Recruitment policy for academic positions

All recruitment at UiO takes place according to the frameworks laid down in the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges (regjeringen.no), with associated Regulations concerning Employment and Promotion in Teaching and Research Posts (regjeringen.no). In addition, the University of Oslo has prepared its own guidelines and rules for employment. In this context, Rules for Appointing Professors and Associate Professors at UiO (approved by the rector on authorisation of 10 March 2005) are particularly relevant.

This document does not aim to change the rules adopted for employment in academic positions. The purpose of the document is to describe the University of Oslo's overall policy for recruitment to academic positions.

Guiding principles

• Attraction of the best candidates
  To be sure that we attract the best possible applicants, positions must be advertised both in Norway and internationally. The goal of recruiting internationally leading researchers can give rise to some dilemmas. Some faculties have national tasks and sector responsibilities. Most of the faculties teach in Norwegian, and many of the employees must thus be able to teach in Norwegian. The academic disciplines are important sector actors, where the employees must be knowledgeable about Norwegian systems, Norwegian context and national production of knowledge.
• Diversity
  UiO needs a differentiated academic staff and diversity within disciplines, gender and minorities. This can be accomplished by setting up a committee already before advertising to search for top national and international candidates, including minorities and the underrepresented gender. It is also important to balance the relationship between research and education. UiO needs to raise its teaching competence and quality of education, in line with the guidelines laid down in the Quality Report, the white paper Culture for Quality in Higher Education (Meld. St. 16 (2016¨C2017) (Norwegian) (regjeringen.no). 
• Balance
  It is therefore important to recruit people with outstanding teaching skills who can be drivers in the development of teaching. At the same time, there must be a good balance between research competence and teaching competence because permanent academic staff, as a general rule, must hold shared positions (associate professor/professor). The use of entry-level positions for academics who have shown great willingness and ability to teach can be another tool.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration
  There is a need at UiO to better facilitate the establishment of collaborative positions across faculties and academic disciplines. These are positions that are shared between the department and faculties. Shared positions are an important strategic tool for achieving greater real interdisciplinarity.

Overall common goals for recruitment to academic positions

UiO units have different recruitment challenges. It is therefore important for UiO to allow recruitment to be adapted to local (faculty/department) needs and challenges. Despite UiO's heterogeneity, we have some overall common goals for recruitment:

Goal 1: UiO shall use recruitment as a strategic tool

1. It is a management responsibility to ensure good recruitment processes that ensure that we appoint the best qualified employees.
2. UiO shall clarify what top quality and the internationalisation perspective entails at an institution that is as heterogeneous as UiO, where national tasks and its social mission must also be taken into account.
3. UiO shall clarify its educational perspective in recruitment, among other things by focusing attention on the candidates' contribution to the development of the quality of education.
4. Through its recruitment policy, UiO shall facilitate good gender balance and the recruitment of minorities, including to top academic positions.
5. UiO shall analyse whether there are particular recruitment challenges associated with specific position categories and assess targeted measures to meet the challenges.
6. UiO shall utilise the latitude that retirement attrition provides and carry out long-term and targeted staffing planning. This latitude can be used strategically to improve the gender balance in top academic positions.
7. UiO shall establish arenas for sharing experience and the development of best practice.

Goal 2: UiO shall be attractive to and recruit the best qualified academic staff nationally and internationally

1. UiO shall be an attractive workplace that conducts targeted national and international recruitment.
2. UiO shall offer competitive conditions and make these clear to its candidates.
3. UiO shall have a comprehensive career policy with clear career paths.
4. In special cases, UiO may issue calls to recruit top researchers. When issuing a call, special attention shall be paid to gender balance in the calls over time.
5. UiO shall use entry level-positions to support its strategic recruitment objectives.
6. UiO shall facilitate increased use of shared positions and recruitment across disciplines.
7. UiO shall clarify the competence requirements for academic positions and improve the announcements so that the positions are attractive to the candidates.

Goal 3: UiO shall have a competitive and professional recruiting process

1. UiO shall reduce the time spent in implementing the recruitment process by setting targets for more efficient recruitment processes and following up the deadlines that are set.
2. UiO shall identify cross-area barriers and implement measures for an improved recruitment process.
3. UiO shall actively use search committees to increase the supply of top quality, gender balance in top academic positions and diversity in academia.
4. UiO shall assess the division of labour between the various bodies/committees in the recruitment process in order to clarify the responsibilities and thereby increase quality in recruitment.
5. UiO shall increase the recruitment competence of managers and in the support system to ensure that all qualifications of the candidates are assessed in an efficient and satisfactory manner and that UiO is viewed as an attractive employer for its candidates.
6. UiO shall offer international academic employees targeted reception services through joint and coordinated central services.