Offering candidates a competitive salary is one of the more effective ways to attract top talent – but for 60% of higher education recruiters, offering higher pay is their number one recruiting challenge.
With budget constraints on the rise, HR teams are being pushed to find smarter, more creative ways to compete. Institutions that are reimagining hiring practices, from sourcing strategies to employer branding and professional growth, are seeing meaningful improvements in recruitment and retention.
Article Highlights
- Offer a Genuine Work-Life Balance
- Strengthen Employer Branding
- Expand Candidate Sourcing
- Create Clear Pathways for Career Advancement
- Use Financial Incentives Strategically
Staying competitive on a budget is possible. This blog dives into practical, cost-effective strategies to improve hiring outcomes, reduce turnover, and position institutions as employers of choice – without relying on salary increases.
Offer a Genuine Work-Life Balance
Work-life balance isn’t just a buzzword - it’s a metric employees and candidates use to evaluate where to build their careers. For candidates and employees alike, flexibility is no longer a perk – it’s a priority. A poll conducted by TIAA revealed that 35% of higher education employees are considering leaving their jobs for better work-life balance.
For colleges and universities that can’t always lead with salary, offering true flexibility can be a powerful differentiator.
Start with scheduling. Not every employee thrives on a traditional 8-to-5 shift. Offering flexible hours acknowledges the realities many professionals face, especially those managing child care, elder care, and long commutes.
In a survey conducted by CUPA-HR, 32% of higher ed employees say they’re looking for new work opportunities with more flexible work schedules. Evaluating current policies and making small shifts can have a big impact on employee satisfaction and retention.
Remote and hybrid work options are high-impact, low-cost strategies that improve work-life balance. According to the same survey, 68% of higher ed employees believe their jobs can be done remotely – and 61% of supervisors report no significant challenge managing remote teams.
Institutions that offer flexible schedules, hybrid work options, and outcome-based performance expectations stand out in the hiring market—and help reduce burnout among current staff.
The key is shifting the focus from time-in-seats to outcomes delivered. When employees feel trusted to manage their time and responsibilities, they’re more likely to stay engaged – and stay long term.
Strengthen Employer Branding
Workplace expectations are shifting—and higher education must evolve to keep up.
Millennial and Gen Z professionals are rethinking what matters most in their careers. For many, job stability and mission-driven work still matter—but younger workers increasingly see higher education as outdated, underpaid, and slow to innovate, creating a gap between their expectations and what institutions offer. To stay competitive, institutions must close that perception gap and reframe the employee experience. By closing the gap and modernizing the presentation of the institution’s brand to employers, colleges and universities can better attract the next generation of talent—and keep them engaged for the long term.
- A strong employer brand starts on campus. Fostering a culture of belonging, where all employees feel seen, supported, and valued, can go a long way in offsetting compensation gaps. Higher ed employment also has something many private-sector roles can’t offer: mission-driven work, long-term stability, and paths for professional growth.
- Embracing modern tools and technology is another way to boost appeal, particularly to younger, tech-savvy candidates. Investing in technology and integrating digital systems into daily operations signals that an institution is forward-thinking and ready to evolve with the workforce.
- Tell the right story in the right places to attract the right candidates. From engaging job descriptions to strategic social media outreach, every candidate touchpoint should reflect the values, community, and purpose that make your institution a great place to work.
Tools like NEOED’s Attract can amplify your employer brand online by showcasing what makes you stand out as an employer, whether that’s campus culture, institutional values, career development opportunities, or mission-driven impact.
Expand Candidate Sourcing
A wider talent pool means better hiring outcomes, but only if institutions are intentional about where and how they source candidates.
Start by diversifying your outreach to surface qualified candidates who may have otherwise been overlooked:
- Host or attend virtual and in-person career fairs targeting both students and experienced professionals
- Use industry-specific job boards like SchoolJobs.com to find mission-aligned candidates
- Create partnerships with graduate programs, community colleges, HBCUs, and workforce development agencies to diversify your talent pipeline
Technology can also play a key role in candidate sourcing. Today, two out of three organizations use AI to support recruitment tasks, such as screening applicants and streamlining communications. These tools not only speed up the process, but can also help identify better-fit candidates based on skills, experience, and interest.
Personalizing your outreach is another smart – and budget-friendly – strategy to qualify top talent. Using data to align job opportunities with a candidate’s interests, goals, and preferred work environment can make outreach efforts more compelling and effective.
Lastly, consider shifting to a skills-based hiring approach. Focusing on demonstrated abilities rather than traditional credentials opens the door to a broader, more diverse candidate pool while aligning with the evolving needs of the modern workforce.
Increasing outreach through virtual and in-person career fairs, industry-specific job boards like SchoolJobs.com, and partnerships with graduate programs, community colleges, HBCUs, and workforce development agencies.
Create Clear Pathways for Career Advancement
Retention improves dramatically when employees can picture a long-term career at your institution – ideally one with room to grow, lead, and evolve over time.
Unfortunately, most institutions aren’t hitting the mark. According to CUPA-HR’s retention survey, only 38% of higher ed employees say their institution invests in their career development, and 44% report no access to advancement opportunities at all.
With waves of baby boomer retirements underway, institutions can use this moment to build intentional succession plans and leadership pipelines for the next generation. Using HR systems that provide real-time insights and predictive modeling are especially helpful for this kind of workforce planning.
Providing continuous feedback is key to fostering employee growth and satisfaction. Regular check-ins and goal-setting conversations help employees feel supported, aligned, and valued. Tools like NEOED’s Perform make it easier to deliver consistent, actionable feedback and encourage continued career growth.
Offering mentorship opportunities, leadership training, and internal mobility programs helps employees picture themselves advancing within the institution. When career progression is structured and visible, it strengthens retention by reinforcing that employee contributions are valued.
Use Financial Incentives Strategically
While increasing salaries across the board may not be feasible, targeted incentives can still make a powerful impact—especially in hard-to-fill roles.
One-time offers like signing bonuses, tuition reimbursement, and structured retention stipends can make a meaningful impact without straining long-term budgets.
The key is using data to guide these budget decisions. Identify which roles are hardest to fill, where turnover is highest, or where the talent market is most competitive. Focus on financial incentives where they’ll have the greatest return.
***But remember: bonuses alone aren’t enough. Incentives should be paired with a strong onboarding experience, career development support, and a culture of engagement to truly boost retention.
Final Thoughts
Attracting and retaining top talent in higher education doesn’t always require a bigger salary budget. By offering genuine work-life balance through flexible schedules and remote work, strengthening your employer brand, expanding candidate sourcing, creating clear career pathways, and using financial incentives strategically, institutions can compete more effectively in today’s market.
With thoughtful planning and the right tools in place, it’s entirely possible to build (and market) a workplace that people want to join – and stay – without relying solely on salary.
Looking to implement these strategies in your institution? Learn how tools like Attract and Perform can support your recruitment and retention goals.
