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Shenendehowa HR reports recruitment push: Walk-in Wednesdays, automation and substitute hires
Summary
District human-resources staff described new recruitment and retention strategies including Walk-in Wednesdays (55 and 42 attendees), automation of HR forms, digitized employee records, and hiring of 95 instructional substitutes and 64 support substitutes so far this year.
Jen Cornell, assistant director of human resources for the Shenendehowa Central School District, and HR colleagues briefed the board on recruitment, retention and process-improvement work the HR team has undertaken this year.
Cornell described a proactive recruitment approach that includes "Walk-in Wednesdays," job-fair participation and social-media outreach to build candidate pipelines. She said the district’s first Walk-in Wednesday had 55 attendees and the second had 42. The district’s transportation director joined recruitment events and displayed a vehicle as a recruitment touchpoint to encourage bus-driver applicants and explain training opportunities.
HR staff described process improvements and automation pilots intended to reduce paperwork and accelerate hiring workflows. "You click a button and they go off to the right people," Cornell said of new forms in the HR system; staff are digitizing new-hire files and piloting automated 30-day check-ins. The team also reported targeted activities for substitutes: to date the district has hired 95 instructional substitutes and 64 support-staff substitutes this year; HR staff meet individually with many substitutes to complete onboarding.
Other HR measures said to support retention include enhanced onboarding, cross-training, exit interviews, desk audits and position analysis. HR also said it is starting to centralize retirement and benefits information on the intranet after staff feedback during building visits and listening tours.
Belinda, the district’s director of transportation, participated in recruitment events and helped promote bus driving and training opportunities. Board members asked whether Walk-in Wednesdays helped recruit drivers; HR said the events had produced interest and that transportation staff had actively participated.
The board approved a staffing item during the meeting: the appointment of a summer literacy program coordinator. The motion passed with six board members voting in favor. HR staff said they will continue to expand targeted recruitment and roll out further automation across the district.
