Private and public schools, colleges, and universities across the United States are exploring better, faster, and more cost-efficient ways to onboard top talent. Many are turning to recruiters with experience in education recruiting to help find local and relo candidates (education professionals who are willing to relocate from one state to another) to join their teams and fill job vacancies.     

While educational institutions are taking advantage of relo candidates to fill a range of key roles, from principals to superintendents, teachers, and administrators, it is teachers who are in highest demand. Newsweek recently published the states with the largest teacher shortages, with Nevada, Utah, Arizona, California, and Florida at the top of the list.  

If your school is in one of those states or anywhere else and you’re struggling to attract local teachers and other essential staff, consider relocation candidates. This recruitment and hiring strategy can be a game-changer for your school or institution of higher learning.  

Why expand your talent pipeline beyond local borders?  

• Wider pool of specialized talent: Opening the door to relo candidates can allow your team to find and recruit the ‘needle in the haystack’ candidates you’re seeking. 
• New perspectives: New hires from other states or regions can inspire new ideas and innovation and bring new perspectives into your talent mix. 
• New opportunities for mutual success: You can create opportunities for talented professionals who don’t have the same opportunities in their current locations. A great job and new location supercharge their desire to succeed, and this is a win-win for everyone involved. 
• Transferrable expertise: Schools want to onboard teachers and key staff who are good cultural fits and can hit the ground running. Inviting relo candidates into your hiring process increases your chances of finding professionals with experience in a similar organizational structure and culture as yours. 

How to target candidates willing to relocate  

In the talent recruiting space, we have a unique perspective to share on what today’s candidates are looking for in their next career moves. Based on common inquiries from our candidates, we’d like to share some ways you can attract the right relo candidates in the education space.  

Your school’s human resources or hiring managers can and should share desirable information about your school and open role in your job postings. And if you partner with an experienced education talent recruiter, they also become a brand ambassador for your school in conveying your key messages to top talent.  

• Tell job candidates about your school’s culture: Most of today’s top-tier job candidates want job opportunities with highly reputable organizations that are doing something of great value, internally and externally. While most educational institutions focus on their mission, purpose, and values, higher education in particular concentrates on community involvement and career fulfillment. School culture is an intriguing draw for all education candidates, more so than joining the corporate world. Make sure your recruitment efforts shine a bright light on your culture.  
• Be transparent about pay: Job seekers in education are looking for transparency in all things from a potential employer, and this includes pay transparency. Organizations that share salary or pay ranges and incentives in job postings are more likely to attract top talent. Talent acquisition in education can be complex since compensation can vary from one state or region to the next, and even from school district to school district. And there are laws in many jurisdictions that require employers to share compensation in job listings. You can mitigate these complexities by simply turning to a trusted recruiting firm to uncover salary trends and compensation details for the roles you’re looking to fill, based on your location. 
• Promote your unique location: Quality of life and work-life balance mean everything to today’s top job candidates. So, be sure to share the attributes and unique strengths of your location and why someone would want to live there, such as recreational activities, greenspace, public transportation, restaurants, nightlife for young professionals, proximity to the airport, and more. 

Extend your reach to in-demand passive candidates  

As in any industry, the education space is brimming with professionals who are not actively looking for a new job but are very open to the right opportunities. These individuals are passive candidates.  

Passive candidates are typically approached by talent recruiters with whom they have a relationship, or by colleagues, peers, through social media, or from other referrals in their professional networks. They are attractive to employers for the skills, experience, and reputations they have built within their organizations and industries, and for the new ideas and perspectives employers want in new hires to advance their missions and operations.  

What about the cost of helping new hires relocate?  

Investing in new people is a considerable expense for today’s schools, even when relocation expenses are not involved. All things considered, including and especially talent retention, the cost of wrong hires, and turnover, helping top talent relocate demonstrates a commitment to their success and well-being, which ultimately benefits schools and the people they hire.  

Not all job candidates (or schools, for that matter) expect relocation expenses to be covered by the hiring school; however, it is becoming more prevalent in education for acquiring top talent. Here are just a few ways that bringing on the right talent delivers a return on your relocation package investment:  

• Offering relocation assistance to the most qualified candidates makes your school more attractive to high-quality job candidates. 
• Employees are more likely to stay with schools that support them during a major life transition. 
• The onboarding process is accelerated, ensuring new hires quickly become productive employees. 
• Relocation assistance fosters employee loyalty, commitment, and higher job satisfaction. 
• Schools can easily attract a diverse workforce by removing geographical barriers to employment.  

Connect with an expert in education recruitment  

Talent acquisition in education calls for specialized recruitment strategies. If you would like to explore partnering with an experienced recruiting firm for your campus services, education hiring needs, or overall recruitment process, reach out to me today for a complimentary consultation to discuss your talent needs. I am a DEI-certified senior recruiting partner and would be honored to assist you.

At Goodwin Recruiting, we source exceptional candidates across the United States for these and other essential roles in education:  

• Teachers 
• Principals 
• Professors 
• Vice Presidents, Provosts 
• Chief Administrators 
• Chief Academic Officers 
• Superintendents 
• Chief Financial Officers (CFO) 
• Dean of Admissions 
• Dining Services Managers 
• Catering Directors 
• Healthcare Educators 
• Human Resources Professionals 
• IT Professionals 
• Facilities Managers