Red Adair[i] once said, "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." And he was right on the money.
Professional employees are the backbone of most established organizations, especially in the education sector. Without them, successful functioning and delivery are hardly likely to be nothing but a flittering dream. That is why employers must pay close attention to hiring and talent acquisition processes.
Sadly, bad hires are common, and 75%[ii] of employers have encountered this problem at least once. But that doesn't make it any less menacing because it often leads to losses of thousands of dollars.
But not all is lost. You can use several hacks to ensure your organization hires the best candidates imaginable. The most effective are discussed in detail below.
Tip #1: Create Job Postings
A job posting is an official advertisement that an organization can use to actively seek and recruit talent. As a player in the education sector, you can use job postings to introduce professionals like teachers, deans, and school nurses to your institution, help them get a feel of what you are looking for, and pique their interest.
Exceptional job postings can do a world of good for your establishment, be it a school or institution of higher learning. And good job posting means one that:
-Advertises your organization's culture
-Touches on the KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities) needed to perform in the advertised position
-Candidly outlines available positions, their classifications, hours, and location
-Defines job objectives, roles, and responsibilities
With the above in mind, you can advertise job postings on the following platforms:
1. Company Website
The web is home to 1.14 billion[iii] websites. And, dollars to donuts, a good chunk of these belong to organizations in the education sector.
If your institution has a company website, you can use it to introduce potential employees to job openings. All you have to do is create postings that show your brand is worth it and possibly the best employer candidates can find.
People searching for jobs using a search engine like Google or a platform like LinkedIn can easily find your company website, view listed jobs, and explore your brand in detail.
2. Career Sites
Does your organization have an official website? If yes, and the site has a career page, this is the best place to start. If not, it's high time you got one.
A career page is an indispensable website section that you can use to showcase your employer brand and announce job openings. It can be a simple landing page or an intricate hybrid web page.
The best thing about a career page is it gives you complete control over the details you present to job seekers. Plus, it can play a significant role in optimizing organic web traffic.
3. Social Media
Social media is a splendid recruiting tool. Suppose you doubt that. In that case, here is a fact that'll set the record straight. According to experts, 92%[iv] of organizations use social media for hiring. Why do so many companies use these platforms, you may ask?
More than half[v] of the global population is on social media. That makes platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram ideal for reaching more people faster. If you don't want passive candidates to miss your job postings, very few solutions can be as effective as social media platforms.
Additionally, recruiting via social media is largely free, so it helps you avoid extravagant hiring costs.
4. Industry Publications
Various notable industrial publications cater to professionals in the education sector. If you know any that you and other like-minded people find captivating, check if they support job postings.
If you find a publication that can let you advertise openings, use it to reach a specific pool of candidates and narrow down your search.
Tip #2: Ask for Referrals
Did you know that 46%[vi] of recruits referred by colleagues are retained for more than four years? That's right. Therefore, asking for employee referrals is highly advisable if you want to hire qualified candidates and enjoy juicy retention rates.
That isn't all. Other outstanding reasons to use employee referrals include:
1. Reduced Hiring Time
Hiring can take anywhere from a couple of days to months. But a speedy process is something unbeknown to most organizations. That is because recruitment is often slowed down by myriad factors, including too many applicants, unrealistic candidate expectations, and lengthy decision-making processes.
But you can avoid spending large chunks of much-needed time by asking your team to refer potential candidates. That will save you from all the hassles and wastages associated with extensive postings and sifting through countless resumes.
2. Fewer Expenses
The hiring process can cost thousands of dollars. That is so because, as an employer, you'll likely incur high costs for aspects like advertisements, initial screening, tests, hiring interviewers, and communicating with applicants.
But employee referral cuts down the number of applicants and enables you to focus on a few prospects. That is indispensable in reducing hiring costs and protecting your coffers.
3. Better Cultural Fits
Your organization has a defined culture, right? That means you have a set of formal and informal systems, values, and behaviors that define what employees do and how they do it in the workplace.
Since company culture is vital for the organization, you need to find candidates that are a cultural fit. The best way to do that seamlessly is by obtaining recruits through referrals. Remember, existing employees are already familiar with everything to do with your institutions.
Consequently, they can identify talent likely to be a good fit.
Tip #3: Hire a Recruiting Consultant
Recruitment consultants are professionals that act as an intermediary between you, the employer, and potential candidates. They use their skills and experience to meet your institution's needs and those of the professionals seeking jobs simultaneously, facilitating mutual fits.
Don't confuse recruiting consultants and agencies. Although the two terms may seem interchangeable, they are slightly different. A recruitment agency is a company you reach out to when you need help with staffing. Most agencies have candidates on standby, who they hire out whenever possible.
On the other hand, a recruitment consultant not only helps you with staffing needs but also shares insights and perspectives on relevant topics. For instance, consultants can identify defects in your hiring process and suggest potential solutions.
