Strategy Bank - Recruiting, Retaining and Promoting Female Academic Staff

The Australian Vice-Chancellor's Committee's Action Plan for Women Employed in Australian Universities 2006-2010 notes that while the higher education sector has achieved considerable success in increasing the numbers of women employed, women are still significantly under-represented at higher levels and the rate of progress is slow. Success in meeting the challenges of the future, which will include decreasing levels of public funding, industrial reform, an ageing workforce, the introduction of the RQF and an increasingly competitive national and international higher education market, will depend on accessing the full breadth of abilities, skills and perspectives from the workforce. Universities will need to draw more upon under-represented groups, particularly their women staff.

This resource provides a range of practical strategies to assist Deans, Departmental Heads and Divisional Directors in removing barriers to attracting, retaining and promoting high quality female academics.

Recruitment

• Use targeted search plans to increase applications from suitable women in areas where they are under-represented, including senior roles. Refer to the guidelines for recruitment search plans.
• Use the AVCC's Register of Senior University Women when seeking applicants for senior positions.  The Register contains personal information on senior female academic and general staff including discipline and areas of expertise.
• Chairs and members of recruitment/selection panels to be familiar with have completed training on the University’s recruitment and appointment procedures which include a gender equity component.
• Ensure selection panels comply with the University’s policy regarding their composition - as close to equal representation of both sexes as practicable with a minimum of one third each.  All panel members for an academic position are to be academics.
• Advertisements for positions include information attractive to women including information on the University’s maternity leave policy, flexible work policies, mentoring schemes, etc.
• Induction for staff at all levels to include information about the University’s policies and procedures that support women in the workforce. 

Flexible work arrangements

• Flexible work arrangements (such as flexible work hours, part-time work and job-sharing) are in place and access to them is supported by the department/unit to assist staff balance their work/life obligations and facilitate their effectiveness at work.
• Support women returning from maternity leave in re-establishing their research careers with appropriate workload management and resource allocation.
• Allocate workloads equitably and transparently to ensure that women do not contribute more to teaching, administration and pastoral care of students at the expense of their research careers.
• Develop and communicate a part-time work strategy for the Faculty/Division to ensure that staff on fractional appointments have appropriate workloads that are balanced to ensure opportunities for research and professional development
• Provide part-time staff with developmental opportunities and encourage them to apply for promotion.
• Offer opportunities for phased retirement and job sharing to assist knowledge transfer.
• Maintain contact with staff on extended periods of leave such as parental leave to lessen skill reduction, isolation and ease the return to work stage.

Further information about the University's Work/Life Strategy and associated policies.

Career development

• Nominate and support applications from women for leadership and developmental programs.
• Identify women who are ready for promotion and encourage them to apply.
• Develop mechanisms so that female staff considering promotion have the opportunity to be mentored through the process by a more senior staff member.
• Nominate women for awards and recognition programs.
• Strategies for career progression for women to be identified through the performance management scheme, with supervisors encouraged to discuss these career advancement plans with female staff.
• Conduct/facilitate academic skills development seminars for women on topics such as grant application writing skills and academic promotion application preparation.
• Developmental opportunities and resources to be equitably available to men and women (OSP, conference travel funds, higher duties)

Participation on Committees and Decision-Making Bodies

• Key meetings to be held within normal working hours so that staff with family or carer responsibilities can participate.
• Faculty/divisional committees and key decision making bodies are monitored to ensure women are represented on these bodies.
• Women are actively recruited to key faculty/departmental and divisional committees where they are not adequately represented.
• Use the Monash University Senior Women's Register to identify women interested in participating on faculty/divisional committees.

Improving Research

• Review workload models to ensure these provide adequate recognition of research activities, including publications, grant monies and HDR supervision.
• Establish early career research networks to provide peer mentoring opportunities.
• Provide relevant professional development and career planning to early career researchers (e.g. how to attract funds, publish and promote research).
• Review availability, types and access to internal funds that provide opportunities for early and mid career researchers to travel, attend conferences and engage in activities that will strengthen their research records.
• Encourage senior staff members with strong research profiles to include junior female colleagues on their research teams.
• Investigate ways of supporting women returning from maternity leave to re-establish their research activities and programs (e.g. teaching relief for the first six months after returning).
• Further strategies can be found in the Monash University When Research Works for Women report.

Workforce Planning/Succession Planning

• Review the age and gender profile of the faculty/division or department/unit.  Identify key senior roles at risk of change and develop a strategy to prepare for change i.e. recruitment, development, succession planning, knowledge transfer, flexible work arrangements, phased retirement.
• Succession plans for departments/units to include an equitable number of women identified as suitable for taking on senior roles.
• Identify high-achieving female staff at or below Level C for development programs leading to senior roles.

Eliminating discrimination and sexual harassment

• Ensure your faculty, department or division provides a working environment that is free from unlawful discrimination, sexual harassment and vilification. Sexual harassment can have a devastating impact on the health and well-being of staff and can result in reduced productivity and staff resignations.  
• All staff to complete the University's On-line EO training which provides a basic understanding of the rights and obligations staff have regarding unlawful discrimination and sex-based harassment.
• Faculty/divisional induction information to include a statement of the commitment to a workplace free from discrimination and sexual harassment.

Highlighting the achievements of women

• Include women in any material that promotes the achievements of the faculty/division such as research and teaching outcomes and major new developments.
• If you are using graphics or photographs, ensure these include both men and women.
• Encourage women to register on the University’s Expertline to enhance their media exposure and develop their public profiles.