Step 3: Advertising the Position to Generate a Diverse Applicant Pool

The purpose of this step is to make sure the position is marketed to听reach,听appeal to, and听welcome听members of underrepresented groups.

In Step 1,听we emphasized the importance of designing the position such that it is more likely to draw听applicants who are members of underrepresented groups. Yet even the most carefully constructed position will only succeed in generating听a widely representative applicant pool if it听is advertised in a way that reflects and supports the unit's commitment to inclusive excellence.

For strategies to ensure the position is advertised with attention to the principles of inclusive excellence, see听,听located in听CU Boulder's Faculty Search Process Manual.

Two Strategies for Generating听a Diverse Applicant Pool

听 1. 听Use inclusive language in the position announcement:

Research has shown that the vocabulary in a position announcement affects the degree to which the announcement听appeals听to members of various听social groups.听For information on how to avoid exclusive wording in a position announcement, please see , which is located听in CU Boulder's Faculty Search Process Manual.

In addition, there are software tools鈥攔eferred to as augmented writing programs鈥攄esigned to analyze the inclusivity of position-announcement vocabulary. For a list of such programs, see听. The hiring committee听should consider using one of these听resources.听

For an annotated example听of an inclusive position announcement, see听,听which is located听in CU Boulder's Faculty Search Process Manual.听

听 2. 听Ensure that the position announcement reaches听applicants outside of the unit's existing networks:听

Even the most inclusive听position announcement will only generate a diverse applicant pool if it is circulated broadly and with attention to reaching prospective applicants who are members of underrepresented groups.听

For information on how to ensure wide and inclusive dissemination of the position announcement,听please see ,听which is located听in CU Boulder's Faculty Search Process Manual.听

For a list of recommended听advertising sources, please see听,听which is located听in CU Boulder's Faculty Search Process Manual.听

The hiring committee should听also meet听with the Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Unit听in听Human Resources to brainstorm听strategies for听reaching potential applicants

Finally, the hiring committee should communicate closely听with the Affirmative Action Officer in Human Resources to evaluate the听demographic composition of the applicant pool and to听determine whether听benchmarks for specific听fields are being met.听One听such consultation should occur听halfway through the application phase of the faculty-search process.听A听second听should take place听after all applications have been received.

Request听Diversity Statements in the Position Announcement

The听hiring committee should request听diversity statements听in听the application-instructions section of听the position announcement.

Diversity statements give听applicants a platform to demonstrate that, if hired, they听will actively foster听inclusivity and equitability听within the unit. Whether or not they are听members of underrepresented groups, applicants can use the diversity statement to express their commitment to the principles of inclusive excellence, to communicate their knowledge about structural inequity, and听to demonstrate ways in which听they have put their听commitment to inclusivity and equitability听into action.听

Applicants who are members of underrepresented groups might also use their diversity statements to articulate听how their positionality has听informed their understanding of structural inequity听and their commitment to听redressing听disparities in听representation听within听academic professions.

Not all applicants who are members of underrepresented social categories will, however, want to share听intimate information about their lived experiences and identities. Nor should they be expected to.听It is therefore imperative that the hiring committee formulates听diversity-statement prompts that welcomes deeply听personal responses without treating听them as听mandatory or preferable. There are a lot of effective ways to approach a diversity statement. Some people choose to go with raw self-expression. Others opt to focus solely听on how their research and/or service have promoted听inclusivity and equitability.听

There is no single听best approach to writing听a diversity statement.

But where听adversity is concerned,听applicants can benefit by revealing听private aspects of their lives. The diversity statement听provides applicants with an opportunity, if they so choose,听to discuss ways in which adversity has shaped听their professional trajectories. Whether or not they are members of underrepresented groups, most people can point to challenges they have had to overcome in the process of pursuing their career goals. Yet some听face far more daunting obstacles听than others. Because structural inequity so profoundly affects access to opportunities, adversity can intersect听with social representation in complex and influential ways. And this is where traditional measures of accomplishment鈥攖he CV for example鈥攃an fail to adequately represent candidates' actual qualifications. Privilege often correlates with opportunity.听As such, a highly听qualified candidate who has overcome tremendous adversity听might not have as impressive a CV as a highly听qualified candidate who has enjoyed听greater听privilege.听To comprehensively and accurately assess an applicant's听aptitude to excel as a faculty member鈥攚hich is, after all, the ultimate purpose of a job search鈥攁n equitable hiring committee must consider听not only that听applicant's documented听achievements to date but also the obstacles that the applicant has faced听in the process of accomplishing those achievements. Furthermore, experiences听of听adversity shape听perspective.听Though not easily transposed onto a CV, the knowledge that a person gains when confronting great difficulty听can be a powerful career asset and educational听tool.听

