i. Search Process for Faculty Positions
When the Authorization to Begin Faculty Recruitment Form has been approved, the dean/department chair/program director may begin to search to fill a vacant or new position. The dean/department chair/program director will provide the Office of Human Resources with a position announcement and then will appoint a search committee, including a trained equity advocate. Department chairs who are initiating approved searches must consult with their dean before search committees are formed. The dean may appoint additional representatives to the search committees in their academic units. Additionally, the academic unit leader will appoint the search committee chair.
Search committee responsibilities include working with the dean and the Office of Human Resources to assure a fair, rigorous, and deliberate recruitment and interview process, with particular attention to the specific needs of the program, as well as the MGH Institute’s vision, mission, and core values. The talent acquisition partner in the Office of Human Resources will assist with identifying qualified candidates for review.
Coordination of written advertisements or other marketing materials for the position is the responsibility of the committee, under the supervision of the academic unit leader. Support for the development of materials and for submitting advertisements can be provided by the Department of Human Resources (ads) or the Office of Communications and Marketing (marketing materials or events). All written materials must meet MGH Institute standards.
The search committee then:
- Actively recruits candidates
- Designs a rubric based on required and preferred qualifications and applies it consistently to all CVs and cover letters
- Determines a short list of candidates for further screening using a consistent set of behavioral-based interview questions
- Invites the most promising candidates to campus for an interview
- Solicits two or more references on finalist candidates
- Recommends appointment to the appropriate academic unit leader
- Maintains records to include minutes of committee meetings
- Submits a Faculty Offer and Recruitment form at the end of the process
If the academic unit leader endorses the recommendation of the search committee, he/she will submit an Application for Rank to the Office of the Provost. All appointments are considered only upon recommendation of the dean. When the rank is approved, the dean or center director will consult with the Office of Human Resources on the candidate’s start date and salary. The Office of Human Resources will generate and mail the appointment letter and will also notify unsuccessful candidates.
The new hire will attend new employee orientation and new faculty orientation. An overview of this process with sample documents is located on the Office of Human Resources Intranet page (login required).