Hiring Right: Conducting Successful Searches in Higher Education (review)

Sandra Hochel and Charmaine E. Wilson correctly point out that the upcoming retirement of the baby boom generation will result in the need to hire new personnel in higher education. Their book is a practical guide to hiring that is grounded in organizational communication theory and research. For higher education personnel who wish to increase the efficiency and effectiveness in their hiring practices, this book is a quick, easy-to-read guide to planning and implementing searches.

In an effort to establish the salience of their book, the authors devote most of Chapter 1 to highlighting the impact of the hiring decision on other employees and on the hiring unit as a whole. Then, in Chapter 2, they share useful information about the selection and charge of the search committee. Of particular value was their discussion on involving students as well as alumni, advisory board, or community members in the search process and of making certain that all individuals involved in any capacity in the process are trained on legal guidelines. They include a chart which lists illegal questions that should not be asked of the candidates as well as corresponding questions that may be asked to gain information about sensitive issues.

After that, Chapter 3 is devoted to the critical task of defining the job. The authors begin by providing general ideas about how to conduct a job analysis, then suggest how search committees can decide about the types of information needed from the candidates. Most personnel in higher education would likely find the examples of job announcements included in this chapter to be quite useful.

Recruiting a strong candidate pool and evaluating candidate files are the topics of Chapters 4 and 5 respectively. Hochel and Wilson discuss strategies for developing a diverse candidate pool, including advertising early and “casting as wide a net as possible” (p. 33), as well as how to systematically and critically review the candidate files. Several of their suggestions on reviewing the files are important. They encourage search committees to be aware of possible vita inflation and other items that might require “flagging” (p. 45) for additional investigation and to be cautious of lists of responsibilities that do not highlight resulting accomplishments. Included in this chapter are excellent examples of candidate evaluation forms and checklists for evaluating candidate files and reference letters.

Chapters 6 and 7 present suggestions for identifying top candidates and for facilitating campus interviews. Many academic personnel will appreciate the tips on writing questions as well as the sample interview guides for use with both candidates and with their references. Furthermore, not only do the authors recommend conducting internet searches (e.g., googling applicants and viewing social networking sites) on all final candidates to gather additional information, but they also provide essential guidelines about how to fairly evaluate the information gleaned from such searches. They advocate utilizing multiple methods of information gathering, both traditional and nontraditional, that may be used during the campus interview. They also provide useful tips about how to “woo” (p. 86) the candidates while planning for and hosting the campus visits.

The conclusion, in Chapter 8, focuses on evaluating all of the information gathered in an effort to make the final hiring recommendation. Highlighted in this chapter are serious mistakes that should be avoided (e.g., rushing the decision, giving in to pressure) and cautions about perceptual biases that search committee members may unwittingly allow to influence the hiring decision. The authors encourage the readers to follow a systematic procedure during the deliberations and to be sure to compare the candidates to a specified level of competency rather than to each other.

Although the authors provide valuable insights and suggestions relative to hiring practices, they fall short where several critical issues are concerned. For example, they devote only two short paragraphs to the challenging process of extending and negotiating job offers. Though the authors urge readers “to pay people as well as you...