Guiding or participating in an executive or leadership search is an essential service to Virginia Commonwealth University. By fostering a highly engaging, organized, and collaborative search process, you play a pivotal role in attracting and selecting exceptional leaders who bring unique perspectives and align with VCU's mission and values.
If you are leading or participating in a staff search at VCU that involves a search committee, your first step should be to complete the online search committee training. Please note that the Search Committee Training is currently under review due to recent federal guidance, with further details to be provided. This training will equip you with an understanding of your roles and responsibilities throughout the search, outline the entire search process, address unconscious bias, and much more. Once completed, the training module will remain available as an ongoing resource to support you throughout the search process.
The accompanying guides and toolkits are designed to build on the knowledge gained from the search committee training, helping you to dive deeper into specific stages of the search (such as launching the search, advertising and recruiting, preparing itineraries, and more). These resources also include sample agendas, itineraries, and practical tools to streamline your participation in the search. The guides are organized to align with the various stages of the search process. Please note that the materials in the leadership search toolkits are intended for HR Professionals, HR Associates, search chairs, search committee members, and hiring managers involved in staff searches with a search committee.
Key Phases and Resources for Completing a Leadership Search
Find detailed information about toolkits and resources under each step below.
- Launch the search
- Sample proposed search timeline
- Initial search committee meeting sample agenda
- Sample search committee charge
- Search committee process overview
- Confidentiality and conflict of interest
- Working with a search firm
- VCU-vetted search firm list
- Working with VCU's Executive Search Team
- Develop the posting
- Writing the posting
- Writing a welcoming advertisement
- Descriptive language about VCU and Richmond
- Advertise and recruit
- How to attract top talent
- Identify critera for consistent evaluation
- Criteria chart toolkit
- Sample evaluation tools
- Evaluating the applicant with a focus on varied perspectives
- Prepare for interview
- Developing consistent interviews
- Respectful and open-minded interview questions
- Tips for interviewing
- Organizing an interview
- Provide positive candidate experience
- Creating an itinerary and planning on-site visits
- Sample itineraries
- Information about Richmond
- Candidate welcome and information folder
- Moving and relocation
- Evaluate finalists and conclude the search
- Evaluation and wrap-up