Administrators encourage internal hiring for staff
It might have just been a memo, but to Staff Affairs Chair Ali Bretthauer, it was the first step in the right direction.
A university-wide email from Human Resources sent out last month encouraged University of Idaho supervisors to further consider hiring internal candidates for open staff positions before looking externally.
“This is the statement of intent,” Bretthauer said. “This is the institution, and all of the people working to make this a better place, saying we do value staff, we do value the people at this institution.”
Ali Bretthauer
Bretthauer said while the memo does not lay out any concrete policy change, it is a starting point where UI administration can work toward developing procedures to further address staff issues, such as retention.
Executive Director of Human Resources Greg Walters sent the email in late February and said it is first action taken by the Career Ladder Committee. Ron Smith, vice president of Administration and Finance, formed the committee last semester to identify career ladders for staff members and address employee retention.
Walters said he has been an advocate for internal hiring since he arrived at UI. He said promoting internal candidates to fill job openings provides staff members the opportunity to move up in their career and assume more responsibilities.
Walters said he hopes the ability to advance at the university encourages staff members to continue their work at UI.
“We value our employees,” Walters said. “We like to see them grow and develop at the university, and we like to see them stay.”
Retention is a large and continuing problem in staff circles at UI, Bretthauer said.
“To quote one of my fellow Staff Affairs members, ‘We are bleeding staff right now,'” she said.
Bretthauer said UI is losing valuable staff members to higher paying positions elsewhere that often offer clear future career opportunities. She also said limited salary raises have not kept up with the change in living expenses and result in low morale for many staff on campus.
UI staff members also face low salaries. On average, UI staff members get paid 15 percent less compared to peer institutions, according to a 2012 study.
Walters said the memo was not directed toward entry-level positions, since those jobs would be a step backward in the career ladder for many staff.
There are a number of costs associated with losing an employee, Walters said, such as the loss of productivity in the position and the time it takes to train an outside hire. Like faculty searches, he said there are also costs associated with recruiting new staff members.
Walters said there are a number of natural benefits to hiring internal candidates, since many are familiar with university structure and procedure.
“It saves a lot of time in training and development by doing so,” he said. “It really is a win-win situation.”
While the memo is a starting point, Bretthauer said the committee is working toward a procedure change to address staff retention. She said the committee is in the process of discussing the possibility of longevity salary increases and working to identify formal career ladders.
Bretthauer said she received mixed responses on the memo from staff members.
She said some staff members are excited about the opportunity, while others felt the email was lip service and was too small of an action to address staff issues. She said the negative comments often surrounded problems that have yet to be addressed by the university.
Bretthauer said there should be a clear path for staff employees to develop professionally and rise in rank to fill higher-level positions with more responsibilities and higher salaries. Unlike faculty positions, she said there are no career ladders for staff members at UI, something that can cause talented staff to leave.
“We would like our institution to help staff develop professionally so that they can have career advancement opportunities within the institution, no matter what their position is,” she said.
Ryan Tarinelli can be reached at [email protected]