Triple Scoop – Tips, Tricks, and Tools for Hiring and Retention

Hiring is one of the most important functions in a school’s HR department and so much time and energy is devoted to this process of hiring and onboarding qualified teachers and staff. So we thought why not take a look at this process and write about some of the best practices we have learned in our work with schools and districts. These are lessons and thoughts on making hiring and onboarding the new hires more effective and at the same time making an effort toward retaining those much needed employees.

Hiring Process

• Build your school’s brand

Have a consistent message about your school’s mission and culture that will make you stand out among applicants. Have a flyer handy for applicants to take away at a job fair, post it on your website or job opening.

• Hire Early in Spring

Be pro-active and hire earlier in the year to get the best candidates, so begin hiring in spring. Studies have shown that qualified applicants are reduced to about half by the time summer comes around and most applicants have already accepted job offers.

• Build Prospective Applicant Database

Collect contact information from prospective applicants at local and regional job fairs. This allows you to build a list that you can use over and over to send emails and keep in touch.

• Use Application Screening Effectively

Include specific questions in your application tailored to the position that will enable you to quickly assess the applicant’s fit relating to that role.

• Structured Hiring Process

Create a structured selection process that includes screening, interviewing, and decision-making. This will ensure the right candidates are hired quickly and effectively.

• Keep Candidates Warm

Make sure you keep great candidates warm by sending an email at least about once a week, so they know where you are at in the process. If applicants don’t hear back from you, they tend to look elsewhere for job openings.

Onboarding

• Streamline New Hire Packets

Use the standard form checklist (we have included a sample here) to create new hire packets that has the right forms and policies you will need for new hire paperwork.

• Send New Hire Paperwork Ahead of Time

Send new hire packets via email or online ahead of the first meeting with your new employee. You can use tools like Google Docs, DocuSign, or Adobe PDF to generate and email the paperwork.

• Bundle Paperwork in One Packet

Instead of sending various forms separately and asking new employees to complete paperwork in multiple steps, bundle all paperwork in one packet so that new hires can complete everything they need to at a time.

• Focus on Human Engagement on Day 1

With the paperwork out of the way, you can focus on building that relationship with your new employee on day one. This goes far in ensuring the new hire feels welcomed at your school.

• Don’t Skip Orientation and Training

Use a combination of video and in-person orientation or training for new hires to learn more about the school and culture. Tell them how they can get support and what is expected of them to succeed.

Support for Better Retention

• Listen to Employee Feedback

Employees can leave for many reasons but ensuring that you always have a listening ear for their feedback can tell you a lot about what they are saying and why they might leave even before they get to that point.

• Incorporate Feedback Loop in Teacher Evaluations

Include employee comments and feedback in your teacher evaluations but more importantly have a way for administrators and HR to read that feedback and discuss it with the employee. It may contain important nuggets to ensuring employee satisfaction.

• Ensure teachers and employees have proper supplies and tools for their jobs

This is something that a lot of teachers wish they had more of – supplies and tools for their classrooms. You can ensure proper stocking of supplies needed by using automated services to order them on a subscription basis like clockwork.

• Enable employees to request training and PD for their professional growth

Encouraging employees to be in charge of their own learning and development is key to ensuring that great employees who want to continually improve are given opportunities for professional growth.

Onboarding Packet Checklist

• Employee Basic Information
• Emergency Information
• W-4 Withholding Form
• I-9 Eligibility for Employment
• CA DE-4 State Withholding Certificate
• Retirement System Information
• STRS Election Form – ES350
• STRS Retirement Election – ES 0372
• STRS One Time Death Benefit Form
• PERS Self Certification
• PERS Beneficiary Designation
• PERS Notice of Exclusion
• PERS Beneficiary Designation
• Social Security Notification
• Fingerprint Clearance
• TB Risk Assessment Questionnaire
• Workers’ Comp Information and Physician Designation
• Medical Benefit Enrollment
• Employment Application, if required
• Direct Deposit Authorization
• Warrant Recipient Designation
• Loyalty Oath of Allegiance
• Acceptable Use Policy Acknowledgement
• HR Policies and Employee Handbook Acknowledgement
• Harassment Policy Acknowledgement

* Please note the contents of this presentation are based on best practices and are not meant to serve as legal advice or opinion and the provider is not a law firm.