The Impact of Virtual Employment Interviews on the Teacher Hiring Process

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the perceptions of school administrators regarding the benefits of the virtual teacher hiring processes adopted when in-person interviews were impossible due to COVID19. Specifically, this research investigated the ways that teacher hiring changed during school closures and the extent to which those changes reflected best practice, whether school leaders felt that their virtual interviews were effective, and how leaders believe the experience of hiring using virtual interviews would change future teacher selection processes. Semi-structured interviews served as the data collection tool and a sequential process of first and second cycle coding were used to analyze interview transcripts. Results indicated when school leaders used virtual interviews, they were forced to adopt more reliable teacher selection practices, including careful screening of resumes, interview questions designed to uncover values and effective teaching behaviors, authentic assessment of skills, and attention to teaching artifacts in digital portfolios. School leaders did not intentionally align their new selection processes with research-based best practices, but they were aware of the practical value of the changes made to their hiring processes and indicated that they intended to maintain at least some of the practices in the future.