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5 Things to Remember When Searching for Your Next Education Hire

5 Things to Remember When Searching for Your Next Education Hire

Finding the perfect education hire to fill an open role within your educational institution is a tall order. Wait too long to make a decision, and your students suffer. Not to mention, you might lose top-tier talent as they receive other offers.

However, you need to be deliberate in your hiring in order to cut down on turnover and ensure the education hire you make truly serves the students in the most effective way.

So, here are five ways to create a hiring process that is both effective and efficient in a crowded marketplace:

Remember that personality matters.

When it comes to education hiring, personality is a crucial component that contributes to a candidate’s success in their position. While they need to have the hard skills necessary to excel as an educator, you should also factor in their energy level, disposition, and outlook on education.

What kind of school community have you built? Is this educational institution focused on collaborative learning? Then you need to find an education hire who believes in this method. Do you want students to branch outside of their campus and get involved in the community? Your new education hire should support this and encourage their students to play an active role in their communities.

Involve others in the hiring process.

Because the educational process is collaborative, you’ll want to involve other professionals when it’s time to add a new teacher to your roster. This is especially true if you depend on team teaching.

Rather than making the decision on your own and hoping the others who have to interact with this individual approve of the choice, get their buy in. Could they envision themselves working alongside this person? What concerns do they have? What strengths do they see in each candidate? It’s likely you’ll task these people with getting the new hire up to speed, so having their approval is helpful.

Be deliberate with your process.

A hole in your roster is detrimental to educational professionals and the students they teach. However, filling the open position as quickly as possible can occasionally do damage later on. For example, you may end up with an inadequate educator or have to go through the hiring process shortly after that individual realizes the school simply isn’t a good fit.

Fight the urge to hire as quickly as possible. Instead, give careful consideration to each candidate. How would they contribute to your educational community? What will they bring that no one else could offer?

Use video interviewing.

Teachers need to have a specific skill set, and depending on where you live, this can mean your pool of applicants is limited. Even if you’re facing budget constraints, hiring technology makes it easy to source talent from far beyond just your immediate area.

Video interviewing technology allows you to get get a feel for a candidate, without having to pay to fly them in for an interview. Quickly sort through a variety of educators at a time that’s convenient for you. If you see someone who you think might positively contribute to your school, you can bring them in for further conversation.

Make sure the hiring process effectively reflects your school.

Ultimately, your interview process should be designed to suit your school and your student body. Everything from the questions you ask to the kinds of materials you use should serve as an accurate representation of your school’s mission, vision, and values.

When your interview process and your school’s goals and values align, it makes it easier to ensure the person you’re hiring will be a good long-term fit in the role.

The education field has become highly competitive, with schools clamoring to land the most qualified and dynamic teachers. By creating a hiring process that’s both effective and efficient, you enable your educational institution to attract teachers who will enhance your school community and benefit your students.

Do you have any other good advice on how to get top educational hires? Share in the comments below!

Lauren Levine

Lauren Levine is a copywriter/blogger who contributes to a number of magazines and websites including The Frisky, USA Today, and others. She also authors her own blog called Life with Lauren. She loves cooking, anything on the E! network, and is trying to convince herself that running isn't so bad.