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Thank you for your cooperation.ACUHO-I Annual Conference & Exposition

Program Committee

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Version June 23, 2008

ACUHO-I sponsored study report

Session 4: Recruitment

Recruitment and Retention of Entry-Level Staff in Housing and Residence Life

June 23, 2008

ACUHO-I Orlando

Stewart RobinetteTom Ellett

Holley A. BelchThomas Scheuermann

Recruitment Session Overview

Introductions Literature Review Career Cycle Problem Analysis Job Analysis Best Practices and Professional

Development Shared Experiences Questions

3

Project Overview• Position analysis • Best practices study• Supervision and mentorship• Image of housing/residence life

(perception)• Role of professional development

4

History and LiteratureDéjà Vu:

20+ years of ACUHO-I efforts on R & R

Deliberation: Recent assessment efforts

Decisive Action: Commissioned research-comprehensive approach

Source: Scheuermann and Ellett (JCUSH, 2007) 5

History and LiteratureDéjà vu: 20+ years of ACUHO-I efforts

on R & RLongstanding topic of dialogue

-More attention given to this in the mid 2000s• Dr. Donald Kilbourn, one of the first ACUHO-I

presidents (1951): “recruiting staff is our biggest challenge facing our profession”

• ACPA/NASPA Task Force-factors impacting recruitment and retention

• Jahr (1990): “no two more critical areas…than recruitment and retention”

6

History and LiteratureDeliberation: Recent assessment

efforts• Housing and Residence Life Professionals

Recruitment and Retention Survey Report (2002): differences between “new” and “experienced” professionals in benefits

• Belch & Mueller (2003) “Pools or puddles?”– Quality of life, remuneration, interest in

the housing/residence life profession

7

History

Commissioned Research Project

Summer 2004 through Summer 2007

Summer 2004 – Fall 2004 • Literature Review • Design Studies

Fall 2004 – Spring 2005 • International Study Problem

Assessment (Study A) • Position Analysis (Study B

Begin)

Summer 2005 – Spring 2006

• Position Analysis (Study B Conclude)

• Best Practices (Study C) • Supervision & Mentorship

(Study D)

Fall 2005 – Fall 2006 • Images of Job and Field

(Study E) • Housing and Residence Life

Career - Model Development • Summary Report

Spring 2007 • Final Report Prepared• Further Research Identified

Summer 2008 • Further Reporting• Glossy Prepared for

Distribution at Annual Conference

8

Housing and Residence Life Career Model

Recruitment & Retention

Undergraduate

Graduate

RD

Post RD (in housing)

Candidates from outside

the Field.

Key: Position Process Recruitment/retention influence

Exit Transition Entry/Re-Entry

The red circle represents the Field

of Housing and Residence Life.

(Belch, Bleiberg, Christopher, Dunkel, Ellett, Novitski, Scheuermann, St. Onge)



Undergraduate

Graduate

RD



the Field.








Undergraduate

Graduate

RD



the Field.






Career Model

•Holistic View•Preparation for professionals at different junctions•Impacts the declining or accepting of offers to join the field

10

Problem AnalysisRecruitment— 4”P’s” in the

Literature:• Periodic fluctuations – housing and res

life job availability• Pipelines – undergraduates, RAs,

student leaders • Perceptions – views of entry level

positions• Pools – of candidates;

quality/quantity=related to above variablesThe literature and factors cited above informed our framework and approach to the ACUHO-I Commissioned

Research study. 11

Problem AnalysisThe Crisis in Recruitment and Retention

of Housing Officers Report (2002)Reasons for the perception of declining job offers•Geographic location•Salary•Fit with institution•Type/Size of institution•Position responsibilities•Quality of life

Was this an issue or just a perception?

Is it only a problem for small institutions?

Was this an issue or just a perception?

Is it only a problem for small institutions?

