Online teachers are spoiled for choice in this vast market; a positive employer brand is like a magnet for talented educators.

Showcase your organization's culture, commitment to teaching excellence, and growth opportunities to attract top talent. After all, the winning recruitment formula is one where the more right people you hire, then less recruitment you will need to do!

• Create a positive and supportive work environment that values and appreciates the contributions of online teachers.
• Showcase testimonials, success stories, and stellar performance results to attract top talent and reinforce your organization's reputation as an employer of choice.
• Invest in employee engagement initiatives and recognition programs to foster loyalty and commitment among your teaching team.
• Run quarterly or bi-annual employee satisfaction surveys to assess your teachers' happiness and make a concerted effort to resolve any pain points to improve their experience with you.
• Set up a social listening tool that alerts you when your company is mentioned online, to monitor external reviews and mentions and their sentiment.
• Invest in your internal and external marketing and communication efforts to establish your brand and what you stand for in the marketplace.

Our Pro Tip: Measure and analyse your attrition rates and reasons for resignations regularly and as granularly as possible. Being a great employer means you will need to recruit less.

A well-crafted job description is essential for attracting qualified candidates.

In your job postings, clearly outline:

• The type of students they will be teaching, as well as where they are based
• If the position is full-time or on a contract basis
• Peak hours they will be required to teach – add a time zone for reference
• If teaching material will be provided
• Tertiary requirements, level of TEFL certification, and experience
• Any technical requirements
• Responsibilities and expectations

But more than that, make sure to highlight the unique advantages of teaching in an online environment, such as:

• Work-from-home convenience
• Flexibility
• Accessibility
• Opportunities for professional growth

Our Pro Tip: Highlight the key advantages of your online teaching positions in your advertising, that will best appeal to your unique target market.

A critical element of how to hire online teachers is finding your ideal candidates in the first place. To reach your required pool of candidates, be it diverse or unique, utilize a variety of recruitment channels such as:

• Online job boards
• Social media platforms
• Educational forums
• Professional networks

Our Pro Tip: Tailor your recruitment efforts to target specific demographics and geographic regions where potential candidates are likely to be active.

When reviewing thousands of applications on a monthly basis, you want your process to be as efficient as possible:

• When your job descriptions are as clear and specific as possible, it will decrease the number of timewasters applying on ambiguity.
• Develop a systematic process for reviewing applications, resumes, and portfolios to identify qualified candidates.
• Conduct initial screenings and interviews to assess candidates' teaching skills, experience, and compatibility with your organization's values and culture.
• Conducting demo lessons or mock teaching sessions to evaluate candidates' ability to engage students effectively.

Our Pro Tip: Utilize an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) platform to track candidates' progress through your recruitment and hiring process, which also has the capability to auto assess and reject applicants based on set criteria.

A candidate might look flawless on paper but get complete stage fright in front of a camera. Incorporating a practical assessment step into your recruitment process can avoid disappointment and frustration.

• Evaluate candidates' communication skills, ability to provide constructive feedback, and rapport-building techniques during interviews and teaching demonstrations.
• Look for candidates who demonstrate creativity, adaptability, and innovation in their teaching approach.
• Assess candidates' proficiency in online teaching platforms, technology tools, and instructional methods. Brownie points for problem-solving tech challenges under pressure!

Our Pro Tip: Have an experienced member from your teaching operations team evaluate candidates' practical skills and competencies to ensure they're able to perform in the online teaching environment.

When it comes to how to hire online teachers, it's a multifaceted process that requires careful planning, execution, resources, and ongoing evaluation. Apply the strategies and best practices discussed in this guide to enhance your recruitment efforts and build a strong online teaching team!

Look out for our future recruitment guides, which will explore online teacher retention and development.

If you have any questions on how to hire online teachers, or require assistance in recruiting your online teachers, our experienced team is here to help!