Within the year of coming out of the COVID-19 lockdown, higher education’s employment landscape experienced significant shifts, particularly in the wake of The Great Resignation, which saw “people leaving unsatisfying jobs at unprecedented rates.” Although colleges and universities have seen renewed interest from job seekers, many institutions are still grappling with the need to adjust how they attract and retain talent as employment concerns linger.
Some of this uncertainty is reflected in the 2025 Higher Education Workforce Survey, which is conducted by the Higher Education Recruitment Coalition (HERC), an organization founded to help colleges and universities find, hire, develop and retain talented employees. According to the survey, 10% of respondents are now looking for opportunities exclusively outside of higher ed, up a tick from 9% in 2024. Respondents who indicated that they are looking for jobs across multiple industries, including higher ed, increased to 51% in 2025, up from 50% in 2024.
Additionally, 51% of the respondents to the 2025 survey indicated their concerns surrounding salary and compensation needs, while 46% noted their concerns about career stagnation, and 32% highlighted concerns about burnout and stress on the job.
“It seems like there’s pretty low movement right now compared to what we’ve seen over the past five years,” says Jessica Wise, HERC’s co-executive director, observing a sense of passivity in the industry. “There isn’t that desire to move around and people are hunkering down.”
“The state of the higher ed workforce — as in the people themselves — is not good.” — Kevin McClure
Still, institutions across the country are actively seeking talent to fill their open positions. On HigherEdJobs.com, for example, there are more than 75,000 postings as of early July. Of those, nearly 50% are for administrative roles, nearly 49% are for faculty roles, and less than 1% are for executive roles, ranging from director level positions to those for presidents and chancellors.
A Constant ‘State of Panic’
One factor that may lend to uncertainty and passivity in the higher ed job market is the job seeking experience. One person on the job hunt, who we’ll refer to as “Jordan,” is concerned about what they see as a “state of panic” in higher ed. They feel that this is due mainly to the political environment and to uncertainty among employees on campuses. Jordan has been seeking a new opportunity since April, when they were let go from a student affairs role.
“If you don’t have everything on their checklist, it can be very difficult,” Jordan says, going on to characterize the institutions as being picky.
“It’s okay to tell your story. But scrutiny is at an all-time high.” — Conrad Davis
Jordan has also struggled with the process of applying for roles, adding to their frustration. They note the redundancy of uploading a resume to an applicant tracking system each time, only to manually complete fields that ask for the same information as on the resume. Although this is common across many industries, Jordan still describes the process as “ineffective.” They’re also frustrated with what they call a “hurry up and wait” system where they’re asked to apply quickly for roles, then wait long periods for responses and endure slow interview processes.
As much as higher ed has a reputation for struggling to attract and acquire talent, it also has a reputation for struggling with the talent experience, including how both candidates and hired employees interact with their respective institutions. This reputation is why Kevin McClure, a distinguished professor of college leadership and organizational change, penned his new book “The Caring University: Reimagining the Higher Education Workplace of the Great Resignation.”
Born from McClure’s experience with burnout, he’s spent several years openly challenging higher ed to address employee wellbeing. However, at this point, he doesn’t feel confident that the challenge is being met. “The state of the higher ed workforce — as in the people themselves — is not good,” says McClure, adding that employees are “worried,” “uncertain” and “fearful.”
“We are facing different stressors than the pandemic,” McClure says. “But the stressors are no less acute based on my read of the situation. We have the same level of stress, I think, if not more in higher ed right now. And we’re having almost zero conversations about the workplace.”
Creating ‘Cultures of Caring’
McClure focused his book on what he believes are practical ways institutions can attempt to address higher ed’s talent experience.
One example he covered explains how the University of Louisville’s Employee Success Center addresses the onboarding process, recognizes employees, and provides professional development. There’s also Amarillo College, where their “Culture of Caring” values extend to employees as well as students, and the University of Washington’s WorkLife site, which offers employees resources for everything from childcare and eldercare to tips for how managers can create supportive environments. McClure says that building on these examples will take thoughtful and intentional approaches to supporting faculty and staff on campuses.
HERC program manager Jennifer O’Neill also sees culture as playing a significant role in the state of work among higher ed institutions. “Salary and advancement gets people in the door, but it’s the culture that decides whether or not they stay.” Wise says, “Institutions should invest in culture and connection in a way that’s authentic and customized to your workforce.” This, she adds, means fostering environments where employees feel supported and valued.
“There isn’t that desire to move around and people are hunkering down.” — Jessica Wise
Amid concerns and uncertainty around employment, job seekers should be duly prepared for any opportunities that come their way. One university program director, who we’ll call “Alex,” has sat on nearly 15 search committees at several institutions and has chaired four of them. Alex suggests that job seekers are not as primed for the job hunt as in years past, and says there are growing concerns about job seekers’ inability to discuss the institutions where they’re applying.
“The question I have is, ‘Do you want to be here or do you just want a job?’” Alex says. “A lot of people come to academia with the mindset of what an institution can do for them. That bothers me, because that causes an imbalance in work quality.”
It’s not just about the institution to Alex. It’s also about the job seeker thinking through their career trajectory in higher ed. “My first job was in alumni relations, but I had a vision for myself,” Alex says, adding that their vision made menial tasks and low-paying positions look different.
Building a ‘Model Workforce’
Conrad Davis, an HR consultant, suggests going directly to institutions’ websites when preparing for interviews, as opposed to only relying on job board postings and on networking with colleagues in higher ed. “You almost have to act like a recruiter by doing as much research as possible,” he says. It’s important for job seekers to be cautious about what they share online about their job search experiences, Davis adds, even with concerns and uncertainty.
“It’s okay to tell your story,” Davis says. “But scrutiny is at an all-time high.” Davis suggests that job seekers tell stories that benefit whoever is reading it. As for institutions, he feels that they should look for job seekers who are mission-aligned. “Don’t just fill the position,” he says.
There is a consensus that the onus remains on colleges and universities to craft work cultures that offer greater consideration to employees, which means re-evaluating how they approach talent attraction, talent experience, and talent retention. HERC’s Jessica Wise sees an industry that has the pieces to improve its landscape.
“Look at what we’ve done for our students,” Wise says. “If we can map that and learn from that and build on that for our workforces, we could be a model workforce, and that’s what gets me to do the work every day.”
