Recruiting and onboarding talented, passionate teachers

Finding good teachers can be a daunting task. Knowing that our children are in good hands is important for both educators and parents. Therefore, recruiting and onboarding qualified educators is equally important.

In this recent webinar, sponsored by PowerSchool, Dan Ryder, director of design and innovation at CRCS Overman Schools in Maine, Greg Bagby, instructional technology coordinator at Hamilton County Schools, and Fred Scott, a K-12 education veteran, discussed the hiring and onboarding process in the education industry.

Watch the full webinar here for free and on-demand

Unique recruitment obstacles

While there are tried and true methods for hiring employees, more unconventional methods have become popular, especially in the world of education, to overcome recruitment obstacles. Greg Bagby has been a teacher, a principal, and now works in the district office to help principals screen new teachers for their schools.

“Where Chattanooga is, we’re on the border between Tennessee and Georgia, and up until recently, like this year, the pay in my district has been a little bit lower than the surrounding districts just across the state line,” Bagby said. “So it’s been a real challenge for us to initially recruit teachers to the district.”

The difference in support for public and private schools also poses a barrier for teachers in deciding where to teach (and for principals in determining whether public schools are an attractive location).

Dan Ryder shared how his district meets the needs of students from diverse backgrounds, but also in a politically mixed environment, which impacts the recruitment process for educational institutions.

Fred Scott discussed how recruitment used to be a simple process for education decision makers and what teachers are now looking for in terms of employee expectations.

“There are three things that I’ve found when I hire large numbers of people and work with people. They want to be respected, they want their work to be inspected, and they also want to have solid expectations of what their job entails. Those are the three things,” Scott said.

It is important to know what goals teachers have and where they want to be. This makes teachers feel more valued as employees and as people.

How to Recruit Quality Teachers

Regardless of the obstacles educational leaders may face, the hiring process is important to providing students with a quality education. Finding the right teachers may not require the traditional hiring process, as Ryder explained. Sometimes, it can involve going outside the box.

“We started out doing what most people do, which is putting it on your job boards,” Ryder said. “That’s been our main driver for years. Then we started going to your college fairs and teacher training colleges, and that’s been great. But what’s been really helpful in spreading the word is using social media to constantly talk about what we do and that we’re always looking for people.”

Word of mouth seems to be a better way to find teachers who not only fit the culture of a school or district, but are genuinely interested in working in that particular environment. Platforms like Facebook can be a great way to provide insight into what is happening within the school.

Searches for larger districts can help narrow down the type of teacher you are looking for. In this case, traditional recruiting can help, but modern recruiting practices can also help narrow down the teachers who are a perfect fit for a particular school or district.

How to successfully onboard teachers

Once you have found the right candidates, how you introduce them to a new culture is crucial to creating a solid relationship.

Scott explained that creating a clear path of communication between teachers and their leaders is important to fostering continued success. Being clear about what teachers need to do in the classroom is also important. Providing support, training, and resources can make the difference between successful and unsuccessful teachers.

Bagby said he treats prospective teachers as if they are already part of the team. This can include in-class activities, but it can also include out-of-class activities, such as inviting teachers to lunch. Talking about teaching and expectations in a comfortable setting can help people relax, Bagby said, and giving teachers a stress-free introduction to a school’s culture can go a long way in helping teachers have a fruitful start in a new school or district.

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