Descriptions should allow potential applicants to determine the degree of fit between their interests and that of the institution. We also urge search committees to use informal recruitment sources. These include contacting alumni at other institutions, prominent senior faculty members, and members of special-interest groups in your discipline. Encourage all faculty members and academic administrators to tap into their professional networks. Another recruitment source is recently hired junior faculty members who may know good candidates from their graduate or post-doctoral programs.
Most institutions are keenly interested in attracting minority and women applicants.
The competition for underrepresented faculty members is so fierce that some institutions begin cultivating potential candidates two to three years before candidates are on the market. Personal contacts and repeated invitations to apply are helpful indicators of the institution s seriousness. Screening candidates' vitae. Use a formal rating sheet when reviewing applicant materials. Rate such items as degree earned, teaching experience, publication record, degree of fit with needed areas, ability to conduct research, and quality of reference letters.