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Negotiating the Spousal Hire
This entry was posted in Landing Your Tenure Track Job, Negotiating Offers, Strategizing Your Success in Academia, Tenure--How To Get It, Yes, You Can: Women in Academia and tagged getting a spousal offer, spousal hiring, spousal positions in academia, the spousal hire, the two-body problem. Bookmark the permalink.
Thanks Karen.
From what you say I am guessing that a spousal hire in the same department is going to be more difficult to secure than one in another department. Does anyone have experience with this particular issue? Should we be focusing on something else?
You can’t really assume that it will be more difficult.. it might be easier, if it’s a well-funded and powerful department that gets what it wants. In a department of 50 faculty, adding one more is not a huge step. In a department of 5, it’s massive, and thus controversial.
I was offered a TT position at an R1 this spring and negotiated to have a spousal hire as part of the package, but I’m commenting here because the way that I/we did so is completely counter to all of the advice I have ever heard, including that supplied above. Since it is counter, it might not be of further use to any one, but it can at least be included in our mental lore for the future? I had a phone interview for the above position, which went really well, and was followed within 24 hours with an e-mail offering an on-campus interview. I happened to have an offer in hand at the time…but it did not represent my ideal academic situation, whereas this new possibility seemed almost ideal. Deciding, “what the heck”, I replied saying that I thought this department was a much better fit and that I would love to come interview, but that I needed them to know that I had an offer in hand already, and as such, I would need to interview ASAP, I would need to be offered the position before the deadline for my previous offer…and that I would need a spousal hire (I still can’t believe that I actually said these things.) I did so very, very courteously and while making it clear that I was tremendously excited to interview, that I was very grateful to be asked, and that I realized that all of the above might not actually be possible, but that they were my needs and I was going to approach this entire process as honestly and transparently as I could.
And do you know, it worked! I was offered the position at the end of my interview, my spouse’s CV was vetted alongside mine during the interview process, and while my printed offer was being worked up, we traveled back so that my spouse could interview. With the Dean and the Provost’s approval, a position was made for my spouse (that roughly fit the specifics we had laid out and all of us had negotiated over). We ended up within the same department (which is small), and research institute. In this case, it helped that we were in the same discipline, because everything was absorbed and negotiated ‘in house’. I am certain that it would not have worked so well if we had differing foci.
I will also note that our university is amenable to spousal hires as there are limited employment opportunities in the region, but there are certainly not tons of academic couples on campus. We were very fortunate, but I think that sometimes, given all of the subterfuge that is a part of modern academic hiring and negotiations, being very straightforward can be very refreshing to all involved (and sets a nice precedent for what you will be like as a future colleague). I think that suddenly bringing up, “oh yes, and I’m going to need a spousal hire” after the department and the Dean have scraped the funds for one line together could potentially be really, really frustrating and irritating for administrators.
One takeaway from Jasprann’s story that aligns with my own observation: competing offers help a lot with spousal hire negotiations.
Yes indeediroo they do.
I know that this is an older essay, but I have a further question about spousal hires: is it appropriate to request one for a future spouse? As in, if you interview when you are engaged, but you will be married by the time the job begins, can you negotiate a spousal hire? Do you recommend disclosure of engaged/married status at job talks, or should we leave the ring(s) at home?
Also, generally speaking, do you think it is a plus or a minus to be married on the job market, as an academic couple? I don’t like the idea of rushing into marriage just to be assured that my partner and I can live in the same city/state, and I’ve heard that it can actually be a liability on the market.
I think the hard truth is that the spousal hire is such a pain in the ass for institutions to arrange that without the imprimatur of actual marriage they will balk (when this is possible–the same rule doesn’t apply to gay couples).
Don’t disclose the spouse who needs a job until a firm written offer has been made. If you have a spouse in a different line of work, you can mention him/her during the visit!
The plus/minus of being married on the job market is impossible to answer. I don’t think it’s a liability. I think it’s a STRAIN on you as a couple until you get work for both of you in the same location, but in terms of your standing for a job, I have not noticed that marital status has played a role in hiring, in the departments I’ve been associated with.
Interesting. It’s something my partner and I are currently debating, as we are both in academia. We are a bit on the younger side (entered grad school right out of college), so we are not sure we want to rush to get married – especially because the thought of getting married only to immediately be separated due to the job market makes us both miserable. However, if marriage means spousal hires, it’s a point to consider, although since we are in different fields, there’s no telling how it would shake out. The problem is, it’s going to be an emotional liability either way.
Thanks again for your excellent advice!
Very useful post, thank you! Would you have any insights on whether it is also possible to negotiate a spousal hire at a European University?
Have you ever seen a sposal hire notiated when applying for a professional position? I am considering applying for a director position which is considered professional, but my husband would like to teach in the same department.