12

Problem AnalysisRecruiting is a Concern on my Campus

Large Housing Operation

> 1,000 beds

Small Housing Operation

< 1,000 beds

13

Agree 36%

Neither Agree nor

Disagree 23%

Strongly Agree

9%

Strongly Disagree

6%

Disagree 26%

Neither Agree nor

Disagree 31%

Disagree 30%

Strongly Disagree

11%

Agree 25%

Strongly Agree

3%

Problem AnalysisRecruiting is a Concern on my Campus

Average Annual Starting Salary for an Entry-Level Staff Member in Housing:

24,213

Highest Degree for Entry-Level

Staff:

58% Bachelor’s Degree

31% Master’s Degree

11% Currently pursuing a degree

14

Job AnalysisStudy Purpose

To measure and examine aspects of the Residence Director (RD) work experience which predicts their commitment to a career in HRL.

To achieve this, measures of several aspects of the work experience were tested for their relationship to measures of career commitment and loyalty among entry level and senior housing professionals.

15

Job AnalysisRecruitment Related Factors

Work Experience Measures Career MeasuresJob Autonomy Job Involvement

Role AmbiguityPerceived Support Professional Development Fairness

Career Planning

16



Undergraduate

Graduate

RD



the Field.








Undergraduate

Graduate

RD



the Field.






Job AnalysisResultsJob burnout was identified most frequently as the work experience measure for having a high impact on career measures and needing improvement among HRL professionals and RDs

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A second group of work experience measures - Job Involvement, Workload Dissatisfaction, Satisfaction with Promotion Opportunities, and Professional Development Outcome Fairness

For the RDs alone, role ambiguity impacts happiness

Identified as having an impact on

career measures and

needing improvement

Identified as having an impact on

career measures and

needing improvement

Job AnalysisRecruitment Implications:

Role AmbiguityKing and King (1990) identified role ambiguity as a sense of confusion about expectations on the job

Window Counting Example

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•Housing leaders can reduce role ambiguity by providing job descriptions that are focused on clarifying job tasks and job requirements•Ambiguity may be reduced by having RDs negotiate expectations for tasks that are outside of the scope of their job

Best PracticesA Delphi method of inquiry used to identify the institutions with best practices;

ACUHO-I’s Leadership Assembly and Small College Network participated as expert panelists;

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11 institutions and over 75 interviews

Best PracticesKey strategies in recruitment

Policies: - Pets- Domestic partners - Respecting living space - Collateral assignments - 12 month contract length and/or accommodating flexibility - Professional development support

20

Attractive Benefits

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%%

of

Res

po

nd

ents

Supervision and Mentorship Study

Taken from the Supervision and Mentorship Survey - contained over 381 participants in ACUHO-I membership of entry level professionals

21


Processes: - Ongoing communication during process

- Attention to the individual

- Broad approach to professional development

22


Perks: - Personalizing campus residence

External entranceWasher/dryerNon-institutional furnitureWooden kitchen cabinets

- Meal plan

- Plan for addressing amenities in living space

23


Personalities: - Professional development encouraged through words, actions, and resources;

- Staff ownership; staff exhibit genuine enthusiasm for work-Acknowledging the importance of fit between individual and dept/institution

24

Best PracticesKeys to Recruitment

a. Dedicated person with attention to detail

b. Full interview schedule

c. Candidate access to decision maker

d. Current staff are professionally visible & involved

e. “Employee Alumni” assist in recruiting new candidates

25

Professional DevelopmentProfessional Development Study

A stratified random sample of 240 mid-level professional representing all U.S. ACUHO-I regions; Sample criteria included the size of the institution’s residential operation

Small - Less than 1000 bedsMedium - 1000 to 2500 beds Large - More than 2501 beds

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69.5% (167 of 240) Response rate

Professional DevelopmentProfessional development plans,

expectations, and institutional support:•Introduced to the idea of professional development by a former supervisor•Reported that employers encouraged staff to participate in professional development activities•Reported having a written professional development plan and 40% of those who had a written plan wrote one because they personally believed it was a good idea, not because their employer required one•Receive at least $800 for professional development activities even though the range of institutional funds to support professional development varied greatly•Participation by respondents in formal programs (e.g., NHTI) increased as the amount of institutional support increased (a statistically significant finding)

27

49%

86.5%

29.3%

53.7%

Professional DevelopmentImpact of Professional Development

•Nearly all (92%) claimed that involvement in professional development activities has improved their overall level of competence in their job

