*A Guide to Successful Recruitment of Faculty

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Developed by the Dean’s Council of the Medical College of Georgia
Origination Date: January 5, 2001
Revision Dates: June 11, 2001 August 8, 2001 August 15, 2001

Remember that you only get one chance to make a strong first impression. Although each interview of a candidate for a faculty position is designed to evaluate that individual’s strengths and weaknesses, the candidate is also evaluating the quality of MCG and the town of Augusta. Remember, each interview is a two-way information exchange between the candidate and the institutional representative. Please do whatever is possible to make the visit as positive an experience as possible for each and every candidate. To do this we recommend that you do the following:

Mechanics Related to Recruitment:

1. Make certain that you pick up the candidate at the airport and transport him/her to the hotel (and from the hotel to MCG). If you do not personally know the candidate, ask the individual to send you a picture or else provide sufficient description to allow you to identify him/her. Let the person know that he/she can identify you from your picture on the IFL (Institutional Faculty List).
2. Try to place the visitor in one of the nicer hotels (e.g., Partridge Inn or Radisson). This is not the time to save a few dollars.
3. If it is not yet time to have the candidate meet with a realtor, at least provide the candidate with a "realtor’s packet," which contains a map of Augusta and brochures providing highlights of the region. The Chamber of Commerce will also prepare packets of material about Augusta and environs.
4. Make certain that each faculty member and the candidate has a detailed itinerary. Please send the itinerary to the candidate well in advance of the trip, so that the individual has time to learn more about the individuals he/she will meet during the visit.
5. Leave ample time for the candidate to get from one office to another. Please ask one of your secretaries/administrative assistants to act as a guide for the candidate.
6. Provide at least 15-30 minutes prior to the job seminar for the candidate to compose him/herself and to become familiar with the AV equipment being used. Please make certain that you have reserved the appropriate AV equipment ahead of time and check to see that it works.
7. Remind the job candidate ahead of time that the job seminar should be geared at an appropriate level for the audience. It is often embarrassing for everyone when a mismatch occurs.
8. Remind the job candidate of the time period for the job seminar (e.g., 45 minutes with up to 15 minutes for questions and answers).
9. Make certain that the individual hosting the speaker has a copy of his/her CV and has prepared a flattering introduction to the seminar. The host must also be prepared to initiate questions during the question and answer period at the end of the seminar.
10. Please take the guest out to one of our nicer restaurants or to the house of one of the faculty for dinner. Although one needn’t be extravagant, as with housing, this is not the time to cut corners.

Improving the Image of your Faculty and Department:

1. Most prospective faculty learn about MCG by viewing our web pages. Please make certain that your home department’s web page is up-to-date. Eliminate no longer employed faculty and list only emeritus faculty. Try to present an image of MCG as a vital organization, which is rapidly growing (that is, we are forward-looking).
2. Update the Institutional Faculty List (IFL). Deb Barshafsky’s group is responsible for maintaining the IFL. If you or your faculty have difficulty inserting teaching, clinical or research interests into the IFL, please contact Matt Trainor (Mtrainor@mail.mcg.edu).

People who Should Interview the Candidates:

1. As you develop the itinerary, please keep in mind the research/education/clinical interests of the faculty member. If you are in doubt as to who will be the best research faculty for the candidate to meet with, please contact the Vice President for Research (mkluger@mail.mcg.edu) for suggestions.
2. If the recruit is expected to develop a research program, it is essential that the chair of the search committee contact VP for Research who will then bring this information to the attention of the Biomedical Research Council (BMRC). The BMRC will then provide suggestions for faculty across the campus that should meet with the candidate.
3. Visits of candidates for positions involving clinical care responsibilities in MCGHI must coordinate these recruitments with MCGHI.
4. The Provost should be involved in the interview process prior to an offer of employment for endowed chairs, directors, deans, and other administrative and senior faculty. In addition, appointments at levels above assistant professor should be reviewed with the Provost to ensure the institution can support that professorial rank.

Expectations of Job Candidates During Interview Process:

1. Each candidate should be asked to present a job seminar. If the candidate is expected to develop a research program, the seminar should be focused on research. If the candidate is expected to primarily be a teacher, then the seminar should be focused on teaching. Since clinical faculty are generally expected to be active researchers and/or teachers, they should present at least one type of seminar.
2. It is entirely appropriate to request a job candidate to present two seminars – one focused on research and another on instruction. It is important to get the notice of the seminar (title, location, time, etc.) distributed to the faculty and students well in advance of the seminar. Research seminars should be posted on the Research web page (contact Laura Hutcheson in the School of Graduate Studies; ljhutche@mail.mcg.edu).

Interviewing tips:

1. Interviewers should be careful about discussing a candidates race, gender, religion or disability during a job interview. There are federal and state laws protecting persons from discrimination on the basis of any of these characteristics and a well-intentioned inquiry might (and routinely is) misinterpreted as evidence of a negative bias. We appreciate that this can lead to awkward situations, especially if the candidate raises the issue. Our advice is to respond to any race/gender/disability/religion inquiry by a candidate is to tell them that MCG is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in employment and that any issues related to these characteristics can be addressed after an offer and acceptance of employment.

Negotiations, Offering the Job, etc:

1. Increasingly, we recruit faculty who are not U.S. citizens. Many of these applicants have immigration questions and these should be referred to the Office of International and Postdoctoral Services to provide time-saving advice and assistance. Many serious immigration problems can be avoided by getting sound advice early. It is best if immigration issues are addressed before a job offer is made.
2. Applicants should be clearly informed that the "official" job offer comes only from the dean or their designee using MCG's approved letter of offer (the only one to be used) and is contingent upon approval by the Board of Regents. This is frequently NOT done and regularly causes problems and can create a serious negative impression when an official offer is not forthcoming. It is a good idea to remind applicants that hiring may be conditional upon obtaining appropriate licensure and clinical privileges at MCGHI. It is also probably a good idea to inform them that they will be required to pass a drug screen if they will have clinical responsibilities.
3. Human Resources will provide prospective employees with a nice packet of information regarding MCG employment, benefits and insurance. Applicants should be provided a copy.
4. Payment of moving expenses often poses a problem and we have had applicants rescind their acceptance over this issue. MCG has limits on the funds available for relocation expenses. The department should check with the dean's office (and PPG, if School of Medicine or Oral Surgery) as to what funds are available.

* This assumes that the relevant faculty member (e.g., chair, dean) has received permission to initiate the search for a faculty member, has appointed and "charged" a search committee, and that the job has been advertised and the candidates screened.

Note: See the MCG web site listed below for the Faculty Appointment, Development, Promotions and Tenure Policy (FADPT) Section 1 (Recruitment)

http://www.mcg.edu/faculty/facman/fadpt/