Recruitment Strategies for Postdoctoral Training: 

Three Institutional Experiences and Perspectives

Michele S. Swanson, PhD University of Michigan Medical SchoolJeffrey Mason The Ohio State UniversitySofie R. Kleppner, PhD Stanford University

Learning Objectives

• Define resources that can be directed to recruitment

• Identify allies• Describe challenges and strategies to meet 

them• Create a draft proposal, addressing 

advertising, resources, budget, timelines, collaborators, and outcomes

Postdoc PreviewPartner with NIH‐funded Training Programs

to bring diverse talent to Michigan

PRISMBring diverse talent to Stanford

Postdoc RecruitmentBring diverse talent to Ohio

WHY & HOW

Components

Fully‐funded travel, lodging, and meals 

✔ ✔ Full & Partial funding

Interview with prospective mentors & labs

✔ ✔ ✔

Meet informally with non‐recruiting faculty 

Dinner

Learn about NIH‐funded Training Programs

Lunch with Program Directors

Very briefly‐orientation

Through website only

Learn about professional development and campus resources from Postdoc Office

✔ ✔ ✔

Network with current Postdocs Dinner w/postdoc leaders

✔ Meals, tours, escorts to lab

Tour facilities, campus, and town ✔ ✔ With postdocs

Who Does What

Initial Applicant Screening

Postdoc Office Postdoc Office and Faculty

Postdoc Office

Faculty Matching Recruits are first directed to faculty profiles

List of faculty actively recruiting is circulated later

Recruits are directed to list of faculty who are actively recruiting

Faculty can refer

Recruits directed to faculty profiles and training grant websites

Faculty can refer 

First Faculty Contact Recruit Postdoc Office Postdoc Office

Coaching on how to contact faculty

Email from Director Encouraged but no coaching

Email from Director 

Scheduling Recruits using template provided

Postdoc Office Recruits (TeamUp)

Logistics

Years Program in Existence 5 1 2

Program Funding Dean’s Office V Dean Edu Sr Assoc Deans

Program Staff 1 full‐time + 1 part‐time

1 2 + part‐time temp

Partners Training Grant Directors

Diversity Office (non $)Children’s Hospital

Postdoc Groups

On‐Line Resources Fluid ReviewQualtrics

Qualtrics SlideRoom TeamUp

SurveyMonkeyTarget Recruitment Pool 15 10 25

• Science Careers• New Scientist• AWIS• SACNAS• AAAS• IBP Pathways to Science• ASBMB• Graduate Career 

Consortium• Nat’l Ass’n of Grad 

Admissions Professionals• Biomed Sci Ass’n of Grad 

Admissions Professionals

• PDO web page• Internal listservs• Mentors• Office of Diversity 

• Nat’l Ass’n of Diversity Officers in Higher Ed

• IBP – Pathways to Science

• MSI‐designated schools with PhD programs• Deans, chairs, 

“Info” emails• Career centers

• Facebook groups for PhD students of various URM groups

Advertising

Questions for you

• Who has a stake in postdoc diversity?• Who might serve as champions? • What arguments might they find most compelling?• What should your budget be?• How many postdocs would you interview?• What logistical support do you need?• How will you advertise?• What activities will you include?

Who are your stakeholders/ partners/ champions?What strategies can you use to build your program?

Regional partnering with nearby institutions note: ¼ of Michigan recruits are within  driving distance of MichiganUse faculty as selection committeeContact societies that have programs e.g. SfN Neuroscience Fellows, FASEB, Minority Postdoc, , graduate scholarship programs for low‐income high achieving students; follow‐ up with e.g. PREP students

How big an event would you plan?How many postdocs would you interview?

Additional activities? How to be strategic about doing a postdoc; YouTube clip (Michigan); Combine with a Postdoc research symposium; highlight city;  highlight core facilities; talk to other postdocs in lab; apartment tours; speed dating to learn what faculty aretherein 1st visit, then 2nd visit with full‐fledged research talk

What should your budget be?What logistical support do you need?How will you advertise?

$1500/trainee; $750/trainee; $1K/traineeDepends mostly on travel and lodging – if this is a 1‐day event it will be significantly cheaper.

SUCCESS & SUSTAINABILITY

Measures of Success

Total (TG‐Eligible) Applicants 342 10 (5) 130    (53/77)

Total Invited 127 8 (5) 44      (18/26)

Total Attended 127 8 43      (17/26)

Total Interviews 38 109    (39/70)

Total Matriculated 33  (26%) 3 (2) 7  (41%)

Publications 49

Average cost per hire $5K $4K

Fellowships/ Career Development Awards

19 Departments have benefited

Postdoc Preview

● Faculty either made offers during event (22%), intended to offer (26%), or intended to invite for a second interview (26%).

● 48% of faculty recommended holding 2x/year.

● Candidates met with all (57%) or most (36%) of faculty of interest.

• 27% of responding faculty anticipated making an offer, 45% were considering it.

• 91% would recommend event. 

• Pre‐ recruits considering Stanford: 42% 

• Post‐recruits considering Stanford: 93%

• Highly rated: Dinner with Sr Assoc Dean, faculty, and postdocs & Breakfast with Postdoc Office

• 29% of responding faculty anticipated making an offer

• 94% thought program was valuable

Surveys Say

Future

Expand? Expand advertising to graduate program directors

Advertising Cost share with faculty to bring more recruits?

Time of Year?

Faculty and leadership support 2X/year, either Fall or Spring

Twice a year, Spring & Fall

Maybe twice a year?

Fellowships? Encourage TG Directors to reserve one or more slots

No Raise funds for follow‐on fellowships?

Add‐Ons? Increase to two nights to accommodate more interviews?

More interactions with current postdocs

Pair grant coaches with recruits?

Measures of success? New community and groups on campus.Do they get a job  what, when and where?Word of mouth – new recruits from previous cohorts.

What can you learn from surveys? Roadblocks: Money – what is return on investment?Other recruitment responsibilities (grad)Recruitment issuesFunding for 1st year

How can you make this sustainable? Notice: PA‐18‐586Postdoc office can write letters of eligibility for diversity supplementRequire faculty to undergo mentorship training to participatePair with junior faculty to help them recruit – they have more funds, more awareness of diversity (but remember to talk about how postdoc will develop own project)

END