Respect and Trust: A Case Study of the UK Higher Education Personnel System and Its Implications for the Recruitment of Academic Talent

Research-oriented universities worldwide are striving to recruit talented academics to ensure they are competitive internationally. Countries around the world not only cultivate talented people through their own higher education system, they also recruit talent from other countries (Jheng & Chang, 2021). However, academic salaries are not the only factor that attracts people. Creating more attractive recruitment packages is crucial for acquiring and retaining talent (Altbach et al., 2012). The United Kingdom’s (UK) higher education system has a long history in successfully attracting international talent and is considered a role model in this field (Kuo, 2016). A multiple-case design, aimed to understand how the UK higher education personnel system operates was adopted in this study. In particular, issues concerning talent acquisition, retention, and performance assessment were examined. The pay scale for faculty members and how UK higher education institutions ensure teaching quality and future development were also explored. We conclude by offering policy suggestions and considering their implications for enhancing the higher education personnel system in Taiwan.