The end of the calendar year and the beginning of the next are crucial for schools to recruit talented teachers and staff members for the upcoming academic year. Many schools have job boards, and human resources departments do a great job maintaining up-to-date listings. However, in today’s digital age, you could be doing much more to attract the best talent for your schools.
Here are a few simple strategies for recruiting new team members that will help to make sure you’re bringing in the best.
Utilize industry-specific job boards
Outside of your school’s job board, you should be getting the word out about your job openings through other websites, as well. Industry-specific job boards allow for potential employees to find your school even if they weren’t explicitly looking for it in the first place. Look into posting on sites like TeachingJobs.com, SchoolSpring, or K12JobSpot. These sites all have conditions and pricing to post a listing, but it’s well worth the investment to find your next great employee.
Host (virtual) meet and greets
Perhaps your newest employee is in a neighboring town, or maybe they will be coming from across the country. Either way, it’s vital to do your best to make them feel like your school is the best move. Workplace culture is a large deciding factor for many people who are looking for a career change. A 2019 survey by Glassdoor, Inc. found that almost two-thirds (65 percent) of employees stay in their job because of the culture. Your school’s website and social media channels can help portray your school’s culture, but a face-to-face or virtual interaction can make an even more significant impact.
Encourage involvement from your superintendent, school principals, teachers, and administrators in the event. Having faculty and staff members participate will allow future employees to hear and see the excitement your staff has for your school.
Use paid advertising
If your school has the budget, you should strongly consider allocating some of your funds to paid advertising. Social media ads, Google Ads, and other online advertising channels are easily accessible and only cost what you’re willing to pay. You could start with one ad that you spend $50 on, or you could create a multi-ad campaign that runs for months that costs you $50,000. With paid advertising, you can target and get your message out in front of the specific type of candidate you would want to apply for your open position.
