by Christopher D. Lee, Ph.D., SPHR
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Question: How can higher ed reckon with the increased need for hybrid and fully telework schedules? Many higher ed leaders are insistent that higher ed still offers the “in-person experience,” but this is killing our hiring prospects.
Answer from Christopher D. Lee, Ph.D., SPHR: There is no easy answer to this question, and even the experts cannot foretell how higher education — or the public and private sectors — will adapt to the realities of the new workplace. What is clear, nonetheless, is that there will be change. If history is a predictable teacher, higher education is more likely to evolve than to make sharp turns or changes. Yet and still, leaders must make a series of deliberate decisions about how to position themselves to meet the preferences and expectations of the marketplace, or risk not having talented pools of applicants from which to choose.
Remote technologies have proven that many positions can be as effective, or more so, offsite. As great as remote work is, it is not a universal solution to work or to attracting the best talent as it lacks certain enriching elements that are essential to the workplace.
Life is experiential, and while it may be hard to describe, we all know that proximity and presence are powerful dynamics in the human experience. As an example, movies and live theater are fundamentally different — although both are wonderful in their own way. This is the first guidepost to an answer to the question. What kind of institution is it, and what is its mission? Liberal arts colleges are designed with frequent interactions, deep interpersonal relationships, and one-to-one mentoring in mind. Commuter institutions and community colleges may have different expectations and needs. A large variety of co-curricular and extracurricular activities are baked into the formula for what is offered by big state universities, and their facilities, pricing, operating model, and brand are built upon these assumptions.
Just as religious institutions and HBCUs have different missions, organizations must attract personnel whose values and visions of the workplace align with theirs. Those wanting to work from home 3-4 days a week may not be good candidates for residential institutions. Similarly, remote-only and hybrid options make more sense for information technology or institutional research positions than it does for student-facing positions.
Have not faculty positions always been hybrid? For some campuses, it is common for faculty to teach classes, hold office hours, and attend committee meetings, and little else for presence. At some liberal arts colleges, it is desirous for faculty to live nearby and engage with students after regular class periods. The mission, operating model, function, and requirements of positions should determine an institution’s remote work policy parameters. It can’t be solely market-driven.
Notwithstanding all the above, leaders will still have to adjust to the demands of the marketplace or talented professionals won’t apply. Both parties will need to know what makes sense for them. Leaders must be realistic; they can’t arbitrarily decide that no remote work or hybrid options will be offered because the marketplace for talent will no longer allow it. Similarly, applicants should also expect institutions to hold to their true character by offering options that fit their mission and reserving flexibility for the functions and positions where productivity can be maintained without negatively affecting their operating model and brand.
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