ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries C&RL News ■ June 2000 / 499 College & Research Libraries news Streamlining the hiring process How to get the best candidates for the job by Mary M. Nofsinger and Betty J. Galbraith A s the academic librarian job market be­ comes tighter, competition for hiring well-qualified candidates becomes mor tense. It not uncommon these days for many of the top candidates in an academic search pool to receive employment offers from com­ peting employers before the traditional re­ cruitment process can be completed. Aca­ dem ic libraries are now being forced to streamline their hiring practices and proce­ dures to survive in this competitive job envi­ ronment. As Benjamin Franklin so aptly wrote, “Lost time is never found again.”1 Here are a few suggestions for making the academic li­ brary search process less frustrating and time­ consuming. Ju m p -sta rt th e jo b a d v e rtise m e n t Frequently there is a six-week to two-month delay between the time a paid advertisement is submitted to a journal and the date the ad actually appears in print. To shorten the time frame for a search, many academic libraries are supplementing their traditional print av­ enues of publication with electronic dissemi­ nation of their job ads. Here are some sug­ gestions for publicizing vacant academic job openings in a timely manner. • Send announcements to the ALA’s elec­ tronic job listings at h ttp ://w w w .ala.org/ education/, including the Am erican Librar­ e ies Late Job Ads Online, the Career Leads, the C&RL NewsNet, and the LITA Job Site. in­ • Explore ALA’s Guide to Employment Sources in the Library a n d Information Pro­ fessions at http ://ww w.ala.org/hrdr/guide main.html, which offers Web access to nu­ merous regional and state joblines and library associations. • Ask search committee members to send copies of the job announcements to electronic lists to which they personally subscribe and to acquaintances w ho will disseminate the information to other librarian networks. • Post job advertisements at local and re­ gional employment Web sites for academic libraries, library schools, colleges, and uni­ versities. In today’s Web environment, astute infor­ mation professionals seeking employment in specific geographic areas will probably search out local job Web sites. Younger applicants are usually familiar with leading-edge tech­ nologies and “would prefer to conduct all of their job search research from their home or the computer lab.’’2 S tre a m lin e se a rch c o m m itte e ta sk s Search committee members must perform nu­ merous tasks, including analyzing all applica­ tions received, screening applicants who do not meet the minimum advertised require- About the author M a ry M Nofsinger is a humanities an d social sciences reference librarian and bibliographer a t H olland Library, Washington State University e-maiL mnofsing@wsu.edu; Betty J. Galbraith is head o f collection developm ent Owen Science & Engineering Library Washington State University e-mail: bettyg@vvsu.edu http://www.ala.org/ http://www.ala.org/hrdr/guide/ mailto:mnofsing@wsu.edu mailto:bettyg@wsu.edu 500 / C&RL News • June 2000 ments, ranking qualified applicants, and inter viewing the best-qualified applicants. During this process, search committee members must always keep in mind the unique constraints o f each position's requirements and their own institutional practices. Here are additional sug gestions for speeding up the search process. • Shorten the length o f advertising time required before the job application deadline or review-begins date. Consider keeping the position open “until filled” to allow more time for potential applicants to apply. • Convene the search committee one week prior to the advertised deadline or the review- begins date. Discuss the overall search pro cess and procedures, and clarify expectations for performance o f committee members. Em phasize the necessity o f completing each step in a timely manner and establish tentative timelines for tasks. • Complete an applicant comparison chart or another evaluation tool, based on the mini mum requirements and preferred qualifications as stated in the job advertisement. Discuss methods o f rating applicants and come to group consensus on one preferred method o f rank ing applicants’ requirements and preferred qualifications. As a group, discuss and clarify any job requirements or desirable characteris tics, which may be more subjective or leave room for interpretation.3 • Accomplish as much committee business as possible via e-mail or phone, since the chair must communicate rapidly to ensure that re quired tasks are completed within the agreed- upon timelines. For example, individual com mittee members may be asked to review job applicants’ files and to create an applicant com parison chart, while the chair solicits draft ques tions to be asked during telephone interviews with the best-qualified applicants and their ref erences. • Schedule search committee meetings only when it is necessary to get input from mem bers as a group or to discuss issues requiring joint decisions. For example, a search com mittee meeting will usually be required to dis cuss the individual rankings o f applicants, and then to reach group agreement on which ap plicants should be interviewed. • Narrow the pool o f best-qualified appli cants by interviewing them via phone with a minimum o f two search committee members present prior to an on-campus visit. This ensures that phone interviews are completed in a timely manner, since some committee mem bers will have schedule conflicts, and it helps to obtain objective evaluations o f applicants’ responses. The same principle applies if inter views are conducted during a professional conference instead o f by phone. • Request timely comments from applicants’ references via fax or e-mail. Obtaining these