Treating Internal Candidates Right

In my last entry, I discussed how job seekers can take advantage of late openings to gain a foothold in academe. One commenter noted that temporary, non-tenure-track positions are just that — temporary — and that no one should go into one believing anything different.

My own job history includes getting a visiting position that led to one on the tenure track, and I know of many other Ph.D.‘s who have made similar transitions. However, it is certainly true that many non-tenure-track faculty members do not get hired into tenure-track positions at the same (or any) institution, which raises a very important issue: What obligations does a hiring institution have to visiting, temporary, or non-tenure-track faculty members?

At minimum, such candidates should be treated with professionalism and fairness. In particular, when a search is undertaken for a position occupied by a temporary instructor, the search committee owes that internal candidate both an honest shot at the position and fair treatment through the process.

An honest shot does not mean merely a “courtesy interview.” Such interviews give candidates the impression that they have a chance at gaining the job when the very term indicates that they do not. It is much better to eliminate internal candidates from consideration — and let them know — as soon as it becomes clear that they are not competitive in the search.

Internal candidates should also be apprised of the schedules of other interviewees, and allowed the courtesy of avoiding all the associated events. They should also receive full support for their other searches, even if they are highly attractive candidates for the positions they currently occupy.

Many bad feelings associated with the search process are relatively easy to avoid with courtesy, honesty, and common sense. Treating internal candidates humanely even when they are not going to get the job is a minimal, but very important, obligation for hiring institutions.