Faculty Recruitment | Origin: OP115
This is a general discussion forum for the following learning topic:
Hiring the Right Faculty for Your Institution --> Faculty Recruitment
Post what you've learned about this topic and how you intend to apply it. Feel free to post questions and comments too.
Comment on William Dindy's post:
Your reflection captures something the module emphasized strongly — that recruitment is fundamentally relational, not transactional. Every applicant interaction shapes institutional reputation in ways that extend far beyond the immediate hiring decision.
Your point about word-of-mouth power resonated deeply. Applicants who experience respect during the process tell their networks, while those who feel dismissed or disrespected do the same. In a world where candidate reviews appear on platforms like Glassdoor and Indeed, institutional treatment of applicants becomes part of the public record.
The prospective student referral insight you raised is particularly thoughtful. An applicant who didn't get hired but had a positive experience may still recommend the institution to family members, colleagues, or community members considering enrollment. This connection between recruitment experience and student recruitment is often overlooked.
Your point about calling candidates back is also strategically important. Hiring rarely goes perfectly on the first round. Strong runner-up candidates who were treated well during initial searches often respond positively when contacted later for the same or different positions. Burning that bridge through poor treatment closes a door that didn't have to close.
In my context as College Director at Central Virginia Community College's Amherst Early College Center, your framing reminds me that every interaction reflects the institution. Treating people well during the recruitment process is both ethically right and strategically wise.
Thank you for highlighting these connections.
With Benevolence, Shannon
The Faculty Recruitment module reframed recruitment as both art and science — requiring strategic thinking about sources, candidate experience, and institutional reputation. The insight that resonated most was the recognition that recruiting is also marketing. How institutions treat applicants shapes their reputation in ways that extend far beyond any single hire.
The AIDA framework for job advertisements was particularly useful. Capturing attention in the critical first fourteen seconds, building interest and desire through transparency about compensation and culture, and closing with an enthusiastic call to action all reflect intentional communication discipline. The reminder to avoid wish-list qualifications presented as strict requirements stood out, since this practice unnecessarily narrows candidate pools.
The five sources framework — networking, print advertisements, internet strategies, employment agencies, and professional organizations — provides a comprehensive recruitment approach. Networking through employee referrals, alumni connections, and personal networks tends to produce the highest-quality candidates with stronger retention, while internet strategies offer maximum visibility and efficient screening tools.
The post-COVID shifts were also instructive. Broader advertising across platforms, harnessing past talent through boomerang employees, leveraging video interview technology, and building employer branding through social media all reflect how recruitment continues to evolve.
In my context as College Director at Central Virginia Community College's Amherst Early College Center, the principle of treating all applicants with respect resonates deeply. Even candidates who are not selected become institutional ambassadors based on how they were treated during the process.
Looking ahead, I intend to apply these principles whenever our Center engages in faculty recruitment, recognizing that disciplined recruitment serves both institutional needs and candidate dignity.
With Benevolence, Shannon
Being strategic in wording job advertisements was new for me, I have never been on this side of a job ad before, so didn't think much about the whole wording perspective.
Factors that enter into the recruitment process will be determined by the type of position you are trying to fill and the applicants you are trying to attract. Print ads may be more useful for those who are not computer savvy or do not have internet. Internet job boards like Indeed and Monster are readily available and easy to use. Networking by asking current employees or professional alliances to refer qualified candidates is cost effective and may generate very qualified candidates. Using an employment agency has both pros and cons: while they can do a lot of the prescreening, they are also pricy and there's no guarantee the hired individual will stay in the position. When trying to fill a position in your institution you need to consider their needs and budget.
I’ve realized that recruitment can be done through various strategies and sourcing methods.
Hello Mongwa. I enjoyed your discussions. Gave an interesting point of opinion and experience. I am most involved with simulations and clinical settings. The clinical setting is beneficial for students to learn from each other's experiences.
Good feedback
Comment on Maryjo Marvin-Dixon's post:
The sources to recruit a faculty member and the AIDA model
I learned about different pools other than sites like Indeed.
It is a good idea to advertising listing in a variety of ways and creating the aids with AIDA can help make sure you will get quality applicants that fit the needs and wants of qualities within a applicant.
En este módulo, aprendió sobre las estrategias efectivas para atraer candidatos adecuados a puestos docentes mediante el networking, anuncios impresos y plataformas en Internet . Comprendí la importancia de elegir la estrategia según el perfil del docente y el contexto de la institución.
Voy a aplicar este conocimiento optimizando los métodos de reclutamiento en función del público objetivo. Por ejemplo, usaré networking para encontrar docentes especializados, anuncios impresos en comunidades con acceso limitado a Internet y plataformas digitales para alcanzar un mayor número de candidatos de manera rápida y eficiente.
Job(s) advertisements should enhance the employers branding online when using different venues. You also want to ensure that you are optimizing the company's site if there is a section for employment and engaging content.
Comment on Liane Pardo-Mansfield's post: Truly is. Tracking is key to both proactive recruitment progression and ensuring cost are providing the intended return.
I think recruiting is great!
Using AIDA to create engaging job ads is a best practice when the school needs to recruit fast and in a targeted manner.
I am now working on publishing an Alumni newsletter for our campus. This is not something we have ever done in the past. It would be a good adjunct recruiting tool, especially in health sciences and industrial technology.
Finding the right person to join your team also involves collaborating with the recruiter because they may not always know the important things that faculty are looking for in a potential colleague.
There is a plethora one can use in recruiting potential applicants. 2 which I think would be the best are the internet and professional bodies.
There are different sources of recruitment and we should not rely on only one source.
