Too Much Information?

The nature of any employment search requires balancing a variety of factors. On the one hand, we have to be extremely discreet and work in the shadows: we are likely interviewing candidates that have present jobs, and do not want to reveal to their employers that they may be seeking new positions. The best way to handle this is to respect confidentiality so much that no one has any idea about what the Committee is doing until we present our Final Candidate(s) for review by the larger school community. On the other hand, if we take that approach, and no one outside the Committee has any idea what is going on, it creates its own problems. Nature abhors a vacuum, so rumors can get started, and this can create a negative environment which in turn undermines the search process. In addition, people not on the Committee need to know that the Committee is, in fact, doing something.

We've tried a balanced approach with this blog. We are providing as much information as we can, but also engaging in a variety of actions on a confidential basis. If someone wants to know nothing, they need not check our blog. However, for those who do want to have an idea about what is happening, they can read the blog. We think that this works well.

The Committee had a great meeting last night which we believe greatly furthered our search efforts. However, this is one of those times that we can say nothing else and must instead keep things confidential.