Recruitment practices and job search for academic positions in psychology.

Abstract

Recruitment Practices and Job Search for Academic Positions in PsychologyCHEUK FAN NG Athabasca UniversityAbstractThis paper describes the faculty hiring process, applicants' job search process, and unsuccessful applicants' current employment based on surveys of (a) hired faculty members, (b) successful applicants who had declined job offers, (c) unsuccessful applicants, and (d) Canadian psychology departments with respect to full - time junior faculty openings advertised in 1993 - 94. Applicants in the clinical/counselling area are most likely to be successful. Significant predictors of success are number of courses taught, having children, citizenship or permanent residency, internship completion, number of books and book chapters published, and number of research grants awarded. There was a perceptual gap between departments and applicants in the importance of several selection criteria. Applicants were most critical about departments' lack of communication with and consideration for applicants. Nevertheless, over 90% of unsuccessful applicants were currently fairly happily employed in their profession.Between 1991 and 1994, about 220 doctoral degrees in psychology were awarded by Canadian universities every year (Canadian Association of Graduate Schools, 1991 - 94). For many graduating and newly graduated PhDs, obtaining an academic position in universities and colleges is an important goal. Several authors (e.g., Deneef, Goodwin, & McCrate, 1988; Kilberg, 1991; Woods, 1976) have offered suggestions for career opportunities, the job hunt, job placement mechanisms, and vita preparation for psychology and other disciplines. Apparently, most psychology departments have sets of procedures and rules by which they recruit and hire new faculty members. These rules are, however, a mystery to most job applicants (Darley & Zanna, 1981).Only in the last ten years have a few empirical studies been published; these provide some information about the job market, and the selection process and criteria. Most of these articles (Follette & Klesges, 1988; Klesges, Sanchez & Stanton, 1982; Ponterotto & Furlong, 1986; Rand & Ellsworth, 1979) describe hiring practices in the United States. For example, Klesges et al. (1982) observed that competition for academic positions was very intense (an average of 87 applications per position), that most vacancies were created by faculty turnover, that successful applicant's specialty area tended to closely matched what was advertised, and that research quality and meeting departmental needs were considered to be the most and the second most important selection criteria.In only one single study, which focussed on sex differentials in faculty hiring, were Canadian practices surveyed. Leland and Nelson - Wernick (1983) reported on the number, rank, and specialty area of open positions, number of applications received, number of applicants interviewed, and number of job offers made. Recruitment variables included the use and composition of search committees, advertising avenues, communication with applicants throughout the selection process, the presence or absence of an affirmative action policy, and selection criteria used by hiring departments. It is not clear whether or not Leland and Nelson - Wernick's findings are still applicable to faculty recruitment and hiring in the 1990s.Note that the articles cited above were written mostly from the employer's perspective. Few accounts of job search from the job applicant's perspective are available. What does job search involve and what emotions do applicants experience in their job search? Heppner and Downing (1982) have likened job search and the interview to riding an emotional roller - coaster in which applicants experience a range of emotion from depression to elation. Having experienced a great deal of frustration, several new PhDs have described their job search experiences and offered advice to other new PhDs seeking academic positions. …