Unlocking the Mystery: What Academic Library Search Committees Look for in Filling Faculty Positions

Employee recruitment and retention are keys to the overall success of academic libraries, library administrators, and search committees face challenges when filling new and vacant faculty positions. This article presents and discusses the findings of a survey on hiring in an academic setting, including subjects such as staffing, criteria for hiring, how search committees evaluate candidates, and length of the hiring process. This research study reveals answers from 242 survey respondents who shared their experiences and opinions regarding the hiring process in academic libraries. The aim of this study to unlock the mystery involving faculty searches by examining key factors affecting the odds of obtaining an interview and the outcome of an application. The findings help people on both sides of the job search equation form a better understanding of the hiring process. This information should be taken into consideration by those applying for a position to learn how to best present themselves and by search committees to reexamine the hiring processes to meet the challenges facing higher education.