What happens in a search committee meeting?
An effective search committee needs to follow specific guidelines to ensure a fair and inclusive atmosphere for all. Firstly, you must choose a search chair - whether that is you or someone else. The responsibility of the search chair is to keep the committee focused and dedicated to the entire process.
The search committee chair should set the agenda and send it out ahead of time so everyone knows. All search committee members should then offer suggestions for things to be covered. It’s important for everyone to be equally involved because a successful committee meeting requires everyone to be on the same page.
When the meeting starts, instead of jumping straight into the agenda, start with an icebreaker to help committee members to introduce. This is particularly important when people from different teams are involved.
A search committee meeting is far more creative and complex than any regular screening or interviewing process. All members should express their opinions, making it easier to select the best candidate for future roles.
Think of a search committee meeting as a brainstorming session or a friendly forum to discuss various perspectives. Once you establish guidelines and ground rules for the meeting, the search process should be more productive. You should allot time to discuss each candidate and their traits to cover everyone fairly (and, of course, talk through what you’re ideally looking for).
When conducting interviews with the selected candidates all committee members should ask questions based on their area of expertise. Make sure every candidate gets equal time and is able to ask questions at the end.
