Searching for Excellence & Diversity
Does training faculty search
committees improve hiring of
women?
Outline
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What is WISELI?
Why focus on hiring?
Searching for Excellence & Diversity
workshops
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Emphasis on research on bias and
assumptions
How’s it working?
Women in Science & Engineering
Leadership Institute
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National Science Foundation/ADVANCE
Institutional Transformation award
Mission: Promote the participation and
advancement of women in academic
science and engineering
Activities
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Workshops
Grants
Seminars
Research & Evaluation
Why focus on hiring?
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Gatekeeping role of search committees
Shapes the “complexion” of the faculty for years
to come
Obvious disparities for women in science and
engineering
Hiring is NOT the only important thing to think
about as we diversify our workplaces (e.g.,
climate, leadership, equity)—but it is an important
place to start!
Five Essential Elements of a Successful
Search
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Run an effective and efficient search
committee
Actively recruit an excellent and diverse
pool of candidates
Raise awareness of unconscious
assumptions and their influence on
evaluation of candidates
Ensure a fair and thorough review of
candidates
Develop and implement an effective
interview process
Run an effective and efficient search
committee
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Writing the job description/ad
Effective leadership of a search committee
The “nuts and bolts”
Actively recruit an excellent and diverse
pool of candidates
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Discuss diversity up front
Build a diverse pool of candidates
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Dispense with assumptions that may limit the
pool!
Personal contacts are the key
Actively involve all members of the search
committee
Putting the “search” back into “search and screen”
Before Training: Passive Recruiting
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After Training: Active Recruiting
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Have you heard these statements?
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“I am fully in favor of diversity, but I don’t want to
sacrifice quality for diversity”
“We have to focus on hiring the ‘best’”
“Recruiting women and minority faculty
diminishes opportunities for white male faculty”
“There are no women/minorities in our field”
“The scarcity of women/minorities in our field
means that those who are available are in high
demand and we can’t compete”
“Minority candidates would not want to come to
our campus”
Raise awareness of unconscious
assumptions and their influence on
evaluation of candidates
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What is “unconscious bias”?
How might unconscious biases affect the
search process?
How can a search committee overcome
these tendencies?
Show them the data
Overcoming unconscious bias—best
practices
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Do not depend too heavily on any one
Trix and Psenka 2003
element of a portfolio
Develop evaluation criteria prior to
evaluating candidates and stick to the
criteria. Periodically review evaluation
decisions and ensure that criteria continue
to guide the selection of candidates.
Biernat and Fuegen 2001
Switch the gender/race “thought
experiment”
Valian 1998
Ensure a fair and thorough review of
candidates
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Evaluation criteria
Conduct review in stages
Communicate with applicants
More “nuts and bolts”
Develop and implement an effective
interview process
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Plan for an effective interview process
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Articulate interview goals
Avoid inappropriate questions
Provide candidates with information
Ensure that unconscious bias and
assumptions do not enter the interview
process
Do not underestimate the damage a candidate’s bad
interview experience can do to your department
Delivering the message to search
committees
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Peer teaching
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Active learning
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Literature on teaching and learning shows that people learn
best when engaged
Faculty take the message more seriously when they are
hearing it from a peer than from somebody “outside”
Unconscious Biases & Assumptions
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Use faculty/staff FROM UNIT to deliver messages, facilitate
discussions
Include a high-level administrator
Use of DATA to persuade/change attitudes and behaviors
Accountability
Success?
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Run approximately 17 sessions for over 90
individuals per year
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In 2004 and 2005, 97 faculty representing 41
departments participated—this is 61% of
departments in biological and physical
sciences.
Measuring success
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Evaluation forms
Hiring outcomes
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Diversity of pool
Short lists/interviewees
Offers made/offers accepted
New hires
Experiences of candidates
Changes in participants’ attitudes and
behaviors
Percent Female, Tenure-Track Faculty Offers
Biological & Physical Sciences
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
21/58
26/72
22/100
7/27
0.0%
Participating
Departments
2005
2003-2005
Non-Participating
Departments
2005
2006
Percent Nonwhite, Tenure-Track Faculty Offers
Biological & Physical Sciences
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
15/52
10.0%
6/35
12/72
6/26
0.0%
Participating
Departments
2005
2003-2005
Non-Participating
Departments
2005
2006
Percent Female, New Tenure-Track Faculty
Biological & Physical Sciences
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
17/49
33/89
6/20
21/84
0.0%
Participating
Departments
2005
2003-2005
Non-Participating
Departments
2005
2006
Percent Nonwhite, New Tenure-Track Faculty
Biological & Physical Sciences
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
12/40
5/18
20/88
18/76
10.0%
0.0%
Participating
Departments
2005
2003-2005
Non-Participating
Departments
2005
2006
Percent Female, Tenure-Track Faculty Offers
Biological & Physical Sciences
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
15/31
20.0%
26/72
10.0%
8/47
6/27
14/53
7/27
0.0%
L&S Trained
Other Trained
2003-2005
Not Trained
2006
Percent Female, New Tenure-Track Faculty
Biological & Physical Sciences
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
10/23
20.0%
10.0%
7/26
16/54
33/89
6/20
5/30
0.0%
L&S Trained
Other Trained
2003-2005
Not Trained
2006
Percent Nonwhite, Tenure-Track Faculty Offers
Biological & Physical Sciences
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
9/27
20.0%
6/25
10.0%
6/26
6/25
6/35
6/47
0.0%
L&S Trained
Other Trained
2003-2005
Not Trained
2006
Percent Nonwhite, New Tenure-Track Faculty
Biological & Physical Sciences
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
9/25
8/20
10.0%
9/51
20/88 5/18
4/20
0.0%
L&S Trained
Other Trained
2003-2005
Not Trained
2006
New Hires' Satisfaction* With the Hiring Process
Biological & Physical Sciences
70.0%
Percent Agree Strongly
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
28/45
30.0%
29/53
20.0%
39/58
*
19/44
10.0%
0.0%
Participating
Departments
New Hires 2000-2002
(2003 Survey)
Non-Participating
Departments
New Hires 2003-2005
(2006 Survey)
* Agree Strongly to the item "I was satisfied with the hiring process overall."
The Climate for Faculty of Color is Good
Biological & Physical Sciences
90.0%
80.0%
FOC
70.0%
60.0%
~
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
Participating
Departments
2004-05
2003 Survey
Non-Participating
Departments
2004-05
2006 Survey