Author: Dave Emsweller, High Impact Practitioners LLC
The problem:
Staffing in higher education continues to be a challenge. Many institutions leave key positions open for extended periods of time either due to budget issues or the inability to attract candidates. Leaving key positions unfilled poses several risks to universities.
Some of those risks include:
Disruption of Operations: Key positions often play critical roles in the day-to-day operations of the university. Leaving such positions vacant can disrupt workflow, create bottlenecks in decision-making processes, and lead to inefficiencies across departments or units.
Impact on Services: Key positions may be responsible for overseeing essential services such as advising, academic support, or administrative functions. The absence of qualified personnel in these roles can reduce student access to resources and support, leading to dissatisfaction and potential impacts on retention and graduation rates.
Loss of Institutional Knowledge: Key personnel often possess valuable institutional knowledge, expertise, and relationships built over years of service. When these positions remain vacant, the university risks losing this knowledge, which can have long-term implications for strategic planning, continuity, and institutional memory.
Diminished Reputation and Trust: Stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, and external partners, may perceive the university negatively if key positions remain unfilled for an extended period. This can erode trust in the institution’s leadership, raise concerns about organizational stability, and damage the university’s reputation within the broader community.
Missed Opportunities and Innovation: Key positions are often responsible for driving innovation, spearheading initiatives, and seizing opportunities for growth and development. Leaving these positions unfilled can result in missed opportunities for improvement, strategic advancement, and competitive positioning within the higher education landscape.
Increased Workload and Stress: Remaining staff members will most likely be required to take on additional responsibilities or cover the duties of the vacant position. This can lead to increased workload, stress, and burnout among employees, negatively impacting morale and productivity.
Difficulty Recruiting and Retaining Employees: A prolonged vacancy in a key position may signal instability or lack of investment in employees, making it challenging to attract qualified candidates. Additionally, existing staff members may become dissatisfied and seek employment opportunities elsewhere, intensifying turnover and retention issues.
Compliance and Regulatory Risks: Key positions may be responsible for ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, accreditation standards, and industry best practices. Failure to fill these positions in a timely manner can expose the university to compliance risks, legal liabilities, and potential sanctions.
Reducing Risk:
If universities want to reduce these risks, they need to prioritize timely recruitment and succession planning, invest in employee development and retention strategies, and ensure effective communication and transparency throughout the hiring process.
Importance of Gap/Interim Leadership:
While seeking candidates to fill key positions, institutions should focus on providing interim or gap leadership to ensure continuity and stability until a permanent replacement is hired.
While leaving a key position open, assigning duties to other staff members, and slow walking the replacement process might appear to be an appropriate strategy, the risks far outweigh any short-term budget gain.
