A Good Teacher Can Change Everything: Hire Your Favorite Teachers

Do you remember your favorite teacher? “Mrs. Hart” sparked your interest in World History, she made you excited about learning, she was kind and funny and understood you. And you will always remember her.

Other than family, teachers have the most significant impact on a child’s life.  98% of people believe that a good teacher can change the course of a student’s life. 

So how do districts fill their schools with these top-quality teachers? With the current teacher shortage it can be a challenge to find the right kind of teacher and their  interview experience matters in whether they will join your team. 86% of recent job applicants stated they would be “somewhat” or “much more likely” to turn down a job offer if they have a negative experience. And 68% of those applicants would be likely to tell others not to apply. You need a hiring process that will allow you to gain access to a pool of GREAT teaching candidates. 

There are a few steps you can take to streamline your hiring process and give your students the teachers they deserve.

1. Do you get a feel for a candidate as a whole early in the interview process? Personality, passion and enthusiasm matter in a teaching role.  Best practices for hiring teachers include analyzing a candidate’s patience, communication skills, enthusiasm, ability to be flexible and ability to take feedback. 83% of people have had a teacher that built their confidence and self esteem. Identifying stand out teachers earlier in the hiring process will allow you to choose your top candidates from the start, and hire them faster.
2. Are you working as a team? Recruitment and selection takes creativity to hire the best candidates. Human resources can’t do it alone.  Hiring a candidate that is not the right fit can cost a district up to 2.5 times the teacher’s salary. Successful districts are building cross-departmental, multi-stakeholder systems.
3. Is your reach holding you back from accessing great teachers? 60% of hiring managers and recruiters have turned to video technology to conduct remote interviews and gain access to the most talented crop of candidates. Video interviews remove the geographical, logistical and financial restraints keeping you from accessing the strongest candidates.

Great teachers are out there and they are not that hard to find if you are looking the right way.  79% of people had a teacher that pushed them to follow their dreams and those are the teachers your students need. And every school district wants to fill their classrooms with those great teachers – the teachers that bring knowledge to students while making a real connection, creating real impact.

Access those teachers. Hear their stories. Hire them in YOUR district. By creating a unique view of your candidates, streamlining your hiring system and expanding your reach,  you can fill all of your classrooms with a “Mrs. Hart.”

About The Author

Monique Mahler is the CEO of interviewstream. She is an avid researcher of facts, a self proclaimed marketing geek, and an equestrian in her spare time.