Part one of a three-part series on attracting, motivating, and retaining talent in research administration
In our 2022 Benchmark Report, which analyzed survey results from over 1,000 research administration professionals, we found that almost 70% lacked the right staff, resources, and time to do their jobs properly. Staffing constraints represent a significant portion of that figure, especially now. Over-reliance on manual effort from staff to fill technology and process gaps has come to a head, bringing process inefficiencies and unscalable systems to light.
All of this pressure results in high turnover and low staffing levels, accompanied by a resulting loss of institutional knowledge, high recruitment costs, and increased burden on the staff who remain behind.
Cayuse recently hosted a webinar on “Attracting, Motivating, and Retaining Talent in Research Administration.” Our panelists from the University of Kentucky and the University of Texas at San Antonio engaged in a lively discussion about the challenges facing research administration offices today. Watch the full webinar recording on-demand here.
In this three-part series, we’ll explore the top techniques and leading industry guidance for institutions looking to overcome those challenges, starting with Retention.
The current staffing environment
Our University of Kentucky panelists noted that they once had such expansive talent pools, they’d hire less than 1% of the population that applied for their positions. “Those days are gone,” said Jeff Sullivan, Senior HR Business Partner in Research.
Thanks to post-pandemic disruptions including the Great Resignation, “quiet quitting,” and competition on a national scale, the University of Kentucky is one of many research organizations that has been forced to reassess their approach to staffing over the last few years.
All panelists agreed that the leading strategy to combatting staffing shortages should always be Retention: keeping institutional knowledge and resources within the team, and saving the time, money, and effort required for recruitment The best offense is a good defense, panelists noted; in this case, not having to refill vacant positions to begin with.
Of the retention techniques endorsed by our panelists, here are several that surfaced as top picks:
Understand why people stay in jobs
To gain a competitive edge, you must do what others are not: develop intentional retention strategies. “The word ‘intentional’ doesn’t come up a lot” in employee retention,” says Jeff, meaning that simply crafting a strategy will put you ahead of the curve. Your retention strategy doesn’t have to be overly complicated—and, in fact, it shouldn’t be. Simply thinking through your institutional needs and planning accordingly is sufficient.
Which begs the question: why do people stay in their jobs? Money is on the list, certainly—but it’s not at the top. The most important factor, generally speaking, is meaningful work. Meaning matters more to employees than compensation, workplace culture, or perks. People want to spend their time on projects that matter, making progress toward a larger goal that resonates with them.
Relationships are another major factor, specifically with the coworkers on their team and with their immediate supervisor. A 2021 study found that perceived supervisor and upper management support were key factors in the retention of university research administrators. Recent research from Gallup shows that most organizations aren’t emphasizing connectivity at all; only one in four employees feel strongly connected to their workplace culture.
To gain even more clarity on what motivates staff to stay at your institution, in particular, conduct what Jeff Sullivan describes as stay interviews. “We regularly conduct exit interviews,” says Jeff. “How about ‘stay interviews’?” Interviewing current staff gives teams a place to explore steps they can take to retain staff before they have a vacancy.
Assign meaningful work
Connecting people to meaningful work can feel like a challenge in busy research administration offices, where many of the tasks are inherently redundant and manual. Kim Carter, Associate Vice President of Research at the University of Kentucky, shared the story of one candidate who connected herself to a larger “why” behind her work. “Her answer to the question as to why she was in Research Administration was because she had several family members who had suffered from cancer, and she wanted to be part of the cure.”
It’s easy to lose sight of the bigger object behind all that administrative work, but don’t dedicate all of your big-picture storytelling efforts to new recruits. Allocate time and resources to your current staff, too. Mickey Stevenson, Associate Vice President of Research Integrity at the University of Texas in San Antonio, reminds staff of the importance of research administration within the broader scope of the institution. A great deal of responsibility lies with the RA office, and it’s vital to communicate that story to both current and prospective employees.
In addition to putting daily work in perspective, leaders can facilitate connections with other departments, letting staff see how their work affects the larger organization. Supervisors can also ask their staff what interests them most about research administration, making every effort to connect employees with the work they identify as most engaging to them.
Create career pathways
According to Deloitte, workers who don’t feel that they are growing at their current employer are 2.5x more likely to leave their jobs in the next 12 months. Millennials and other younger staff in particular prioritize experiences and meaningful connections over money, so it is crucial to facilitate staff involvement within the larger organization.
One key HR trend that achieves this aim is a focus on career pathing. In other words, provide staff with a roadmap for how to succeed and climb the ladder within the research arm at your institution. Every role should have a transparent career path that current and prospective employees alike understand.
Highlight the difference between each “level” in as much detail as possible. What are the necessary skills associated with each role, and how can your office help an entry-level employee rise? Map out clear pathing requirements and guidelines, then develop training designed to give employees at each level the experiences that will help them grow.
Our panelists talked about the gap between joining at an entry-level and growing to a position where a more significant contribution to the organization is possible. Watch for employees in that “in-between” state, which tends to have the most turnover. According to Kim, “Part of what we need to do is help our newer staff understand that this is a profession, not just a job.”
Facilitate institutional connections
Where employees are co-located, consider gathering staff for happy hours, community service projects, or Friday afternoon outings. The object is to learn who people are outside of work, so leave practical discussions for another time. If you can’t gather in person, take your “fun Friday afternoons” virtual. Make time for informal “coffee breaks” where employees can gather in online rooms together to socialize or provide virtual “office hours” where staff can stop in to chat.
People are less likely to leave jobs where they are integrated within a team, so it’s well worth the effort to generate some team spirit. Creating these connections also helps team members feel safe in approaching their supervisors about sensitive issues because they’ve had a chance to get to know them personally.
Don’t limit these efforts to the RA office, either. Gather units across campus together to broaden the team’s perspective and allow them to feel part of a larger whole. For example, gather all Sponsored Programs units together so staff understand the different pieces of the business operations throughout campus and gain a larger perspective of the university.
Prevent burnout
Workload management and burnout prevention are also critical steps toward increasing retention rates. While this is a particular struggle when staffing levels are low, consider ways to make the workstream more efficient (i.e., through improved technology solutions) or adjust expectations on turnaround times until you have sufficient staff. Stay mindful of burnout and listen to what staff members are saying.
To this end, ensure that managers have the practical skills to support staff and help manage workloads when the need arises. Mid-level and even Director-level managers should be able to assist staff in their daily work when staffing levels are low and burnout potential is high. This “all hands on deck” approach does a lot to engender a culture of teamwork and pulling together during times of crisis.
Adopt easy-to-use technology
Technology can make or break the employee experience within your research administration office. Providing efficient systems that capture information seamlessly, without redundant data entry and manual retrieval, goes a long way toward high levels of workplace satisfaction.
Technology that can help RA teams scale, streamline processes, and is a joy to use makes a night-and-day difference in the daily experience of your staff. Put yourself in their shoes; would you rather spend hours repeating a frustrating and manual task, or engage with leading-edge technology that frees up your time to focus on more strategic priorities? Compared to the cost of combating high turnover rates, making an investment in RA software solutions is an easy choice.
