Hiring the Best Talent
Everyone wants to fill their leadership roles with the best, most talented candidate. But how do you find them?
The department chair is a critical position and the person you choose must have the skills, personality, and competencies to win over faculty, students, residents, and peers. A good search process can be key in finding the most qualified individual for the role. By identifying best practices and pitfalls to avoid in advance, you can find the best possible fit.
Use the resources below to kickstart your recruiting process.
This toolkit was developed in conjunction with Recruiting.
Key Search Components
The 10 Characteristics of a Good Search
Ensure your organization has attended to all 10 components found in a positive search.
State of the Department Analysis
Environmental Analysis
Use this tool to assess the status of the department and to complete a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analysis.
Selecting the Search Committee
Choosing the Search Committee
Use this tool to define the desired competencies and roles of committee members and to analyze the strength of your committee.
Preparing the Search Committee
Dean’s Charge for the Search Committee: Preparation Guide
Use this guide to organize the points to be covered with the search committee before the committee begins its recruitment and selection work.
A Model Search Committee Code of Conduct
Adapt this model to write your own code of conduct.
Interview Questions
Candidate Attributes and Skill Sets
Use this guide to select interview questions that will help you assess the attributes and skills of candidates.
Unconscious Bias Materials
Unconscious Bias Resources
Use these resources to help your search committee become aware of and mitigate the effects of their own unconscious biases.
Conducting the Search
Recommended Steps for a Successful Search
Use this checklist as a good practice guide for conducting a search. You can adapt any of these steps to your unique needs.
A Model Search Committee Code of Conduct
Adapt this model to write your own code of conduct.
Collecting Feedback
Phone Interview Evaluation Tool
Adapt this tool to evaluate phone interviews with candidates (Medical College of Georgia).
Leadership Candidate Meeting Feedback Form
Adapt this form to capture interview feedback from reviewers (Indiana University School of Medicine).
First-Round Interview Evaluation Tool
Adapt this form to capture interview feedback from reviewers (Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University).
Checking References
360-Degree (Multisource) Reference Checking
Use the best practices outlined in this tool to improve the information you gain from your reference checks.
Ensuring a High-Quality Experience for All Candidates
Concierge-Level Service
Use this checklist as a good practice guide for providing concierge-level service to your candidates. You can adapt any of these steps to your unique needs.
Setting the New Chair Up for Success
Department Chair Onboarding
Use this checklist as a guide for successful department chair onboarding. You can adapt any of these steps to your unique needs.
Refining Your Search Process
Candidate Feedback Questionnaire Template
Adapt this template to collect candidate feedback on the recruitment process.
Want to know more?
Our publication Recruiting is a part of the AAMC Successful Department Chair Series. To purchase, visit the AAMC store.