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Finnish educational institution
Development of the recruitment and onboarding process for professors
Background:
The recruitment and onboarding of professors is perceived as challenging. The role of a professor is demanding, and candidates are contacted from around the world. The processes are lengthy and are generally the responsibility of different schools within the university, with HR supporting the recruitment efforts.
Problem:
The integration and onboarding of professors into the university's international environment is challenging, particularly the first weeks are regarded as demanding. Processes and responsibilities vary by school, and new professors sometimes resign or do not feel strongly part of the work community. HR supports the schools in recruitment and integration, but as responsibilities vary, it is sometimes unclear who is responsible for what tasks and overall management.
Objective:
To describe the current process and its sources of variation and to create a development plan that resolves the problems of the process and improves the integration and onboarding of professors, bringing them into clearer alignment with the international university environment.
Implementation:
The major problems in the recruitment processes of various schools were identified, and their solutions were implemented using systematic A3 problem-solving methods (e.g., 5 Whys).
Results:
School-specific development plans and implementation responsibilities to improve the recruitment and integration of professors. Clarification of the roles of HR and schools, as well as the different stages of recruitment.
