Overview

Recruitment is one of the most important and foundational steps of a search.  Recruit an amazing pool, and you'll likely have an amazing hire.  An amazing pool is made up of qualified and diverse applicants. Seek people with different experiences and backgrounds who can add depth and breadth to your department.  See also the Search Committee Training Guide.

As government contractors we must abide by the following:

  • Include the EEO Tagline in all employment advertising.
  • Advertise broadly by identifying several recruitment sources for women, historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, veterans, and people with disabilities.  In addition to the identified underrepresented groups, OSU encourages search committees to seek the benefit of diversity based on a wide array of identities and life experiences. 
  • Target advertising efforts to any groups for which you have affirmative action goals.  Contact your business center to determine whether the position you are hiring for has goals. Use OSU's Recruitment Resource Guide to find a broad array of advertising resources.
  • Keep a record of your advertising efforts, including advertising locations, email correspondence, personal outreach, and listservs utilized.  Contact your business center or unit contact to update all advertising efforts in the OSU Online Position Description and Recruiting System (PeopleAdmin).

Best Practices for Position Specific Recruitment

Write the position description to

  • Emphasize the relevance of diversity and inclusion to the work of the position. Use this document, The Principles for Developing the Position Description, to guide your thinking.
  • Include information about your department's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion for staff, faculty, and students.
  • Develop a recruitment plan
  • Advertise to print and electronic resources that reach the broadest audience possible.  Use OSU's Recruitment Resource Guide for a list of resources specific to your position.
  • Notify networks on and off campus including the hiring department, on-campus stakeholder groups, colleagues at other institutions, and professional organizations.
  • Send announcements to universities with a significant number of women and historically underrepresented Ph.D. students.
  • Make personal connections with people outside of your usual networks.  Intentionally expand your reach for diversity.
  • Advertise your position opening in publications that target historically-underrepresented groups, many of which can be found in OSU's Recruitment Resource Guide.  Feel free to use more.
  • During on-campus interviews, allow time for candidates to visit with programs or partners who share their research and professional interests.

Best Practices for Ongoing Recruitment

  • Establish Networks with Minority-Serving Institutions.
  • Establish partnerships with professional and student associations and organizations that serve historically underrepresented groups.
  • As you attend professional meetings, watch for diverse and promising upcoming scholars.  Connect with them and tell them a bit about OSU and any upcoming openings.
  • Offer post-doctoral opportunities designed to attract women and other members of historically underrepresented groups.