NIH Virtual Hiring Manager Guide Series: Section Three – Outreach Through Professional Organizations
This blog series is designed to assist the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Hiring Managers with meeting their workforce representational diversity aims by providing resources specific to the Native American community. This final section provides resources, tools, and options for expanding outreach, while this part focuses on how to leverage professional organizations as an opportunity to search for job candidates.
The previous sections for the NIH Virtual Hiring Manager Guide Series are included to guide your recruitment journey.
Section One | Special Hiring Authorities
Section Two | Internships
Section Three | Outreach Resources
Professional organizations can serve as a starting place to search for potential candidates and share job announcements using multiple vehicles. Many organizations allow hiring managers to list job vacancies on their websites and publications. Some professional organizations, such as the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), charge a fee for posting job listings.
Review the organization descriptions and visit their website to determine which would best serve your recruitment needs.
Use the contact information provided in this section to post job announcements (fees may apply).
Focus your attention on key language for job advertisements and interview questions that are critical in recruiting top talent.
Attend annual conferences and job fairs (fees may apply).
Effective outreach and recruitment are best approached as an on-going process rather than an effort limited to a particular hiring event. Outreach and recruitment include a wide range of activities— posting jobs with academic and professional organizations, advertising in electronic and print media, and advertising with services primarily serving Native American communities. Explore all possible recruitment avenues. This section of the toolkit includes outreach and recruitment resources.
On-Going Outreach
Send position announcements to an extensive network.
Advertise in professional journals geared towards Native Americans.
Distribute job descriptions at annual meetings and conferences.
Involve current Native American staff as “magnets” in outreach.
Provide candidates an opportunity to meet NIH staff and connect.
Participate in career fairs.
Use the internet and social media to help recruit and raise awareness of the NIH as an employer seeking to recruit Native Americans.
Immediate Outreach
Describe the interdisciplinary opportunities at the NIH in job announcements.
Connect with career services offices of professional organizations.
Ensure interviewers reflect an inclusive work environment.
Encourage staff, through contacts with colleagues, to identify qualified Native American candidates.
Describe the multicultural nature of the job (if applicable) and the diversity of the NIH.
Check with Institutes and Center’s outreach and recruitment committee about potential candidates they may have identified through their on-going outreach efforts and send job advertisements to recommended candidates.
Designate a coordinator responsible for outreach programs, including websites, universities, and employment assistance programs.
Encourage a diversity of perspectives to be represented on all search committees.
Leveraging your professional network is an efficient and cost-effective recruitment strategy that can boost your recruiting efforts. Typically, those in your network have comparable backgrounds or interests and are more bestowed in your success, and prone to make quality referrals.
Read our final strategy: Using Social Media to Recruit and Hire.
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