According to the International Education Recruitment Report (IERR) 2023, 94% of teaching candidates say a school’s hiring process significantly impacts how favorably they view a school as a potential employer.
If you’ve faced challenges attracting top talent, re-visit your current recruitment process and see if you’re making any of these common hiring mistakes.
Download a free copy of the IERR for updated stats and data compiled from over 4,000 teachers to navigate a candidate-driven market, enhance your online presence, create an inviting school community, and ensure your salary and benefits packages remain competitive.
Not taking the time to write an effective job description
Before you start the hiring process, it’s important to write an effective job description. A well-written job description will help you attract candidates with the right skills and experience for the position.
A poorly written one can be a turnoff for many applicants. Unfortunately, it also causes confusion about what your school is looking for in a candidate, leading to wasted time and money on interviews that don’t yield results.
Focusing on technical skills over culture fit and soft skills
When looking for new teaching talent, focusing on technical skills like classroom management (which is still very important!) and ignoring the soft ones is tempting. But you can’t necessarily teach them cultural fit or how to be a good team member–and those are skills that are just as important as any technical ability.
Soft skills include communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking–all traits that will help your teachers succeed in their roles at your school.
Hiring someone who doesn’t fit in with your school’s DEI culture.
Having the right person in the right school requires intentionally recruiting a diverse and inclusive cadre of professionals who can add value to your existing professional school or organizational team.
DEI issues are equally significant for schools and educators, as seen in school improvement plans, curricula, and learning outcomes (including resourcing and assessment practices), teacher pedagogical practices, staffing allocations, and professional learning opportunities.
In terms of recruitment, developing an inclusive and representative team of talented international education professionals is increasingly a stated priority for recruitment teams. Do an authenticity check with these questions and prompts to determine if your candidates fit your school’s DEI culture.
Hiring too quickly or too slowly
Hiring too quickly or too slowly is an easy mistake to make. However, it’s important to remember that hiring is a process, not an event. You don’t want to rush into hiring before you’re ready, but if you wait too long, you risk losing out on great candidates who may have been interested in your school and its mission at one point but are no longer available after months of searching for work elsewhere.
Common hiring mistakes happen when companies fail to plan ahead with their time frame in mind–don’t make this mistake! Instead, ensure enough lead time between posting your teaching job listing and the start date so that both parties can prepare themselves properly for what comes next: interviewing teaching candidates and the onboarding process.
Not checking references thoroughly
When you’re hiring someone, it’s important to make sure you check their references thoroughly. In fact, some schools require that you do so before they even consider bringing someone on board. If a teaching candidate doesn’t have any references available, find out why this is the case. Save time on this step with Teach Away’s teacher recruitment ATS which has a references feature that allows you to view your teaching candidates’ reference information.
When checking references:
- Ask questions about things like punctuality and attendance at work; attitude toward students and other teachers; ability to work independently and effectively; problem-solving skills; motivation level, etc.
- Don’t just ask what they liked most about working with this person–you also want to know what could have been better! Think about what kinds of problems might arise if certain issues aren’t addressed now while there still might be time for a change.
Not leveraging technology in your search for candidates
When looking for candidates, avoid getting stuck in the same old ways of thinking. Try new things in 2023! Leverage technology and reach a larger audience.
- Social media: It’s no secret that LinkedIn is one of the best ways to search for teachers these days. But did you know that Twitter and Facebook can also be used as effective tools? Both platforms allow users to post their teaching resumes and reach out directly to employers who are hiring–and if they don’t have a resume yet, this is an opportunity for them to build one while reaching out simultaneously! (In fact, many recruiters say they prefer candidates who’ve done this.) Find out what other social media platforms teachers are using to search for jobs in the IERR!
- Online job fairs: Virtual events make it easier for candidates to learn about job openings and interact with school administrators, while allowsing schools to reach a larger and more diverse pool of candidates.
Ignoring red flags or making excuses for them
Red flags are warning signs that indicate you may want to reconsider hiring a candidate. You should be on the lookout for red flags, as they could indicate serious problems in the future.
What Are Red Flags?
Red flags are indications of negative traits or habits that may cause problems in your workplace. They’re often easy to spot, but sometimes they can be subtle and hard to recognize at first glance. It’s important not only to know what red flags look like but also how they might affect your company if ignored or overlooked during the hiring process.
When Should You Look Out For Them?
It’s always better not to ignore these warning signs altogether–you never know when one will turn out to be an actual problem later on! If you notice one of these signs during an interview with a candidate (or even before meeting them), make sure you address it directly so there aren’t any surprises later down the line.
It takes some work, but hiring mistakes can be avoided.
Don’t feel bad if you’ve found yourself making any hiring mistakes. There’s a reason why they’re common!
The best recruitment strategies are collaborative and proactive in ensuring your recruitment strategy is successful. The International Education Recruitment Report provides valuable insight directly from your teaching candidates into what your teaching candidates are being offered, what they prefer, and what discourages them from applying. Download a free copy of the IERR today.