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13 tools to elevate diversity in the faculty hiring process

Attract and hire a more diverse faculty

Explore 13 tools for search committee heads to use at each step of the faculty search process to yield and hire a larger, qualified, and more diverse pool of candidates.

Despite a diversifying student population, the racial demographics of the faculty at colleges and universities has remained largely unchanged. While institutions are increasingly creating strategic goals to increase the diversity of their faculty, the system still works against BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) faculty candidates.

To increase the size, quality, and diversity of candidate pools, search committees must infuse DEIJ practices into every step of sourcing, attracting, and hiring BIPOC faculty members. The tools below will help search committee chairs and members implement DEIJ tactics at each step of the hiring process.

Source candidates year-round to set searches up for success

Passively waiting for candidates to apply to a position leads to smaller and less diverse pools of candidates. Yet too often, search committees rely on the “post and pray tactic” rather than proactively sourcing candidates. Use the tools below to actively source and track candidates year-round to set search committees up for success.

Inclusive search plan builder

Designing an inclusive search process starts well before the job ad is posted. Follow these five steps to execute an inclusive hiring process from the start.

Make a Search Plan

Candidate sourcing data checklist

To create a diverse candidate pool, departments can no longer rely on the “post and pray” tactic. Use this checklist to ensure that potential hires are actively sourced through faculty connections, different conferences and other academic events, and from a variety of institution types.

Get the Checklist

Prospective candidate star file and sample outreach email

Use a tracker to keep tabs on qualified candidates so that your department has a constant flow of prospective applicants when a position becomes available. We’ve also created a sample email to personally reach out to prospective candidates in the star file when a position does open.

View the Example File and Email

Download the Prospective Candidate Tracker

Build an inclusive job ad

Currently, many departments write narrowly scoped job descriptions that exclude BIPOC candidates based on their research or teaching experiences. To increase the diversity of the candidate pool, departments must broaden the job description and include information about DEIJ efforts in their department and at the institution.

Inclusive job description builder

The language in a job ad is an important element of the recruiting process and is candidates’ first exposure to the department and institution. This tool will help you create a job description that encourages a range of candidates to apply. It also provides a sample job description to highlight four areas institutions can focus on to attract as the most diverse and qualified applicant pool.

Create a Job Ad

Department diversity statement tips

Candidates increasingly want to know what DEIJ looks like at the institution and in the department. These tips will help you craft a diversity statement that defines what DEIJ means at your institution, the work being done, and the populations your institution aspires to partner with and serve.

Craft a Diversity Statement

Conduct equitable, candidate-centric interviews

Accepting a new position not only impacts a candidate professionally, but also has huge implications for their personal life. Search committees must actively sell candidates on working at the institution and living in the community to attract qualified, diverse candidates. The tools below help committees equitably interview candidates and sell them on the institution and community.

Candidate diversity statement guidance

Many institutions evaluate candidates on their potential to contribute to the strategic priority of DEIJ. This tool provides a diversity statement checklist and a sample rubric for DEIJ statements and interview questions.

Evaluate Diversity-Oriented Criteria

DEIJ interview best practices checklist

Departments can increase the size and diversity of their initial candidate pool and the interview pool by using our checklist of practices for inclusive and equitable interviews.

Get the Interview Checklist

Community resource packet checklist

For prospective faculty members, the decision to accept a new position and relocate is as much as personal decision as it is a professional one. Use this example list of resources to include information about the community where the institution is located on your prospective faculty website or in materials sent to candidates ahead of the on-campus visit.

View the Community Resources List

Assembling a candidate welcome package

To help candidates envision what it is like to work at your institution and live in your community, send all final candidates a welcome package. We’ve created a welcome package list to help you ensure you include information on campus and the surrounding community, personal touches, and more.

Build Your Welcome Package

Sample candidate pre-wire email and itinerary

Committee chairs should prepare a candidate for their campus visit by sending a pre-wire email several days before the trip. This tool outlines what a pre-wire email should entail, such as hotel arrangements and a detailed itinerary, and shares an example email.

Learn More About Pre-Wire Emails

Interview briefing for committee members

Hiring committees benefit from advance preparation to ensure everyone is on the same page. Learn more about why interviewers should receive a pre-interview briefing on the candidate and see an example briefing email.

See the Interview Briefing Example

Evaluate candidates for qualifications, rather than ‘fit’

Structured, pre-determined methods of evaluation helps remove bias from the hiring practices, while evaluating candidates based on ‘fit’ reduces the diversity of the candidate pool due to biased notions of ‘fit.’ Use the tools below to create agreed upon rubrics to evaluate candidate diversity statements and interviews.

Sample interview feedback form

We created a chart that lists example criteria to evaluate prospective faculty members. Search committee members should develop their own department-specific criteria and use a similar form to report their reviews of candidates after interviews, responding to the specific criteria rather than merely reporting their general impressions.

Explore the Interview Feedback Form

Create structured mentorship opportunities

BIPOC faculty are less likely to have access to valuable mentorship networks that majority faculty often have, impacting career advancement. The mentorship tools will help departments structure mentorship programs that help new faculty members get the most out of the mentorship.

Mentorship tools

Most mentorship programs simply assign new faculty members to a mentor, with little structure or guidance on how to successfully participate in a mentorship. To help colleges and universities build a more formal faculty mentorship program, this tool provides a sample meeting agenda, goal-setting guidance, and a syllabus example.

Access the Mentorship Tools

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