Region’s first online employment database aims at helping schools attract and retain workforces
By: David Campbell
Twenty-eight New Jersey colleges, including Princeton University, have teamed up to offer the region’s first online employment database aimed at helping schools attract and retain diverse workforces.
The New Jersey Higher Education Recruitment Consortium, which is free to job seekers, was launched this week. It allows job seekers whether they are looking for work as professors, administrative assistants or kitchen staff to search the full range of positions at participating colleges and universities.
"We want to collaborate effectively to develop a family-friendly recruiting movement that will help New Jersey institutions retain a diverse group of faculty and staff," said Gilda Paul of the Office of the Dean of the Faculty at Princeton and director of the consortium, which is based at the university.
"We hope to someday be part of a national group of education consortia as more colleges and universities collaborate across the country," Ms. Paul said.
The database on the Web at www.njherc.org currently lists more than 1,700 academic and staff jobs at the participating colleges and universities. The consortium unites both private and public institutions, from universities to community colleges, with the aim of expanding the recruitment of job candidates.
Karen Stubaus, associate vice president for academic affairs at Rutgers University, said the consortium showcases all that higher education in the state has to offer and promises to increase the diversity of institutions’ applicant pools.
Also, a special feature of the database allows job-seeking couples to search for work at the same institution, by region, or statewide. College officials have found that difficulties addressing the job needs of applicants’ partners can be a major obstacle to attracting a diverse applicant pool.
The Web-based statewide database is the first of its kind in the country. It was inspired by similar regional initiatives in California.
Princeton and Rutgers created the New Jersey consortium as part of continuing efforts to address work-family issues facing higher education and to increase the size and diversity of applicant pools.

