Re: Guidelines for First-Round Interviews (2019) | AHA

Thanks. I read it fast, but here's what struck me:

The AHA will not maintain the AHA Job Center or provide interview suites.
First round interviews may be conducted through phone...


"No Job Center" = no SCS Placement Service, right?

Best,

Dan

On Fri, Jun 28, 2019 at 9:59 PM Szegedy-Maszak, Andrew <
[email protected]> wrote:

> It seems to me that this is less a huge change than a (long overdue?)
> endorsement of formal reform of longstanding practices. I remember
> participating in interviews, both as a candidate and then as a member of a
> hiring committee, in a hotel room, in which the candidate sat in a chair
> next to the obligatory desk and the interviewers were variously situated in
> chairs or on the bed. The situation was awkward and stupid. The AHA's
> insistence on mutual respect sounds just right.
>
>
> Andrew Szegedy-Maszak
> Professor of Classical Studies
> Jane A. Seney Professor of Greek
> Wesleyan University
> Middletown, CT  06459
> ph: 860.685.2065
> fax: 860.685.2089
> ------------------------------
> *From:* DANIEL P. Tompkins <[email protected]>
> *Sent:* Friday, June 28, 2019 8:08 PM
> *To:* [email protected]
> *Subject:* Guidelines for First-Round Interviews (2019) | AHA
>
> Big change from a major organization. Is it a good idea?  How many will
> follow?
>
> And, how is attendance at Annual Meeting affected?
>
> Dan
>
> https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.historians.org%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7CCLASSICS-L%40lsv.uky.edu%7Cc43b792abb314da852ff08d6fc37c016%7C2b30530b69b64457b818481cb53d42ae%7C0%7C0%7C636973713721812466&amp;sdata=gDnbeTHR0yOg7lpZhWcwM50wGGcqlNJq%2FrOenem7fOc%3D&amp;reserved=0
>
> Guidelines for First-Round Interviews (2019)
>
> *Revised by the AHA Professional Division and approved by AHA Council,
> June 9, 2019.*
>
> In an effort to better serve members of the AHA, and to promote the
> highest standards of professional conduct in the hiring process, we provide
> these guidelines for search committees and job candidates.
>
> As of 2019, the AHA urges hiring departments to schedule teleconference
> interviews or on-campus visits for first round interviews. The AHA will not
> maintain the AHA Job Center or provide interview suites. First round
> interviews may be conducted through phone, videoconferencing platforms, or
> in-person if arranged by the department.
> General Criteria
>
>    1. Most job discrimination is illegal. Interviewing and hiring should
>    be based solely on professional criteria. Interviewers should not ask
>    questions about a candidate's marital status or family, race or national
>    origin, disability, age, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity,
>    or sexual orientation. Candidates may, however, volunteer such information
>    in the course of their own inquiries about the hiring institution, although
>    this sort of discussion is usually more appropriate during an on-campus
>    interview than in the preliminary stages of a candidacy.
>    2. All positions for historians should be advertised in the job ads
>    section of *Perspectives on History* or the online AHA Career Center.
>    3. Advertisements for positions should contain specific information
>    regarding qualifications and clear indication as to whether a position has
>    actually been authorized or is contingent upon budgetary or other
>    administrative considerations.
>    4. Candidates should seek interviews only for those jobs for which
>    they are qualified, and under no circumstances should they misrepresent
>    their training or their qualifications. To do otherwise is unprofessional
>    and wastes the time and energy of everyone concerned.
>    5. Positions should, absent extenuating circumstances, be advertised
>    for a period of at least six weeks.
>    6. All applications and inquiries for a position should be
>    acknowledged promptly and courteously (within two weeks of receipt, if
>    possible), and each applicant should be informed as to the initial action
>    on the application or inquiry. No final decision should be made without
>    considering all applications received before the closing date.
>    Advertisements that list closing dates should consider all applications
>    received by that date, and applications for positions should be accepted
>    for at least six weeks after the initial announcement date.
>    7. At all stages of a search, affirmative action/equal opportunity
>    guidelines should be respected.
