It wasn’t long ago that independent schools could think of “hiring season” as a distinct, calendar-bound tradition. But not anymore.

Instead, employees are increasingly comfortable with leaving schools at any point in the school year. And this trend of mid-year departures — which gained real traction during the pandemic — means school leaders must constantly anticipate setting out their “help wanted” sign.

For communications, that means a director must keep mental track of what type of a new hire would best benefit their school, even if no opening seems likely soon.

• Would a visual storyteller improve the office’s impact?
• How about a social media specialist?
• Which do you need more: a word person or a design person?

From this understanding, it’s a good idea for directors to regularly create draft job postings for the greatest areas of need. Hopefully, this is only practice, but if someone were to quit the school at an inopportune moment, you’d be glad to have a start on the real posting.

What are you looking for?

As you draft a posting, present a clear idea of the type of employee you want.

Here’s a common example of what not to do: posting for an assistant director of communications with mid-career experience in writing, social media strategy, website management, creative design, video editing, and photography skills. Oh, and a willingness to work nights and weekends.

Jeepers! How many directors of communications would meet such a qualification list?! And, by the way, what salary would such a person justifiably expect?

This sort of “kitchen-sink listing” — with every duty that an employee might possibly perform, even if only once — appears way too frequently in the independent school world.

It’s also self-defeating: An applicant uncowed by such a description is likely to come away from the posting with a different idea of the job than what the school intended.

Any job listing should be obvious about what the school seeks. If it wants a videographer, then crisis communications experience is not a needed qualification. If the need is for a communications generalist, you don’t need — and can’t afford — an expert in everything; relax the qualifications from “expert in” to “familiar with.”

The nitty-gritty details

Go deeper: A posting should explain what the job involves. Help your applicants understand what a typical day could include.

What are the day-to-day responsibilities? What are the most important facets, the most demanding ones? How big is the department? Who is the supervisor?

Details are important, and often these hide behind titles that carry more meaning within a school than to an outsider. (The difference between an associate director and an assistant director is not generally obvious to anyone outside of HR.)

Rather than indulge in nuance, be specific and candid: Your openness will allow job-seekers to judge for themselves whether the opportunity works for them. That, in turn, will save the school time from considering candidates who don’t fit the job.

Dollars and cents

“Pay transparency” laws have exposed a new factor to consider. As more states require employers to publish the wage scale for their openings, applicants can get valuable insight about those jobs.

The average salary for all school communications jobs, according to the 2022 Private School Marcom Survey Report, is roughly $80,000 a year.

Savvy job seekers will recognize, then, that an associate director of communications job with a published wage range of $65,000 to $75,000 carries a nice title but below-average pay; does the salary match the responsibilities?

Finally, recognize that every job posting is an introduction to your school.

It should reflect your school’s nature, whether that’s traditional or progressive. The more approachable and informative you can make the listing, the better. A lively posting is worth the trouble, and don’t let the lawyers or accountants convince you otherwise.

This post is adapted from the July 2022 issue of Refill, published by Fine Point Communications.