Recruiting Strategy
Hello, Mr. Chips: hiring for schools
Orla Hodnett
HireHive
Orla Hodnett
HireHive
Orla Hodnett
HireHive
Orla Hodnett
HireHive
Teaching is not just a job, it's a vocation. The job of recruiting for a school is a singular task. When hiring for a teaching position, there are dozens of considerations to keep in mind. You've got to find someone who can adhere to the curriculum, prepare students for exams, foster a love for their subject in their students and will always have a wittier comeback than a cheeky student… all without the help of a HR department.
When hiring for a school, you have a responsibility to find the right person for your students, fellow teachers, students’ parents, as well as the organisation.
Here are a few tips for managing the recruiting process for schools.
Anyone you hire for a role within a school should be a grade A team player. Anyone working within the school gate should have sterling interpersonal skills. A good way of gauging this is getting other teachers in on the recruiting process. Anyone from the hiring department will have an insight on what is required from the individual. Seeing how the prospective candidate engages with and behaves towards potential colleagues is also very telling.
Testing or assessment of candidates isn't just for software developers. Don't be afraid of including testing or writing tasks in the interview process.
Your line of questioning at the interview stage can tell you a whole lot about the hopeful candidate sitting before you. Procedural questioning about the general, everyday, on the job tasks will tell you if they pass muster. This will act as a useful filtering tool too. By asking them about their techniques for preparing lesson plans, or classroom management, they will be able to demonstrate their skills and creativity. Testing or assessment of candidates isn't just for software developers. Don't be afraid of including testing or writing tasks in the interview process.
If you cannot build an initial rapport with someone at the interview stage, reconsider.
As stated already, interpersonal skills are essential for any role at a school, in fact, soft skills in general are a need-to-have in any candidate. Patience and having a personable manner are required for such a role. If you cannot build an initial rapport with someone at the interview stage, reconsider. Beyond soft skills, a candidate should have developed skills in areas outside teaching. An interest in sports is always a good one, but an interest in technology or languages can bring a whole new dimension. Who knows how a candidate might bring this into their work and let their students benefit from it.
For the most part, schools all follow a similar model. You should do your best to articulate what makes your school different when posting jobs or at the interview stage. Things like career development are very significant to teachers, but this may not be apparent. Teachers are careerists, so if you offer a potential for growth, candidates will jump at this. Teachers are in it for the long haul, so even at advertising stage make this known.
“HireHive makes the team a lot more productive. We’d be lost without it. Team Leaders can do it all themselves if needed or jump in at the right time and know exactly where everything is and what’s happening.”
Hilary Dempsey Head of HR at Life Credit union
