Health is undertaking a major review of the faculty's recruitment procedures, and as a result of this work, appointing postdocs will now be simpler and quicker.

2018.05.17 | Sabina Bjerre Hansen

A newly-revised recruitment procedure makes it easier to appoint postdocs at Health from 15 May 2018. Photo: Lars Kruse/AU.

Health’s ambition is to attract the most talented researchers. An ambition that cumbersome recruitment procedures must not interfere with. On the contrary. This is why the faculty – with Vice-dean Ole Steen Nielsen heading the initiative – is currently reviewing the procedures and processes that are currently used. 

This work is still underway, but the faculty is ready to begin using the first new recruitment procedures. From 15 May, it will therefore be easier to appoint new postdocs at Health.

Internal committee for the assessment

Where there were previously two types of possible committee depending on the length of employment, it is now possible to 'make do' with what was previously called an expert committee to carry out the assessment of applicants to a postdoc position. There is therefore no longer a requirement for external assessors. This means that the committees will in future comprise two internal members at minimum associate professor level including one member from another department at AU. In this way, the department making the appointment will be able to save time and the cost of external assessors.

Another difference is that the criteria and requirements that will in future form the basis for the assessment committee's academic assessment have been reduced and simplified. They correspond to what has previously been called an expert assessment. 

Finally, from now on assessment committees can focus their efforts solely on the academic assessment of the individual candidates. In the past, they were required to fill out a list of factual information about the applicant's personal data, publications, research activities and teaching activities. This task will now be undertaken by the applicants themselves. 

Short listing makes things even easier

As of 15 September 2018, it will also be possible to use short listing at Health. Short listing is a method for selecting a smaller number of applicants for assessment in cases where there are many applicants for a position. The method requires a very precise job description so that there is a qualified basis for deselecting some applicants instead of others already before the assessment work is begun.

In practice, the selection of applicants for assessment is based on an overall assessment of which candidates best match the recruitment needs of the department and faculty. This is then compared with the applicants' research and teaching profile as shown in the application, CV, list of publications, teaching portfolio etc. As a rule, a minimum of five candidates should be selected for assessment.

More specifically, short listing means the length of an assessment procedure will be shortened, that the appointment can be made more quickly, and that being an assessor is a more attractive proposition. 

Want to find out more? 

You can find Health’s recruitment procedures and also the revised procedures for postdoc appointments on the Health website.

Read more about the work of evaluating Health's recruitment procedures in the articles Come to the consultation meetings about Health’s new principles for appointments, Recruitment procedures need to be flexible and Recruitment procedure to be evaluated.

In the articles The new recruitment procedures at Health will soon come into force (ind Danish only)and What will the new recruitment procedures mean for you? (ind Danish only) you can read more about Health’s recruitment procedures in general. 

Contact

Vice-dean for Research Ole Steen Nielsen
Aarhus University, Health
Mobile: (+45) 2476 5093
Email: osn@au.dk