Information and Guidelines for Hiring and Retaining Dual-Career Couples

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. The guidelines for hiring and retaining dual-career couples suggest raising dual career employment issues early in the process. Isn't it illegal to talk about marital status during an interview?
A. Rather than asking about a candidate's marital status, interviewers are encouraged to inform candidates about the University of Arizona's process for supporting spouse/partner position searches.

Q. Won't providing employment assistance to spouses/partners lower the quality of our programs?
A. Dual-career hires provide the University of Arizona with an opportunity to hire two strong candidates instead of just one. Because dual-career couples are becoming the norm, most institutions provide some form of employment assistance. Often the most talented couples will only consider institutions that provide opportunities for both partners. Also, candidates are more likely to be more satisfied and therefore more likely to make long-term commitments if both partners are hired.

Q. Do spouse/partner placements violate the University' Equal Employment Opportunity Policy?
A. No.

Q. Aren't searches required for all new positions? A. The University's Policy for Non-competitive Selections waives search requirements for spouse/partner hires if the hire is made as part of an offer, contract, or retention agreement.

Q. Who must approve a spouse/partner hire?
A. Spouse/partner hires must be approved by the president or an appropriate vice president.

Q. May we request the provost or vice president to assist with funding for these placements?
A. When funds are available, the provost or vice president may consider requests for up to one-third of the salary of the spouse/partner, for a period of up to three years.

Q. What is the minimum commitment the hiring/receiving department can request?
A. Funding commitments will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

Q. Won't members of the receiving department resent placement of the spouse/partner in their department?
A. As the number of academic couples has increased and positive experiences have become more the norm, resentment among other faculty members is less likely to be a serious concern in spouse/partner hires. Involving department members in decision-making enhances the possibility of acceptance of any new faculty member and is especially important in the case of a spouse/partner hire.

Q. If the spouse/partner is dissatisfied with the offer or subsequent working conditions, are we obligated to find another position?
A. While there is no obligation to find another position for the candidate, hiring departments should be cognizant of the fact that a dissatisfied spouse/partner will often affect the satisfaction and long-term retention of the candidate.

Q. We often have trouble recruiting academic professionals; do these guidelines apply to them, as well?
A. While the guidelines may be applied, funding commitments are more likely to be made for faculty and administrative appointments.

Q. Do other universities do this?
A. Absolutely. In fact, the University of Arizona adopted its Policy for Non-competitive Selections and these guidelines to remain competitive with the majority of Research I institutions that accommodate dual-career hires.

Q. Although highly qualified, a spouse/partner hire doesn't fit into the mission of our departmental teaching/research programs. Won't this hire impede our department in reaching its goals?
A. As research becomes more multidisciplinary, a department's contribution no longer needs to be strictly defined in narrow disciplinary lines. A faculty member with slightly different research and teaching programs than that of the current faculty can enhance the department's ability to bridge disciplinary research and teaching boundaries.

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