Hiring for Small Schools: Can Video Interviewing Help?

Did you know that nearly 9 in 10 schools are struggling to hire qualified educators? Although the teacher shortage has gotten slightly better than it was a few years ago, the teaching profession is at a crisis point. With that being said, time is of the essence when it comes to the hiring process, especially for smaller schools that are competing with larger districts.

As Charles Darwin said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” Savvy districts and school boards harness video interviewing software’s benefits to streamline the hiring process, save resources, and improve candidate evaluation. Video interviewing is one of many adaptations needed for survival, and interviewstream is a critical component of that adaptation.

The Need for Video Interviewing in Small K-12 School Districts

Small school districts need help with hiring teachers. Not only are they fighting the shrinking candidate pool due to teachers leaving the profession and retiring, but they also have limited resources, geographical limitations, and time constraints. These districts are climbing an uphill battle and need all the advantages they can get.

That is where video interviewing can step in and give them a leg up. Small districts can stay in the game with the right technology in place. Video interviewing provides the tools necessary to face these hiring challenges head-on.

• Low on funds? Save 45% on cost per hire with virtual interviews.
• Spending too much valuable time on interviews? Decrease the time spent on each interview by 81%.
• Fighting geographic constraints? Reach 33% more candidates.

Digital interviewing solutions give small school districts a helping hand in the challenges of hiring teachers and staff.

Key Features of Virtual Interviewing Software

For small school districts or school boards, video interviewing software can assist you in the hiring process every step of the way. From the very start of scheduling candidates all the way through the onboarding process, there are tools to make your process seamless.

• On Demand Video Interviewing Software: 58% reduction in time to offer—need we say more? With this tool, you’ve gained a leg up in the race with competing larger districts. On demand video interviews allow you to screen your top candidates quickly and efficiently, with a modern experience, before your competitors. It provides both you and your candidates the flexibility to record and view screening interviews, anytime, anywhere. You can screen more candidates in a small time frame, reducing the time immensely and moving along your top candidates in the process before someone else scoops them up.
• Interview Scheduling: What once demanded days of back-and-forth emails and phone calls can now be accomplished with a simple click of a button. With time and budget being critical for small school districts, interview scheduling allows candidates to schedule from any device with a browser, and most candidates schedule within the first 24 hours, putting you ahead of the game from the very start. The quicker you can schedule your top teacher candidates, the better!
• Live Interviews: There are many benefits to live video interviews. First and foremost, they eliminate many geographic challenges. They allow you to reach candidates who may have been otherwise overlooked due to geography, expanding your candidate pool. Small schools need the advantage of sourcing outside their immediate area to find the best teachers available. Live video interviews are also more efficient—they reduce your time-to-fill and save 45% in cost per hire.
• Evaluation Tools: The evaluation tools offered in digital interviewing platforms allow the hiring team to make more informed decisions on their candidates. Recording and storing a live video interview in interviewstream (or your ATS) allows all hiring team members to access the interviews at any time, allowing them to evaluate the candidate at a time that works for their schedule. Set up an evaluation rubric to use for all candidates and input notes on each candidate, creating a fair and scalable interview process. The features make collaboration simple and allow stakeholders to make informed decisions.
• AI Recruiting Assistant: AI recruiting tools reduce your administrative load and help you hire top candidates faster. In small schools, where team members may be balancing several hats, AI can craft thoughtful interview questions, job descriptions, emails, and more in a matter of seconds. Boosting efficiency is vital, AI can create a complete job description in minutes.

Selecting the Right Video Interviewing Software:

For small schools, making the right choice on a video interviewing software partner is important. Before you start looking for software, you need to assess your needs and consider things like:

• Budget: Budget constraints can significantly impact your software choice. Finding a solution that provides excellent value for money without compromising on essential features is critical. interviewstream provides flexible pricing plans that cater to different budget requirements, offering high-quality tools that deliver a strong return on investment. Additionally, the tool’s scalability is important for a small school district with fluctuating hiring needs. interviewstream offers scalable solutions that can grow with your district’s needs.
• Candidate Experience: The culture of your school influences the type of candidates you attract and retain. It’s important to use software that allows you to communicate who you are to potential candidates. interviewstream’s customizable platform allows you to create a candidate experience that reflects your school’s unique culture, values, and vision—helping you attract the right talent.
• Integration Capability: Seamless integration with the hiring systems you currently use is another vital piece for maintaining a smooth workflow and efficient data management. interviewstream is the top K-12 video interviewing provider and offers high-quality partner integrations with the top K-12 applicant tracking systems. Regardless of the tools you use, our open API offers a seamless integration with any system, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of your recruitment process.
• Ease of Use: For a small school district, ensuring that the video interviewing platform is user-friendly for both interviewers and candidates is essential. interviewstream boasts an intuitive user interface and straightforward navigation, reducing the learning curve and making the hiring process smoother for everyone involved.
• Customer Support: Having reliable customer support can make a significant difference in how effectively you can use the software. interviewstream maintains a 95%+ CSAT score, ensuring that your team gets the help they need. We also offer comprehensive training and onboarding through your dedicated Customer Success Manager, who is available to help your team get up to speed quickly from day one.

The right software can make or break your process, so be sure your choice checks all the boxes. Here are some best practices for video interviewing to get you started:

• Video Interviewing 101: The Comprehensive Guide to Video Interviewing (for Recruiters)
• The ROI of Video Interviewing

interviewstream Can Help

Video interviewing software has so many advantages. From cost savings and expanding your candidate pool to saving time and creating a better candidate experience… the list goes on. The hiring landscape for K-12 education has significantly evolved over recent years. For small school districts and school boards striving to place the best teachers in their classrooms, video interviewing tools provide a critical edge. These tools enable quicker connections with the right candidates, giving smaller districts a competitive advantage over larger, less agile ones.

Interested in learning more, reach out to our team today! We’re here to help you implement a hiring process that meets your needs and gets you the top teacher candidates for your students—regardless of the size of your district.

About The Author

Drew Whitehurst is the Director of Marketing, RevOps, and Product Strategy at interviewstream. He's been with the company since 2014 working in client services and marketing. He is an analytical thinker, coffee enthusiast, and hobbyist at heart.