Establish salary range & benefit package
Who: School board members & current superintendent and/or business manager
Establishing a salary and benefit ranch prior to hiring will help in recruiting candidates and negotiating the desired candidates contract once offered the job.
Hold stakeholder meetings to identify desired qualifications
Who: School board members & search firm consultant
Meetings with various groups should yield 5-8 desired skill and qualification areas in the successful candidate. The search firm consultant will facilitate meetings with stakeholder groups to establish a list of desired skills and qualifications.
Advertise job
Who: School board members & current superintendent and/or business manager
Typically the sooner a job can be posted the better to ensure you get the best applicants. The search firm consultant works with district personnel to post the job to convey exactly what they are looking for in a new school leader and make the ad appealing to candidates.
Establish interview process to include dates and times
Who: School board members & current superintendent and/or business manager
1. Timeline
2. Number of candidates to formally interview on campus
3. Screening process
Establish interview teams
Who: School board members & current superintendent and/or business manager
Seek a facilitator of each group who will be the point of contact prior to and after the interviews.
Establish interview questions
Who: School board members, current superintendent, stakeholder group leaders, and/or business manager
Search firm website will help establish interview questions for various stakeholder groups.
Candidate application period
Who: Search firm consultant recruits candidates who are believed to be a good fit for the district based on the desired skills and qualifications established by the district stakeholder groups.
Screen candidates
Who: Search firm (sometimes this includes school board members)
The board president and search firm consultant screen candidates by reviewing applications compared to desired qualifications and skills.
Initial interviews
Who: School board president and/or board members and/or others
This includes a short initial screening interview by telephone, Skype, or in-person. Normally, 6-10 candidates are narrowed to 2-3 throughout this process.
Formal interviews
Who: School board members & stakeholder groups which may include:
· Support staff
· Administrative team
· Community group
· School board members
· Students
· Other
Feedback and debrief
Who: School board president and search firm consultant
Get feedback from stakeholder groups to identify strengths and concerns about each candidate. The school board makes the final decision based on feedback from the stakeholder groups about who and when to offer the job.
Job offer to successful candidate
Who: School board president and/or search firm consultant
Solidify contract with new hire
Who: School board members. The search firm consultant negotiates the contract for the new school leader.
Board meeting approval needed for successful candidate to officially be hired.
Announce hire to staff and community
Work with board president to make the announcement and get it in local news outlets including websites, newspapers, radio, TV, and social media.
Help candidate establish entry plan
Who: Candidate, school board president, search firm consultant
Meet with candidate to talk through feedback from stakeholder groups and create an entry plan to the new district.
Send invoice for services
How To Hire A Superintendent Who Will Stick Around Article

team_leader_roles_and_responsibilities.docx |

team_leader_desired_qualifications_process.docx |