Naviagting the Hiring Landscape

2023 was one of the most challenging hiring environments in a generation—and the data suggests 2024 will be similar. There are reports of increased difficulty in hiring teachers with options outside of education including in computer science, math, science, and language. (source)  Colleagues also reported fewer applicants per position and increased demands at point of hire (job flexibility, pay, etc.). Then, there are the “late” quits. Many more educators are leaving positions mid year, with other educators reneging on signed contracts throughout the spring and summer. Add all this up: hiring is continuing to be tough for Academic Leaders!

National data and trends back this up. Whereas the media reported incessantly about “The Great Resignation” throughout 2021, the trend continued and perhaps even accelerated in 2022, and seems to have stabilized in 2023. The education sector was not immune from this trend, as it has been in other volatile times, as seen in this chart (source). 

Added on top of increased resignations is an increase in behaviors that some are calling quiet quitting. “Quiet quitting refers to opting out of tasks beyond one’s assigned duties and/or becoming less psychologically invested in work. Quiet quitters continue to fulfill their primary responsibilities, but they’re less willing to engage in activities known as citizenship behaviors: no more staying late, showing up early, or attending non-mandatory meetings.” (source)

There are two other national trends that Academic Leaders should be aware of. The first is that the demand for remote work has never been greater. Just look at this recent analysis from the Washington Post. Pre-pandemic less than 5% of job applications went to remote positions and less than 3% of openings were for remote positions. Today, more than 50% (!) of applications are going to remote positions and 15% of openings are for remote positions (source). At One Schoolhouse, we’ve been hiring a lot recently, both for part-time faculty and full-time administrators. Both candidate pools have never been stronger.

The second national trend that’s getting fewer headlines is called Shift Shock. “Shift Shock is that feeling when you start a new job and realize, with either surprise or regret, that the position or company is very different from what you were led to believe.” (source) I like to think of this in our industry as “other duties as assigned.” Shift shock is a key factor of those “late quits” I mentioned earlier:  employees leaving positions with little notice (or regret) if either the company or the job does not meet what was advertised in the job description or application process. 

I’m an optimist and problem solver by nature. So, although these challenges exist, there are things we can do as Academic Leaders to solve for or mitigate them. The first step is for Academic Leaders to understand the factors that motivate both teachers and Academic Leaders in their work. (Spoiler alert: the motivations are different.) Academic Leaders need to understand what motivates classroom teachers to come to work every day and what causes them to leave. Thankfully, McKinsey & Co. completed a comprehensive survey of teachers and Academic Leaders in 2023. ​

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