• Determine the nature of the position in terms of the specific teaching and research interests required, the needs of post-graduate students and any other school requirements. It is useful to consult with all members of staff in making this decision. Recruitment of a new staff member, particularly to a tenurable position, may have long-term implications and should be made in the context of the school's longer-term strategic goals and objectives.
• Increasingly it is recognised that it is desirable that the University's staff reflect more accurately the diversity in the cultural background and gender of the broader student community. If there is an imbalance, for example, in the ratio of male to female staff, in tenurable positions or at the higher promotional levels, then special efforts may be required in the search process.
• In drafting selection criteria for the position refer to the guidelines found in Human Resources Policy and Procedures (Part A – 2.5). This is a critical task as the selection committee will assess applicants against these criteria. In order to encourage diversity in the school's staffing it is useful to identify specific selection criteria such as meeting the needs of female post-graduate students or working with a culturally diverse student population.
• The level of the position advertised will help define the likely range of applicants. Job-share opportunities or fractional appointments may particularly attract women applicants.

• Specific information about advertising can be found in the Human Resources Policies and Procedures. Contact the HR Adviser (Recruitment) in Human Resources on extension 4273 for assistance in the preparation and placement of advertisements.
• Publications such as Campus Review and The Directory are targeted specifically to universities and higher education institutions.
• To assist in increasing the number of women applicants, word the advertisement to encourage applications from women. For example:
  • include a statement in the advertisement such as 'women are particularly encouraged to apply' or 'should have the capacity to advance the interests of both male and female students'.
  • note in the advertisement any areas of teaching or research that may be of particular relevance or interest to women or where there has been a high level of enrolments from female students, for example, feminist studies, environmental studies or development studies.
• Given the differences between academic years it will be important to consider the timing of the advertisement if applicants from the northern hemisphere are being sought.

• While advertisements are important in recruitment, they need to be supplemented with other strategies. Circulating information about the vacancy as widely as possible is necessary to develop a large and diverse pool of applicants. In some instances targeting of some specific individuals may be useful.
• The following avenues may be useful.
  • Personal Networks: Contact colleagues interstate and overseas with information about the position and ask them to disseminate it within their departments. In the case of appropriate individuals, send information directly to them and encourage them to apply. Send copies of the position description to qualified women in the field who are known to staff members of the school, including ex-students, current and ex-staff.
  • Professional Networks: Conferences can be useful talent spotting opportunities where all school staff can play a role. Recent journals in the relevant field can be used to identify potential applicants. Professional associations may have newsletters or mailing lists. In some instances there may also be women's sections or caucuses of relevant discipline associations.
  • Internet: Computer discussion lists on the Internet can be used to disseminate information about vacancies. Ensure an E-Mail address for a response is clearly identified. Vacancies are placed on the UWA employment web site.
  • Targeting (Institutions): It may be useful to write to universities with highly regarded reputations in the advertised discipline area, asking them to disseminate the vacancy information among staff and students.
  • Targeting (Individuals): Checking the references in well-regarded journals can identify active researchers in the school's area of interest and these individuals can be contacted directly. This strategy is particularly useful in seeking senior level staff.

In order to increase the interest of women applicants, there are some specific avenues to consider:

• Ensure that women who are contacted are assured of the University's commitment to implementing equal opportunity policies.
• Become familiar with the work of women in the discipline by inviting them to visit the school as part of a visiting scholars scheme, or to give papers at seminars or conferences.
• Monitor the gender of applicants shortlisted for positions and survey how successful applicants heard about the vacancy.

This University provides a number of benefits, both tangible and intangible, which can be very attractive to potential applicants. They include:

• tenure
• fully paid study leave and generous travel grant
• an attractive superannuation scheme
• excellent on-campus child care and out of school care facilities
• working in a top class institution with high quality undergraduate students and a significant proportion of post-graduate students
• national success in research grant applications
• the Western Australian lifestyle, weather and public amenities

Ensuring that applicants are fully aware of these benefits should assist to expand the applicant pool.

Information about the position and the University can be accessed through the UWA web site. Alternatively it can be sent via e-mail. It is suggested that an E-mail address is included in the advertisement and in other materials disseminated in regard to the position.

