Concentrate on three things:
1. Advertise the vacancy as widely as possible
2. Sterling personal qualities are just as important as skill sets or credentials
3. Get to know your candidate
You can post a free notice on Web sites like Independent School Educators or National Business Officers Association assuming you or someone on your staff is a member. There are several more sites listed on my Employment Page.
Free advertisements in these four locations are a very efficient way of notifying a wide audience of your vacancies. They are also targeted to professionals who wish to teach in independent schools and understand the underlying philosophy or want to be a part of it. In Madison Avenue parlance, the demographics are great!
The ISED-L and ABOA mailing lists reach over a thousand subscribers between them. These subscribers in turn broadcast news to their friends and colleagues.
Paid Ads
Advertise in the national newspapers. Important or hard to fill vacancies need this kind of exposure. Choose the Sunday edition for maximum results. Advertise in the local newspapers. You just never know who might be interested in your vacancy. Advertise in professional journals. Most print media have internet sites. Remember that some searching for a job will do much of his searching on the Internet. In general print advertising also helps meet the Equal Opportunity provisions of the law. You have to be very careful about compliance with federal statutes if you are a not for profit educational institution. Always consult your lawyer about such matters.
Placement Services
Using national services like Carney Sandoe and Associates or Independent Educational Services greatly reduces the work and time you have to put into the search process as the placement service does the pre-screening and reference checking for you. Check my Employment Page for other agencies including regional ones like Teachers on Reserve Permanent Placement. You will pay for this service, but in my opinion you will benefit greatly from the experience and contacts involved.
Personal Qualities Matter
Don't be dazzled by credentials. True, a good degree is important, but frankly it should be a given in any academic situation which aspires to greatness. I think that personal qualities are just as important. After all, what good is a PhD in Classics if a person cannot teach Latin to high school students and make them love it? A great teacher will inspire by example just as much by what she teaches.
Get To Know The Candidate
Contact the candidates on your short list and have a long, uninterrupted talk (25-45 minutes) with them. Initially the phone works great for this step, but try to conduct a face to face interview wherever possible. Do not interrupt the interview except for an emergency.
Ask probing questions about a candidate's opinions on teaching his subject. Does he radiate enthusiasm for his subject? Is he still curious about his subject? Is she a team player? Where does he see himself in three years, in seven years, in ten years? Does he tolerate views different from his own?
Explore candidates' hobbies and interests. Are they compatible with your school's constituency? Does he devote time to community service? Next, have trusted colleagues on your staff corroborate your impressions by meeting candidates.
Finally check out those references with a phone call. They will fill in the gaps and point to strengths and weakness which you may have overlooked.
