Transforming
School Hiring Processes with Boilerplate School Hiring Software Portals for HR Onboarding Document Management
Client Overview
Client Name
A Suburban Philadelphia School District
Location
Suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Size
Approximately 3,500 students
Annual Hiring Requirement
Approximately 150 new hires across various roles
Introduction
In the ever-evolving landscape of educational institutions, streamlining administrative processes can be a key to success. For one suburban Philadelphia School District, which serves around 3,500 students, onboarding documents for new staff were a recurring challenge. They needed an efficient and organized solution to manage the onboarding and document collection process for the 150 new hires they brought on each year, spanning various roles from teachers to cafeteria aides. Before adopting Boilerplate School Hiring Software, the district was relying on outdated and cumbersome methods, such as email attachments. This case study explores how Boilerplate transformed their hiring processes and significantly improved administrative efficiency, especially in the context of hybrid onboarding.
The Challenge
The School District's previous hiring process was riddled with inefficiencies. They used email attachments to collect paperwork and onboard new hires, a process that was slow, error-prone, and fraught with security risks. The administrative team struggled to keep track of the necessary documents using spreadsheets and still had to ensure that each new hire completed their required paperwork. The process was further complicated by the need for different files and documents for different roles and locations. One of the significant challenges was the hybrid nature of their onboarding process. New hires were required to submit many documents before their first day, yet the hiring coordinator often needed to add additional documents to their file that were received in person.
The key challenges faced by the school district included
Inefficiency
The reliance on email attachments and manual processes slowed down the hiring process and increased the risk of missing documentation.
Data Security
Storing sensitive documents and personal information via email attachments posed significant security concerns.
Lack of Organization
It was difficult to manage the different document requirements for various roles and locations.
Tracking and Follow-Up
The administrative team had limited visibility into the progress of document collection and lacked automated reminders for new hires to complete their paperwork.
Common Document Requirements -
Pennsylvania Example
Hiring a teacher in Pennsylvania typically involves collecting various documents to ensure compliance with state regulations and to assess the qualifications of the candidate. Common documents required for hiring a teacher in Pennsylvania include:
Teaching Certificate or License:
Candidates must provide proof of a valid teaching certificate or license issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).
Resume and Cover Letter:
A resume outlining the candidate's educational background, teaching experience, and relevant skills is commonly requested. A cover letter is often included to introduce the candidate and express their interest in the position.
Transcripts:
Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, demonstrating the candidate's academic qualifications. This helps assess the candidate's educational background.
Clearances:
Pennsylvania law requires various background clearances to ensure the safety of students. This typically includes:
- Criminal Background Check
- Child Abuse History Clearance
- FBI Fingerprinting Clearance
- Act-68 Sexual abuse and misconduct history
Personal Identification:
Proof of identity, typically in the form of a driver's license or other government-issued identification.
W-4 Form (Employee's Withholding Certificate):
The W-4 form is a federal tax document that helps determine the amount of federal income tax to withhold from the employee's paychecks. It provides information about the employee's tax filing status, exemptions, and additional withholding preferences.
Direct Deposit Authorization:
Information to process their paycheck.
I-9 Form (Employment Eligibility Verification):
The I-9 form is a federal document used to verify the identity and employment eligibility of new hires. Candidates must provide appropriate identification documents, such as a passport or driver's license, to complete this form.
Local Tax Forms:
Depending on the school district and local tax regulations, candidates may be required to complete local tax forms specific to the district in which they will be employed. These forms may be necessary for local income tax withholding.
Benefits Enrollment Information:
Candidates may receive information about the school's employee benefits program, including health insurance, retirement plans, and other benefits. This information typically includes enrollment forms and details about benefit options.
Now multiply each of those requests for about 75 new hires per year and tracking the onboarding documents starts to feel like a full time job.
The Solution: Boilerplate School Hiring Software for Hybrid Onboarding
The School District found the solution to their hiring challenges in Boilerplate School Hiring Software. Boilerplate is a comprehensive and user-friendly software that provides secure and organized portals for both new hires and administrative users. It offers itemized portals to handle document requests from the new hire, making the onboarding process smooth and efficient. Here are the key Boilerplate features and functionalities that addressed the school district's challenges, including hybrid onboarding:
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Secure New Hire Portal:
Boilerplate provides each new hire with a secure portal that includes itemized file requests, PDFs to fill and sign, and links to obtain clearances. This ensured that sensitive data and documents were stored securely.