•82% were satisfied/very satisfied with their involvement in these activities

•Respondents who indicated professional development activities had improved their overall competence were more likely to have attended a conference (statistically significant finding)

28

Professional DevelopmentImpact of Professional Development

(continued)•Respondents were more likely to be involved at the regional rather than national level

•A significant relationship existed among those attending an “in person conference” who believed involvement in professional development activities improved overall competence

•A greater percentage of respondents who believed that involvement contributed to promotion said they had gained skills in leadership, networking, and had stronger management skills

•The study found no statistical relationship between promotion and involvement in professional development activities

29

Professional DevelopmentSummative Thoughts:

•The study indicated that the role of professional development is significant for professionals influenced by their supervisors to participate in this level of activity for their personal growth

•While many institutions encourage their staff to participate, it may well be worthwhile to create a plan for professional development (as noted by 29.3% of the participants)

•The vast majority of respondents noted that their competence has improved (92%) due to their involvement in a professional development activity, which most noted as attendance at annual conferences

30

Shared ExperiencesWhere do we go from here?

As a professional?As a small institution or a large

institution?

31

Shared ExperiencesHow do you move from this knowledge to putting these ideas into place in your department?

Will there be resistance to change and if so how can that be overcome?

32

Shared ExperiencesWhat messages do we take to our professionals based on this information?

Diet and Exercise example

33

Shared ExperiencesWhat would you like to see added to this research for the profession?

34

Questions

35

References – for ACUHO-I 2008 Session Powerpoint ABBREVIATED REFERENCE LISTREFERENCES

ACUHO-I Leadership Assembly (2002). The recruitment and retention of housing

officers. Orlando, FL: AuthorBelch, H. A., & Mueller, J. A. (2003). Candidate pools or puddles: Challenges and trends in the recruitment and hiring of resident directors. Journal of College

Student Development, 44(1), 29-46. Belch, H. A., Wilson, M. E., & Dunkel, N. (forthcoming). Cultures of success: Recruiting and retaining new live-in residence life professionals. College Student Affairs Journal.Benedict, J. O., & Mondloch, G. J. (1989). Factors affecting burnout in

paraprofessional residence hall staff members. Journal of College Student

Development, 30(4), 293-297.Brewer, E .W., & Clippard, L. F. (2002). Burnout and job satisfaction among

student support services personnel. Human Resource Development Quarterly

13(2), 169-186. Dadez, E., & Hollow, C. (1992). Motivated and marketable, but nowhere to go!

ACUHO-I Talking Stick 10(2), 14. Herr, S. K., & Strange, C. (1985). The relationship between burnout and the work

environments of residence hall directors. Journal of College and University Student Housing, 15(2), 12-16. Jahr, P. K. (1990). Recruitment and preparation: Our future. ACUHO-I Talking Stick, 8(3), 6.

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References – for ACUHO-I 2008 Session Powerpoint ABBREVIATED REFERENCE LISTREFERENCES CONTINUEDLebron, M. J., McIntosh, J. and Nestor, E. (2002). Housing and residence life

professionals recruitment and retention survey report: Assessment report. Syracuse University: Authors. Magolda, P. M., & Carnaghi, J. E. (2004). Job one: Experiences of new professionals in student affairs. Lanham, MD: American College Personnel Association. McIntosh, J. and Ridzi, F. (2002). ACUHO-I Graduate Student Survey: Assessment report. Syracuse University: Authors.Scheuermann, T., & Ellett, T. (2007). A 3-D view of recruitment and retention of entry-level housing staff: Déjà vu, deliberation, decisive action. Journal of College and University Student Housing, 34(2).Schmidt, J. (2002). Presidential perspective. ACUHO-I Talking Stick, 19(6), 2.Tarver, D., Canada, R., & Lim, Mee-Gaik (1999). The relationship between job

satisfaction and locus of control among college student affairs administrators and academic administrators. NASPA Journal, 36(2), 96-105.Winston, R. B., Jr., Ullom, M, & Werring, C. (1983). The housing graduate assistantship: Factors that affect choice and perceived satisfaction. Journal of College Student Personnel, 24(3), 225-230.

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