Using the collaborative improvement model to improve a university hiring process

Policymakers and the public have been calling for the academic environment to improve the quality of its programs and services and to help more students afford post‐secondary education (Spellings, 2008). This paper examines and analyses the application of a collaborative improvement model and its role in the redesign of an outdated and inefficient hiring process at a four‐year public university. The model is based on lean theory and Deming's theory of profound knowledge. A case study approach is used to explain the collaborative improvement model and to examine the model's effectiveness in the redesign of a critical university process. The result of the study is a seamless integration of the hiring process with increased capacity to manage the projected increase of retirements and their replacements without adding additional labour resources. This study will provide a model on how lean theory and Deming's theory of profound knowledge can create a successful continuous improvement strategy in higher education.