Leader Insights: Hiring
After a year of managing staff shortages, school leaders are discussing hiring practices and the attributes they look for in candidates during recruitment. Passion, drive to learn, mindset and the ability to work on a team are cited as primary look-fors for leaders.
- “A principal once shared with me two intangibles he looks for in candidates when hiring: 1. Are they passionate about kids? 2. Are they coachable with a desire to learn and grow? He said the rest will take care of itself…” —Elementary Principal in Pennsylvania
- “Agreed! We have such a strong team because we hire using this criteria. The only other thing I might add is that they have to be able to work well with a team. Together we are stronger!” —Elementary Principal in Ohio
- “Food for thought: Yesterday we got dinner with friends and got to the topic of recruiting/hiring. Two of our friends manage teams with 30+ people on said teams. They said the number one quality they look for when hiring an applicant is their ability to be coached.” —Educator in Florida
“Of course this requires that we change the tradition of hiring & promoting people who only look like & act like ‘us’ – a systemic practice key to maintaining oppression. Inclusion within an organization can really only happen when there are diverse perspectives in its leadership.” —Vice Principal in Toronto