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[alonso_quijano]

My wife abandoned a tenure-track job at a selective midwestern SLAC, in order to come to a densely populated region (where academic institutions abound, and where I have a t-track), in the hope of eventually solving the two-body problem.  She is currently applying to a t-track position at my institution (she and I are in different fields), where she has taught now for a year part-time.  Last year, I was made an unsolicited offer by a much more competitive institution than the one at which I'm currently working, and my institution is aware of this, and has shown itself appreciative of my decision to stay here.

I frankly feel very happy with my job, particularly because of its location.  Sometimes I fantasize about landing a job at a more competitive institution with better students, but leaving the area would be a bummer.  So my inclination is not to go on the job market, unless it becomes strictly necessary.

My question is whether now that my wife is applying for a job at my institution, it is sensible for me to go on the job market, so as to put more pressure on my institution to take her application seriously.  Personally, I would feel happy if my institution at least gave her a serious look, and I will feel somewhat disaffected otherwise.  In my naivety, however, I want to believe that by not going on the job market, I am showing my institution loyalty, and I guess I'm hoping loyalty counts for something.

Now, I'm not so naive as to think that a two-body problem is easily solvable, but I naturally want to act to maximize the chances (however slight) of making things happen.

How does one bring this situation up within one's institution (if at all)?  And what should one do?  Should one go on the job market, to exert pressure?

[svenc]

Does your institution have spousal hiring programs that are sponsored by the central administration (i.e., with partial salary support to the department receiving the spousal hire)?  If so, then I would think anything you may get in the works to potentially leverage this process may help you, as long as it is not done in a way that burns bridges later.  A desirable person "in hand" should be at least as worthy of such support as a desirable person who is considering accepting a job.

If your university does not have such programs, and if you are in very different fields, then I think it is unlikely that Dept. X will respond to any pressure (by you, your Chair or Dean, or even central administration) to hire your wife if she otherwise would not be the top candidate. 

The local view: I just can't imagine our department ever committing a faculty line to someone for the next few decades because we received a phone call asking us to do so.  The call would have to come with money or some promises of a future replacement line.  At our university, there is actually a fairly generous program in place where the hiring dept. pays 1/3 of a spousal salary, the central administration pays 1/3, and the receiving unit pays 1/3.  In such a case, any leverage you hold to make your department willing to help out with your wife's hire could be very beneficial to solving your two-body problem.

Best of luck to you. 

[larryc]

You need to talk this over with your chair or a trusted senior faculty member. "You know that all I really want is for my wife and I to be employed in the same town. Is that going to happen here?"

[englitprof]

How much of a deal-breaker would it be for you if your wife didn't get the job?  As with all applications for leverage (spousal hire, raises, etc.), you have to be prepared to fish or cut bait.

My concern about you going on the market is that it might suggest to your dept./admin. that you aren't committed, and that this might potentially endanger your renewal/tenure bid.  Talking to your chair as larryc suggests is a good way to gauge this.

Good luck.  The two-body problem is a tough one.  My husband and I are living nearly 1000 miles apart right now.

[georgia_guy]

Depending on what department you are in, and which your wife is applying to, putting on "pressure" might hurt more than help. As an example, I work in a business college. If someone in my college had a spouse who was applying in arts and letters, any attempt our college put forth to try to "encourage" the hire would probably just make them dig in their feet and refuse, even if they would have agreed otherwise.

Without pressure from us, the spouse working for the University might be a plus, because it would indicate to the other department that this applicant might be more likely to accept the typically mediocre salaries upper admin gives for hiring. But if they felt they were being forced, in any way, they would immediately turn on the applicant.

[sibyl]

If you are not going to be happy until your wife gets a job near you, then you should probably go on the market -- not because you are trying to affect her application one way or the other but because you need to find out whether you can find a solution to the two-body problem. 

Larryc's approach is the best.  Frankly, your leverage would have been better if you had asked for the spousal hire last year, but you're still in a good position because you have showed loyalty.

But if you get a negative answer then you really only have two choices: stay where you are and hope that someday your wife gets a job, or go on the market with the sole intention of solving your two-body problem.

[mended_drum]

I agree with others that trying to put pressure on another department to hire your wife is an idea that could easily backfire.  If she makes the short list, and there is little difference in quality between her and other candidates, your presence may give her the boost, but once a chair or administrator from elsewhere tries to influence another department, well, I've seen that backfire badly.

If I were you, I'd go on the market, explaining things to my chair.

[case_insensitive]

If you and your wife are in different fields, I don't see how you going on the market is going to have anything to do with her likelihood of getting the job.