Transitions and Hiring
I talk with a number of clients about career transitions – some are hiring agents, some are in a search, and a few are strategizing about their long-term career plans. As a result, I talk about hiring processes frequently. No matter the perspective of my client, we find ourselves doing some significant clarification of expectations. As the search goes on, folks can get distracted by the urgent need to find a job, find a staff member or simply complete what can become a drawn-out process. Having those clear expectations from the outset is a useful centering activity down the stretch.
My job-seeking clients have found it helpful to:
- Remember the positive elements of previous positions – what did they love about the jobs they have had? What of those elements are they searching for in their next opportunity?
- Determine a realistic salary point for their next move. I encourage folks to research this objectively taking into account cost of living and comparable positions in the area.
- Make a list of the Uncompromisable. What are you absolutely willing to leave behind and what do you need to be happy in your next gig? (Some clients need two lists – the Uncompromisable and the Maybes) The list should be fairly short, specific and value-centered.
- Determine strategies to keep their spirits up throughout. We talk about things they can do whenever they get disappointing news or feel dispirited. Job-searching is a vulnerable time, and you’ll need to take extra-good care of yourself.
I have lots of clients who are engaged in searches on their campuses, too – and the same “expectations clarification” exercise is useful. A client who is hiring a nifty job asked me, “what’s your opinion of the Perfect Interview Day?” I replied, “One that gives you the data you need to make a great hire.” I think she was expecting a list of activities – but as the leader-boss who will be onboarding and mentoring your new staff member, you always want to use the on-campus interview to assess employee fit for both you and the candidate. If a presentation helps do that, great. If a swath of student interviews does that, plan them. If casual lunch with peers does that, awesome. Before you invite them, consider how using the time that day can best serve your students and campus community.
My hiring clients have found it helpful to:
- List the skills and talents needed as “turnkey on day one,” and which are skills they want to train over time. If you need someone who can hit the ground running on managing crisis situations, you’ll seek that out. Be honest about what you need your new employee to be able to do for campus without extensive training so they are set up to succeed.
- Create examples for each of the items on the job description so hiring agents can answer questions of search committee members and candidates.
- Get comfortable talking about the salary for the position. Candidates need to work for someone who is well-versed in talking about the budget for the position and how salary impacts employee motivation and retention.
- Determine what data is needed at each stage of the interview process. Hiring agents make decisions based on the data the search committee gathers – know what you need to know, and what questions will provide that data for you. Otherwise you may get evaluations based on personality rather than skills & experience.
- Craft an interim staffing situation that your whole team supports. Having an opening is tough on everyone but a realistic interim plan – one that allows for a few things throughout the department to be paused while people cover the open position – helps your staff be optimistic about the hiring process, especially as it inevitably goes longer than you hope.
Transitions are a natural part of a professional career. New employees are a facet of campus life. Hiring practices matter – really matter – to your students. Put in the time and you’ll see results of which you can be proud.
