee can, and should, participate in the
  recruitment process by nominating potential candidates. Committee members
  should also be encouraged to share the position with colleagues, peers and
  anyone else in their professional and personal networks.
</p>

<p>
  Consider these additional best practices when creating your search committee:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    Make sure committee members keep an open mind and are aware of unconscious
    bias dynamics. There is never a perfect candidate that will meet
    everyone&rsquo;s specific expectations.
  </li>
  <li>
    Keep the number of committee members between five and eight people. Include
    community leaders and other external stakeholders when necessary.
  </li>
  <li>
    Charge the committee with confidentiality, even consider having them sign
    confidentiality agreements for senior leadership searches.
  </li>
  <li>
    Discourage committee members from conducting background/reference checks
    until the final stages of recruitment. Inform candidates that additional
    reference checks will occur before the offer stage.
  </li>
</ul>

<h2>Develop the Job Description (JD)</h2>

<p>
  Now that you have your search committee in place, it&rsquo;s time to turn your
  attention to developing a strong job description. As you consider what to
  include, be sure all search committee members and other key stakeholders agree
  with the hiring officer&rsquo;s priorities and the specific skills, values and
  behavioral profile required to not only perform the job but to fit into the
  organization&rsquo;s culture.
</p>

<p>
  Remember, the job description should not only &ldquo;sell&rdquo; the position,
  but should also promote the organization, its culture and mission, the
  geographic location and highlights of the community. Other points to include
  in a sufficient JD are:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    The strategic goals of the specific position (not an endless bullet list of
    duties)
  </li>
  <li>A link to tenure guidelines, if applicable</li>
  <li>Links to city guides, resources and community highlights</li>
  <li>
    Only provide salary range if you are capped or have significant internal
    equity issues
  </li>
</ul>

<h2>Speaking of Salary&hellip;</h2>

<p>
  With more job opportunities to choose from, candidates are less willing to
  compromise on salary for positions in today&rsquo;s landscape, which means
  academic institutions need to become more competitive with their non-academic
  counterparts. To establish a competitive salary, you must evaluate your
  internal budget limitations, including the identification of any potential
  salary equity issues that could arise.
</p>

<p>
  Search committees should consider loosening traditional requirements such as
  requiring current grant funding when candidates&rsquo; have a proven track
  record of recent funding. Begin by researching and understanding competitive
  salary data by region, public or private, rank/track and position. If you
  determine the market is higher than your internal range, be sure to address
  this before starting the search engagement. It may be that you need to find
  other incentives to include in the offer, such as signing bonuses, time/goal
  completion bonuses, more flexible start-up packages or others.
</p>

<p>Other parameters to consider regarding salary and funding, include:</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    Specify, when applicable, a portion of bonuses that would have to be
    returned if placed candidate leaves the position before the completion of
    one, two or three years of service
  </li>
  <li>
    Ensure any external (other schools, department, center and institutes)
    funding needed for a start-up package is identified in advance of an offer
    and documented by a formal, signed memorandum of understanding (MOU)
  </li>
  <li>
    Be very specific with written start-up package financial details &ndash;
    when will funds be available, what can funds be used for, what happens if
    not all funds are spent on schedule, etc.
  </li>
  <li>
    When feasible, clearly identify the portion of total salary that is base
    salary and how much is associated with an administrative/leadership stipend
  </li>
</ul>

<h2>Success is at the Intersection of Preparation and Opportunity</h2>

<p>
  You&rsquo;ve successfully prepared the organization and key stakeholders to
  embark on a candidate search engagement. Next, in our second installment of
  this series, we will turn to the &ldquo;opportunity&rdquo; part of the
  equation &ndash; meeting the candidates, understanding their motivations and
  conducting the interviews.
</p>

<p>
  If you are interested in learning more about preparing for search engagements
  or require a consultation to secure top medical, nursing, cancer research or
  other academic leadership talent, contact
  <a href="https://www.cejkasearch.com/alan-johns">Alan Johns</a>, Executive
  Vice President and Managing Principal.
</p>


A 3-Part Master Class in Preparing for Academic Search Engagements