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[Anonymous]

How do you all feel about job postings that are “confidential” wherein the institution does not reveal their name or sometimes even their location?  I’ve seen such postings in the chronicle, higheredjobs.com, and elsewhere.

The job title and description is listed (often in detail) but little to no identifying information about the school is provided and the email address is obviously a temporary one (apply@yahoo, hotmail, netscape, gmail, etc.)  Such postings never include a physical address an all materials are apparently submitted electronically.
 
Someone is obviously, paying to post such ads which leads me to believe that the posting are legitimate and unlike, say, a state institution a “confidential” posting is obviously not being undertaken to fulfill the HR/legal requirement of appearing to conduct a legitimate search.  

I have eschewed such searches in the past; something simply does not smell right about a school that will not identify itself; I can think of only one reason why a school would want to conduct a search this way and that reason does not inspire confidence . . .

Has anyone here interviewed for or landed a job in such a confidential search?  What did/does the committee say about why the search was conducted this way.  Any surprises in the process?

[Bill J.]

I don’t like the confidential searches you describe and agree they should be avoided.  What are they hiding?  This kind of search sends the wrong message.

You are supposed to submit an application letter & resume (a very personal document) yet you are not allowed to know the name and location of the institution?  Accordingly, you have no idea whom works there, what their backgrounds are, or what kind of environment you are potentially competing for.  Knowledge is power and, in this case, the information deck is stacked against you.  I would go so far as to describe this as an inherently hostile situation.

Why would you (or anyone) want to participate in such an arrangement?

Do not encourage confidential searches; do not apply.  If enough committees spend their money posting confidential searches and get no replies, job seekers will have taught them an important lesson.

[case insensitive]

I've never noticed such an ad in my field.

[Anonymous]

There are three such ads in the Chronicle right now and there have been more than a dozen over the last few months; more appear on higheredjobs.com  These are almost always for administrative positions so you won’t notice these postings if you're seeking a faculty appointment by field.

Has anyone been through such a search?

[case insensitive]

case insensitive wrote:

> I've never noticed such an ad in my field.


sorry, I guess I HAVE noticed a number of these ads. Please accept my apologies.

[case insensitive]

thanks wow. You don't do a very good job of impersonating me, do you? :o)

[banonorama]

I always assumed these searches were for companies. . .  And yeah, I wouldn't bother with them.

[bizprof]

I always assumed that just as in industry, where confidential searches usually mean that you will be replacing someone who doesn't yet know that s/he is being fired, such searches in academia were an attempt to be sensitive and avoid offending someone who had been denied tenure or otherwise dismissed.

[Bill]

I vote for "open book" management!

The truth is our best ally!

I don't always like the results because the truth can hurt at times!

However, when it comes to making an informed decision, I wan't to base my decision on the truth!

To me, "confidential" searches speak volumes about the values of the organization.

[michigander too]

I ignore such postings.  We are seldom simply looking for a job.  We are also looking for certain qualities in our workplace, certain quality of life factors in the local community for ourselves and our families, and a place where we would be willing to spend a significant portion of our careers, energy, and lives.  We deserve to know where we are applying so that we can make intelligent decisions and not waste our own and the search committees' time.

This stance was developed after once submitting an application (against my better judgment) in response to such an ad.  I discovered that it was from an institution that had already advertised openly for a position that I'd decided not to apply for.  It became embarassing when I was actually offered an interview and had to come up with a believable reason for declining.  Shortly afterwards, I happened to bump into a trusted friend who was familiar with the search, so I asked about it.  The anonymous ad was placed because people weren't submitting applications in response to the open ad, and people at the school wanted applicants to give them a chance to sell themselves.  I can see the point, but I'll never respond to such an ad again!  Better for them to work on the reasons that no one wanted to apply there.