March 13, 2023
Right now, there are over 2,000 jobs posted on HigherEdjobs.com.
I recently attended a conference with HR talent recruitment and retention professionals for the advancement industry, and they shared with me that the demand for talent is at an all time high.
For some institutions, coming out of the pandemic only meant that the priority to go into a public phase fundraising campaign was more critical than ever. Not only are institutions having to support new technologies in and beyond the classroom, they’re having to invest greatly in training for all aspects of the collegiate workforce (academia and administration). Not to mention, reshape or rebrand their program offerings to better position themselves to be relevant and interesting to the ever-declining enrollment market.
Needless to say, my colleagues in the HR world are overwhelmed.
While reading the weekly email digest in The Chronicle of Higher Education, I came across a fascinating article about a new recruitment approach by Virginia State University. In efforts to recruit new talent, VSU (located south of Richmond, adjacent to Petersburg, Virginia), has launched the “Home Assistance Payment Initiative” which supports new employees with a $10,000 stipend that can be used toward a down payment or closing costs on a home purchase in Ettrick or Petersburg.
I was really impressed with this clever way to not only provide an enticing incentive to attract new employees and support successful recruitment; but also at the forethought of ensuring that they will retain these employees for a while.
When you think about it, a lot of us who may move for a job might want to “feel out the waters”, making sure the organization is tepid and not tumultuous. Having done this myself at two prior appointments, I opted to rent before purchasing to ensure that I had not committed myself to a life-altering and entangled decision that was irreversible (or complex to get out of to say the least).
In making that decision, however, I really gave myself an open-ended exit, which may seem appealing and smart. But, it kept me from feeling like I was a part of the community that I was serving, and often like a temporary transient resident.
It is hard to get emotionally invested when you don’t lay down roots.
VSU’s approach is bold. Not only are they ensuring that the full amount of benefit ($10K) is going to direct use, and circumventing tax implications on “bonus pay” applied to sign-on bonuses. VSU is also ensuring that their workforce is integrated into their local community. They are building that retention right into their recruitment tactics.
Think about this. The longer a new employee commits to Virginia State University, the more equity they have to walk away with. That sounds like a beautiful analogy for symbiosis.
I have a good colleague who is about to take an appointment there; and I hope that they are taking advantage of this benefit in full force.
For the rest of you who are reading this post and have some sway over recruitment policies and practices, you may want to give our Trojan friends a call to learn how you might bring this to your organization.
Oh, and for all those fundraising colleagues out there…perhaps there might be a donor out there looking to assist in recruitment efforts to bring in some higher quality talent to your institution. After all, aren’t we (and donors) always on the hunt for project-based giving opportunities?
Kudos to Virginia State University!
strateagueic 