Recruiting instructors is the top concern among programmers in the field right now. Top practitioner Michael Seppi says he has more success flipping the instructor recruitment process.
Do not start with having prospective instructors fill out your application form, he advises. These days, many people are not interested in filling out a cumbersome form with many questions.
Here’s his new more effective way of recruiting instructors:
1.Answer just a few questions.
Have interested people text you. Or have them complete just a few questions on your website.
2.Auto Reply.
Send an auto reply to those texting you to complete the few questions on your website.
3.Online Interview.
Set up an Online Interview Schedule form and have prospective instructors sign up for the slots. Then conduct short online interviews.
4.In-Person Interview.
From the online interviews, select finalists for an in-person interview. Doing the in-person interview after the first three steps allows people to self-select out, get answers to their basic questions, get the pay issue out of the way, and you get to further weed out candidates.
5.Apply.
Now you ask the people you want to teach to fill out the application form.
As a result, you get more interest, you get more ‘leads,’ and you increase your pool of instructors, Seppi has found. Michael Seppi runs the award winning Parkway-Ridgewood Community Education program in Ellisville, Missouri.
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Recruiting instructors is the top challenge right for programs, according to an exclusive LERN survey of program professionals. It is the top challenge, far out distancing other issues like dealing with economic uncertainty, articulating your value to the institution, and budget cuts.
