Lessons from the Field: Six Tips for Success 

Dr. Lucille Sansing
Senior Consultant
The Registry

 Over the last few years, I have had the privilege of accompanying many of our members to campus interviews for interim placements, or what we usually call “speed dating.” With these experiences, I have been able to observe what works well for a positive selection. As you will see, some things are the same as with interviews for permanent positions; some are unique to interim placements:

1. Have a solid and positive reason why you want this assignment. I have never known any president, provost or other hiring supervisor who doesn’t want to be flattered about your response to the institution’s mission, vision, and reputation. You should want to work there because of these positive traits, and they will want to hear your interest based on these traits.

2. Do your homework on the institution and the particular assignment. A good example is faith-based institutions. These institutions generally do not expect you to practice their faith, but they do expect you to know what it is, how it drives the institution, and your comfort level in being a part of that mission while you are there. Be ready to talk about that.

3. Be ready to roll up your sleeves. Institutions hiring a Registry interim are interested in someone who can size up a situation quickly and get to work. The expectations documents that is prepared between the Registry principal and the institution will provide a clear roadmap for your assignment. Additionally, any ways that you can indicate that you can begin the work of your office with a “short runway” is what the institution wants to hear.

4. Be honest about your experiences and how they fit into the assignment. Recently, I had a candidate who was asked about work in a collective bargaining environment. He replied that his first encounters with collective bargaining were not particularly positive. He decided to lean into the assignment and learn more about the point of view of the other side of the table. When he did that, he learned to appreciate their perspective and actually like doing collective bargaining. This answer earned him the interim placement.

5. Remember what position you are seeking. Many members will be interviewing for positions they held prior to their retirement: g., provosts who have been deans; presidents who have been provosts, and so on. Regardless of the positions you have held, remember what position the institution now wants to fill. A president is not looking for a shadow president, nor is a provost looking for a shadow provost.

6. Enjoy the experience. Institutions are looking for pleasant, high energy interims.

I have had three interim placements with the Registry before becoming part of the placement team.   Each provided a unique set of challenges that I was able to meet from my long career in higher education.  You will be pleasantly surprised at how much you will be able to contribute to your assignment in a relatively short period of time.