Understanding how to successfully recruit great teachers in 2022 is beneficial for the long-term well-being of your school.
High teacher turnover can lead to much administrative turmoil, creating an undesirable outcome for everyone.
That is why Teach Away has created a How To Successfully Recruit, Train and Retain Great Teachers in 2022 webinar series.
This webinar series is designed to help prepare your school for the competitive international education recruitment landscape you’ll face this year and beyond.
The immediately actionable steps require you to level up your hiring practices, attracting more quality candidates.
One of the first components of recruiting teachers is understanding how to lay out an attractive online job posting.
In part 1 of the webinar series, Do Your Job Postings Attract the Best Candidates? Rebecca Steedman, a Customer Success Manager for Teach Away, uses data-driven insights and examples of successful job postings that will help you attract and retain the ideal candidate.
The key is to attract candidates both passively and actively looking for teaching opportunities.
Here are the 7 most important features of a teaching job to showcase:
- Clear and concise job title & description
- Stating requirements
- A start date
- Location
- Salary
- Visuals and videos
- Professional development
1. Clear and concise job title & description
Starting with the basics is essential! For example, does the job posting have a clear and concise title?
Overcomplicating the posting with unnecessary jargon could easily lead to confusion for candidates that are looking for specific teaching opportunities.
It’s likely that industry personnel will be able to recognize most of the lingo. But for anyone looking to cross over subjects or educator pathways, using clear language will attract quality candidates.
For example, instead of “Elementary Science Teacher” omit “elementary” if it’s already listed at the student level.
The more concise and inclusive you are with your keywords, the more likely you will get higher traffic to your posting.
2. Stating Requirements
Be clear on the requirements needed by candidates to get hired for the role.
For instance, is a Bachelor’s teaching license or a TEFL certification needed, or are those simply nice to have options?
According to Industry data, 55% of job seekers don’t feel that they have the right skills to apply for a job.
That is why it is crucial to differentiate between what is required and what is preferred in the job posting itself.
Entice people to apply by speaking to skill sets needed outside of certifications!
Be sure to mention how much previous experience (or lack of) is needed in order to be a successful candidate.
3. A start date
Depending on the country, schools have different start dates to the academic year.
It will not always be the same.
Clearly outlining the start date will add some urgency, plus it will help the prospective candidate decide if the job aligns with their schedule and other personal commitments.
If you’re hiring on an ongoing basis, we recommend setting a timeline or starting dates for curious candidates.
4. Location
It’s natural that candidates will be searching for a job with a location in mind.
Is the posting for teaching locally, virtually, or abroad?
One of the primary motivations for teaching abroad is the opportunity to experience new cultures and travel!
That is why your job posting needs to state more than the name of the country and city they will be living in.
Write details about why that specific location is excellent and what it has to offer.
What are the unique benefits and opportunities of living there? Remember to include visuals and pictures alongside the words!
5. Salary
Research shows job ads with salaries receive twice as many applicants.
Knowing the salary is a significant factor in the job application process and cannot be ignored.
Data findings suggest that 9% of candidates turned down positions that were not in line with their expectations.
Choosing to omit salary can risk wasting your and your candidate’s time.
If you can’t disclose salary, consider sharing a salary range, as this will offer an estimated amount and room for discussion.
Include information such as the days that will be worked, teaching hours, schedules, and holidays!
These can have as much of an influence on a candidate’s decision as salary.
6. Visuals and videos
Adding visuals and videos to your job posting can add just the right amount of spark for candidates to apply.
This is your opportunity to showcase your school, staff, and students. What is it like to work at your school?
Consider uploading promotional videos of existing teachers speaking about their experiences at the school, like this one:
This can help entice future teachers to join the team!
Research shows that 81% of people are more attracted to a company’s job posting if they include visual elements.
7. Professional development
What type of professional development opportunities are available at your school?
This is something to include in the job posting as part of the ‘perks.’
What do extracurricular activities look like? Does your school value personal development, and do they invest in their teacher’s learning?
This is a great opportunity to further speak to the essence and culture of your school, differentiating it from others.
Additional perks and benefits can provide value to your candidate. In the long term, it can help with teacher retention.
Successfully recruiting the best teachers
As a result of competing with other schools for the best talent, it’s critical that the online job posting is structured and strategized.
Clearly define why prospective candidates should choose you through the information laid out.
In doing so, you are mindful of using inclusive language and creating a posting that is not too lengthy (or short).
Keep people engaged and offer a clear understanding of the next steps and what can be expected.
Watch the webinar: ‘Do Your Online Job Postings Attract the Best Candidates?’
Watch our How to Attract, Recruit, and Retain Great Teachers in 2022 webinar series:
- Part 1 | Do Your Online Job Postings Attract the Best Candidates?
- Part 2 | Is Your School Doing Enough to Develop and Retain Its Teachers?
- Part 3 | How is your school adapting its strategy for today’s teacher market?
Find more tips on our recruitment blog and download our International Education Recruitment Report 2022.