Blogs

Growing Our Commitment to Community Colleges

By Jennifer O'Neill posted 8 days ago
Hiring, retention, compensation, employee well-being, leadership development, and career growth: these workforce conversations run through every corner of higher education, including community colleges. At the same time, community college members often bring a specific context to those conversations. Their institutions are closely tied to local communities and regional workforce needs. Their teams may be smaller, roles broader, and hiring may involve competing with both higher education and industry employers. They may also be thinking about succession planning, adjunct and part-time talent, and how to make practical resources work within their campus structures. ...

Let’s Talk Higher Ed Careers: A New Resource for Higher Education Employers

By Marcia Silva posted 02-26-2026
HERC Jobs has launched a new video podcast, Let’s Talk Higher Ed Careers , designed to spotlight real career paths in higher education and share practical insights into today’s evolving talent market. Created with both job seekers and employers in mind, the podcast features conversations with higher education professionals, career coaches, and HR leaders. Episodes explore the wide range of campus roles, offer perspectives on career growth and mobility, and provide guidance on navigating a competitive hiring landscape. The first episode is an "Ask a Recruiter" session featuring Sonya Ponder, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Talent Acquisition Manager at Princeton ...

The Veteran Workforce Advantage: Purpose-Driven Talent in Higher Education

By Marcia Silva posted 11-12-2025
Veterans represent a unique, resilient, and purpose-driven segment of the workforce. Their values closely align with higher education’s commitment to service, growth, and community impact. By understanding veterans’ motivations, career goals, and willingness to relocate, colleges and universities can gain valuable insights to strengthen their recruitment and retention strategies. This article examines why veterans are a valuable asset to higher education, how their mission-oriented mindset fosters long-term retention, and what institutions can learn from their career priorities. Why Recruiting Veterans Benefits Higher Education Veterans bring a unique ...

Harper College Named Lead Institution for Greater Chicago Midwest HERC

By Marcia Silva posted 07-15-2025
We are excited to announce that Harper College will now serve as the lead institution for the Greater Chicago Midwest Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (GCM HERC). With 100 community colleges in the HERC member network, Harper College is the first one to take on this leadership role. Launched in 2007, GCM HERC comprises 16 institutions, including DePaul University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Notre Dame. “Becoming the lead institution for the Greater Chicago Midwest HERC is an exciting next step in Harper College’s partnership with HERC,” said Amanda Duval Norwood, Chief Human Resources Officer, Harper College. “Thanks to ...

2025 HERC Workforce Survey: Key Takeaways to Support Recruitment & Retention

By Marcia Silva posted 06-25-2025
We are excited to share highlights from the newly released Charting the Course: What the Workforce is Telling Us and What We Can Do About It , offering fresh insight into what today’s job seekers and employees want from their workplace and how institutions can respond. This year’s survey included responses from over 1,300 individuals and featured new questions on flexibility, well-being, and workplace community. The data reveals a clear message: culture, growth, and connection matter just as much as compensation. Candidates Are Keeping Higher Ed on Their Radar While 51% of respondents are exploring jobs across multiple industries, 39% ...

Key Perceptions of Higher Education Careers from LinkedIn Users

By Marcia Silva posted 03-04-2025
With close to 29,000 followers, LinkedIn remains one of HERC’s primary channels for connecting with current and passive job seekers. We frequently share LinkedIn polls to gauge the opinions of job seekers and professionals in higher education on relevant and timely topics pertinent to working in this field. Here are some recent poll findings to consider when planning employee recruitment and retention strategies. Perceptions of the Higher Education Workplace When asked how their perception of careers in higher education has changed from a year ago, over half (65%) of respondents said it was “Less Appealing,” a quarter (25%) said ...

Virtual Career Fair Tips for Employers

By Marcia Silva posted 01-06-2025
Virtual career fairs provide a unique way to engage potential job candidates. However, achieving success requires many strategies like those used at in-person career fairs, but with the added bells and whistles available through virtual event technology. Here are some essential tips to maximize your participation in a virtual career fair. Before the Event Get to Know the Platform: Learn how to navigate the virtual event platform. Check for resources and webinars on tools and features to leverage during the event. You’ll likely receive multiple emails from the vendor platform that point out things to read and do – make sure you scan them ...

