Attracting top teachers
Finding the very best teacher candidates is never easy. Here's what successful recruitment is all about:
1. Carefully define your needs
Attracting the best candidates must start with a compelling vision of what the job entails and an understanding of the character of your school. Be very clear in your own mind what “success” looks like in your school. The best candidates will only explore a job if it offers opportunities. Many schools do not articulate the benefits of working at their school.
2. Have a Strong “sales” message
"Would you be interested in a job that's clearly superior to what you're doing today?" Ninety-nine percent of candidates will say, "Yes." Every time you communicate with a candidate think of this question. Use this as your basic message. You must also capture this idea in your advertising.
3. Write Compelling Advertising
Don't write traditional, boring ads. Ads need creative titles and copy that describes what the person will be doing, learning and becoming. Don't list skills and years. This filters out -- rather than opts-in -- the best people. Describe the skill in the context of how it's used.
4. Work Efficiently with CV Databases – your own and others
Ensure you keep a systematic file of CV’s you have received in response to your ad. Ensure you sort into appropriate categories.
Also review your file of unsolicited CVs – they are worth keeping for a period.
Finding top candidates on a CV database need not be time-consuming. Once you have identified your top candidates write a great email message describing your remarkable opportunity with a copy of the great ad. Automatically email this to any people who meet your screening requirements, and ask them to respond.
Here's an example: "I found your details on the Internet and was very impressed with your background. If you're still looking for a position you might be interested in our opportunity (refer to vacancy). If you'd like to pursue this, please send me your latest CV and a quick paragraph describing your experience and achievements in the area of (whatever may be relevant, e.g., teaching Year 13 maths)"
5. Network
Ask everyone you talk to if they know someone appropriate for the job. It's a great way to find top candidates. If the job is not compelling though, they'll only give you names of people looking for work. To get a name of a top passive candidate, you need to describe a compelling job. When you get the name, call them up and ask them the basic pitch question.
If you combine advertising, carefully searching of CV’s and networking, you'll improve your chance of building a pool of 3-5 top candidates. Remember though, it all starts with a compelling job that defines what the person will do, not what the person must have. This is the essential first step of every successful search assignment.
1. Carefully define your needs
Attracting the best candidates must start with a compelling vision of what the job entails and an understanding of the character of your school. Be very clear in your own mind what “success” looks like in your school. The best candidates will only explore a job if it offers opportunities. Many schools do not articulate the benefits of working at their school.
2. Have a Strong “sales” message
"Would you be interested in a job that's clearly superior to what you're doing today?" Ninety-nine percent of candidates will say, "Yes." Every time you communicate with a candidate think of this question. Use this as your basic message. You must also capture this idea in your advertising.
3. Write Compelling Advertising
Don't write traditional, boring ads. Ads need creative titles and copy that describes what the person will be doing, learning and becoming. Don't list skills and years. This filters out -- rather than opts-in -- the best people. Describe the skill in the context of how it's used.
4. Work Efficiently with CV Databases – your own and others
Ensure you keep a systematic file of CV’s you have received in response to your ad. Ensure you sort into appropriate categories.
Also review your file of unsolicited CVs – they are worth keeping for a period.
Finding top candidates on a CV database need not be time-consuming. Once you have identified your top candidates write a great email message describing your remarkable opportunity with a copy of the great ad. Automatically email this to any people who meet your screening requirements, and ask them to respond.
Here's an example: "I found your details on the Internet and was very impressed with your background. If you're still looking for a position you might be interested in our opportunity (refer to vacancy). If you'd like to pursue this, please send me your latest CV and a quick paragraph describing your experience and achievements in the area of (whatever may be relevant, e.g., teaching Year 13 maths)"
5. Network
Ask everyone you talk to if they know someone appropriate for the job. It's a great way to find top candidates. If the job is not compelling though, they'll only give you names of people looking for work. To get a name of a top passive candidate, you need to describe a compelling job. When you get the name, call them up and ask them the basic pitch question.
If you combine advertising, carefully searching of CV’s and networking, you'll improve your chance of building a pool of 3-5 top candidates. Remember though, it all starts with a compelling job that defines what the person will do, not what the person must have. This is the essential first step of every successful search assignment.