How to Choose a Substitute Teacher Staffing Agency

The task of filling teacher vacancies has never been easy, but a tight labor market and recent shifts in what qualified professionals are looking for are making the job even harder. 

However, the job of maintaining a healthy sub pool doesn’t stop just because you have a qualified sub in your pool; knowing how to retain and keep your best subs engaged can be a full-time job in itself. 

Substitute teacher agencies take on all of these tasks for your school district and more. Using their in-house tools, experience and resources, sub agencies handle each element of finding, screening, onboarding and engaging with your subs on your district’s behalf.

In return, school administrators can:

• Experience less stress and worry about the potential for continued teacher absences.

• Focus more time and energy on their primary educational goals.

• Bypass the administrative headache surrounding recruiting, interviewing and onboarding subs.

• Have the peace of mind that comes with knowing their sub agency is constantly on the hunt for classroom-ready subs.

You likely know the old recruiting trifecta all too well: job postings, career fairs and newspaper ads. 

You likely also know that these tried and true methods aren’t working as well as they used to, and your schools are left using other teachers and administrators to fill in when vacancies arise.

That’s because today’s qualified, potential subs are looking for different opportunities in different places. 

Industry-leading substitute teacher staffing agencies like Swing not only understand this shifting dynamic, they have the marketing tools and best practices — plus a nice dose of knowledge about what makes for a successful sub — to attract a new audience of potential subs.

The new approach

The way we use our digital devices for our personal and professional needs has dramatically changed over the past decade. Though big brands have adjusted to these new patterns with fresh advertising and marketing approaches, not all sub staffing agencies have caught up.

Agencies like Swing, however, have a team of digital marketing experts on their team that know how to use marketing best practices, cutting-edge advertising channels and an intuitive substitute teacher onboarding platform to connect with and attract a new audience of substitute teachers. 

Here’s a quick look at the marketing magic behind Swing’s approach:

Swing starts its process by working closely with your school district to understand its needs, preferences and requirements. Swing’s marketing experts then turn that information into campaigns that reach new pools of engaged and motivated substitute teacher candidates.

 For example, Swing has the marketing savvy to reach:

• Career changers

• Experienced educators looking for more autonomy and flexibility

• Aspiring teachers

• Qualified professionals looking to give back and share their experience

The common thread between each audience is a picture painted by data Swing has refined on the qualities of a successful sub. This data and our marketing tools allow Swing to reach potential subs with content that resonates with them, encouraging them to join your substitute teacher pool.

This allows Swing to attract them to your school, onboard them in as little as two weeks and ultimately, expand your substitute teacher pool. 

The result? Your schools have a healthy pool of classroom-ready substitute teachers that are available when and where you need them.

Marketing savvy, digital acumen, streamlined onboarding processes and engaging sub-focused content are all strong qualities to look for in a substitute teacher agency, but there are other factors that should be on your district’s must-have list. 

Here are some additional items for your sub agency wish list:

• ongoing training and investment in those subs

• Tools that make it easy for subs to find the best assignment matches for their schedules and interests, which Increases retention and impact in the classroom

• Processes to collect and share constructive feedback between subs and schools

• A dedicated support team always at the ready to help with questions and issues

  
  
  

So what does it look like to pair your school district with an innovative substitute teacher agency?

The differences start at the beginning: Instead of hitting the phones and sending out a collective blast to all the subs in your pool when classroom vacancies arise, a substitute teacher agency turns toward its established process to more precisely align a sub with an assignment.

Though specific steps may vary based on the agency, this process generally includes:

1. Submit a request for a teacher.

Submit your request to the substitute teacher agency, with as many specifics about the role as possible. These elements can include duration, location and desired sub background as well as the number of subs needed.

2. Sit back as the agency instantly reaches a large sub pool.

Top sub agencies already know what their subs’ preferences are, so each school request can be immediately routed to the right educator to create the best match. When confirmed, schools are notified of the matches and pending teacher assignments.

3. Connect with your sub.

When the sub assignment is confirmed, the sub and school can then learn more about each other, allowing the school to review a sub’s experience and background in their profile.

4. Get the sub ready to teach.

If available, schools can then choose to share additional materials with their subs in advance, allowing them to be more prepared to hit the ground running. This information can include any prepared materials, such as classroom plans and other school expectations.

The Swing Education difference comes down to its team’s ability to know what subs want and school districts need to deliver quality classroom experiences for all involved.

Swing then takes this knowledge and combines it with an intuitive platform that makes each phase of the onboarding and assignment process easy and straightforward, rewarding subs with great experiences and districts with happy, reliable teachers and engaged students.

So if your school district is looking for its first substitute teacher agency or if your district is looking for a better agency match, then look no further than Swing.

Click here to set up your personalized demo of Swing!