BUILDING A DREAM TEAM: EFFECTIVE RECRUITING AND HIRING STRATEGIES - 2015 NAFME EASTERN DIVISION CONFERENCE PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND PETER J ...

Building a Dream Team: Effective
Recruiting and Hiring Strategies
  2015 NAfME Eastern Division Conference
  Providence, Rhode Island
  Peter J. Griffin, Hopewell Valley Regional School District
  petergriffin@hvrsd.org

The Recruitment Process
 One of the most important parts of our
  job is to have the authorization and
  power to recruit and hire our own
  people.
 One of the most rewarding parts of our
  job is to be able to recruit and hire our
  own people.
 Any successful hiring takes time, money,
  and patience.

   “Those who build great companies
    understand that the ultimate throttle on
    growth for any great company is not
    markets, or technology, or competition, or
    products. It is one thing above all others:
    the ability to get and keep enough of the
    right people.” – Jim Collins, Author, Good
    to Great.

The recruitment process involves a
number of steps, such as:
• The development of the job analysis
• The preparation of the job description for
  its’ advertising
• The creation of a pool of qualified
  applicants
• The interviewing and auditioning stages
• The formal offering of a position, and the
  actual hiring of a candidate.

Job Analysis
•   A Job Analysis is the process by which the
    knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics
    of the position are identified, as well as the
    conditions under which the job functions are
    performed.
•   This analysis will also describe the task and
    responsibilities that are required for the position.
•   It is here where you would decide what kind of
    music teacher you will need to recruit that not only
    fills the position, but also creates a match with your
    existing staff.

Job Description
 The job description not only describes
  the position and the duties and
  responsibilities associated with it; it
  should also describe what kind of music
  candidate you are looking for.
 The text for the ad that goes out to the
  media would be derived from the job
  description that is developed.

   Hopewell Valley Regional Schools

   Teacher of Choral Music
   Central High School
   Four Curricular/Tiered Choirs
   Two Extra Curricular Choirs
   265 Students placed according to ability levels.
   Musical Theatre Background Required
   ACDA Choral Music Background and Participation Preferred
   On-line application at: www.hvrsd.org
   Human Resources Department
   425 South Main Street
   Pennington, NJ 08534
   (609) 737-4000, x2401
   AA/EOL

Recruiting Sources
   Media advertisements through newspapers,
    bulletins, professional journals, and even local
    television.
   Educational Institutions such as colleges,
    universities, conservatories, etc.
   Internet recruiting through the school district’s
    website, as well as the job banks databases such as
    njhire.com, k-12jobs.com, etc.
   Social Networking Sites
   Websites of professional organizations, such as
    NAfME, NJMEA, NJMAA, ACDA, ASTA, DCI.org,
    etc.

Social Media
 According to the most recent survey, 98%
  of recruiters and employers looked up
  job candidates on social networking sites
  for professional and social reasons.
 The social media sites have increasingly
  been used to recruit and hire candidates
  for open positions.

Social Networking Sites
 LinkedIn – 97%
 Facebook – 51%
 Twitter – 49%
 Google+ - 19.1%
 Pinterest – 3.6%

Creating a Pool of Applicants
 The initial screening of applicants, which involves the reviewing
  of resumes, portfolios, and application forms, needs to be done
  by you when creating a pool of applicants to interview.
 The screening process enables you to match candidates with
  the necessary skills and experiences to the particular opening
  that is available.
 Red flags to look for include spotty work history, numerous
  moves in less than three years between districts, etc.
 My goal here is to get my candidate pool down to 10-12 people
  for the first round of interviews.

The Interviewing Stages
   Send all first round candidates an detailed e-mail
    message of the job vacancy, job description and
    duties, expectations, and timeline of your hiring
    process.
   Follow up with a phone call to each candidate to
    set up the first interview between yourself and the
    candidate.
   This interview should last between 30-45 minutes,
    as this time allotment will allow you to get to know
    the candidate fairly well.

   Prepare for each interview – know as much as you
    can about the candidate.
   Make sure your questions are tailored to the
    specific kind of vacancy.
   Secure a quiet, private area for each interview, away
    from distractions and interruptions.
   For art and theatre interviews, allow plenty of time
    to review/walk through their portfolio of work.

What Should We Look For in a
Candidate?
 Quality of College Prep Program
 Teaching Skills
 Communication Skills
 Passion and Enthusiasm for the arts AND
  kids!
 Lifelong Learning
 Flexibility
 Functioning as Part of a Team
 Sense of Humor
 Attitude

Conducting the Interview
 Make the candidate feel relaxed as
  possible in a comfortable, private and
  quiet setting free from all distractions.
 Be friendly and accepting, genuine, open
  and attentive.
 A successful interview is one in which
  there is a two-way conversation between
  the interviewer and the applicant with the
  interviewer controlling the question and
  answer flow.