And there are additional听reasons why extremely qualified听candidates who are also members听of underrepresented groups might sometimes not appear听as accomplished听on paper as their overrepresented counterparts.听As mentioned in Step 2, members of underrepresented social categories, particularly those who identify as听BIPOC, often bear a higher burden of service than their overrepresented colleagues. Service is time consuming听and can impede the project of building up other, more traditionally illustrious, lines on the CV.听Furthermore,听members of underrepresented groups frequently fulfill important service roles that听cannot be incorporated into a听CV. Consider, for example, the听experiential and social value of听mentoring听undergraduate students who are themselves members of underrepresented groups听or听advocating for social听justice. Are these somehow less meaningful pursuits听than publishing that听additional essay?听Finally, when service听is reflected on a CV, hiring authorities often weigh it lightly听in relation to other achievements. So again, traditional听measurements of candidates' success鈥攖ools such as the CV鈥攁re听neither objective nor comprehensive. And to treat them as such听is to reproduce听systemic inequity.

Affirmative action听is absolutely not about choosing less qualified candidates to fill categorical quotas. Accusations of such operate on an assumption that听candidates who are members of overrepresented groups听are inherently more qualified than candidates who are members of underrepresented groups. Affirmative action听is about realizing the degree to which discrimination and structural inequity saturate听every stage of the hiring process鈥攏ot to mention the pipeline leading to it. Affirmative action听is about听recognizing how traditional measures of success can fall short in identifying qualified candidates. It is about understanding how such measures听perpetuate听systems of inequity and听prevent听highly听qualified candidates from receiving the acknowledgement they deserve.听Affirmative action听is not about lowering standards but, rather, about recognizing and dismantling institutional tools of exclusion and oppression.听To effectively implement affirmative action, hiring authorities must have a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of systemic inequity so they do not fall into the condescending听trap of tokenizing members of underrepresented groups.听

As mentioned above,听not all applicants will want to divulge deeply personal aspects of their lives and identities. Some may worry, and with good cause, that sensitive information could听be used against them. It is therefore听the hiring committee's responsibility to cultivate trust with the language it uses in the position announcement and in the diversity-statement prompt(s). The committee must also honor that trust during听the evaluation phase of the faculty-search process. When applicants expose intimate aspects of their lives so early in the hiring process, they are especially vulnerable to implicit and explicit biases. It is therefore crucial that the hiring committee is equipped to recognize and counteract such biases. In other words, if the听hiring committee solicits diversity statements in the application-instructions section of the position announcement, the committee听must be composed and prepared such that it听embodies the unit's听commitment to inclusive excellence (see Step 2).听

A Two-Pronged Approach to the Diversity-Statement Prompt

To best gauge both an applicant's commitment to inclusivity听and experiences of adversity, the hiring committee should ask听applicants to respond to two separate prompts. The first such prompt should听ask听applicants to discuss ways in which they have worked to promote听the principles of inclusivity and equitability听(within and/or听outside of the academy). The second prompt should听ask applicants to discuss challenges that have shaped their professional trajectories and influenced their worldviews. Broadly worded, these prompts allow applicants to decide whether to听divulge听or withhold sensitive information. Although the second prompt is more personal, it still leaves space for applicants to choose which听life experiences they are comfortable sharing.

Refrain from Soliciting Letters of Recommendation in the Position Announcement

Just as the language听used in a job announcement will affect how potential applicants perceive the position, the vocabulary听in a letter of recommendation can influence how decisionmakers perceive an applicant.听

Studies have shown that implicit biases can profoundly affect how letter writers depict applicants. For specific examples, please see听Appendix Five:听Examples of Bias in the Hiring Process听in听, which is located in CU Boulder's Faculty Search Process Manual.

Because听letters of recommendation听often reflect听implicit biases, the hiring committee should refrain from soliciting them听at least until after the committee has completed its first鈥攐r even second鈥攔ound of evaluations. If and when the committee does solicit letters of recommendation, committee members should remain highly cognizant of the ways in which implicit biases may permeate听these problematic evaluative materials.