Recruitment for schools

The school hiring calendar

Plan the next session's staffing in January. By then the principal knows which teachers are retiring, which sections are being added and who has hinted at leaving. Advertise in February, hold tests and demo classes in March, and send offers before the April session or, for June-start schools, by early May. Mid-session vacancies come from resignations, spouse transfers and maternity leave. Keep a bench of shortlisted candidates from the main season, so that a Class 9 maths vacancy in August does not take six weeks to fill.

Where schools find teachers

Most teachers come through referrals from existing staff, the school's own careers page, newspaper and online job ads, B.Ed colleges and local teacher networks. For PGT posts in physics, chemistry or computer science the pool is small, so start early and look at teachers from nearby towns. Ayahs, peons and guards usually come through staff references and local contacts, and drivers through references from other schools or transport operators.

• Staff referrals and the school careers page
• Newspaper and online job ads in February
• B.Ed and D.El.Ed colleges for fresh teachers
• Local references for ayahs, peons and drivers

Screening, subject tests and demo classes

Screen first on eligibility: a graduate or postgraduate degree in the subject, a B.Ed for TGT and PGT posts, a D.El.Ed or nursery training certificate for pre-primary roles, and a CTET or state TET score where your board or management expects it. Then hold a 45-minute written test in the subject and a short paper on classroom situations. Shortlisted candidates take a demo class of 20 to 30 minutes with real students, watched by the coordinator and a senior subject teacher, and then meet the principal. Record scores on one common sheet so the final choice can be explained.

Offers and pre-joining checks

A teacher's offer should state the post, the class range, the pay structure, probation, the notice period and the joining date. Ask for original degree and B.Ed certificates at the interview, and the experience letter from the last school before joining. For drivers, conductors, attendants and ayahs, start police verification before the joining date, not after, and check the driver's licence and badge. Remember that an appointment letter is mandatory for every employee under the OSH Code, including support staff hired in a hurry in June.

How to set it up in ZeniaHR

1. Raise a job requisition in the Recruitment Hub for each vacancy, with subject, class range, qualification and number of openings, before advertising.
2. Publish vacancies on the public careers page, where candidates apply through the multi-step form and upload a resume.
3. Use the resume match score, with its breakdown by skills, experience, role fit and education, to shortlist candidates for the written test.
4. Move candidates on the pipeline board from New to Screening, Interview, Offer and Joined, adding screening notes and demo class scores at each step.
5. Offer interview slots for the demo class and principal round, and let candidates pick the slot that suits them.
6. Send the offer with its online accept or decline page, then move the selected candidate into onboarding; the requisition closes once openings are filled.

Read more about recruitment in ZeniaHR.

Roles this applies to

Frequently asked questions