In partnership with the search chair, search committee members, and hiring official, the search advocate affirms UO’s commitment to inclusive excellence.
As external committee members, advocates are able to explore assumptions, norms, and practices that an internal member might not question. The search advocate typically plays a vital role in:
- Position development
- Recruitment
- Screening
- Interviews
- References
- Evaluation
- Integration of the new faculty or staff member into the institution.
A Search Advocate:
- Provides impartial guidance to the hiring manager, search committee chairs and members throughout the search process
- Creates a criteria matrix and ensures it is used throughout the process
- Facilitates up-front discussion and ground rules for how to handle known applicant issues and conflicts of interest
- Asks questions to help committee members clarify their thinking
- Serves as process advisor watching for things such as negativity bias, halo effects, proxy qualifications, references to “good fit,” and airtime issues.
