Companies across all industries pivoted to more technological approaches to executive search and recruitment when the pandemic began in early 2020. Higher education search might have been less prepared than most. Ours is a field that has not prioritized the use of technology. The unique nature of the shared governance model – decision-making that incorporates input from many stakeholders – creates a culture that values and expects personal connections, relationship building, and human capital. Thus, shared governance impacts the way that executive search is carried out for colleges and universities versus other sectors and industries. This is not to say that technology has not had an impact on the search process, and in some ways for the better. The most significant of which, even prior to the onset of the pandemic, has been the increased use of virtual meetings, interviews and otherwise, at significant milestones in the process.
