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This blog was kindly authored by Julia Roberts, Founder and Principal Consultant at Julia Roberts Advisory.
It is the first blog in our four-part ‘How To’ series that focuses on recruitment in higher education leadership roles.
After nearly 20 years in executive search focused on higher education leadership, I’ve observed how academic leaders engage with the appointment process – some with considerable strategic insight, others less effectively. Drawing on this experience, I’d like to demystify the relationship between candidates and search consultants, and explore what distinguishes successful engagements.
The importance of active engagement
When approached by an executive search firm, the value of substantive engagement cannot be overstated. Whilst this may appear self-evident, a surprising number of senior academics approach initial contact with ambivalence or treat it as peripheral to their primary responsibilities.
Researchers in executive search are not merely administrative functionaries but professionals genuinely invested in the alignment between candidate and institutional context. Our role extends beyond assessment to include providing strategic counsel, facilitating conversations with key institutional stakeholders, and offering perspectives unavailable through formal documentation.
Consider the search consultant as an informed advocate. We work to ensure applications reflect candidates’ full capabilities and can serve as intermediaries for politically sensitive questions. The dynamics of governance, the strategic priorities driving the appointment, or the circumstances surrounding a predecessor’s departure: these are precisely the areas where we can provide valuable context.
The value of constructive feedback
Many accomplished academics find themselves considering new appointments after extended periods in their current roles, often without having updated their professional documentation for recruitment purposes. Executive-level CVs must demonstrate capacity for systemic leadership and organisational impact: how you enable achievement through others, build institutional capability, and create conditions for collective success. The shift from highlighting individual scholarly contributions to articulating leadership influence is fundamental.
Given the competitive nature of senior appointments, we inevitably decline more candidates than we can progress. When we offer feedback, engage with it seriously. Most executive search professionals in higher education bring deep sectoral commitment to their work, and we have a genuine interest in supporting your professional development, regardless of the outcome in any particular search.
Context-specific applications
Generic applications rarely succeed in executive search. Each leadership appointment emerges from a specific institutional context, with distinct strategic priorities, governance cultures, and stakeholder expectations. Your application materials must demonstrate engagement with these particularities, and this contextual understanding develops through dialogue with your search partner.
A note for internal candidates
Internal candidates require a particularly thoughtful approach. Whilst institutional knowledge constitutes a significant advantage, it can paradoxically become a limitation if it leads to assumptions about what is already understood or diminishes engagement with the formal process.
Do not assume the search process is merely procedural when you are an internal candidate. Utilise the search consultant as a strategic resource who can help you articulate your candidacy in ways that may be challenging when deeply embedded in existing institutional relationships. We can provide perspective on how you are perceived and identify where your case requires strengthening.
Internal candidates sometimes assume their track record speaks for itself and consequently approach the process less rigorously than external competitors. This proves disadvantageous. You are being evaluated on merit alongside external talent who are necessarily presenting their strongest case, so approach it accordingly.
In conclusion: three principles
After two decades in this field, my advice distils to three core principles: engage, ask questions, and use us as a resource.
Engage fully with the process, regardless of whether you are an external or internal candidate. The quality of your engagement often correlates directly with the strength of your application.
Ask questions: the difficult ones, the strategic ones, the ones you cannot comfortably pose directly to the institution. That is precisely what we are here for.
Use us as a resource throughout your candidacy. We are not solely agents of the institution; we are equally committed to supporting candidates in presenting their best case and making informed decisions about their careers.
Executive search at its best represents a partnership amongst all parties, working towards optimal alignment between leadership capability and institutional need. We are here to support you as much as we support the institution. The relationships and insights you gain through meaningful engagement with the search process will serve you well, whatever the outcome of any individual appointment.