Beyond Panic Hiring: Building Talent Pipelines Through Data and Personal Connection

Tell me I’m not the only one who’s had that 3 a.m. wake-up anxiety thinking about all the unfilled positions in the district. Paul, the principal, can’t take one more day being short those three special education aides in his building. Tammy, the transportation director, is desperate for more drivers— otherwise, field trips and sports “just can’t run.” The pressure is real. And every time we start to make progress, a new wave of resignations hits, sending us right back into that reactive cycle all over again. What if we could break that cycle and get ahead of these challenges by combining things we already have access to – our data and relationships? 

Technology helps us work more efficiently, but the heart of recruitment is still a fundamental truth: people want to work for people who make them feel valued. This article explores how to blend data-informed strategies with authentic, personalized recruitment to build sustainable talent pipelines.

If you’re saying to yourself, What data? We have more useful data in our departments than you may think; we just need to step back and take a look at it. Some of the easy data points to take a look at right away are retirement eligibility lists, historical turnover patterns, patterns in leaves of absence, how long positions typically remain open and themes for why resignations are occurring.

If we start to shift our mindset from “I’ll post when it’s open” to “We know it’s coming, what can we do now?”, you should see some immediate gains. For example, if you know you have a Physics Teacher who can retire in the next year or two, start to target schools and recruiting fairs with that certification/program. Make connections now that will benefit you in the future. There have been countless times in my career that I have made sure to seek out a hard-to-fill certified Teacher and introduced myself, traded contact information, and reached back out to them for an open position. Data tells us where to focus our energy, but it’s what we do with the data that makes the difference.

We all know that everything circles back; fashion and hiring trends are not excluded. The time has returned that digital-everything, while efficient, isn’t always the answer. Candidates are craving for employers to connect with them and make them feel wanted for the position. If you’re thinking to yourself; I don’t have time for this; let me assure you, you do! It’s not about huge time commitments and grand gestures. It’s about quick, human responses with their name rather than form letters that haven’t been updated in years. Also, following up with candidates you don’t hire but are interested in is a great way to keep connections.

We recently put this into practice in a hiring campaign for Bus Drivers. There’s no secret that there is a driver shortage and candidates with this skillset have their pick of employers. We wanted to make our district that easy choice for them. We saw that SEPTA (Philadelphia’s public transportation system) was cutting back on routes, which gave us an opportunity to engage with available candidates. Through targeted messaging, we emphasized the unique rewards of working in public education: stability, community impact, etc. We met candidates where they were, literally and figuratively. Through these measures, we will be fully staffed in the Transportation department by the end of 2025. I don’t know the last time our Transportation Department was able to be a full team.

Another success story we recently experienced was with another hard-to-fill group: our Cafeteria/Playground Assistants. Throughout the years, we have collected employees willing to work a day or two a week, but not able to commit to full weeks, building our sub list. Upon reaching critically low staffing in this position, we took action. Personal phone calls were made to each substitute, active or not. We invited them to visit different buildings in the district. We offered them training with current Assistants. We continually thanked them for helping out in our great time of need and the result; we are far better staffed today than at the beginning of the school year. Those subs became interested and comfortable in different buildings and decided to work additional days because they felt more connected after the personal touch. 

These were not expensive or time-consuming strategies, but they were intentional, personal and relationship-based. This small investment in time returned huge results for us. I strongly suggest segmenting candidate pools to help keep in touch to foster these relationships. Those segments can look like substitutes, preferred applicants or referred applicants. I would suggest setting reminders to follow up with candidates during meaningful times for you and/or the candidates.

I have a saying that I share with friends and family all the time, “If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.” This is so applicable in the recruitment and hiring process. If you spend a little time being proactive, you spend so much less time being reactive.

Here are some short-term pipeline builders and long-term infrastructure strategies you can try to see what works for you and your team. Short-term solutions include Substitute to staff conversion, opportunistic recruitment and targeted campaigns for critical shortages. Longer-term solutions include University partnerships, grow-your-own programs and leaning on alumni networks. Strategies for utilization of your substitute pool are to start regular check-ins with long-term or subs who frequently work. They may be open to a more permanent opportunity if they feel like the district values their work. These employees may be open to these opportunities if there is a streamlined application process for internal employees and if there are any mentorship or training opportunities. By monitoring nearby businesses and being ready for closures or layoffs, you may have a leg up in recruitment efforts. Additionally, by identifying your top three hard-tofill positions and creating specific recruitment materials for each, you will be amazed at what a difference it makes. 

For longer-term solutions, one of our regional affiliate groups (EPASPA) is working to partner with universities for a more beneficial relationship in the hiring and recruiting process. EPASPA is partnering with local higher education institutions for a College Partnerships Roundtable to provide benefits to K-12 and higher education. We will be discussing student-teacher placements with hiring intentions, classroom observation opportunities, career fairs specific to education candidates, adjunct teaching opportunities for district leaders and other practicum placement opportunities.

We could explore an entire article on grow-your-own programs and while this may be one of the more expensive strategies suggested here, it has to be touched on. Paraprofessionals are an untapped resource for your next wave of Special Education Teachers. This could be explored through various vendor and/or university partnerships.

Also, don’t underestimate the power of your alumni networks. Work with your schools, communication professionals and/or social media pages to stay connected to alumni; you never know who may want to “come home” for their next career move! These ideas and partnerships are not transactional; they are relational and benefit all parties.

Remember, no problem is unsolvable. Here’s the good news: you don’t have to figure this all out on your own. Your colleagues are a great resource. Share what works, ask for help and build something together with a neighboring district. Not every strategy will work in every environment. My suggestion: start with one data point, make one personal call, build one partnership. Just try something. Failure is an option, as long as you learn from it.