Hiring Process Deal-breakers

There’s a lot to look for when you’re hiring a new teacher: great communication skills, a passion for teaching and learning, a positive attitude and patience. But it can be tough to see all the qualities of a great teacher when you’re busy thumbing through resumes, especially if your district is fortunate enough to have a surplus of applicants.

The truth is, you have to start somewhere when you start the selection process. And for most of us, the first step involves trimming the list down by identifying who you don’t want to hire. This can actually be one of the most nerve-wracking parts for some job-seekers — they’re afraid that something in their application will turn out to be their Achilles’ heel, and they won’t even be considered for a position.

That begs the question — are there any characteristics that make you automatically disqualify a candidate for a teaching position?

Take the live poll below to see if you agree with any of these common hiring process deal-breakers. Try not to overthink the questions, and go with your first reaction.

Two Sides of the Coin

While we’re on the topic of deal-breakers, this might be a good time to think about the other side of the coin: the job-seekers considering positions in your district. Just like you, they may have specific characteristics they look for in a school or district, and the most talented teachers may write off an organization before even applying. This means there may be opportunities for your district to improve its brand as an employer and attract more candidates.

Here are a few ways you can remove potential job-seeker deal-breakers and deepen your applicant pools:

• Review your job descriptions. Your job postings may be a candidate’s first experience with your district, so make sure they are clear, accurate and highlight the outstanding opportunities available to high-performers.
• Make it easy to apply to positions online. The most sought-after educators might not have the time or inclination to jump through hoops and navigate an outdated application process.
• Communicate! Make sure that when teacher candidates search for news or information about your district, they see the most complimentary results first. Work with your communications or public relations department (if you have one) to get the word out about the outstanding things happening in your classrooms, and make sure everyone sees how wonderful it is to work in your schools.