Administrative Technology
Missouri District Streamlines Employee Searches
Lebanon R-III School District of Lebanon, MO, has shown that, in tough economic times, smaller districts can benefit from advanced technology as much as large districts. The district has successfully used Netchemia's SchoolRecruiter hiring management software to streamline its new employee searches.
Because the software is Internet-based and scalable according to the size of the district, neither available computer resources not excessive cost were an issue. Prior to implementing SchoolRecruiter in 2007, Lebanon R-III used a paper-based application process, which was both daunting and time-consuming.
"The paper really slowed us down," said Todd Schuetz, former assistant superintendent for personnel and school improvement at Lebanon R-III. "To sort through qualifications, we had to go through piles of paper resumes and applications, which was tedious. I am certain there were quality candidates that slipped through our fingers because they got lost in the paper shuffle. The speed of the hiring process was also slow, which made it harder for us to recruit and compete for candidates with bigger school districts that did have resources such as an electronic applicant tracking system."
SchoolRecruiter is specifically designed for K-12 environments, and it allows districts to track applicants and application materials, organize available positions and their respective requirements, and manage the entire employment process, including recruitment, screening, interviewing, and hiring.
Schuetz now serves as assistant superintendent for academic services at Smithville R-II School District in Smithville, MO, which said it plans to implement SchoolRecruiter this spring. "There is no job more important than hiring your next teacher," he said. SchoolRecruiter provides an easy, affordable way to help us do that. [It] helps us do our jobs more effectively and applicants are very complimentary about how user-friendly the system is."
Using the software also helped Lebanon R-III realize substantial savings on the costs associated with a paper-based process, most notably printing and mailing.
About the Author
Scott Aronowitz is a freelance writer based in Las Vegas. He has covered the technology, advertising, and entertainment sectors for seven years. He can be reached here.