Recruitment: 3 Research-Based Strategies & Resources
Recruitment is an ongoing, year-round process; however, springtime in education is often considered the height for the implementation of a district’s recruitment strategy.
To support your efforts, here are research-based strategies for effective recruitment with links to supporting resources on the HCRC.
1. Promote your district or school as an attractive workplace for educators.
Cultivate a positive reputation as an employer. Utilize a strong employee brand to attract and retain talent. Consider:
Why do professionals choose you as an employer and what makes you unique?
Do you provide high levels of engagement to your current employees? Understand that current employees are a trusted source of your brand in the community – are they helping you when they engage with the community, or are they hurting your recruitment efforts?
Get everyone involved – recruitment should not solely be one person’s responsibility. Recenter all staff with the mission of the organization and why they chose you. Identify your brand ambassadors and determine how their messages could be used for recruitment efforts. Some districts conduct Stay Interviews, primarily a retention strategy, and utilize the findings to also inform recruitment and identify ambassadors.
Consider the first impressions you are making with potential applicants. Prioritize the customer experience – past applicants can be a part of your future candidate pool.
Remember, education is inherently a purpose-driven field. With this mindset, consider your current sources for external recruitment. Are there new ponds to fish in? Examples:
Professional associations, Unions, Social organizations
Community Organizations
Higher Education (College, University, Career Technical)
High Schools
State/Federal Education Departments
Former employees
Previous applicants
Personal relationships/ Referrals
Military
Career Changers
Social Media
International Partnerships
Third Party -- Staffing agency (PEO, Temporary Agency, search firms, outplacement firms)
Unsolicited (walk-in’s)
Passive Candidates (i.e. teenagers, homemakers, trailing spouse)
For related HCRC resources: ohiohcrc.org/employee-brand; ohiohcrc.org/stay-interviews.
2. Establish high and unyielding standards for identifying candidates
Be clear on the professional competencies valued by the organization and the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that are expected for employees to possess. Ensure job descriptions and job postings are accurate and up-to-date and that recruiters and members of the hiring team have a shared understanding of the position requirements. Consider providing realistic job previews through student teaching experiences, job shadowing, and details on what a day in the life of that position looks like.
Challenge your organization to review specific positions and how they might provide more flexibility or added benefits. Can you create more win-win opportunities for your organization, the candidate, and possibly other organizations? For example, are there opportunities for work from home, part-time work, job sharing, flexible work schedules, customized working hours, or condensed workweeks?
For related HCRC resources: ohiohcrc.org/educator-recruitment
3. Cultivate partnerships with diverse sources of potential applicants
Collect and review your data: Where does your top talent come from? What recruitment activities yield a high number of job candidates? What activities yield a low number? What percentage of student teachers do we hire? What percentage do we want to hire?
Consider the following: Tips to Cultivate Partnerships.
Move beyond traditional sources of candidates. Add strategies such as:
Sharing career pathways in education as an attractive option to current students.
Creating or enhancing Grow Your Own efforts in your district.
Incentivizing employees to fill hard-to-staff positions or buildings.
For additional tools and resources to enhance your onboarding program, visit the Recruitment section of the Human Capital Resource Center.