Evaluating the Applicant Pool with Diversity in Mind

To ensure that applicants are evaluated with diversity in mind, remember to be open minded about:

• interruptions in degree programs or work careers; for example, to care for a parent or child because of a disability;
• the reputation of degree-granting or employing institutions, as star employees have come out of lesser-known institutions (institutional reputation alone, however well deserved, should not preclude consideration of applicants from other solid schools);
• careers begun in or including government, business, voluntary service, or other non-academic settings, which are often sources of first time employment for women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities, as well as necessary employment options for trailing spouses in dual career couple relocations; and
• the value and transferability of skills and experience acquired in these varied settings.

See the following example of "Best Practices in Hiring":

Best Practices in Hiring: Women and Minorities in Science at UNC-CH

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