As we continue the discussion of equitable hiring, we have already revised our job description to reflect the organization's current needs. We remember that we have already distributed tasks from the outdated job description to other team members to meet the organization's current needs. We may also have uncovered other skills/abilities we didn’t know we needed due to new developments in the IT department's responsibilities and workflows. Think of an accurate job description as an RFP (request for proposal) for humans. The more descriptive you get in what you’re looking for in a candidate, the more clarity you provide. That improves your department’s chances of getting the right person for the job. On the flip side, the candidate receives clarity on the organization’s needs and how to best present themselves in their resume and during the interview.
Post your job opening in multiple locations
Every organization has its preferred platforms for posting job openings. As you work with your organization's human resources department, it may be worth discussing posting the position in various venues. If the position is posted on your organization’s website, sharing the posting link via your personal network could be beneficial. Your social media connections can potentially amplify your voice, reaching more diverse audiences. There are also different professional websites where job openings can be posted, for a fee. You can find a listing of them HERE.
Encourage non-traditional workers to consider applying for the IT position
We have identified various outlets for distributing our job postings and have also worked to encourage non-traditional candidates to apply for the position. When we talk about non-traditional school personnel, we mean people from the following groups, or even more:
Successful IT staff on your team have most likely exhibited the following skills, which you may already see in staff you have working around you daily:
Please see these links for additional generative AI resources: Internal IT Fellowship Posting | School IT Candidate Rubric.
There are populations of people who may not see themselves as technologists. In fact, many technology leaders will tell you that they didn't set out to have a job in technology; it just happened because their work crossed over into using technology in some way, shape, or form.
Often, people need a “nudge” to consider occupations they do not see themselves as directly qualified for. With the right lens, you can successfully map those behaviors to technology jobs when you see them. It’s up to you to articulate your observations to potential candidates so that they can see themselves in a different light as well. Here is what a potential conversation could look like:
Often, people need a “nudge” to consider occupations they do not see themselves as directly qualified for. With the right lens, you can successfully map those behaviors to technology jobs when you see them. It’s up to you to articulate your observations to potential candidates so that they can see themselves in a different light as well. Here is what a potential conversation could look like:
Note how the conversation is quick and helps the potential candidate “see” themselves as a technologist. All it took was a small bridge that you can help create. By using the information in this blog, I hope that you will be able to help close the IT talent gap by tapping the resources that you have around you.
In my next blog, we will discuss the screening and interview process. Please note that your organization may have well-established processes for those tasks. The strategies we will cover can either serve as a framework for the hiring process or fill gaps in your existing process. The more structured and consistent your department’s hiring process becomes, the less energy can be put into designing the process, and more energy can be devoted to finding the right candidate to fill out your IT team.