Higher Education Recruitment Consortium will assist job hunters seeking faculty, research, executive positions

Job hunters and their partners interested in finding faculty, research, and executive and staff positions at Chicago area universities and research, medical and cultural institutions, can now look to one source being spearheaded by the University—the Greater Chicago Higher Education Recruitment Consortium.

Northwestern University, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory and the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory are the other co-founders of this 22-member organization, which also includes the Field Museum and Loyola University. The Web site at: http://www.gcherc.org, was officially launched Wednesday, Oct. 31.

“HERC came about to meet a particular problem faced by institutions that recruit nationally: more and more, successful recruiting depends on two partners finding academic, staff or research jobs before they will relocate,” said Mary Harvey, Associate Provost, and an organizer of the consortium. “Research suggests that finding appropriate employment for spouses and partners is even more critical when hiring women and minorities.”

The first Higher Education Recruitment Consortium was developed in 2000 in Northern California to collaboratively address the challenges of academic recruitment and retention in colleges and universities. Since then, six others have been established and two more are being planned.

To facilitate dual career searches, the Web site is equipped with a link so people can see if two suitable jobs are available in the area of their choice.

The job search engines provide options to help people narrow their search, allowing them to select job openings by institution or location, and the dates for which a job search is designated active. Besides assisting dual-career searches, the Web site will send e-mail alerts with job openings that apply to a job seeker’s user profile. The services are free to users.

The Web site also provides links to areas of interest to those relocating to the Chicago area, including schools, transportation, and sports and cultural activities. Academic and other departments conducting searches can direct candidates and their accompanying spouses or partners to the Web site to find helpful information to make informed decisions about relocations.

In addition to the Web site, the consortium is a means for institutions to meet regularly to discuss issues and best practices in recruitment and to develop collaborative initiatives and responses.

“The consortium promises to be a valuable resource in the recruitment and retention of faculty, researchers, and administrative and executive personnel,” Harvey said.

Visit the Greater Chicago Higher Education Recruitment Consortium Web site at http://www.gcherc.org or contact the consortium at (773) 834-5440.