Creating Inclusive Workspaces: 6 Strategies to Support Neurodiverse Employees

By Marcia Silva posted 11-18-2024
The term "neurodiversity" is becoming more familiar, reflecting a growing awareness and respect for the variety of ways people perceive and engage with the world. As the understanding of neurodiversity expands, more individuals are openly identifying as neurodivergent, leading workplaces to consider how they can better support this essential segment of the workforce. Neurodivergence encompasses a range of conditions—including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and more—that influence how individuals think, learn, and interact. These unique ways of processing and perceiving can offer valuable perspectives, skills, and creativity to the workplace. By adopting inclusive ...

New HERC Report Highlights What Matters Most to Current and Prospective Higher Education Professionals

By Marcia Silva posted 07-16-2024
We’re excited to share the results of HERC’s annual job seeker survey in our new publication, “2024 HERC Job Seeker Survey Report: What Matters Now – Insights from the Higher Education Talent Community.” Recruitment and retention remain top priorities for higher ed employers, especially with the recent media attention on higher education leadership and on-campus activities. The report shares the needs and expectations of today’s higher education job seekers and employees, and pinpoints practical, realistic, and impactful enhancements higher education employers can take. Members can download the full report here . The report provides timely insights into ...

Are We Really a Nation Divided: A Revealing Q&A with Amanda Shaffer

By Marcia Silva posted 07-09-2024
Amanda Shaffer is a professional coach and consultant with extensive experience supporting both institutions and individuals to initiate, transform, and grow. She has written multiple diversity-focused guidebooks, toolkits, and videos for national associations and academic institutions. Learn more. What are the challenges of doing DEI work now? At this point, if you are paying attention to the legislation tracker on the Chronicle of Higher Education you are pretty familiar with our current challenges. We’re facing a lot of restrictive and vague legislation, book banning, and quite a few fear-based preemptive changes. There is also an attitude ...

Job Seeker Engagement: Spotlighting Higher Ed Professionals

By Marcia Silva posted 06-06-2024
HERC positions higher education as an attractive career option and expands the higher education candidate pool to bolster our members’ diversity outreach efforts. A key component of our work to engage both active and passive job seekers at different stages in their careers is through content marketing – producing and distributing relevant, useful content that supports career exploration, job searching, and career advancement. Our content for job seekers includes profiles of diverse higher ed professionals in various positions and career stages. Our goal with these profiles is to share real stories of individuals who have pursued careers in higher education ...

From Career Transitions to DEI: LinkedIn Polls Shed Light on Job Seeker Priorities

By Marcia Silva posted 04-17-2024
With nearly 27,000 followers, LinkedIn continues to be one of HERC’s top channels for reaching and engaging with job seekers, particularly those that identify as being in the middle stage of their careers. We leverage social media and regularly post LinkedIn polls to learn about what potential and current higher ed professionals think about relevant and timely topics related to working in higher ed. Below are some recent poll results to reflect on as you consider employee recruitment and retention initiatives. Changing Careers is Common When asked if they’ve ever switched career paths, nearly the same percentage ...

Membership Milestone: HERC in All 50 States!

By Marcia Silva posted 01-12-2024
We are thrilled to announce HERC’s nationwide expansion, now offering membership in all 50 states! This strategic decision marks a significant milestone in HERC’s journey, opening doors for colleges, universities, and other higher ed across the country to join our community dedicated to fostering an inclusive higher education workforce. After conducting an internal assessment of regional health and membership needs, HERC leadership approved the restructuring and expansion of HERC regions to strengthen our member network, expand the institution types in our region, and help us grow sustainably. “Transforming HERC into a nationwide organization ...

