An Analysis of Academic Hiring Research and Practice and a Lens for the Future: How Labor Justice Can Make a Better Academy

Gonzales, Leslie D.; Culpepper, Dawn; Anderson, Julia

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-32186-3_8-1

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 370 publications

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“…Landing a faculty position in the biomedical fields is competitive and full of challenges due to the job market dynamics, personal characteristics, and the negative effects of the pandemic (1)(2)(3). In biomedical fields, the number of PhD holders increases each year, but faculty positions have remained stagnant (4).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An updated and expanded characterization of the biological sciences academic job market

Flynn,

Kozik,

Cheng

et al. 2024

Preprint

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In the biological sciences, many areas of uncertainty exist regarding the factors that contribute to success within the faculty job market. Earlier work from our group reported that beyond certain thresholds, academic and career metrics like the number of publications, fellowships or career transition awards, and years of experience did not separate applicants who received job offers from those who did not. Questions still exist regarding how academic and professional achievements influence job offers and if candidate demographics differentially influence outcomes. To continue addressing these gaps, we initiated surveys collecting data from faculty applicants in the biological sciences field for three hiring cycles in North America (Fall 2019 to the end of May 2022), a total of 449 respondents were included in our analysis. These responses highlight the interplay between various scholarly metrics, extensive demographic information, and hiring outcomes, and for the first time, allowed us to look at persons historically excluded due to ethnicity or race (PEER) status in the context of the faculty job market. Between 2019 and 2022, we found that the number of applications submitted, position seniority, and identifying as a women or transgender were positively correlated with a faculty job offer. Applicant age, residence, first generation status, and number of postdocs, however, were negatively correlated with receiving a faculty job offer. Our data are consistent with other surveys that also highlight the influence of achievements and other factors in hiring processes. Providing baseline comparative data for job seekers can support their informed decision-making in the market and is a first step towards demystifying the faculty job market.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An updated and expanded characterization of the biological sciences academic job market

Flynn,

Kozik,

Cheng

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Charting the course for early career academics: a longitudinal analysis of U.S. academic job market trends post-pandemic

Kozik,

Hagan,

Jadavji

et al. 2024

SGPE

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Purpose This paper aims to identify the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the academic job market in North America and the ways in which faculty job applicants altered their applications in response to a changing academia. Design/methodology/approach The data presented here is the portion relevant to COVID-19 collected in a survey of faculty job applicants at the end of the 2019–2020 job cycle in North America (spring 2020). An additional “mid-pandemic” survey was used in fall 2020 for applicants participating in the following job search cycle to inquire about how they were adapting their application materials. A portion of data from the 2020–2022 job cycle surveys was used to represent the “late pandemic.” Job posting data from the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium is also used to study job availability. Findings Examination of faculty job postings from 2018 to 2022 found that while they decreased in 2020, the market recovered in 2021 and beyond. While the market recovered, approximately 10% of the faculty job offers reported by 2019–2020 survey respondents were rescinded. Respondents also reported altering their application documents in response to the pandemic as well as delaying or even abandoning their faculty job search. Originality/value This paper provides a longitudinal perspective with quantitative data on how the academic job market changed through the major events of the COVID-19 pandemic in North America, a subject of intense discussion and stress, particularly amongst early career researchers.

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An updated and expanded characterization of the biological sciences academic job market

Flynn,

Kozik,

Cheng

et al. 2024

Front. Res. Metr. Anal.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionIn the biological sciences, many areas of uncertainty exist regarding the factors that contribute to success within the faculty job market. Earlier work from our group reported that beyond certain thresholds, academic and career metrics like the number of publications, fellowships or career transition awards, and years of experience did not separate applicants who received job offers from those who did not. Questions still exist regarding how academic and professional achievements influence job offers and if candidate demographics differentially influence outcomes.MethodsTo continue addressing these gaps, we initiated surveys collecting data from faculty applicants in the biological sciences field for three hiring cycles in North America (Fall 2019 to the end of May 2022), a total of 449 respondents were included in our analysis.Results and discussionThese responses highlight the interplay between various scholarly metrics, extensive demographic information, and hiring outcomes, and for the first time, allowed us to look at persons historically excluded due to ethnicity or race (PEER) status in the context of the faculty job market. Between 2019 and 2022, we found that the number of applications submitted, position seniority, and identifying as a women or transgender were positively correlated with a faculty job offer. Applicant age, residence, first generation status, and number of postdocs, however, were negatively correlated with receiving a faculty job offer. Our data are consistent with other surveys that also highlight the influence of achievements and other factors in hiring processes. Providing baseline comparative data for job seekers can support their informed decision-making in the market and is a first step toward demystifying the faculty job market.

show abstract

An Analysis of Academic Hiring Research and Practice and a Lens for the Future: How Labor Justice Can Make a Better Academy

Cited by 3 publications

References 370 publications

An updated and expanded characterization of the biological sciences academic job market

An updated and expanded characterization of the biological sciences academic job market

Charting the course for early career academics: a longitudinal analysis of U.S. academic job market trends post-pandemic

An updated and expanded characterization of the biological sciences academic job market

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