  We propose a method to measure the effectiveness of the recruitment and
turnover of professors, in terms of their research performance. The method
presented is applied to the case of Italian universities over the period
2008-2012. The work then analyses the correlation between the indicators of
effectiveness used, and between the indicators and the universities' overall
research performance. In countries that conduct regular national assessment
exercises, the evaluation of effectiveness in recruitment and turnover could
complement the overall research assessments. In particular, monitoring such
parameters could assist in deterring favoritism, in countries exposed to such
practices.
