Hiring the Best Teachers: Gaining a Competitive Edge in the Teacher Recruitment Process

Much attention has been given to increasing the supply of qualified teachers to meet the forecasted demand for teachers, which is expected to exceed two million over the next decade. Even with these efforts, school districts will find themselves in ever greater competition with other districts to hire the best teacher talent available. Only those districts that identify that they are in a highly competitive hiring environment, and who take aggressive action to compete for the best talent will have the teacher resources necessary to provide excellent educational programs for students in the future. This article identifies actions school districts can take to develop a competitive edge to attract and hire the best teacher talent available. Much has been written about the teacher shortage currently facing the country. In fact, the National Education Association (NEA) predicts that there will be a need for more than two million new teachers in the coming decade. (1) In response to this challenge, the focus at the national and state levels has been to develop public policies designed to increase the supply of teachers through initiatives such as providing financial incentives to those entering the field, providing non-traditional routes into the profession, reducing retiree income limitation provisions, providing tax credits, etc. At the same time, local school districts have focused efforts on the development of new recruitment sources and programs such as the internet, hiring bonuses, loan forgiveness programs, competitive compensation, career ladders, incentives paid based on demonstrated classroom success, and alternative route programs. At the district level there has been, and will continue to be, increased competition to hire both the quality and quantity of teachers needed. Each district needs to ask, "Has our school district been, or will it be in the future, effective in attracting the best and the brightest teacher candidates as compared to other school districts?" One can argue that this will be one of the biggest strategic challenges facing schools over the next decade. How can a school district successfully compete in what has become a highly competitive teacher recruitment environment? After all, since many school districts utilize the same recruitment strategies mentioned above, it is likely that the best candidates will receive multiple job offers from multiple school districts. How can a district consistently hire the best teacher candidates--those who are an excellent match with the district's mission, values and vision, as well as those with the requisite teacher skills and knowledge--under these competitive conditions? The first step in gaining a competitive edge in the hiring process is to recognize that the recruitment of the best talent available is a strategic imperative, not an option. Several years ago, the McKinsey Quarterly published an article titled "The War For Talent" which chronicled the impending shortage of superior management talent in companies throughout the country. (2) The article contended that there was, and is, a "war" for managerial talent among companies, most of which are ill prepared for the competition. They concluded that only those companies that recognize that they are in a highly competitive hiring situation, and that take aggressive action to compete for talent, will be able to thrive in the coming years. How should this same strategic imperative be manifested in school districts? The superintendent needs to make talent management, including the hiring of the best teacher talent, a top priority for the district. In the best corporations in America, the CEO spends an inordinate amount of time in talent management. (3) These CEOs are actively involved in the recruitment, interviewing, selection, development and placement of talent because they believe that talent management is a strategic issue. Likewise, the superintendent needs to become the "CEO for talent" in the district. …