Customized Document Requests:
For administrative users of Boilerplate, the system allows them to enter a new hire's email, select a checklist based on the role and location, personalize documents, and then assign them for completion. This streamlined the document collection process, eliminating the need for manual customization.
Submission Tracking:
Boilerplate tracks document submissions in real-time, providing administrative users with a clear overview of the progress of each new hire's paperwork. This transparency improved accountability and allowed the team to stay on top of the process.
Automated Reminders:
The software sends automated reminders to new hires, ensuring that they complete their paperwork promptly. This reduced the risk of delays and missing documents.
Credential Expiry Tracking:
Optionally, Boilerplate can also track the expiration dates of credentials, helping the school district proactively manage compliance and avoid issues related to expired credentials.
Hybrid Onboarding Support:
Boilerplate's flexibility allows new hires to submit many documents before their first day, while the hiring coordinator can still add documents received in person. This feature streamlined the onboarding process, accommodating both remote and in-person document collection.
The Implementation Process
The implementation of Boilerplate School Hiring Software at the Suburban Philadelphia School District was a strategic and well-planned process. Here's an overview of the steps involved:
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(1) Needs Assessment
The administrative team at the school district worked closely with Boilerplate's implementation team to assess their specific needs and requirements. This included understanding the various roles within the district, the documents required for each role, and the customization needed.
(2) System Configuration
The District's Boilerplate portals was configured to align with their specific hiring document needs, including the hybrid onboarding requirements. Checklists were created based on different roles and locations, and documents were added like pre-fillable offer letters for each position type.
(3) Training
Administrative staff and new hires were provided with live training on how to use the Boilerplate software. This ensured a smooth transition to the new system and minimized any potential resistance to change. Within 15 minutes, new users were capable of sending their first onboarding checklistst to new hires.
(4) Testing and Feedback
Regular check-ins with Boilerplate followed, ensuring all new users were confident in using the system and had an open line of communication for any support. Any relevant feedback was shared with the Boilerplate development team to conitually improve the user experience and maximize value from Boilerplate.
Results and Benefits
The implementation of Boilerplate School Hiring Software with support for hybrid onboarding yielded numerous benefits for the Suburban Philadelphia School District:
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New Hire Experience:
In competitive school hiring, making the onboarding process for high demand staff easy can make the difference between having the candidate actually start, or losing them to a job elsewhere.
Enhanced Efficiency:
The school district's hiring process became significantly more efficient, reducing the time required to onboard new hires and minimizing administrative workload, especially with the hybrid onboarding capability.
Improved Data Security:
Sensitive documents and personal information were securely stored in the Boilerplate portal, reducing the risk of data breaches associated with email attachments.
Streamlined Organization:
Different roles and locations were easily managed with customized checklists, making it easy to collect the required documents for each new hire, whether submitted remotely or in person.
Transparent Tracking:
The system's submission tracking provided a clear view of the progress of each new hire's paperwork, reducing the risk of missing documents, even with hybrid onboarding.
Automated Reminders:
Automated reminders for new hires ensured timely completion of paperwork and reduced delays, including for in-person submissions.
Credential Expiry Management:
The optional credential expiry tracking feature helped the school district maintain compliance and avoid issues related to expired credentials.
Conclusion
Boilerplate school hiring software, with its support for hybrid onboarding, transformed the School District’s hiring and onboarding process. By eliminating inefficiencies, enhancing data security, and streamlining document organization, the software has become an invaluable tool in the district's administrative toolkit.
The flexibility to accommodate both remote and in-person document collection has been crucial in adapting to the changing demands of the educational sector. For educational institutions facing similar challenges in hiring and onboarding processes, Boilerplate offers an effective solution that not only saves time and resources but also enhances the overall hiring experience for both administrative staff and new hires.
The School District's success story with Boilerplate serves as a testament to the power of innovative software solutions in transforming education administration, especially in the context of hybrid onboarding. Boilerplate's school hiring software portals are committed to providing efficient and secure solutions for educational institutions, enabling them to focus on their core mission of educating and supporting their students while seamlessly adapting to new HR onboarding needs.
Ready to streamline your school's employee onboarding process? Book a demo of our school employee digital onboarding software today and see how it can transform your onboarding process. A
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