If you wonder whether your organization needs recruitment consultancy services, consider the following:
1. Consultants Help You Get Dibs on Top-Tier Talent
Getting high-quality candidates isn't as easy as it sounds. Why? First, although more than a hundred[vii] people may respond to a single job advert, not all meet all stipulated requirements. And you can't hire unqualified personnel without risking extensive talent gaps and incompetency.
Most importantly, popular names attract a lot of attention. So, you will be hard-pressed to find a renowned professional actively searching for jobs on platforms like social media.
Fortunately, consultants can help you find and hire top candidates.
Remember, these professionals work with countless people, ranging from experts like k-12[viii] recruiters to jobseekers, on any given day. That gives them better access to a bigger talent pool. Plus, they are up to date with vital industry insights and are in a better position to know when coveted workers are considering a career change.
2. Consultants Help You Improve Your Recruitment Strategy
Educational employers need a recruitment strategy for various reasons. To begin with, without a clear-cut plan, you can't define the roles you are recruiting for, where they'll be posted, and how you'll find top-tier candidates.
What's more, an exceptional recruitment strategy is crucial to any institution looking to improve candidate quality, reduce cost per hire, and fill difficult positions. Recruitment consultants know that and do all they can to ensure their clients have impeccable plans.
A consultant can help you improve your recruitment strategy by going through the plans you lean on and advising you accordingly. For instance, they can assess your job descriptions, isolate potential pitfalls, and recommend the best ways to create attention-grabbing items.
3. Recruiting Through Consultants Saves Time and Resources
As mentioned earlier, recruitment can eat up significant time and resources. But don't worry. Consultants can help you protect your operations and bottom line from such issues.
Reputable consultants are well-acquainted with the hiring process. Consequently, they have and can craft solutions that cut time and resource wastage. For instance, when recruiting becomes problematic, they can fall back on hacks like automation, self-scheduling options, and artificial intelligence.
Not to forget, established consultants always keep an eye out for outstanding talent. So, when the time comes to hire, they already have potential leads. That means they don't spend as much time as you would when you start from scratch without a clue.
4. Consultants Have Access to Passive Candidates
As you may already know, not everyone in the workforce is actively searching for a job. Therefore, some qualified, top-shelf candidates may miss your job adverts if you rely on conventional recruitment processes. But experienced consultants are immune to this issue.
A consultant can help you source passive candidates, despite their status. That is so because these professionals have access to a vast network of talent and referrals. Moreover, they know how to exploit platforms like social media and incentives such as empowerment opportunities to rope in passive candidates.
Tip #4: Outsource to a Recruiting Firm
How does delegating all your recruitment needs to experienced experts sound? If the answer is appealing, try recruitment process outsourcing[ix] (RPO).
Simply put, a third-party education recruiter comes into the picture when you outsource this function. Once you partner with an exceptional service provider, they take over the recruitment process, generate qualified candidates, fill existing open slots, and plan for future hiring needs.
RPO has its fair share of benefits, including:
1. Convenience
There's no doubt that your in-house HR team can handle talent acquisition. The problem is your employees likely have other responsibilities that demand their attention, including maintaining current worker records and processing payrolls. So, additional obligations will probably be burdensome.
Luckily, outsourcing can help you avoid overwhelming your in-house HR department. When you partner with an RPO service provider, hiring responsibilities transfer to them. And that way, your team gets more time to focus on other duties.
Also, outsourcing reduces your organization's hiring needs, thereby staving off ungodly expenses associated with interviews, onboarding, and many other processes.
2. Scalability
Who doesn't dream of running a scalable organization? After all, scalability is the magic formula you need for growth and revenue generation without mishaps like a lack of resources or structural issues.
Use outsourcing as a stepping stone if you want to enjoy unrivaled scalability. For instance, you may hire a third party and use it to tackle all your hiring needs. That can prove indispensable when your organization grows fast, and you need to hire long-term or short-term employees.
Additionally, outsourcing enables your institution to access invaluable expert professionals needed for hard-to-fill roles. Such experts come in handy in exploiting available resources and creating strategies for growing your organization.
Ready to Start Hiring?
Learning institutions often face a myriad of challenges when hiring. These include a shortage of qualified candidates, inaccurate processes, and high recruitment costs.
Luckily, your organization can make the hiring process more manageable using the tips outlined above, including creating job postings and outsourcing to a recruiting firm.
Good luck.
Sources:
[i] https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/red_adair_195665
[ii] https://resources.careerbuilder.com/news-research/prevent-hiring-the-wrong-person
[iii] https://siteefy.com/how-many-websites-are-there/
[iv] https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecastrillon/2021/03/24/how-to-use-social-media-to-job-search/?sh=43b928493cfd
[v] https://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/social-media-strategy/new-global-social-media-research/
[vi] https://webinarcare.com/best-employee-referral-software/employee-referral-statistics/
[vii] https://www.zippia.com/advice/how-many-applications-does-it-take-to-get-a-job/
[viii] https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/k-12
[ix] https://blog.rpoassociation.org/blog/bid/266335/what-is-recruitment-process-outsourcing-rpo