Elevating IT Excellence: An Ivy League University’s Search for Top Talent

When a prestigious Ivy League university sought an Executive Director of IT, Boyden was selected to lead the search, thanks to our expertise and commitment to diversity and inclusivity. With high expectations for a transparent process, we partnered closely with stakeholders to understand the role’s complexities and identify top candidates who aligned with the university’s vision for leadership and innovation.

The Client

Boyden was engaged to conduct an Executive Director of IT search for a prestigious Ivy League university, marking our third IT leadership search and fourth overall assignment for the institution. Known for its rigorous standards, the University placed a high value on a clear and well-structured search process, with a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusivity in hiring practices. Our ongoing relationship with the University is built on mutual trust and a shared commitment to attracting exceptional talent while prioritizing values of equity and inclusion.

The Challenge

This re-envisioned role was a critical hire for the IT team, with significant attention across the institution. They needed not only a skilled IT professional, but also someone who understood the complexity of the institution and could lead a team of 20 with influence over another 200. To ensure success, we conducted in-depth interviews with key stakeholders across the university to fully grasp the role, the ideal candidate’s qualities, and the challenges the new Executive Director of IT would face. From this, we developed a tailored evaluation rubric covering technical expertise, management experience, decision-making style, and executive leadership. This rubric was essential in aligning the university's needs with our candidate selection.

The Solution

Boyden’s team reached out to top candidates nationwide, using the custom rubric to guide our selection process. We provided the University with full transparency, offering continuous access to our candidate database, enabling them to monitor our progress in real time. After a thorough vetting process, we presented a slate of ten highly qualified candidates, with 60% of them representing historically marginalized communities. The client selected eight individuals for the initial interview stage, followed by three finalists who advanced to second-round, on-campus interviews. This careful curation ensured that the University had access to the best and most inclusive pool of talent available.

The Result

As an engaged search partner, we developed a tailored set of questions for the hiring panel, provided personalized interview preparation for each candidate, and actively participated in the interviews to maintain a smooth and consistent process. After the interviews, we administered a feedback survey to all participants, collecting valuable insights for the hiring manager. Our commitment to transparent communication included weekly meetings with the hiring manager and HR partner to track progress and address any concerns. Ultimately, the University was thrilled with the outcome, successfully appointing a new Executive Director of IT who met their high standards of excellence and inclusivity.