Should universities pay search firms?

HR positions are always classified at higher levels than they deserve. Read some of their descriptions for "70" level and they're like 61's for anyone else. But HR gets to write their own descriptions. And bring them in to do any real search and reclassification? Hah. No one respects them. They're seen as an obstacle to get through. You'd think with all of their staff and droning workshops they'd be able to develop a decent search mechanism, but the leaders know they're too incompetent to handle it. Universities have some amazing fundraising officers who know the key players nationally. Can't they develop the same talent inside HR?

a lot of companies use recruiters. they are usually experts in specific fields, and are used to navigating through channels to find the best candidate. and the fact that its private money funding the search makes this conversation even more irrelevant.

Use of a third-party search firm is just another way of high-priced, under-achieving "leadership" to provide another group to point the finger at if the hire does not do well. One would think someone who loves and cares about an institution like UNC or NCState enough to commit his/her life's work to it would be willing to seek-out such opportunities rather than get an email query from some recruiter. Just post the positions, get the word out about them to alumni and in-state residents and see what happens.