egable wrote:
I'm guessing the current editor plans to retire in 2013 and they decided to get a jump on things.
Not a bad idea, really, especially for a specialized position ... they're still in the position of hoping that the right person will be available at the right time, but "the right time" has just expanded to a much larger window than your average candidate search.
Retirement would be my guess, too. But it's goofy to consider a four-year hiring period.
So you interview people over three years maybe? "Thanks for coming. We'll let you know in three years." Maybe: "The job is yours. See you in three years." Lots can happen in three or four years. Who's going to commit to a job that far down the line? If someone commits, what are that chances that his life circumstances will change? (Gets married or divorced, has a kid, gets sick, changes careers, gets a job he really likes in the interim, changes his mind, whatever.) How would you negotiate salary (and maybe moving expenses) for a job years from now? Say you lock in your salary now and inflation shoots up. Oh oh. Or maybe your funding is slashed because of budget cuts. Oops.
Sounds like someone wants to drag out hiring. Maybe there are expensed lunches involved, lol.