It’s the most wonderful time of the year…for hiring that is!
How do you ensure that you are hiring the best possible person for the job? Just like making the finest wine, we know we need high-quality ingredients (candidates) and a great process to be able to select the very best for the job. Now is the time, while the pool is deep and wide, that many districts are working on “getting the right people on the bus” for next year.
How do you ensure the best candidates?
- Timing could be everything:
Robin L Flanigan, states in Edweek, that early hiring is essential – “of the teachers hired through June 2014 for the 2014-15 school year (in Cleveland), 14 percent were rated as “accomplished” (the highest rating) using an evaluation that includes student-achievement data; only 2 percent of those hired in July and August shared that designation.” She states that it is crucial to really “maximize the pool when it’s at its deepest and widest.”
2. Go beyond “gut instinct hiring”
Many districts are turning to mining data, using companies that provide questionnaires and applications, rather than resumes and cover letters. Data-focused hiring practices are helping districts determine which teachers are most likely to be successful in the classroom and would be a good fit for their district. But what data are you looking at? What should you do with it?
Have you ever had the experience of meeting someone who looked great on paper, only to be disappointed when you met in person or saw them teach a lesson? Or visa-versa? When it comes to candidates, we get data, experience, opinions and people. So how do we ensure that what you see is what you get?
Using a process allows you to focus on the data that is important, remove biases and helps you get a clear picture of the best person for the job.
The process that you use should enable you to:
- Involve key stakeholders to gain different perspectives and get buy-in.
- Collaborate on criteria to define the characteristics and skills that will make a person successful in that position before you start.
- Prioritize the criteria and choices in a clear and systematic way.
- Organize the data so that your thinking becomes visible.
- Evaluate to determine which candidate best fits the criteria that you have set.
Using these guidelines, the basis of TregoEd’s Decision Analysis process, can help ensure that you get the best possible and most successful candidates in the positions that you are filling. What are your best hiring practices?