Northwestern announced changes to the University’s hiring practices in an internal email Friday as a part of its June 2020 commitments to social justice. 

The Diverse Slates Candidate Policy, which is scheduled to go into effect on June 14, defines practices University hiring managers, search committees and external talent acquisition firms will need to follow in identifying diverse candidates for open positions on campus.

Among the commitments include a requirement to include diverse membership on all search committees and interview panels, as well as expanded partnerships with staff affinity groups and multicultural organizations throughout the talent search. 

“This policy strengthens our practice of identifying the best person for a job or promotion,” University leaders wrote in the internal release. “Formalizing and standardizing strategies already being utilized by many across the University to create more diverse candidate pools makes it more likely that we will identify the best talent for our organization.” 

Hiring managers and community members who will participate in any interviewing and hiring processes must complete a mandatory training session on the Diverse Slates Candidate Policy. 

Though the policy is set to go into effect on June 14, some academic departments may have implementation timelines that extend throughout the summer or fall, which will be communicated to employees in the coming days. 

Additionally, postdoctoral fellows and research assistants will have slightly different implementation procedures, which are forthcoming, and NU-Qatar is exempt from these hiring practices entirely. 

For a year after the policy goes into effect, the Office of Human Resources will conduct a quarterly analysis of the impact and effectiveness of the program. After this trial period is up, the University will decide how it plans to move forward.

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Twitter: @jacobnfulton

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