Talent Strategy Recruiting and Retention

This week I had coffee with a new colleague and the conversation got onto the realities and challenges of recruiting, and retaining, the talent you want to work with and need to fulfill all those exciting research, industry and government projects you've got going. Especially in topical fields with lots of competition for talent, and sky high salaries... 💲💲💲 

So late on this Friday afternoon and heading into yet another long weekend here in Brisbane, here's my newest #HackingAcademia video covering talent strategy, including recruiting and retention considerations, and some of the things you can do about it, both now and longer term.

I cover:

🎓 In a typical academic career, you'll run many research projects - fundamental, applied, with industry, government, or startups.

🧑‍🔬 Much of the work is done by recruited talent: PhD students, postdocs, RAs, engineers - so your ability to attract and retain talent is critical.

❤️ Some people are passion-driven - motivated by causes or purpose - and may be more tolerant of the inevitable imperfections in any role.

💼 Others are interest-aligned but pragmatic - and will not take a role, or leave, if conditions aren't sufficiently attractive.

🌐 Your field’s opportunity landscape matters - are there lots of alternatives or only a few?

📣 Recruitment strategies vary. 🤝 Direct outreach and word-of-mouth can work in niche fields. 📢 For hot topics like AI, you may need (and benefit more from) broad, public exposure and a large network.

👤 Your reputation, your group’s alumni outcomes, and the broader ecosystem (faculty, university, country) all influence your appeal.

🌴 Culture and location can sometimes tip the balance, even if you can’t compete directly on salary.

🧱 Culture takes years to build - early-career academics should consider this before joining a new institution.

💰 Universities can’t match industry salaries - but be smart when writing grants. ✍️ Don’t under-budget salaries just to win the grant. ⚠️ Cutting salaries may create recruitment problems later.

🎯 Pitch a mix of projects. 🧪 Some high-risk, high-reward ones needing top-tier talent. 🛠️ Some more achievable ones suited to a broader skill range.

🌱 Avoid 100% “green fields” projects where neither you nor the student knows how to proceed when the going gets difficult.

🔄 Consider autonomy required, and provided. 🏃‍♂️ Some projects and talent that can operate without constant supervision are essential as you scale up.

🧮 Expand your recruitment pool. e.g. in a tech field: 🧑‍🏫 don’t only seek CS grads - consider rapidly upskilling engineers or mathematicians, who may come from (somewhat) less-in-demand talent pools.

🔁 Retention is just as important as recruitment. 🧲 Keeping good people saves time and effort. 🧳 But some turnover is healthy and inevitable.

🏡 Support retention by offering 🚀 growth pathways and professional development, and 🌏 a strong social and work environment - especially for newcomers.

💡 When designing a project or grant, always ask: 👥 What kind of talent will it require? 🔍 Is the pool broad or narrow? 🧠 How competitive is this space?

🖥️ YouTube: https://youtu.be/FcbQ9GpwJEU

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