LinkedIn Poll Findings: Job Seeker Insights on Various Topics

By Marcia Silva posted 07-28-2023
Harnessing the tools of social media can result in a breadth of knowledge. When used well, creators can not only send out their message and vision, but also draw insight on their community. HERC continues to develop a better understanding of potential and current higher ed professionals through the utilization of LinkedIn poll features. Despite the limitations of a brief poll, several interesting observations have been made in the most recent batch of questions to higher ed professionals. Searching for jobs using various channels Job seekers are finding their roles in higher ed in a variety of ways. When asked how they found ...

Wright State University: 5-Year Anniversary as a Lead Institution

By Marcia Silva posted 06-16-2023
Wright State University has been the lead institution of Ohio-Western Pennsylvania-West Virginia HERC since 2018. To acknowledge and celebrate this 5-year milestone, we highlight individuals at Wright State University and other regional leaders that have helped forward HERC’s mission and demonstrated their commitment to creating inclusive workplaces where people of all identities and perspectives can thrive. We are also grateful to the institution’s community partners that have helped strengthen our efforts to reach and support our members and job seekers. WSU Mission: We empower all students to excel in their lives and chosen careers through integrated ...

HERC Report Shows Growing Competition for Stagnant Higher Ed Candidate Pool

By Marcia Silva posted 06-13-2023
We’re excited to share the results of HERC’s annual job seeker survey in our new publication, “2023 HERC Job Seeker Survey Report: Understanding the Higher Ed Workforce.” As recruitment and retention remain top of mind for higher ed employers, the report provides a timely pulse check on today’s higher education job seekers. One of our goals for the report is to identify actionable, realistic, and impactful improvements that higher education employers can make to find, select, and retain staff and faculty. Members can download the full report here . The report provides insights on the current job seeker landscape, factors affecting ...

Remembering Eddie Freeman, HERC Champion and Leader

By Marcia Silva posted 05-19-2023
It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we inform you of the passing of HERC champion and DEI leader, Eddie Freeman. It is an immense loss for our community, and we mourn the departure of a visionary leader, mentor, and dear friend. Eddie played an instrumental role in shaping the foundation of HERC. With unwavering dedication, he guided us through big changes and towards growth. His vision for HERC was to continue to grow and connect our community of practice; collaborate to build tools and knowledge that allow us to advance our shared mission; and continue on a path that strengthens the organization. His passion and commitment have been an inspiration ...

Greater Missouri HERC Now Called South Midwest HERC

By Marcia Silva posted 05-09-2023
We are excited to share that the Greater Missouri HERC is expanding to three more states and changing its name to reflect the new expansion. Renamed the South Midwest HERC , the region now includes Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and southern Illinois. This expansion provides opportunities for membership growth, more regional and national member networking and collaborations, increased dual career support, additional thought-leadership opportunities, and more regional programming. When launched in 2007, the regional HERC was a collaborative of member institutions working to address the many challenges and opportunities of academic recruitment and retention ...

Forging Connections Through Intergenerational Leadership

By Marcia Silva posted 01-11-2023
Dr. Saint Rice, Jr., Assistant Dean in the Washington University Olin School of Business and Director of Faculty, Staff, and Community Engagement, Washington University in St. Louis and HERC Advisory Board Member As an administrator in the criminal justice field, Dr. Saint Rice saw younger generations entering the workforce and noticed that the practices regarding leadership development were not connecting with Millennials and Gen Z and needed to be updated. New employees that were excited to enter the field and impact their communities quickly became disillusioned. “Probably within seven months or so, I saw the glow in their eyes was gone, and many of ...

5 Data-Informed Steps for Retention & Recruitment

By Marcia Silva posted 01-10-2023
Setting actionable goals for the higher ed workplace can be a daunting task. With so many aspects of employee management, it can be a challenge to pinpoint tangible tasks to meet your objectives. One of HERC’s objectives in the past year was to better utilize LinkedIn polls to engage and learn from higher ed job seekers. With over 20,000 followers, LinkedIn is HERC’s largest social media channel to reach its community of job seekers and others employed in higher ed. Below are 5 steps to strengthen recruitment and retention efforts at your institution, informed by what we learned from our LinkedIn polls. 1. Offer work from home and/or flexible schedules ...