School districts across the country have implemented robust digital and technology programs to improve instruction and classroom learning experiences. In recent years, Miami Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) has been a leader in this space. As the fourth largest school district in the nation, M-DCPS serves a geographically, culturally, and linguistically diverse population with varying levels of exposure to technology. To address this disparity, M-DCPS has embraced district-wide digital convergence, which has resulted in a fundamental evolution of the structure and environment in schools.
But M-DCPS realizes that the success of technology should not be limited to the classroom. In reviewing operational systems and processes, the district quickly realized that digitalization could also help reach two important goals in human capital management: first, ensuring that all schools have equal access to high quality applicants, and secondly, streamlining the hiring process between the district office and principals.
Allowing all schools to have equal access to high-quality applicants
In previous years, M-DCPS advertised job postings at individual schools. As a result, some schools received hundreds of applications for an open position while other schools received less than 10 applications for a similar position. This created a significant disparity as many of the district’s high-needs schools were receiving fewer applications from lower caliber applicants.
To remedy this, the district decided to implement a new advanced talent management system called TeacherMatch®. The application system allowed the district to configure jobs by geographic zone and subject area rather than by school. There are three geo zones: north county, mid-county, and south county for each subject area and an applicant is free to apply to any and all geo zone/subject areas pools of interest. For example, rather than applying to an English Language Arts teaching position at a specific high school, applicants now apply to a job pool entitled “English Language Arts (Mid County).”
The hiring pools exist regardless of whether there is an opening in a given subject and geo zone. This serves two purposes: 1) it allows the district to build a high-quality candidate pool that is available whenever an opening occurs (In the previous system, there was no way to determine what the district-wide candidate pool looked like since applicants applied to a single school.); and 2) it removes applicants’ ability to apply only to schools they are interested in. This, in turn, helps to level the playing field for high-needs schools, which now have access to all applicants in a given subject area pool.
Furthermore, principals not only have access to all applicants, they also have a significant number of data points on each candidate to help make a more informed hiring decision. This includes the TeacherMatch EPI™, a hiring tool that uses predictive analytics to identify teachers who are most likely to improve student achievement, as well as a full candidate profile and written essay responses.
Streamlining the hiring process between district office and principals
Digitalization in human capital processes has allowed M-DCPS to better streamline the hiring process between the district office and principals through enhanced communication and automated workflows. In 2009, M-DCPS transitioned from a paper-based application system to eRecruiting, an online applicant tracking system linked to SAP. In eRecruiting, applicants were only required to submit minimal information in their application and accessing that information was not an easy task for hiring managers. Additionally, once an application was submitted, principals were able to interview candidates prior to district office screening.
Recognizing these limitations, M-DCPS set out to improve its online application processes through TeacherMatch. The district created additional application requirements, which provide principals with a wealth of applicant information in one place. With one click, principals have access to a candidate’s employment history, resume, certification information, reference letters, and educational background in addition to the candidate’s TeacherMatch EPI Score and responses to two short essay questions.
M-DCPS also updated hiring workflows to ensure that principals only gained access to qualified applicants. All applicants who apply through the online system are screened by the district office to determine if their applications are complete and whether or not they meet minimum requirements before they are forwarded to principals for review. Central office staff is able to vet candidates and monitor their real-time progress in the hiring process as well as streamline communications and focus only on their specific hiring tasks.
Additionally, M-DCPS is modernizing the hiring process through digital onboarding. Currently, applicants complete all hiring paperwork on-site at the district office and completion information is entered into the online talent management system. The documents are then scanned into the district’s digital records system. To eliminate redundancies, M-DCPS is working with TeacherMatch to further digitalize this process, This next phase of implementation will allow applicants to complete hiring paperwork online before coming to the district office. Digitalizing this process will reduce the amount of time candidates have to spend on-site and decrease the time it takes to onboard new employees.
While M-DCPS has made great strides in improving the hiring process through the TeacherMatch partnership, the district sees digitalization and technology as an ongoing effort. Already, the benefits of digitalizing hiring process include better communication, increased efficiency, and more effective processes that have allowed district staff to focus on people-powered aspects of the hiring process, like screening and interviewing candidates to find the best fit for each applicant and school. Moving forward, the district is eager to continue to refine and improve processes from recruitment and interview to onboarding and placement by leveraging technologies present in the online system. By leveraging these capabilities, M-DCPS hopes to ensure that the best, most effective teachers are able to stand at the helm of every classroom.
