Hire Superstars

(Develop a Team of Exceptional Educators)

Strategies to try...

Start a Google Doc with Job Descriptions

• Keep track of all the jobs in your organization and their descriptions so you have them to share. Ask staff for help in creating them.

Generate Buzz About Job Openings

• Post in high-traffic areas (social media platforms). Celebrate great things happening in your school.

Connect with Local Universities

• Present to pre-service classes in order to promote your school and make connections with possible candidates.

Start with Conversations

• Set up screener interviews with 3 times the number of candidates you want as finalists. Keep it to 20 minutes and ask only 3 key questions. The best candidates use these questions as a springboard into conversations.

Ask Fewer Questions, Conduct More Conversations.

• Avoid questions that have canned correct answers. Use situational questions. Make sure all stakeholder groups are represented on the team..

Conduct Student-Led Tours

• Get firsthand knowledge from the students in how the candidates interact with them throughout the tour.

Set Up a Site Visit

• Take a trip to see how the candidate interacts with kids in the classroom (see them in their element when possible).

Integrate the New Staff Member

• Get the newcomer excited to join your crew. Get them involved in curriculum work right away, facilitate team connections over the summer, invite them to summer social events, incorporate 3 days of of optional learning before the school year starts, give them time to hand out with mentors ahead of time.

Create a "Press Conference" to Announce New Team Members

• Give them a bunch of new school gear, let them step up to the podium and record it for your community to watch later. Put district logo behind the candidate. Provide a script you would see when a professional athletic team introduces a new player to the media. Make a big deal about your new draft pick. Give the new staff member a chance to say a few words and then end the conference by giving the new staff member some district attire to hold up for pictures. Add kids to the audience so they can interact with the new teacher.

Facilitate Mentoring

• Assign mentors to keep new teachers headed in the right direction. Make time for them to connect on a regular basis. Coach the mentors as well as the mentees so they have the right tools to increase the capacity of the new hire. Consider a new way of mentoring with Tina Boogren's 4 types of mentoring (Constitutional, Physical, Instruction, & Emotional).

Invest Time

• Follow through on your intention to check on new staff members through the year. Schedule it. Find time. Make time.

Revisit Job Description Annually

• Allow staff to make changes in the way positions are defined. Shows you value staff's time and opinions.