Leveraging technology to address the education staff shortage

Surging mortgage rates. Gas prices at an all-time high. Sticker shock at the grocery stores. Inflation is hitting everyone, which means that many families are having to shift their budgets just to cover necessities. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the world economy, stalling supply chains and causing delays to household goods. The problem was only exacerbated with increased consumer demand and labor shortages in nearly every workforce sector. While the national labor shortage has had a slight rebound over the past few months, education organizations still struggle to fill positions.

School officials across the country are tirelessly working to overcome the shortage by developing solutions to ensure that students receive the educational experience they need and deserve. Rural districts in Texas switched to four-days of instruction. Florida asked veterans to consider volunteering time in classrooms. Arizona is allowing college students to step in and instruct children. All creative and noble ideas, but they may not be enough to stem the tide.

According to recent research analyzing the root causes of the teacher shortage, the primary contributor is that there are not enough candidates entering the profession or applying for open positions, as opposed to a large increase in the number of open positions due to resignations and retirements. That insight suggests that school leaders need to amplify recruitment strategies to stand out to the smaller applicant pool and accelerate retention strategies to keep the qualified staff already employed. Technology, specifically software solutions built to address the unique needs of students, can help school leaders establish strategies, track results and achieve positive outcomes in support of their organization’s strategic goals.

Using technology to make a school district a destination

When the candidate supply is low, districts need to make every effort to attract the right staff to their schools. Paying close attention to what matters most to the applicant and taking actions to meet them on their journey will be critical to filling open positions with the highest quality candidates that are a fit for the school organization.

In an on-demand and self-service world, applicants want to navigate the application and interview process with ease. They are looking to apply, interview and either accept a position or move on in a timely manner. Logistics are more difficult post-pandemic, and so we’re seeing creative solutions such as virtual interviewing leveraging video streaming technology customized for schools. School districts that use recruiting, hiring and applicant tracking tools enable them to provide candidates with a seamless and efficient process, while increasing the speed in which positions are filled – a critical notion during a labor shortage.

During the job-seeking process, candidates are also keenly interested in getting a sense of what it will be like to work in a specific district or school and in a certain role. Essentially, they are looking to see if they can see themselves in the organization and if it’s an environment where they will thrive and be empowered to support the district’s mission. Job postings that highlight an organization’s culture or emphasize employee-focused benefits will be distinctive.

Financial wellbeing technologies, such as those which offer flexible pay, are becoming an increasingly popular benefit to offer. Removing locked pay cycles presents a variety of benefits, not the least of which is reduced stress and increased quality of life. Software which enables teachers and staff to choose when they get paid provides financial autonomy for essential workers and is another lever that school leaders can pull to solve for the staff shortage.

Retaining staff with the support of user-centric software

As important as recruiting new talent to school districts is, so is retaining qualified and dedicated staff already within the school organization. It’s been well cited that teachers’ levels of stress have been high throughout the pandemic, raising concern about a potential increase in turnover. To support teachers and staff, school leaders are reinforcing their commitment by offering professional growth programs that engage and enrich employees’ career journey.

Teachers’ days are full, some may say overbooked, focusing on initiatives that drive positive student outcomes. The thought of adding additional opportunities—even if they are for the benefit of the teacher— may seem overwhelming. Professional development programs need to be purposefully devised so they are perceived as a benefit, rather than another-thing-I-have-to-do burden. And programs that provide teachers more autonomy that put them in the driver’s seat to track their professional journey create better engagement throughout the professional’s career.

Professional growth technology enables districts to meet educator’s unique needs with individual professional development plans and relevant, targeted learning opportunities. It also provides teachers the ability to collaborate with peers for feedback and support, as well as with administrators and professional development coaches for feedback and evidence of evaluations. Professional learning technology creates and fosters in-person and virtual collaborative environments.

Related: Newer and mid-career teachers don’t know much about their pension and DC plans

As one of the most trusted professions in the U.S., teachers need and deserve opportunities to learn, collaborate with peers and evaluate performance on an ongoing basis. Investing in professional development software can help school leaders deliver on that promise, while keeping staff that will remain committed to educating the next generation of learners.

Helping through a digital transformation

While the pandemic has left lingering effects on education, hope always prevails. Choosing a career in education is a vocation with a calling to share a love for learning and inspire students to learn and grow. Technology can help to foster that vocation and transform the way education is delivered. Leveraging innovative technology supports administrators in enhancing efficiency and optimizing operational performance while providing teachers and staff with benefits that elevate the importance of the profession and provide autonomy over one’s career journey.

Kevin Haugh, Chief Product Officer at Frontline Education and Anurag Mehta, SVP, Partnerships at Wagestream