>    8. As candidates are eliminated, they should be notified promptly and
>    courteously. Some hiring institutions notify all candidates when their
>    search is completed. Unsuccessful candidates may wish to ask how their
>    chances might have been improved. Hiring institutions often respond
>    helpfully to such inquiries but they are *not* obliged to disclose the
>    reasoning leading to their ultimate choices.
>    9. Hiring committees are encouraged to request reference letters only
>    from those candidates who have passed the initial screening i.e. at the
>    stage requesting additional materials, or before first-round interviews.
>    Given the current academic job market, having applicants provide letters of
>    recommendation only after the initial screening stage can reduce stress and
>    unnecessary paperwork for candidates, letter-writers, and hiring committees.
>
> Pre-Interview Considerations
>
>    1. Search committees scheduling interviews should provide ample notice
>    to applicants. If travel for an interview is required, applicants should be
>    given notice more than 14 days in advance.
>    2. All participants in an interview should be prompt, efficient, and
>    courteous.
>    3. Interviews should take place on time, and candidates should be
>    allowed enough time in interviews to develop their candidacies in some
>    depth. This means that interviewers have to watch the time carefully, and
>    try to avoid departing from the schedule they have established. It also
>    means that job candidates should not schedule interviews too close
>    together. Appointments often run over the allotted times.
>    4. Interviews should proceed in a manner that respects the
>    professional and personal integrity of candidates and interviewers.
>    Whenever possible, interviewing committees should include more than one
>    gender.
>    5. The AHA discourages recording any employment interview activity.
>    If a department does record the activity, all appropriate measures should
>    be taken to maintain confidentiality of the interview.
>
> Phone and Videoconference Guidelines for Departments/Institutions
>
>    1. All candidates should be interviewed using the same method. Decide
>    in advance how interviews will be conducted. Will they all be via phone,
>    videoconferencing service, or a combination of both methods? If using a
>    videoconferencing service, consider using a system that allows for multiple
>    participants. Committees unsure of the best system should consult with
>    their IT offices.
>    2. Decide whether you will conduct the interviews all in one day or in
>    several time slots. If you decide to conduct interviews over several days,
>    make every effort to ensure that the interview committee remains the same.
>    3. Ensure that faculty have the appropriate technology and feel
>    confident using it.
>    4. When calling to arrange the interviews, convey clearly to
>    candidates how long the interview will be, who will call whom, who will
>    participate (sending a list to the candidate would be helpful), and what
>    technology is required for the interview.
>    5. Remember to take into account time zone differences.
>    6. Don't assume that all interviewees have access to the same
>    technology. Be aware that requests to interview using a particular platform
>    may incur expense or inconvenience for some candidates.
>    7. Job notices or application forms and all communications with
>    candidates should state that applicants who need accommodation for a phone
>    or video interview should request this in advance.
>    8. Before the interview, determine the order in which the interviewers
>    will ask questions just as you would for an in-person interview.
>    9. Be sure to test speakerphone, teleconferencing, or web-based video
>    client.
>    10. As the interview begins, introduce the individuals participating
>    in the interview and describe how the interview will be conducted.
>    11. Remember that during a phone interview it may be difficult for the
>    candidate to remember who is speaking. Repeat your name each time you speak.
>    12. Be sensitive to the fact that if you are on the phone the
>    candidate won't be able to see your body language. Offer more verbal cues:
>    "Thank you for that answer," etc.
>    13. Interviewees for whom English is not the primary language may be
>    at a disadvantage, especially during telephone interviews. Strategize about
>    how to make this process as fair as possible to them.