Additionally, for serious candidates at a senior level, the following web sites may be of assistance:

http://www.crownrelo.com/unirelo

http://www.wa.gov.au/

http://www.streetsofperth.com.au/homepage.htm

Applicant follow-up is important to keep them interested in the position while the selection process is underway. Some suggestions:

• Be prompt. Because top class candidates often have a number of options available to them, it is helpful to complete the selection process as quickly as possible.
• While Human Resources can provide standard information about the University many applicants will have specific questions which can be answered only by the head of school. By encouraging applicants to ask questions and being open in response, important information essential for making a significant family decision, which goes beyond the position itself, can be communicated.
• It is helpful to inform applicants about the support the University can offer in terms of resettlement. In some instances it may be useful to engage the services of private relocation consultants who will assist a successful candidate with housing and schools.
• Given that a personal interview is required for any position three years or more in length, this time becomes an important opportunity to 'sell' the school, the University and the city to shortlisted applicants. If funding is available it may be helpful to ensure that interviewees see as much as possible of the region. Where funding permits, consideration may also be given to bringing the partners of serious candidates to Perth. Such additional costs must be borne by the school or faculty.
• It is important to keep shortlisted applicants informed about the progress of the selection process. Human Resources will let non-shortlisted candidates know their position.

Sample Search Plans are at Attachments A and B.

LECTURER/SENIOR LECTURER IN ––––––––––––

SCHOOL OF –––––––––––––

The School of ––––– has been aware of the need to fill the current vacancy for some time and members of the school have given serious consideration to what is needed to meet our longer term objectives. We have identified an important change in the nature of our student body over the last few years. Over 25% of the undergraduate students in the school are now women and there are increasing numbers of female post-graduate students. We are also attracting significant numbers of overseas students.

At present, however, there are no women academics in this school and in the past we have had few applications from women. Our school discussions have identified meeting this emerging need as a priority. Therefore we are particularly keen to attract a range of highly qualified women applicants to this position.

During the past year members of staff have been using opportunities at professional conferences to meet academics working in this area, especially women, and to note their areas of interest. We have kept a file on these and added to this file the names of those women who have previously completed their doctorates. All members of staff have also been asked to review contacts within their professional networks in order to identify potential applicants or institutions with strong graduate programs in the advertised area.

In order to attract high quality applications from a more diverse range of people, as well as more applications from women, we intend to act as follows:

1. The advertisement will be worded to encourage applications from women, for example: 'women are particularly encouraged to apply'.
2. The position will be advertised with the possibility of filling it with two fractional appointments.
3. We are writing to all universities with strong reputations in the advertised area asking them to disseminate the information about the position. We have engaged a post graduate student to analyse some of the recent literature in this area and to identify institutions and individuals whose research interests appear relevant so that they can be individually targeted.
4. We are contacting professional associations and, where they exist, women's sections of those associations. To encourage women to apply we will ask for the names of women working in the field in which selection is to take place and send them the advertisement and selection criteria. We will also ask for an advertisement to be inserted in any women's newsletters of these bodies.
5. We are keen to attract staff with a commitment to encourage female doctoral students and who can work successfully with students from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. This is included in the selection criteria.

LECTURER/SENIOR LECTURER IN ––––––––––––

SCHOOL OF –––––––––––––

The School of ––––– has been aware of the need to fill the current vacancy for some time and members of the school have given serious consideration to what is needed to meet our longer term objectives. We have identified an important change in the nature of our student body over the last few years. Over 50% of the undergraduate students in the school are now from overseas or non-English speaking backgrounds in Australia. Increasing numbers of them are now also entering post-graduate work. We have recognised a need to provide some additional support for this group within the school.

At present, however, there are no academics in this school who have special skills in working with a culturally diverse student group and in the past we have had few applications from such people. Our school discussions have identified meeting this emerging need as a priority. Therefore we are particularly keen to attract a range of highly qualified applicants with relevant experience to this role.

During the past year members of staff have been using opportunities at professional conferences to meet academics working in this area and to note their areas of interest. We have kept a file on these and added to the file the names of those students who have previously completed their doctorates in this University. All members of staff have also been asked to review contacts within their professional networks in order to identify potential applicants or institutions with strong graduate programs in the advertised area.

In order to attract high quality applications from a more diverse range of people, as well as more applications from people with particular skills in teaching students from a range of cultural backgrounds, we intend to act as follows:

1. The advertisement will include the words: 'academics with an interest and capacity to advance the interests of students from a range of cultural and language backgrounds are particularly encouraged to apply'.
2. The position will be advertised in two overseas journals with significant circulation in countries from which we draw large numbers of students.
3. We are writing to all universities with strong reputations in the advertised area asking them to disseminate the information about the position. We have engaged a post graduate student to analyse some of the recent literature in this area and to identify institutions and individuals whose research interests appear relevant so that they can be individually targeted.
4. We are contacting professional associations and, where they exist, specific sections of those associations in countries from which we draw large numbers of students. To encourage applicants from these countries we will ask for the names of individuals working in the field in which selection is to take place and send them the advertisement and selection criteria.
5. We are keen to attract staff with a commitment to support doctoral students with culturally diverse backgrounds and this is specified in the selection criteria.