Partnerships strengthen our work
Network and Affiliations
Spelman Johnson’s partnerships with the organizations listed below strengthen our ability to identify leadership trends, understand the challenges of our clients, and continuously review the services we offer to both clients and candidates.
Spelman Johnson is honored to support the American Council on Education (ACE) as members of ACE’s Roundtable of Executive Search Firms.
The Roundtable was established in 1985 as a means of addressing the mutual interests of ACE and executive search firms in the continuing identification of talented leaders for our nation’s colleges and universities. Over the years, the primary aspects of the relationship between ACE and individual firms have been the exchange of information related to improving the quality of searches and the discussion of issues related to higher education search practice.
Purposes of the Roundtable
The Roundtable exists to support ACE in its continuing efforts to improve the quality of leadership in higher education; to diversify that leadership in terms of gender, race, and ethnicity; to promote the highest standards in the process of search and selection; and to educate the higher education community about search processes, with or without the use of consultants. The Roundtable offers search firms the opportunity to exchange information and develop relationships that enhance cooperation among competing firms for the benefit of leadership in higher education.
Principles
- Subscribe to the highest standards of integrity and principles of quality, diversity, equity, and ethical practice.
- Affirm commitment to conducting equitable searches to foster diversity and the highest quality of leadership for the educational community.
- Assist candidates in understanding the role of the consultant in the search process.
- Ensure that client institutions provide search consultants and candidates with all relevant and current data, including financial information, that is needed in the search.
- Respect the confidentiality of clients and candidates and obtain client approval before sharing information.
Ideas for Action LLC (IFA) is an internationally known and respected management consulting firm. Driven by a passion to empower people, organizations, and ideas, the IFA has spent the past two decades serving hundreds of higher education institutions and associations with customized executive coaching and consultation, leadership development, strategic planning, governance, research, and facilitation services. IFA’s partners are experienced, knowledgeable senior leaders in higher education and professional associations. As subject matter experts, partners are trusted advisors and collaborators, building customized approaches and solutions to client needs. Spelman Johnson has partnered with IFA on a range of projects, from strategic planning (where a strategic planning process provided continuity and direction for the Spelman Johnson search for a new association leader) to executive coaching and leadership development (where a new executive, placed through a Spelman Johnson search, received IFA executive coaching and consultation throughout the first year of employment). IFA’s customized services for colleges and universities and higher education-related associations include:
- Strengthening individual and team executive leadership performance
- Guiding thoughtful and disciplined strategic planning
- Enhancing board and governance capacity and agility
- Finding solutions to challenges, problems, and disruptions
- Providing insight, information, and actionable research
Our code of ethics, as practiced by the National Association of Executive Recruiters (NAER) member firms, comes from the belief that sound and ethical practice is good business. Confidence and respect are indispensable to success in a business embracing the many intangibles of our service and involving relationships so dependent upon good faith.
NAER and its members encourage fair competition among executive search consultants. We hold that these professionals should compete on merit and not by attempts at discrediting or disparaging a competitor, or its work, directly or by inference, or by circulating unwarranted claims about another organization. Neither NAER nor any member shall engage in such activities which violate antitrust laws.
Business promotion and development shall be conducted forthrightly by members with no misrepresentations (expressed or implied) which might mislead clients and/or candidates.
- Communication between members and clients or members and candidates shall be objective and accurate.
- Clients, positions, and candidates shall be represented honestly and factually.
- Members shall honor the confidentiality of proprietary information received from clients and candidates.
- Members shall conduct comprehensive reference checks of candidates prior to final selection by clients.
- Members shall refrain from soliciting candidates from client companies.
- Members shall refrain from using sourcing techniques which involve pretext or falsehood.
- Members shall inform clients of potential limitations, due to other client relationships, which might affect the outcome of the search.
- Member firms shall not accept payment for counseling or other assistance to individuals seeking employment.
- Potential conflicts of interest due to business relationships between members and candidates shall be disclosed to clients before candidate presentations.
The Network of Nonprofit Search Consultants (NNSC) is a professional organization comprised of some of the leading nonprofit search consultants in the United States and Canada.
NNSC provides a forum for executive search consultants to discuss best practices in the field of retained search services predominantly for nonprofit organizations and non-governmental organizations.
The NNSC mission is to reflect the goals of the nonprofit organizations we serve and ensure that the best leadership is in place to meet the needs of others. There is a special expertise required to recruit such inspired leadership and NNSC members are continually expanding their knowledge and experience to benefit these organizations.
Candidate networks
Recommended Professional Associations
There are many national associations and professional development programs designed to build your network and to support your professional growth. Here are just a few we suggest.
- American Association of Blacks in Higher Education (AABHE)
- Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U)
- The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)
- American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHE)
- American Association of Community Colleges (AACC)
- The American Council on Education (ACE)
- Association of College and University Housing Officers – International (ACUHO-I)
- Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)
- The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC)
- Higher Education Resource Services (HERS)
- International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA)
- LGBTQ Leaders in Higher Education
- Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA)
- National Association of Campus Activities (NACA)
- National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO)
- National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS)
- National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA)
- National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE)
- National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
- National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA)
- National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE)
- Women Leaders in Sports (WLS)