How to Improve the Teacher Hiring Process

Online, April 29, 2010 (Newswire.com) - It's hiring season and this year there are far more job applicants than job openings. So with the amount of applications, how do you sort through them and spend your time interviewing only those candidates that would make a good fit for your school?

"Past behavior is the best predictor of future performance," hiring expert Mary C. Clement said.

In her online seminar Strategies to Improve Teacher Hiring Clement reviewed the process administrators should go through for hiring teachers from writing the job ad to extending a job offer.

"We know that effective new hires can raise faculty morale qualified new teachers do not need remediation and they can be successfully retained," Clement said.

The hiring process for teachers has changed dramatically over the years with the changes to technology and the down economy.

"Hiring used to be easier. Posting an opening meant taking a piece of paper and two thumbtacks to an actual cork bulletin board. All an administrator would have to do is get two or three qualified candidates for onsite interviews," Clement said. "This is a tough economic market. In this tight market, hundreds of applicants may be applying for one opening. A large number of those applicants aren't even qualified. This makes it even more important."

The first step in hiring is recruitment. When considering recruitment you don't want any surprises. Clement said it is very important to write a truthful recruitment ad and make all of the information available.

"Redefine positions as they become available. The job advertisement should be very clear and contain a list of skills, experiences and expertise needed to do the job. The ad should include the class size, state rating and school demographics," Clement said.

Clement said that the best method to use for conducting interviews is the behavior based interviewing (BBI) technique. BBI is objective and requires candidates to recall related teaching, student teaching and field experiences. BBI is a very effective teacher interviewing process.

"When using BBI a candidate that cannot explain how to grade a paper [during the interview] probably can't explain it to fifth graders. A good candidate should be able to teach you something," Clement said. "BBI works because it can be applied to all steps of the hiring process."

Clement said that everyone involved in the teacher interview process needs to be aware of what is legal and what is not. The interviewer should not speak openly with the candidate because some personal information is illegal to obtain.

"There is no such thing as small talk. Even if a candidate volunteers some personal information, you can't follow up," Clement said. "You can't ask about children or marriage. You can't even comment on jewelry anymore. It could lead to a question that involves religion or the jewelry might indicate an affiliation with an organization."

The interviewers should be prepared for anything. Interviews are often a stressful situation for people and everyone handles stress differently.

"What would you do if a candidate cries during an interview? Chances are there going to cry in front of parents or even the students. What if a candidate says they need the job because of a messy divorce, again, chances are if they tell you they will tell the students and staff," Clement said.

The interview is not just for finding the best candidate but also an opportunity to recruit the best talent and showcase your school. Clement said that research shows candidates want to teach within 100 miles of where they consider home, a location with services, affordable housing, safe neighborhoods, clean schools and they want to know about the potential class size, test scores and salary.

"During the interview you are selling your school. The candidate is deciding if they want to work for you. Good interviewing is recruiting," Clement said.

The job offer is another critical point of recruiting top talent. Clement said to keep the candidates informed during the job offer process.

"How you induct the teacher can be critical of how a teacher joins the school. Send a letter of intent in a timely manner, invite them to orientation, let knew teachers know who to see for insurance and housing," Clement said.

The teacher hiring process is an opportunity to improve the school and should be taken very seriously.

"We need to hire the best new teachers to always provide students with the best instruction," Clement said. "It's much more than a gut feeling."