Talking Stick - March/April 2015 - 27

with your institutional and departmental
mission statements. The best way to
identify candidates who are a good
fit is to ensure that every part of your
process is reflective of your department's
priorities, goals, and culture. Specifically,
the position description should
provide an accurate reflection of what
candidates would experience as a result
of working at your institution. This
information provides applicants with a
clearer sense of whether the opening is
a good fit before applying. Each of the
five institutions we spoke with talked
about the value of having postings
that communicate who you are as an
institution and what your students need.
These factors varied from diversity and
multiculturalism to academic excellence.
Once positions are aligned with
the values of your office, recruiting a
large, diverse pool becomes the next
high priority. Nekesa Straker, associate
director of selection and training at
DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois,
says, "One effective strategy (to increase
the size of the pool) is to really utilize job
sites: Higheredjobs.com, The Placement
Exchange (TPE) site, identity-specific
sites and social media outlets including
Facebook and Twitter." Posting positions
in multiple locations not only increases
the size of the pool but can also diversify
and/or target particular geographical
regions. Posting on such sites also allows
your colleagues to share links, post on
their own social media, or forward to
their networks.
The pool of potential applicants
should be both large and diverse. One
staffing goal should be to create a team
that is representative of your student
population. To do this, it is important to
prioritize diversity at the beginning of
the process by ensuring that terminology
in position descriptions, live-on policies,
campus tours, and marketing materials
is all-inclusive. Kevin Williams, director
of residential life at Temple University
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, speaks
about integrating diversity into the entire

recruitment process, from start to finish.
"I ensure that types of diversity - visual,
expression, thought, etc. - are all there.
Applicants see this, which attracts a
diverse pool. It is a priority to represent
my student population, and to do that,
we are intentional about conversations
and think about representation from all
backgrounds."
Utilizing technology can also help
your institution communicate these
priorities. For example, making a short
video to post on your office's website
could provide more insight to showcase
who you are as a department. NYU staff
created a video that describes their
department's mission and values in

smaller local placement opportunities
serves as a means to meet with more
candidates in an effort to find the right
person for a vacancy. Maintaining phone
or Skype processes for those who do not
attend these types of recruitment events
is a frequent practice among those we
interviewed.
It is a common strategy for
hundreds of colleges and universities to
recruit new talent for their department
at TPE. The exchange provides
employers with an opportunity to
easily conduct a national search and
to speak with candidates they may
not otherwise meet. Recognizing that
interviewing is a two-way process,

ONe OF THe MOST IMPOrTANT FIrST STePS IN
lAUNCHING AN eFFeCTIVe reCrUITMeNT CYCle
IS TO IDeNTIFY CleAr GOAlS THAT AlIGN WITH
YOUr INSTITUTIONAl AND DePArTMeNTAl
MISSION STATeMeNTS.

addition to presenting interviews with
current employees who talk candidly
about their experiences in their position.
Similarly, webinars are conducted
to engage applicants in interactive
presentations about open positions and
to answer questions that candidates may
have. This is an area that has consistently
received positive feedback from those
who have gone through the NYU hiring
processes.
Establishing a presence at local
conferences and recruitment events
is also a common factor in providing
opportunities to seek local talent.
For some, this is a great way to meet
candidates who are nearby, preserving
The Placement Exchange (TPE) as an area
to meet with candidates from greater
distances.UtilizingACUHO-Iregionsand

recruiters have to be strategic about
how to stand out amongst hundreds
of represented institutions while
accurately representing the culture of
their department. In answer to our
question "How do you leave a lasting
impression with candidates?" many
respondents pointed to the intentionality
of marketing materials such as
brochures. For example, brochures at
Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia,
showcase reflections from current
staff experiences that portray their
professional perspectives. In an effort
to build transparency into the early part
of the process, they also include their
benefits and compensation package
for those who make it to the second
round. Distributing institutional
giveaways is also a practice used by

MARCH + APRIL 2015

27
http://www.Higheredjobs.com
Talking Stick - March/April 2015

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