comments within a w eek will allow the search committee to further hone its pool o f top- ranked candidates and make faster recommen dations to library administrators. This speeds up the process o f obtaining institutional ap proval to bring the best-qualified applicants to the campus for a final interview with potential colleagues. If necessary, conduct telephone interviews with references to verify applicants’ accomplishments and character.4 • Select interview dates that best meet the earliest time availability o f applicants, since one o f the crucial factors for a successful hiring process is timely, competitive job offers. • Make airline reservations for top appli cants quickly. To shorten the usual two-week delay for obtaining cheaper airfare rates, con sider using an online booking service, such as www.priceline.com, which may offer reduced rates within shorter time spans. • Maintain close contact with the top ap plicants throughout the interview arrangement process. The chair o f the search committee should keep in touch electronically, answer applicants’ questions, and work through in evitable problems via phone or e-mail as they arise. • Send pre-interview packets o f informa tion to applicants prior to their campus inter views via e-mail file attachments, fax, or prior ity or courier mail. Fast delivery allows the applicants to be better prepared for their in terviews and provides valuable information. Use this opportunity to stress the best aspects o f the library work environment, the univer sity, and the community. Use the campus interview to persuade applicants Assuming that the top applicants have not al ready accepted other job offers, it is now time for search committee members to quickly ac knowledge that the few remaining applicants should be given the red carpet treatment. A f ter investing hours o f time and extensive ef- http://www.priceline.com C&RL News m Ju n e 2000 / 507 A fter investing hours of tim e and extensive effort, the search com m ittee m ust now sw itch from a screening role to a recruiting, persuasive role if it is to com plete its task of successfully hiring a new colleague. fort, the search committee must n o w switch from a screening role to a recruiting, persua sive role if it is to complete its task o f success fully hiring a new colleague. A well-executed interview combines the art o f public relations, rules o f etiquette, and rituals o f courtship.5 • Plan the campus interview schedule so that an applicant has ample time with poten tial supervisors and co-workers, as w ell as strategic break times. Even with adequate time between meetings, employment interviews are inherently hectic and somewhat stressful for everyone involved. • Escort an applicant throughout the visit, and m ake sure that a host is d esig nated to m ake appropriate introductions, to reserve tim e fo r questions, and to a llo w enou gh time to eat. These small courte sies h elp m ake an applicant fe e l com fort able and appreciated. • A llo w time before an applicant’s pre sentation to set up equipment and rearrange the room. Have technical support on-call and try to respond swiftly to an applicant’s needs and concerns. Support from search commit tee members is crucial for an applicant’s self- confidence and performance during a pre sentation. • Schedule time for an applicant to tour the community and to explore available hous ing. Make an effort to create a memorable interview experience for a potential colleague. The search committee escort can also use this opportunity to solicit the applicant's percep tions and to respond to any concerns or mis conceptions about the position, the w ork environment, or other factors. Follow-through fo r successful hiring After the campus interviews, search commit tee members need to immediately take the follow ing actions: • Solicit comments after each interview from colleagues via e-mail regarding their perceptions o f the applicants’ skills and abili ties in regard to the position requirements. • Make a timely recommendation to ap propriate library administrators, accompanied by a ranking o f the top applicants, requesting that the position be offered or that the search be closed and reopened at a later date. • If an employm ent offer is made to an applicant and accepted, the chair o f the search committee may choose to keep in touch with the new em ployee to facilitate moving, hous ing, and other arrangements. Other search committee members may also want to fol low -up and stay involved with helping their n ew colleague make a successful transition to a n ew community. Conclusion The academic library search committee plays an increasingly crucial role in hiring the best applicant for a specific position. Search com mittee members must n ow com plete their w ork much more swiftly than in the past, frequently using electronic means, to keep attractive applicants within the search pool, to entice applicants to consider joining an academic environment, and to persuade ap plicants to accept a job offer. “Organizations that create exceptional interview experiences w ill increase the likelihood o f successfully hiring the best candidate for the job.”6 Notes 1. Benjamin Franklin, “P oor Richard’s A l manac,” June 1746. In John Bartlett, Famil iar Quotations, 16th ed (Boston: Little, Brown, 1992): 310. 2. Catherine A. Lee, “Characteristics o f Generation X and Implications for Reference Services and the Job Search,” The Reference Librarian no. 55 (1996): 57. 3. Kay Womack, “Applying for Professional Positions in Academic Libraries: Meeting Mini mum Requirements,” The Journal o f Aca demic Librarianship 23 (M ay 1997): 206. 4. Philip C. H ow ze, “ 10 Job-Hunting Tips for N ew Librarians,” C&RL News 7 (July/Au gust 1997): 491. 5. Stacey Kimmel and Scott R. DiMarco, “Planning an Interview: What D o Candidates Want?" C&RL News 58 (April 1997): 249. 6. Ibid, 253. ■