It’s a new year – time to rethink strategy! We’ve created a shortlist of effective educator recruitment strategies for K-12 talent managers to get a jump on recruiting for the 2024-2025 school year.
1. Make it easy to apply.
Consumer trends show us that individuals have shortened attention spans and want quick interactions online. If your district’s job application process is daunting, even the most prepared candidates can get discouraged and take a pass. So shorten the time it takes to complete the first application touchpoint.
Sure, you’ll need to collect that teaching certification and run that background check before extending an offer – but are all the formalities necessary at first blush?
Consider creating an initial touchpoint that asks just for the basics: Name, Contact Information, and Position of Interest.
Your follow-up for additional documentation can be a strategically planned touchpoint in the candidate’s experience with your district, designed to nurture their interest and start a conversation – instead of an overwhelming ask at the front end.
Want to hear more? Check out what our “Productive Disruption” guest had to say about simplifying first contact.
2. Find your culture champions.
As humans, we identify with others who’ve lived similar experiences. What does this mean for the K-12 hiring process?
Candidates who make it to the interview process are savvy, and will also be interviewing you and the district as a whole. You can help these candidates envision themselves as happy members of your school community by introducing them to current “culture champions” with similar backgrounds and experiences.
Identify key personnel of various backgrounds and lived experiences who exemplify school and district values. Then strategically involve them in the hiring process to create meaningful connections with qualified candidates. Prospective employees will have an easier time connecting with a district if they’re seeing it through the eyes of a culture champion to whom they can relate.
Got a recent graduate from a large city interviewing for a beginning teacher position in your rural district? Bring in the young teacher who made a similar switch to talk about where he’s found enjoyment working and living in a smaller town. Interviewed someone who’s recently relocated to the area due to their partner’s military assignment? Connect them with the staff member who’s lived the same journey, is thriving in their role today, and who can provide relevant insight for military families. Know a retired community member considering a part-time role in the schools? Introduce her to the truck driver who’s happily found a second career in driving a school bus.
3. Roll out the welcome mat.
It takes a village to tackle a systemic problem like the lack of affordable housing in a community. Luckily, there are organizations that recognize the need. In North Carolina, the SECU Foundation partners with local districts and community organizations to support affordable workforce housing for public school teachers, offering 0% financing for construction and permanent mortgage loans with 15-year terms.
Even if there isn’t a similar organization in your state offering this type of partnership to develop educator housing, recruiters can still roll out the welcome mat for out-of-town candidates. Consider partnering with local realtors and homeowner organizations to develop lists of affordable properties to rent or own in the community. Utilize these trusted realtors as community ambassadors, and connect them with candidates to simplify their house-hunting process and offer peace of mind throughout their relocation.
4. Identify key incentives.
While pay schedules are dictated by various factors state-to-state, recruiters facing red tape in the salary spreadsheets can look to where they do have flexibility and adjust non-salary benefits and incentives strategically. These can include:
- establishing (or adjusting) a district contribution to a retirement plan that’s in addition to the state retirement
- increasing the district’s health insurance premium contribution
- offering stipends for professional development
- partnering with local businesses and organizations to provide wellness programming and staff discounts
- implementing a teacher referral program
- developing a mentorship or teacher induction program
These show a district’s commitment to its employees and investment in their advancement as professionals. And when advertised as part of the recruiting process, they can also positively reflect district values and culture.
5. Explore nontraditional apprenticeship options.
Different than student teaching, a residency program expands beyond the classroom setting and immerses the teaching candidate in all aspects of the school, preparing them for diverse responsibilities and allowing them to learn and adapt to school and district culture.
According to the Texas Association of School Boards, residency programs can also be game-changers for students who can’t afford the traditional student teaching process due to the inability to maintain a paying job during their semester of student teaching. A 2021 Texas COVID Learning Acceleration Supports grant provided funding and assistance to establish more than 85 partnerships to design paid teacher residency programs, and as of this fall, the state has 37 Texas Education Agency-vetted educator preparation programs for the purpose of district residency partnerships.
Ultimately, recruitment strategies that represent a commitment to nurturing and supporting educators at every stage of their careers will be effective in enhancing a district’s appeal to potential candidates – and maintaining a satisfied, engaged workforce.
AI contributed to the graphic for this blog.
Molly is the liaison between education leaders and the agency, connecting the K-12 community with services designed to accelerate performance and market position. She leads content and partner engagement strategy and is a frequent conference presenter and podcast/blog guest. Molly likes to push it to the limit, and races competitively in Obstacle Course Races on the weekends.