>    14. Although interviews are dynamic conversations, consider posing the
>    same basic questions to each candidate.
>    15. Departments should make every effort to use a video chat client
>    that allows for multiple participants.
>    16. Leave time for the candidate to ask questions.
>
> Phone and Videoconference Guidelines for Candidates
>
>    1. Make sure you understand the technological requirements for the
>    interview.
>    2. When scheduling take time zone differences into account.
>    3. If you are participating in a telephone interview make every effort
>    to use a landline. You will have a better connection than on your cell
>    phone and you will not risk the call being dropped.
>    4. If you are doing a video interview, ensure that you have a reliable
>    internet connection.
>    5. Do your best to remove all distractions and background noise, such
>    as barking dogs, the sound of children playing, ringing cell phones and
>    doorbells.
>    6. If you are having a video interview, be aware of your appearance;
>    dress as you would for an in-person interview. Also be aware of what
>    appears in the background. A neutral background (a plain wall) or a
>    professional background (a bookcase, for example) is best. Also be aware of
>    the room's lighting. A bright light directly behind you can make it
>    difficult for the interviewers to see you.
>    7. Speak directly into your phone, headset, or microphone and make
>    sure your interviewers can hear you.
>    8. Let each person finish before you begin speaking.
>    9. Some candidates find it helpful to print out interviewing search
>    committee members' profiles so they can put a face to the name in phone
>    interviews.
>    10. Have your application materials next to you when the institution
>    calls you.
>    11. Practice answering some questions over the phone or via
>    videoconference. Your career center should be able to help you with this
>    type of practice run. If not, enlist a friend or colleague.
>    12. If the interviewers don't say much, feel free to ask occasional
>    questions to see whether or not they're with you: "Would you like me to say
>    more about that?" "Was that clear?" "Have I answered your concern about
>    that?"
>
> Considerations for In-Person Interviews
>
>    1. Interviews should take place in a professional setting whether
>    through phone, videoconference, or in person. If interviews take place at
>    the meeting of a scholarly association, the Association strongly advises
>    that a neutral room that is not designated for sleeping, rather than a
>    sleeping room be used, and that a third person always be present in the
>    room with the candidate.
>    2. Interviewers bear sole responsibility for establishing an
>    appropriate professional atmosphere and should take special care to ensure
>    that all interviews are conducted courteously and in a proper and
>    professional manner.
>
> The following resources are also available:
>
>    - The AHA *job advertising policy
>    <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.historians.org%2Fabout-aha-and-membership%2Fgovernance%2Fpolicies-and-documents-of-the-association%2Fexhibits-advertisements-mailing-list-rentals-and-sales-policy&amp;data=02%7C01%7CCLASSICS-L%40lsv.uky.edu%7Cc43b792abb314da852ff08d6fc37c016%7C2b30530b69b64457b818481cb53d42ae%7C0%7C0%7C636973713721812466&amp;sdata=sUrshqFUHaGLWivP%2FDEnMjR2c%2FARznbOlUwHOmD8sK8%3D&amp;reserved=0>*
>    - The AHA *Statement on Standards of Professional Conduct
>    <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.historians.org%2Fjobs-and-professional-development%2Fstatements-standards-and-guidelines-of-the-discipline%2Fstatement-on-standards-of-professional-conduct&amp;data=02%7C01%7CCLASSICS-L%40lsv.uky.edu%7Cc43b792abb314da852ff08d6fc37c016%7C2b30530b69b64457b818481cb53d42ae%7C0%7C0%7C636973713721812466&amp;sdata=Idomy3JZSn99kodH24g0cEO8WysJx94bKfcObXRQPj8%3D&amp;reserved=0>*
>    - The AHA statement, “*Best Practices on Spousal/Partner Hiring
>    <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.historians.org%2Fjobs-and-professional-development%2Fstatements-standards-and-guidelines-of-the-discipline%2Fbest-practices-on-spousal%2Fpartner-hiring&amp;data=02%7C01%7CCLASSICS-L%40lsv.uky.edu%7Cc43b792abb314da852ff08d6fc37c016%7C2b30530b69b64457b818481cb53d42ae%7C0%7C0%7C636973713721812466&amp;sdata=SFfDH3MeVObtPsZQU6U%2BKxSssWA2EjTwD5b6RttgVYA%3D&amp;reserved=0>*
>    ”
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>