Sarah Sharkey

9/14/15
Interview Activity
While exploring employment practices at various organizations, I
have learned the importance of taking the dynamics and needs of each
particular school into account. For this activity, I purposely chose to
interview a principal at school that is very different from the one I
currently work at so as to gain a different perspective on the hiring
process. I was pleased to learn from the experience of a principal in a
different situation than the principal I work with. Walking away, I
understood there is no one correct way to hire. Rather, the hiring
process must be tailored to the particular situation the school presents.
Flexibility is key in employment practices.
The principal I interviewed works at a small, private school with
approximately 100 students in 3-year-old preschool through 8th grade.
Class sizes range from 7 students to 18. The school board directs the
school and works closely with the principal. These facts kept coming
through when discussing employment practices. First, the school board
determines staffing needs based not only on enrollment, but also on
the amount of space available in the school. Each classroom is a
different size, and the entire school has very little extra space.
Sometimes it may be possible to hire a teacher for a second section of
a class, however an aide may be hired instead if a larger classroom is

available rather than two smaller ones. I found it interesting that space
played such a large part in this decision.
The overall hiring process takes approximately one month. The
principal pointed out that she does not post any open positions until
August 1. This way the candidate that accepts the job is more likely to
stay rather than leave for a more appealing offer. The job posting
consists of the grade level, clarification that the school is a Catholic
school although they will hire outside of that, the school is family
friendly environment, the base salary with a note no insurance is
offered, and the contact name. She mentioned she leaves the posting
fairly vague in order to open to a broader pool. When actually
interviewing candidates she does have specific criteria in mind. If I
were principal, I would communicate at least some of that criteria in
the job posting so applying individuals know more about the school
and can better prepare for the interview. This is also important because
interviewee is also interviewing the school to determine if the school
would be a good fit for him or her.
Typically four candidates are selected for a final interview. During
the interview, questions are asked according to the criteria the
principal has set. Other questions are asked based on the individual
candidates previous experiences. The principal found it important to
ask why the candidate chose the teaching profession, because it
relaxes the candidate and opens up opportunities for a more personal

interview. She also utilizes situational questions to determine if the

candidate can think on his or her feet. Another area she looks for is a
candidate with strong interpersonal skills since the school is small and
personal interactions are very important. Being somewhat familiar with
the school, if I were principal I would also inquire about the willingness
to participate in school events beyond the classroom (fundraisers and
such). Post-interview the principal takes notes making connections
about what would work in her school. The interview process is done
with the principal interviewing the candidate solo. While I understand
her reasoning, I do believe it is important to involve one or two
teachers in the process with thorough training and expectations put in
place prior to the interviews. This shifts the process from more of a
Classical Management Theory to more of an Organizational Behavior
practice.
To finish the process, the principal contacts at least two of the
listed references. When debating between two candidates, the
principal refers to the resume and GPA to determine if the candidate
has displayed struggles they have overcome in order to better relate to
students who are struggling. From there, she presents the top two
candidates to at least the board president, preferably the entire school
board. She lists reasons for selecting her top candidate. The school
board president has the final decision in the hiring process.

As I left the conversation, the principal mentioned that if she

were in a larger school, such as in a school district or system, she
would do things completely differently. This emphasizes the fact that
the principal must be aware of the culture and climate of the school
and respond to the unique needs that may present themselves during
the hiring process. I felt it was valuable to learn about a hiring process
that is very different from the one I participate in at my current school.