Lessons Learned: How to Ace Hiring in a Tight Labor Market

Building a great team through the hiring process can feel overwhelming. In the last year, finding the right people for our university team has been challenging due to the competitive job market in academia. In a tight labor market, employing effective hiring techniques can significantly enhance the likelihood of attracting and selecting the most qualified candidates for our university’s roles.

Since January 2023, my team and I have interviewed, hired and onboarded a dozen new employees. During that time, my directors and I screened more than 300 applications, conducted more than 100 Zoom and in-person interviews and offered positions to more than 20 candidates. Here are four lessons we have learned during this marathon of hiring.

Don’t wait to share your salary range. 

When we began our hiring spree, some hiring managers were not proactively sharing information about the salary ranges for positions. As a result, search committees spent countless hours in screening interviews only to have candidates drop out when they realized that the pay did not meet their expectations. 

It can feel awkward to talk about money early in the process, but discussing salary upfront allows the hiring manager and the candidate to ensure alignment and avoid wasting time on a potential mismatch. 

We have shifted to being incredibly proactive by including the salary when we share the posting and including the salary range in the invitation to interview. Yes, we have had candidates withdraw their applications, but I would rather that happen before we spend time—and money— bringing someone to campus for an interview.

Be upfront about remote work options. 

Over the past six months, a surprising number of people have gone through the entire search process only to spring on us at the end that they desired a fully remote position. 

Although we would love to provide fully remote roles, there are many limitations and hurdles—most out of our control—that prevent us from doing so, and some roles absolutely require time on campus. (We had one videography candidate located a state away who wanted to be fully remote. We still can’t figure out how they would have done the job in that situation.) We now clearly articulate that, while there is some hybrid flexibility, the positions in our department are not fully remote, and candidates must live within a commutable distance.

Look outside of higher education. 

We often list “experience in a higher education environment” as a preferred qualification for our positions, giving bonus points on our scoring matrixes for those with a higher ed background. As someone entering her 20th year in higher education, I completely understand why we do that. 

College and universities are markedly different from many private sector jobs, especially public universities. Understanding shared governance, state procurement policies, FOIA and sunshine laws and the student recruitment funnel are certainly assets, and certain roles do require this level of knowledge and understanding. 

However, you shouldn’t discount someone coming from outside the profession. More than 75% of the individuals we hired this year have come from outside higher education. Looking beyond the confines of higher education can bring valuable expertise and fresh perspectives to our teams. 

There is a steep learning curve in navigating higher education, but these candidates bring much-needed skillsets from industries that are often more sophisticated in data analysis, reporting, marketing technology and automation.

Remember that you’re being interviewed, too. 

Just as you’re looking for the right candidate, your interviewees are evaluating whether the role and the hiring manager are the right fit for them. Candidates want to know if your leadership style aligns with their professional aspirations and if your department culture reflects their values and working preferences. 

During the process, they observe your communication style, decision-making approach and the ways you handle challenges. This is the time to showcase your leadership strengths, foster open and transparent communication and emphasize the positive aspects of your department’s culture.

 Demonstrating a supportive and inclusive environment will attract top talent who are not only seeking a job but also a workplace where they can grow, collaborate and make a meaningful impact.

Over the past several months, our hiring journey has been an intense and swift lesson in hiring best practices. Embracing these four easy-to-implement lessons can help you refine your hiring practices and be more successful in finding the right candidates for your vacant roles. 

After all, you want quality candidates who will become vital and long-lasting members of your team and who will share the core values of the institution. What better way to do so than to show them what those values are upfront?