Attracting Great ECE Teachers with a Well Written Job Post
Compiled by Julie Yamada
When a job opening comes about in your ECE program, take a few minutes to spruce up the job description that will soon become the advertisement you will post. Some ideas on how to attract prospective teachers by writing eye catching job advertisements are provided to help get you started.
A description of the job is the first glimpse a prospective teacher has of your program such as the mission, culture, benefits, qualifications, skills for role and responsibilities. A well written job description will provide the basic information that will help prospective teachers know if they are qualified for the position. According to a survey on Indeed, 52% of job seekers say the quality of a job description is very or extremely influential on their decision to apply for a job. (Indeed.com)
Job Title - Most candidates search online for job openings and to find a job in their related field they will search by job title. “Keep the title clear, concise, and consistent with other market job titles, be descriptive, and save the creativity for the job description itself.” (Glassdoor for Employers.com) Instead of advertising for a teacher, be more specific and advertise for exactly the type of teacher you are looking for such as a lead Pre-K teacher or Infant Co-Teacher. This will attract the person with those specific qualifications, skills, and area of interest.
Job Summary – The summary should provide a general idea of the early childhood program and the larger organization. There should also be an overview of the expectations for the position such as qualifications, experience, course work, etc. It is important to also include the soft skills that you are looking for in a candidate such as good communication, problem solving, work well with a team, and any personality traits that you envision a successful candidate having.
A way to entice the reader would be to describe a “day in the life” of a teacher or the day-to-day activities in the specific job position listed. This would give the prospective teacher a better idea if the job would be a good fit for them.
Give a description of your program by including information on your philosophy, any unique areas of your program such as an outdoor classroom, workplace environment, opportunity for professional growth and career advancement.
Location – Another potential addition to the job advertisement would be to share some details about your location that may give applicants a better idea of where they could eventually work. Is the school in an urban area, neighborhood, or country setting? How would the commute be from various cities or towns near you, etc. Most applicants will consider the commute or a move depending on the location.
Why they should apply – Give the applicant a final summary of why they should apply for the position at your school. List four to five key points that attracted other employees and yourself to the program that may help the potential applicant to go ahead and fill out an application or send in a resume.
Contact person – Finally, be sure to be list who the contact person is at the school and the local conference office, so they know where to go to find out more information and who to send their resume to.
This is only the first step in attracting potential candidates to work in your ECE program and making the best first impression will hopefully catch their attention to inquire for more information and send in their resume. For guidance on protocol of recruiting teachers, see the PUC ECE Directors' Guide in the personnel section.
Resources
Better Team. (No Date). How to Write a Job Posting. Retrieved from https://www.betterteam.com/job-posting-template
Glassdoor for Employers. (2020, February 24). 10 Tips for Writing SEO-Friendly Job Descriptions. Retrieved from https://www.glassdoor.com/employers/blog/10-tips-for-writing-seo-friendly-job-descriptions/
Indeed for Employers. (No Date). How to Write a Job Description. Retrieved from https://www.indeed.com/hire/how-to-write-a-job-description
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