Provide a positive candidate experience
This guide is intended for the search chairs and administrative support. When creating an itinerary and planning for a campus visit, please remember to consider the following:
- Ensure all parts of itinerary are communicated with key stakeholders (including the hiring department; those on itinerary; student listservs, etc.)
- If there will be a campus forum, once solidified, work with Media Services if there will be recorded forums or presentations
- Book rooms and calendars as far in advance as possible
- Meals are often informal, try to steer away from them being formal interviews
- Negotiate with hotels to save costs
- Consider all parts of preparing for candidate’s travel arrangements. You can also utilize the information about Richmond guide
- Hotels
- Airfare (work with Christopherson)
- Ground transportation
- Ideas for destinations in Richmond
- Information about the reimbursement process and completion of any necessary preauthorization travel forms
- A contact person throughout the candidate's visit
- Consider the actual day(s) of the visit:
- Escort for candidate
- Meals
- Planning real estate tours
- Potential stakeholders involved in the search
- Students (leaders)
- Unit and department-specific employees
- Deans
- Unit specific leadership (ie Administration, Development and Alumni Relations, Finance, etc.)
- Cabinet
- Supervisor
- Staff/ direct reports
- Peer-level positions
- Stakeholders with whom the position frequently interacts
- External/ community partners
- Someone to lead campus tours
Sample itineraries:
This guide is intended for the search chair and search support. Review the links and videos about Richmond, Va.
- 5 minutes with Richmond, VA - video
- All About Richmond - VCU site
- Murals of Richmond - book
- OutRVA - contains a Richmond Travel Guide
- 20 things to know before moving to Richmond
- The best things to do in Richmond, VA
- Love what you find - Richmond
Hotels (we do not endorse or recommend hotels, rather we suggest those which have been utilized in the past)
Restaurants near VCU
- Edo’s Squid
- Ipanema
- Kuba Kuba
- The Savory Grain
- Tarrant’s Cafe
- Maple & Pine
- Comfort
- The Pit & The Peel
This guide is intended for the search chair and search support. Use this to pull together a welcome basket for candidates coming for campus visits.
- Itinerary for the visit
- Maps of VCU
- Map of Richmond
- Information about VCU and the hiring unit
- Benefits
- Work life resources
- VCU Strategic plan
- Mission and vision
- Org chart
- Any strategic unit plans
- Applicable magazines or brochures
- Information on moving and relocation assistance.
- Establish contact with or encourage the candidate to reach out to Joyner Fine Properties or Long & Foster.
- Items like water, mints, and VCU gear
VCU has a relocation program which provides quality services to current and prospective university employees through two local real estate firms: Joyner Fine Properties and Long & Foster. VCU’s preexisting contract with the firms covers such services as:
- Campus tours during the search process (utilizing this service does not implicate using either company to help with the actual moving and relocation);
- drive-around rental assistance and lending services;
- financial incentives and moving services.
- The relocation teams can also assess individual real estate needs and expectations, assist in maximizing the benefits of their preferred client status and serve as advocates throughout the details of real estate transactions.
In utilizing the firms during or after the offer has been made, please note the following:
- Candidates and new employees have the option to reach out directly to either firm. The HR Professional or Hiring Authority can send the candidate/ employee contact information, here. For an executive level search or where more high-touch support is desired, the HRP or Talent Acquisition office can reach out to Joyner or Long & Foster directly and ask each of them to reach out to the candidate. The candidate should be the one selecting which firm to use.
- As far as next steps, the companies manage the process. There is nothing to sign, pay, etc.
- If the hiring manager would like to provide any financial assistance with the actual moving and relocation costs (paying for a moving company, travel, rentals, etc.), that can all be covered by a sign on bonus.