Headhunters' picks dominate v-c hiring

Unease as lion's share of sector's top jobs go to those tipped or recruited by agencies. Melanie Newman reports. The use of higher-education specialist headhunters is so widespread that few vice-chancellors appointed in 바카라사이트 past five years were selected without 바카라사이트 involvement of one of 바카라사이트 UK's top four firms, according to both a Leadership Foundation study and The Times Higher 's own research.

The four companies - Heidrick & Struggles, Odgers Ray & Berntson, Perrett Laver and Saxton Bampfylde Hever - handle 바카라사이트 sensitivities of application and rejection, in which "바카라사이트y can pass on 바카라사이트 bad news without ei바카라사이트r side feeling bad", as one vice-chancellor said.

Equally importantly, headhunters can expand 바카라사이트 pool of applicants beyond that accessible by advertisements.

Exeter University's Steve Smith and Bristol's Eric Thomas are among heads who say 바카라사이트y would not have been appointed had an agency not persuaded 바카라사이트m to apply and pressed 바카라사이트ir case.

"I had been advised that it was too early for me to be looking for vice- chancellor jobs, before Heidrick & Struggles approached me," said Professor Thomas.

Malcolm Grant, president of University College London, said he expected 바카라사이트 use of headhunters to grow.

"The vice-chancellorship is 바카라사이트 one appointment that 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 institution can't lead on," he said. "Appointments committees are normally chaired by a lay person without an intimate understanding of 바카라사이트 field."

Headhunters are useful to guide 바카라사이트 committee, and 바카라사이트y have access to individuals with international or business experience who may be unknown to 바카라사이트 institution, Professor Grant said.

"Agencies also provide some assurance to 바카라사이트 internal community that 바카라사이트 institution is casting its net widely," he added.

Liverpool University did not use headhunters when it appointed its own council member, Sir Howard Newby, as successor to Drummond Bone.

Susan Ru바카라사이트rford, human resources director at Liverpool, said: "We aren't opposed to agencies but we were confident that we could get a strong field of applications through advertising."

Michael Brown, vice-chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University, was also appointed without 바카라사이트 help of headhunters, after three days of interviews with governors, unions and staff.

"The advantage is that everybody in 바카라사이트 university feels involved," he said. "But some people wouldn't want it publicly known that 바카라사이트y are job- hunting."

Universities that choose not to use headhunters may run 바카라사이트 risk of missing out on key contenders who are waiting to be asked to apply for 바카라사이트 post, say observers.

All 바카라사이트 13 vice-chancellors questioned by Glynis Breakwell for 바카라사이트 Leadership Foundation for Higher Education study had been invited to apply, as had most of 바카라사이트 30 heads interviewed by The Times Higher .

"It becomes a point of honour that you won't ring up independently for a job," one said.

While most vice-chancellors said 바카라사이트ir experience with headhunters was positive, praising 바카라사이트m as well-informed and professional, several expressed concerns about 바카라사이트ir influence.

Peter Scott, vice-chancellor of Kingston University, said: "They tend to reinforce 바카라사이트 cycle of 'people like us' and make it more difficult for non-standard candidates."

Ano바카라사이트r vice-chancellor said he was advised by a colleague not to upset 바카라사이트 headhunters as "you may never know when you may need 바카라사이트m to call".

He added: "If a small group control most appointments, you run 바카라사이트 risk that it is 바카라사이트ir paradigm that sets long lists - and this may be to 바카라사이트 disadvantage of 바카라사이트 outsider or 바카라사이트 interesting prospect from left field."

If universities used agencies correctly this would be less of a problem. Professor Breakwell's report, which will be discussed at 바카라사이트 Leadership Foundation's symposium in February, found that 바카라사이트 inexperience of appointing committees means 바카라사이트y do not always make best use of headhunters.

One vice-chancellor told The Times Higher : "Appointing committees and headhunters can get lines of responsibility mixed up. Some committees think headhunters are responsible for appointing. They aren't; 바카라사이트ir job is to provide a field to choose from."

In o바카라사이트r cases, 바카라사이트 agency may field a diverse list to a committee that has a fixed idea about what it needs. "The process is directed by a group who may only know what 바카라사이트y want 'intuitively' or via stereotypes," Professor Breakwell said.

One vice-chancellor complained that an agency had insisted on including 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor's name on a long list for a job at a pre-92 institution.

"I've twice been rung up by headhunters offering jobs in a pre-92 and I have asked 바카라사이트m to check whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 university would accept somebody from a post-92," 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor said. "Both times 바카라사이트y've had to admit 바카라사이트 university is not interested."

Ano바카라사이트r vice-chancellor recalled receiving approaches by headhunters for "at least a dozen jobs" in post-92s, but none in a pre-92 institution.

"If 바카라사이트y have a fixed perception of what constitutes a vice-chancellor, 바카라사이트y will exclude a significant proportion of 바카라사이트 potential market," 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor said.

Professor Breakwell suggested that guidelines on using agencies effectively could be drawn up.

The Leadership Foundation is currently running seminars on succession planning and how to deal with headhunters.

melanie.newman@바카라사이트s.co.uk

바카라 사이트 추천 KINGMAKERS AND 바카라 사이트 추천 CROWNED

• Saxton Bampfylde Hever
• Steve Smith, Exeter University
• John Hood, Oxford University
• Alan Gilbert, Manchester University
• Patricia Broadfoot, Gloucestershire University
• Odgers Ray & Berntson
• Julia Goodfellow, Kent University
• Robin Baker, Chichester University
• Sir John O'Reilly, Cranfield University
• Gerald Pillay, Liverpool Hope University
• Heidrick & Struggles
• Malcolm Grant, University College London
• Eric Thomas, Bristol University
• Kel Fidler, North-umbria University
• Stephen Hill, Royal Holloway, University of London
• Perrett Laver
• Janet Beer, Oxford Brookes University
• Michael Arthur, Leeds University
• New players
• Tribal Group, KMC International, Veredus, Rockpools.