 Conduct the interview at a conference
  table, if possible.
 Ask for specific examples of work
  experience and achievements.
 Watch your body language and watch for
  the body language of the applicant.
 Maintain eye contact with the candidate
  at all times.

   During the interview, assess how the candidate
    could or could not be a match with your existing
    staff team.
   Pace the interview appropriate – always be aware
    of the time.
   Structure the interview so that you use a variety of
    questioning techniques.
   Make use of open-ended questions, rather than
    questions that can be answered “yes” or “no.”

 If there are statements you would like the
  candidate to expand on, repeat them in
  another way (echoing), which has proven
  to be an effective information gathering
  technique.
 Don’t interpret the questions for the
  candidate.
 Follow up hunches and unusual
  statements.
 NEVER ASK PERSONAL QUESTIONS!

5 Most Common Interview Questions
  Tell Me About Yourself
  What are your strengths?
  What is your greatest weakness?
  What do you know about our
   school/school district?
  What would your past employer/school
   district/cooperating teacher tell me about
   you?

Here is a Doozy of a Question

How   did you prepare
 for this interview
 today?

Interview Questions Not To Ask

Employers should not ask about any of the
following, because to not hire a candidate because
of any one of them is discriminatory:
 Race
 Color
 Sex
 Religion
 National origin
 Birthplace
 Age
 Disability
 Marital/family status

 Close the interview on time and on a
  positive note without leading the
  applicant on or promise anything you can
  not deliver.
 As soon as the interview is over and the
  candidate leaves, write down the facts and
  your impressions on the interview.

   Narrow your list of candidates down to at
    least two but no more than four candidates
    for the second round.
   E-mail these candidates congratulating them
    on their continuation in the selection
    process.
   E-mail those candidates not being
    recommended to thank them for their time
    and interest.
   Coordinate dates and times for the second
    round with the building level principal.

Second Round – The Demo Lesson
   Very common in the search and recruitment of
    music teachers, especially at the elementary and
    middle school levels in the area of classroom
    instruction.
   Building Level Principals love them, as this may be
    the first time that they will meet your candidates.
   Always have the candidate contact the teacher that
    will be hosting the demo lesson to ask what unit of
    study the students are currently learning for
    purposes of planning the lesson.

The Audition
   Very common when searching for a middle or high
    school ensemble director.
   Have the candidate conduct more than one
    rehearsal.
   Select a group of teachers and parents to observe
    the audition and seek out their input.
   Schedule an interview with the Principal after the
    audition rehearsal with you present at all times!
   Develop and distribute a student survey that will
    evaluate each candidate’s performance from the
    viewpoint of the student.

The Selection
 Upon conclusion of the second round,
  meet with the principal to discuss each
  candidate, sharing the input from the
  students, parents, and teachers.
 Make it clear who your top candidate is
  and why.
 Although the principal should have a say
  in the final decision, make sure YOU are
  the one that makes the call!

Reference Check
   At least three references should be contacted, with
    one being the most recent supervisor.
   Treat this task with as much care and attention as
    the interview.
   Try to avoid “yes” and “no” answers.
   Hesitant or vague answers should set off alarm
    bells.
   My favorite question: “Would you hire this person
    again?”
   Google the finalist – Actually Google all your
    candidates! Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.

   Approximately 90% of all hiring mistakes could be
    avoided just by checking references.
   An alarming amount of employers rely on their
    own impressions of the candidate and fail to check
    references thoroughly, or not at all.
   It has been estimated that 36% of all applicants have
    lied on their resume or on a job application.

Confidentiality and Liability
   Present of former employers may sometimes be
    reluctant to share any information about a present
    or former employee other than factual information
    because of fear of a defamation charge.
   When this happens, you can clearly read in between
    the lines.
   States are currently adopting laws to protect
    employers that provide good-faith references, with
    added protections for educational institutions.
   All reference checks must remain confidential!

The Hiring of the Candidate
   After the final decision is made and agreed upon,
    contact your Central Office Administrator in
    charge of hiring and presenting a formal offer of
    employment to make an appointment with the
    finalist and YOURSELF!
   Accompany the candidate to Central Office and sit
    on the 15-20 minute interview which usually
    culminates with an official offer from the Chief
    School Administrator.
   Make sure your candidate is on the agenda of the
    next Board of Education Meeting for approval.

 After Board Approval, contact the
  successful candidate to congratulate him
  or her!
 Next Steps: Transition

              Transition

     TRANSITION!