Right now, many of us are still hiring or planning for next year’s recruitment during the short window we call summer. This hiring marathon brings in the people who make everything possible. I love seeing candidates go through our process, sharpening their interview skills, and hopefully getting a position. The excitement of Spring orientation for next year’s student staff and onboarding for new professionals is satisfying.
I’ve also been a part of countless searches and discussed too many candidates (can I get an Amen?). When it comes to hiring, we’re looking for those who bring passion, teachability, and can positively contribute to the team. I’ve seen colleagues often focus on diverse skills (crisis response, project management, student connection) all of which are important. But I’ve been reflecting on how we evaluate candidates’ competency in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Especially when I see reviewers giving high scores for DEI answers that are shallow. We can train people on DEI, but it makes a difference when candidates already show an interest and experience in this area. To improve in thai area, here are some tangible steps to consider:
Audit Your Interview Questions.
We often carbon copy the same questions we’ve always used, but have we paused to consider what outcomes we’re seeking from these questions? Especially for DEI-specific questions, can your committee answer what they are looking for? Are we getting insights into how the candidate has addressed DEI in the past? Their thoughts and philosophy about DEI are important, but show me the receipts. Ask members of the department about your DEI questions. If a campus partner who works on DEI all day has the capacity to review them, ask for their thoughts, too.
Check the Reference.
Send a form or call a candidate’s professional references. Some universities have a standard form or questions, but at others you can shape them. Everyone will ask about strengths and areas for improvement, but what targeted questions do you have to assess DEI competency? What has the candidate done to educate themselves about DEI? How have they used their platform to embed DEI in their work?
Check the Reviewer.
People will be people–and that means bringing their own competency and biases to a process. Whether it’s student or professional staff, we must reflect on the DEI training we are providing those involved in our search processes. We give the same PowerPoint with different dates, reminding folks to have an open mind. But it takes more planning to train our staff with the tools to examine their biases. Lean on your content experts to audit the training to check your reviewers.
