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[jadedprof]

any tips on how to go about negotiating a spousal hire if one is already on the tenure track? i naively thought that things would work out when i took this job a few years ago. apart from a couple of one years (there is a cap on the number of years one can do this), nothing permanent has been offered. the sad thing is that i don't really want to go on the market because i am actually quite happy here.

[goldendragon]

In my recent (successful) experience, you need to at least threaten that you will go on the job market for things to get moving. Otherwise the department has no reason to go beyond vague promises to consider it.
Other things that made it possible: recent history of spousal hires in the department, both spouses tailoring their profiles to match needs current needs in the department.
My final tip is to ask, and do so directly and unambiguously. At first we didn't think a spousal hire was even a possibility until we saw it happening for other people.

I hope some of this is useful and applies to your situation. I should also mention that working this out took several years, so it helps to be patient. Good luck.

[jadedprof]

Thanks Goldendragon. That helps a lot. Its nice to know that (a) there are others in the same boat and (b) that there are success stories. I guess I just have to go on the market and i have to be as upfront as possible - difficult for me as i tend to be very non confrontational. Ah well. Thanks and congratulations!

[goldendragon]

Thanks for your kind words. It has always helped me to read the stories and advice here and to know that things do work out after some suspense and uncertainty. I know you will find a solution that works for you.

I really sympathize with the fact that you are not confrontational. My spouse (the tt; I am the "trailer") is that way as well, and we were very careful about the tone of our negotiations. My spouse emphasized how happy they were in their current job and how reluctant they would be to leave, but that they would unfortunately be forced to look around if a position could not be found for me, especially given the other recent spousal hires.

I also forgot to mention that how far along you are towards tenure can be a factor as well. Things did not work out for us until my spouse received tenure. We had always thought that this would be a disadvantage in that it would make him less mobile and therefore the threat of leaving less likely, but of course it also makes him more valuable to the department and more trouble to replace.

[2bodyprob]

Hi there

I am in the same boat. I am the newly hired tt and m spouse is the 'trailer". We are hoping things will work out but I do not know what to do about it, how and when to talk about it. My department has unfortunately a history of not hiring spouses and losing them their faculty after a few years, so there is not much hope, but still a little. Maybe it is stupid to think things will change and work out for us even if they never did for previous cases. Well, they worked out for them in the sense that they left for 2 tt positions somewhere else, but like you I am happy where I am and would rather stay. My spouse would like to stay as well but not as a soft money researcher for too long, it is not viable.
Thank you for the advice, goldendragon.

[castafiore]

Yes, I was just in this position recently and ended up reluctantly going on the market to put the pressure on. Our contract has a clause permitting consideration of spousal hires in cases of recruitment or retention, so I was going for the latter -- but in the end it didn't pan out. Still, if you are successful on the job market and find your institution cannot or will not respond with a hire for your partner, then you've learned something valuable about his/her opportunities there, and you may come up with an offer that promises something better in the spousal vein.

Good luck!