Q: I’m a teacher and am on the interview panel for new teachers. We have to hire a new one mid-year because we’re heading back into the building in January and one of our older teachers has decided to retire at the end of the quarter. Anyway, beggars can’t be choosers, and qualified candidates aren’t exactly lining up at the door, but I’m still uncomfortable with my principal’s directive. He has asked me and the other teachers on the selection committee to hire his friend’s child, who will graduate from a teacher training program midyear. He doesn’t know his friend’s child, has never met her, and has no way of knowing whether she has much in the way of skills. She’s got the technical qualifications, but obviously she has never been a teacher, and she couldn’t even complete her internship with students in person, and so I’m deeply uncomfortable with the request. If I say no, I could still be outnumbered by the rest of the panel, and while he’s never done this in the past, my principal could simply ignore our recommendation and hire this woman anyway. I want to maintain the integrity of the process and preserve my relationship with my principal, and I want to think this through before we even talk to this candidate. (And we do have to talk to her — I don’t think there’s any way to avoid granting at least a courtesy interview. Also, the principal is on the interview panel.) How would you recommend I approach this dilemma?
A: If you’re short on candidates and this teacher has the requisite qualifications, I’m not sure why you wouldn’t want to interview her, at least, regardless of your principal’s bias. Her lack of experience could even be a positive at a time when everything has been turned upside down. She already is expecting everything to be new. Plus, she may be humble and recognize that she has a lot to learn. That could make her especially willing to put in the necessary work to close her skills gap. As you interview her, I’d pay close attention to her level of self-awareness and her temperament. Does she seem trainable? Able to manage frustration? Eager to improve? Pose scenarios that address some of your reservations.
Of course, to maintain the integrity of your process, you should collect additional information, treating her exactly the same way you’d treat any other candidate. If you typically call references, do a background check, or request a writing sample or lesson, then you should do the same with her. And you should continue to interview other candidates as well. If someone else is stellar, your principal will take note of that.
If, after interviewing her, you have glaring concerns, then you’ll want to share them in a respectful manner. It’s often helpful to start with curiosity, using phrases such as “I wonder” or “I’ve noticed.” If she has a bad attitude and complains about every job she’s ever held, for instance, you could say, “I noticed that she focused on the worst parts of her past jobs and co-workers, and I’m wondering if you think her attitude could end up affecting teachers’ morale.” If her writing sample is riddled with errors, you could point out that she might have difficulty communicating with parents. Presumably, your principal doesn’t want to create extra work for himself or his staff, so I expect that he’ll take your concerns seriously. I doubt he’d want to hire someone who has the potential to generate complaints from all corners, or who might need a performance plan from the start. Plus, he likely knows that If he brings her on board and she struggles, and especially if he lowers his standards because of his personal connection, then he’ll have to face the inevitable questions about favoritism.
But all you can do is give her a fair review. If, after you’ve gone through the usual process, you find that you have concerns about hiring her, then you should speak up about them and point out the strengths of other candidates you’d prefer to hire. As you mentioned, your principal has the power to make the final call, and if he makes a bad decision, then he’ll have to manage the fallout. In any case, you can cross that bridge when you get to it. For now, focus on assessing her qualifications and try to keep an open mind. There’s always the possibility that you’ll really like her! And if she’s hired despite your reservations, then put the process behind you, let go of any lingering resentment, and try to help her succeed. Everyone deserves a chance, especially someone who is just starting their career.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Phyllis L. Fagell
Phyllis L. Fagell is the school counselor at Landon School in Washington, D.C., a therapist at the Chrysalis Group in Bethesda, Md., and the author of the Career Confidential blog. She is also the author of Middle School Matters and Middle School Superpowers, available at https://amzn.to/3Pw0pcu.
