Navigating Hiring Freezes in Higher Education

In recent months, higher education institutions across the United States have faced significant financial challenges due to federal funding uncertainties. As a result, many universities have implemented hiring freezes, impacting faculty recruitment, research opportunities, and international student admissions. These pauses, as two of my clients called them this week, while necessary to maintain financial stability, have far-reaching implications for the academic community and the quality of education. Personally, when I was leading an enrollment office during the 2008-09 recession, I dealt with hiring freezes of my own. In this blog post, I explore the challenges faced by institutions and how Kennedy & Company can provide strategic support.
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Challenges Faced by Institutions

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The financial uncertainties stemming from federal funding cuts have created a challenging environment for higher education. Institutions are grappling with budget shortfalls, leading to difficult decisions such as hiring freezes and cost-cutting measures. These challenges have a ripple effect, and sometimes daily work just cannot be done without additional help. If service levels go down, students will not return – leading to lost revenue at a critical time.
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How to Address the Challenges and How Kennedy & Company Can Help:

Interim Staffing: Most of Kennedy & Company’s team members have worked in higher education before consulting – meaning we can help fill in temporarily when the positions cannot be filled. We’ve been interim deans, interim technology or CRM administrators, and interim marketing managers and can support leadership, enrollment, financial aid, marketing, technology or online functions at the school.
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Strategic Planning: Kennedy & Company can work with institutions to develop strategic plans that address financial challenges while maintaining academic quality. By identifying areas for improvement and prioritizing essential programs, we can help universities make informed decisions and focus both enrollment and fundraising.
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Financial Sustainability Planning: Optimizing resources by identifying cost-saving measures, revenue opportunities, and reallocating funds to critical areas can bridge the gap. A short audit where Kennedy & Company brings the knowledge gained from working with many schools could provide an institution with more value than the cost by identifying quick wins.
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Prioritizing Essential Positions: With hiring freezes in place, it's crucial to prioritize essential positions that directly impact the institution's mission. Kennedy & Company can provide guidance on which roles are critical and how to manage staffing needs effectively. Most institutions have policies that allow leaders to pay a bonus or supplemental income when employees are covering for vacant positions for a prolonged period of time. We can help you implement that policy quickly in key areas to maintain morale.
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Retention Tool: We have developed a quick, easy-to-use tool for tracking the drivers of retention – both big and small. Keeping students in school brings in more revenue quicker than new programs or other ways to grow revenue.

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In times of financial uncertainty, proactive measures are essential for higher education institutions to navigate hiring freezes and other challenges. Our expertise in strategic planning, resource optimization, enrollment, and financial management can provide valuable support to universities during these difficult times. By working together, institutions can maintain their commitment to academic excellence and continue to serve their students and communities effectively.

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