Hi Karen,
I know this is an older post but I have a question
My partner is a (tenured) associate professor at an R1 and is very accomplished; a rising star. I don’t want to go into too much detail but (some highlights) my partner recently published an important book (in my partner’s field and across a few sub-fields), is on the editorial board of several important journals, and is the lead editor on a UP book series in her field.
Now, if I were to be offered a job at a large public SLAC (not R1) could I confidently negotiate a tenure track position for her at the hiring institution? What might the hiring institution’s concerns be?
Also, would it matter that I could negotiate a position in the dept. into which I would be hired (because I could)?
Thanks so much.
Karen,
Thanks for this incredibly helpful post. A speculative question: I am on the job market, my partner has a job. He doesn’t love the place he is at, and I don’t want to make my career there – it is not a research institution, it is remote, and the faculty that I could work in doesn’t do research in my speciality field at all. I’d be alone out there.
I am on the market, and am concerned about spousal hire for one particular reason. I am also newly pregnant. In interviews one could not tell, but by the time of the job’s start date, I would be having a baby. Therefore, if a firm offer is extended I need two things: 1) a later start date (winter, as opposed to fall semester) and a spousal hire (for my spousal to whom I am not married).
Is it possible to negotiate both of these things? And if so, which do I bring up first…
It is possible to negotiate for both of these things although it’s not guaranteed you’ll get them both. The later start date will likely not be a problem; the spousal is more of a challenge. Don’t bring them up at the initial interviews, or even the campus visit. Wait until a firm offer is made.
How does one negotiate for a non-academic position for their spouse? Does it differ from negotiating for a TT position?
I’m abd. My spouse is abd. Seems very unlikely that, should one of us get a job offer, we would be likely to be able to negotiate a full second TT position. If I were on the search committee, I wouldn’t do it.
Some have advised on another possibility: split the position. Split teaching and split the salary. But be evaluated for tenure separately. I’ve known a few academic couples who did this, and were able to either find outside offers later to get two full positions, or were able to get a second position, post-tenure, at the same university. What is your advice on this ? And is there a way to propose this during negotiations, or is it up to the university to propose it?
I second Natasha’s question. My husband is not in an academic job and also does not have a college degree. But the campus visits I have had are very far from our current location, and both of us are concerned about job possibilities for him. Being a single-income family just isn’t an option for us at this time. How do I go about negotiating a spousal hire for a non-academic spouse? Are there other services on campuses that work with local businesses to find jobs for spouses? Who do you talk to about this, and at what point?
I have a question about a spousal hire and it being in two different departments. For example, I am in education and my husband is in science. He has applied for a non-tenure track position in a department in the college of arts and sciences and I’ve interviewed (on campus) for a job in the college of education. Does the fact that he has applied for the non tenure track position already benefit us if I got offered a tenure track position in the college of education?
It’s hard to discuss spousal issues in general; every one is unique so working with me directly should an offer arise would probably be the best idea. But in general, I’d say that it *does* benefit you that he has applied for this position. It means his material is already there and has been evaluated, and will speed up the process. Of course, if he’s been evaluated and not shortlisted, then things get dicey.
Hi Karen,
thank you very much for this very helpful post (and the awesome website, which has been a great source of advice and inspiration).
On two out of three of my recent campus visits the department chair has asked me directly if there are two-body issues, well before an offer has been made. Given your advice on not to bring it up, do you have advice on how to respond to that question during interview? I’d be really uncomfortable saying that I didn’t have two body issues and then going back on that if an offer is made.
Oh if you’re directly asked of course you can’t lie!! That doesn’t typically happen and I’d consider an inappropriate-ish question. But everyone with a two body issue should have some crisp and well organized verbiage prepared for this eventuality.
Lets assume, husband and wife are applying for advertised vacancies in different different departments of the same university. Should they mention that his/her spouse is applying for advertised vacancy of other school? ‘It will be great if we can work together in the same university’ ……and so and so…….before getting any offer?
Hi,
Thanks for all the info! I have a question. My husband was offered a tenure-track position at a close-to-R1 school and he mentioned me in the negotiation process. We are in different fields and in my field a post-doc position is typical (needed). I’ve not held a post-doc position but I am currently a visiting assistant professor at a SLAC.
So my question is this…my husband signed his offer after they said a job for me would be possible (they took tenure-track off the table immediately but said post doc was likely very doable), I received a post-doc offer but the salary is about 75% of what I currently make: can I negotiate? Or do I not really have room to do this because they found me a position and we should be grateful?
Thanks!
you don’t havve much negotiating room now. the salary should have been negotiated before he signed. You can try for a 10% increase and see what happens.
Hi Karen,
Thank you for the informative post. I am wondering if you had any advice on how spousal hires may work at European institutions, or if you have any advice on where to look for this sort of information. My husband and I are trying to figure out how to best secure positions Europe, but worry that we need to have them both secured prior to moving abroad so as to not have to worry about visa problems. Thank you!