Check job hoppers
When CV’s and job applications are initially screened, check employment history with frequent job changes.
Job-hopping can occur for a number of reasons:
• Moving locations (maybe as a result of partner’s career)
• Career progression
• Ongoing job-performance problems.
In recent years, frequent job changes have become more common, especially in a tight job market. From the employer's standpoint, however, this does not mean that careful job performance-based reference checking is any less important than it has ever been.
On the contrary, it's more important than ever for employing schools to make sure that seemingly attractive candidates on paper are who they claim to be and that they can do the job for your school.
There is a tendency to skip checking references, on the assumption that short employment with several employers will only produce limited job-performance information.
The key to successful reference checking is to objectively evaluate an individual's job performance over time and from different points of view. For those individuals with short term employment, it may be necessary to contact four to six references to obtain the same degree of consistency required to make an informed employment decision.
The conversations with multiple references may be shorter, but the exercise is still essential to ensure the teacher is really right for your school.
For example, if the candidate has performed well for several employers and the reasons for leaving are understandable and legitimate, then the employer is in a much better position to make an offer of employment. On the other hand, if common areas of concern emerge from the comments of multiple references, then a legitimate red flag may have been raised.
A few of the best questions to ask about short-tenure candidates are:
Job-hopping can occur for a number of reasons:
• Moving locations (maybe as a result of partner’s career)
• Career progression
• Ongoing job-performance problems.
In recent years, frequent job changes have become more common, especially in a tight job market. From the employer's standpoint, however, this does not mean that careful job performance-based reference checking is any less important than it has ever been.
On the contrary, it's more important than ever for employing schools to make sure that seemingly attractive candidates on paper are who they claim to be and that they can do the job for your school.
There is a tendency to skip checking references, on the assumption that short employment with several employers will only produce limited job-performance information.
The key to successful reference checking is to objectively evaluate an individual's job performance over time and from different points of view. For those individuals with short term employment, it may be necessary to contact four to six references to obtain the same degree of consistency required to make an informed employment decision.
The conversations with multiple references may be shorter, but the exercise is still essential to ensure the teacher is really right for your school.
For example, if the candidate has performed well for several employers and the reasons for leaving are understandable and legitimate, then the employer is in a much better position to make an offer of employment. On the other hand, if common areas of concern emerge from the comments of multiple references, then a legitimate red flag may have been raised.
A few of the best questions to ask about short-tenure candidates are:
- Why did he/she leave?
- Would you employ him/her again?
- Could he/she have stayed with your school if he/she had wanted to?