Are You Really Interested?

My institution is in the midst of several searches to fill a vice presidency and some entry-level faculty and administrative positions. In the past few days I’ve interviewed about 10 candidates.

I’ve talked to strong candidates for all of the positions. As I have discussed before, though, our main hiring challenges include our remote location and our mission as a four-year institution that, while valuing research, puts a premium on teaching and advising undergraduates.

As our search committees begin deliberating about the best candidates to recommend we hire, one of the questions they will surely ask is, Are our candidates genuinely interested in our position? Or, are they simply applying to every possible institution because of a weak job market?

Many academics would argue — and they have a point — that it is up to candidates to determine their interest in us, contingent on receiving an offer. Their applications, and their willingness to accept a campus interview, are prima facie evidence of their interest. But I don’t believe that argument is wholly true, thanks to the treacherous nature of the market. We are seeking colleagues who really want to be here, who will join enthusiastically in the project of educating our students, and who will be willing members of the campus community.

The challenge is how to discern those qualities in a candidate. If you are a candidate, how do you demonstrate your genuine interest in a particular position? If you are on the hiring side, how do you measure interest among the various candidates, and does that measurement play a role in your deliberations?