Talking Stick - January/February 2018 - 52

CONVERSATIONS

Ready, Set, Apply
What exactly do recruiters and institutions look for during their
search for the ideal candidate?
by Johana Langova

"When writing a job description, I think about how
we want to improve the position, what we learned
from previous searches, and how the needs of the
colleges . . . have changed," Barile says.

and dean of student engagement and
conduct at Hobart and William Smith
Colleges in Geneva, New York; Cynthia
Lake, associate director of residence
life and housing for programming and
staff development at SUNY Cortland
in New York; Ann Marie Przywara,
director of residential life at Skidmore
College in Saratoga Springs, New York;
and Chandra Myrick, director of residential student experience at Florida
State University in Tallahassee.
Talking Stick: How do you go about
finding candidates for a specific job opportunity? Are there any special steps?
What do the candidates typically have
to do when applying?

Brandon Barile: We have high hopes
for The Placement Exchange (TPE). We
often find really great candidates there
but have found that they are all about
getting interview experience, which is
great, but when it comes to them actually picturing themselves at a small private liberal arts college in rural upstate
New York, they suddenly can't envision
that. So we've begun to focus a lot of
our energy on our regional exchanges
as well as phone interview-only candidates. For us, we ask them to write a
standard cover letter and résumé.
The recruitment process can be
complicated and tiring from both the
recruiter and applicant standpoint. Last
January, we discussed what life looks
like for a recruiter, including their
approach to the process. This year,
we will be looking at what exactly it is
that recruiters and their institutions
look for in potential employees and
their employees overall. Wouldn't it be

KNOWLEDGE
DOMAINS
in this article

interesting to see how other members
and institutions deal with applicants
and as a possible applicant yourself to
see what is wanted from you?
The following members join
Talking Stick for this conversation:
Timothy Touchette, assistant dean of
student affairs at Brandeis University
in Waltham, Massachusetts; Brandon Barile, assistant vice president

Tim Touchette: We use a combination of advertising techniques (online,
social media, and personal outreach
via email from referrals) and also
connect to resources in our regional
network (Northeast Association of College and University Housing Officers)
to advertise vacancies. Depending on
the timing of the vacancy we may also
visit a regional or national placement

exchange. We currently only use
search firms for executive-level vacancies (executive directors, as well as
vice presidents or higher). As for any
special steps, there is nothing specific
as far as advertising the vacancy. Our
initial intake process for applications is handled internally by human
resources. Applicants must apply via
our online application system. If a
candidate makes it past the initial qualifications screen (degree or program
requirements, years of experience, and
any other variables), the information is
ordered by submission date and then
routed to the hiring manager and/or
the search committee members for
immediate review and processing.

Cynthia Lake: Typically, we advertise
for our job opportunities in a variety
of ways: through higher education
employment websites and regional
organizations and by providing our
available positions to higher education
programs at regional institutions to recruit students in master's and doctoral
programs. Candidates must complete
an online application in addition to
providing a résumé and cover letter.

Chandra Myrick: The search for
candidates largely depends on the job
opportunity, as there are some recruiting efforts that may be specific to a
given position. For example, if we are
recruiting for entry-level residence life
positions, we are more likely to recruit
at TPE. Most job opportunities require
applicants to complete an online application via human resources. It is very
common for us to require applicants
to complete the online application,
submit a cover letter and résumé, and
submit names and contact information
for at least three references as part of
the application process.

Ann Marie Przywara: At Skidmore,
we utilize online resources to advertise positions. We also connect with
colleagues to reach out to potential

applicants. When candidates apply,
they are required to complete an application, standard at Skidmore. They
also submit a cover letter, résumé, and
references.
TS: When you start writing the application for a job, what are some things
that you definitely have to include?

Barile: When writing a job description,
I think about how we want to improve
the position, what we learned from
previous searches, and how the needs
of the colleges (we are a coordinate
system) have changed. Luckily, I'm
able to adapt job descriptions rather
easily. I do want to make sure that job
responsibilities stay consistent between
similar positions, of course, but I like
to take the opportunity to make sure
the position description isn't outdated
and meets our current needs.

Touchette: You want to be careful that
you are able to speak to specific skills
that you can bring to the team in relation to the position you are applying
for. There is nothing more frustrating for an interview committee than
to hear about something that seemingly has no relation to any of the job
responsibilities. The ability to market
your skills as transferable is one of the
most valuable assets of any potential
new employee. If you are about to tell a
story, it is critical that your story can be
linked to something that will connect
and be seen as a learned transferable
skill. Any other anecdote is unhelpful
and can turn off potential employers.

Lake: In addition to including the
requirements of the position, you also
want to include skill sets that you deem
important in fulfilling the requirements. Depending on the position, that
can range from skills related to effective communication, crisis management, supervision, critical thinking, the
ability to work effectively on large and
small teams, etc.

Myrick: The application for the job
is typically predetermined by human
resources. Beyond the standard application questions for the university, we
typically include additional ones that
can be used for screening purposes.
These questions are typically based on
the requirements of the position and to
what degree the applicant meets those
requirements.

Przywara: It's a balance of the position responsibilities, the mission of the
college, and the story of residential life
at Skidmore.
TS: What does your institution look
for in an employee? How did you go
about figuring out what you need in
an employee? How do you ensure that
candidates have these characteristics
not just on paper but in real life?

Barile: I think it all depends on the job
responsibilities. What someone knows
from past experience will be a trait
that helps the person in the position
be successful. When I recently posted
a position for an assistant director of
housing operations (which requires a
ton of organizational skills), I wrote in
the job posting that this "person will
have an organizational style that scares
other people in a good way!" I know
that residence coordinators are looking
for a broad experience, so I make sure
that the job posting highlights how
they can get involved on campus in
other roles.

Touchette: Our institution wants
someone who is an independent thinker within the simple boundaries we set.
It is important that any new addition to
the team be able to seek out what role
they will best fill on the team. Thinking
along those lines, it is imperative for
the new employee to be okay with taking on that role. Not being able to play
the part you accept in any setting is
detrimental to team dynamics and will
take its toll on the new professional.

Foundations
Be prepared to successfully navigate the student
affairs job placement process.

JANUARY + FEBRUARY 2018

Talking Stick - January/February 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - January/February 2018