HERC is proud to announce its new alliance with the US Labor Department's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). By establishing a strategic alliance with the ODEP, HERC  member institutions will be able to tap into the wealth of knowledge, best-practices, and resources the ODEP offers to employers seeking to become more knowledgeable and capable of being disability friendly employers.

HERC and the ODEP have created a robust work-plan, with measureable outcomes, in which both organizations will undertake activities that promote recruitment, hiring, retention and advancement of job candidates with disabilities in higher education and related fields. 

Paula Alfone, the Mid-Atlantic HERC Director (pictured right in photo) and Kathy Martinez, Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (pictured left in photo), met to make the alliance official at a signing ceremony held in the ODEP offices on Monday, April 29th. 

ODEP and HERC agree to work together to carry out the following activities: 

·         Share expertise and disseminate information on hiring, advancing, and retaining workers with disabilities, including veterans with disabilities in positions in higher education.

·         Promote and disseminate information on ODEP resources to HERC member universities, and others. ODEP resources include, but are not limited to, the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), the Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN), the Workforce Recruitment Program and promising practices/policies to increase disability inclusion in HERC member universities. And likewise utilize such ODEP resources to share the job opportunities available through HERC to workers with disabilities, including veterans with disabilities.

·         Develop and publicize resources on the value of hiring and retaining talented workers with disabilities including veterans with disabilities in higher education.  Such resources include, but are not limited to, educational materials, success stories, and case studies developed collaboratively or by individual parties.

·         Identify issues of specific concern to higher education employers to which the Alliance should direct particular attention and resources, and determine how best to communicate relevant information to this constituency.

·         Speak, exhibit, and/or appear at mutually agreed upon ODEP and HERC events.

·         As appropriate, convene and/or participate in stakeholder meetings focused on forging innovative strategies for recruiting, hiring, retaining and promoting candidates with disabilities.

·         Provide technical assistance to employers and employees regarding replicable disability employment strategies, policies and effective practices.

·         Participate in meetings and/or discussions with representatives from other ODEP Alliances to exchange information on various disability employment issues that are being addressed and to explore opportunities for additional collaborative activities.

·         Carry out other activities, as mutually agreed upon, that promote the hiring, advancement, and retention of individuals with disabilities in higher education.

·         Build awareness and increase use of the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) as a pipeline for university recruiters and other human resource professionals.

To read more:

April 29, 2013 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education 

May 2, 2013US Labor Department Newsletter

US Labor Department's Office of Disability Employment Policy official Press Release 

US Labor Department's Office of Disability Employment Policy Website

  Coinciding with the recent website re-launch, HERC partnered with SmartBrief to create a custom curated e-newsletter for higher education jobseekers and professionals featuring job search best practices, higher education employment trends, higher education in the news, and HERC news. The HERC Jobseeker SmartBrief is an opt-in publication an in just 2 weeks HERC already has 10,500 subscribers. You can check-out archived copies of the brief by date, view the most-clicked stories and if you like what you see, you can sign-up to receive news by email. 

The top 5 most clicked stories by subscribers so far, are: 

1. Common mistakes to avoid in academic interviews
2. Follow a schedule while job hunting
3. The risks and rewards of being an internal job candidate
4. Master "executive presence" to advance your career
5. Ask questions for a successful interview

Welcome to the new and improved Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC) website!

HERC provides the largest and most comprehensive higher education job board, listing over 19,000 jobs from over 600 member colleges and universities, community colleges, teaching hospitals, research institutes, and related employers. 

Our redesigned site offers jobseekers:

• Simplified Job Searching - improved job filtering options, more ways to be notified of new jobs, and simplified job review make it easier for you to find the right jobs.
• Enhanced Dual-Career Search Options - HERC has made it even easier for you to include your partner's job search with your own.
• CV/Resume Builder - Easily post your online CV/resume by uploading it from Microsoft Word or other desktop applications.
• Searchable Portfolio - Increase your exposure to employers by uploading career-related documents, i.e., work samples, cover letters, or certification letters.
• Jobseeker Blog "Job Talk" - With great job search advice from industry experts. 
• Google Maps - Assess a potential commute right from the job detail screen.
• Mobile Access  - Now you can access your account and apply for jobs on the go. 

In our recent HERC-wide member survey, unlimited postings on the HERC website were rated as the #1 member benefit. Based on member institution and jobseeker feedback and industry best practices, the new HERC website offers a robust set of system enhancements, including:

• New Site Design - HERC retained a website design company that specializes in the higher education marketplace to redesign our website to be more user friendly, meet industry standards, and retain an attractive look and feel.
• Unified Site for All Regional HERCs - The 14 regional HERCs and central HERC office joined forces to establish a job search function on  ONE shared website based on consistent jobseeker feedback that they want the ability to easily search within and across HERC regions. Each region will still maintain its own brand, content, and regionally-specific information.
• Member Profiles - All HERC members have the opportunity to create and edit a profile about their institution, at no additional charge.
• Enhanced Conversion Data on Applicants and Jobseekers - HERC is working with our technology vendors to track when a jobseeker leaves our site to go to yours.
• Ability to Post Jobs in Multiple Regions - Each job listing will have a unique location field that is specific to that job regardless of the member institution’s address.
• ADA Compliance - The new site greatly improves our compliance with ADA guidelines.
• Improved Job Searching - Improved job filtering options and more ways to be notified of new jobs makes it easier for jobseekers to find your jobs.
• Enhanced Dual-Career Search Options - HERC has made it even easier for jobseekers to search for jobs for their partners within a commutable distance with dual-career search technology that is integrated into the main job search area and surpasses any other technology on the market. 
• Continuation of HERC’s OneClick - HERC has maintained our relationship with OneClick which allows members to research and post to multiple job boards with just one click. You will be able to maintain your OncClick account. Details to follow.

If you have questions, concerns, suggestions, or observations about our new site, please share them!

The changes we've made are intended to improve the job search experience for jobseekers and the recruiting experience for member institutions.  We're here to help you.