The ADVANCE program at Michigan Tech developed a Hiring Guide to incorporate better practices from other institutions into Michigan Tech hiring practices. This document compiled resources and references from ADVANCE programs and institutions from across the US. While this document is no longer in use, it spurred a continuous improvement collaboration between Equal Opportunity Compliance and Title IX (EOCT), Human Resources (HR),and the Provosts office.
The ADVANCE hiring practices were merged into this living Faculty Hiring Process and supported via Equity Advisors assigned to each search committee. The ADVANCE project has resulted in improvements to faculty hiring that are now fully institutionalized and improved upon annually at Michigan Tech.
What issues did the Hiring Guide help solve?
Hiring practices historically varied by unit and were largely guided by “what was done in the last search” with less attention paid to the required steps by HR. The prior process was limited in that it reacted to develop candidate selection tools after the position description was approved, advertised, and applications were received. The rationale and importance of preparation well in advance of releasing the advertised position was a major advancement. Further, resources in the form of structured steps and templates for active recruitment and searching for candidates are at the forefront in the process. The new process emphasizes that the word ‘search’ in search committees is a verb, and active recruitment is a key responsibility of the committee and unit.
How was the Hiring Guide developed and vetted?
The ADVANCE Hiring Guide was developed alongside three faculty searches, then tested with additional searches once fully compiled. Edits were accepted from any search committee members in this phase. The updated HR Faculty Hiring Steps were rolled out alongside a pilot for Equity Advisors serving on search committees. HR has also used this model to update theStaff Hiring Steps.
How does this complement the Equity Advisors?
The Provost's Office (through the Assistant Provost for Faculty Development) recognized the need to have Equity Advisors as coaches embedded within search committees to help guide searches through the improved process.. Equity Advisors are a valuable innovation that brings a guide, trained annually on the best hiring practices, to each search committee. Details are available on the Equity Advisors page.