We recognize and celebrate Our People: Our Strength by highlighting a specific #TeamJeffco team or department each month! Our goal is to celebrate the great work they do and showcase how they contribute to the overall success of Jeffco Public Schools.
December 2023 SPOTLIGHT: Talent Acquisition Team
What is the name of your team? What division is your team a part of?
We are the Talent Acquisition (TA) Team. Our team is part of the Human Resources/OneHR division.
How many employees are on your team?
We have nine total members on our team including:
- Director: Nancy Williams
- Managers: Rebecca Marques-Guerrero, Steve Harris, Peyton Valentine, and Brendan Kavanaugh
- Pre-Boarding Technicians: Kimberlee Bradley, Lee Tinajera, Erin Navant, and Afton Trujillo
A day in the life: What types of projects does your team do daily?
On any given day, our pre-boarding technicians are processing more than 100 new employees, current employees and guest teachers, ensuring all employment qualifications are solid before handing it off to our operations team to do the onboarding portion of the hire.
Our Talent Acquisition managers are working daily to recruit candidates to fill positions or make connections in anticipation of future openings. They attend and partner with different universities and organizations by participating in hiring events and lead our internal, district hiring events throughout the year. In addition, our managers support administrative compensation, university affiliations with MOUs, supporting candidates through alternative licensure, and providing support to our pre-boarding process by problem solving any missing pre-employment documentation or information needed for new employees in preparation of their first day of employment.
They also post positions using internal and external sites, coordinate our student teacher placement process in partnership with area universities and schools, and partner with other Jeffco stakeholders in helping our current employees with pathway opportunities towards getting their teaching license.
What is your big-term goal or project this year?
Despite the nationwide teacher shortage, challenges in teacher preparation programs, and hard-to-fill vacancies in special education, math, and science, the Talent Acquisition team remains committed and has Big Audacious Goals to ensure that all positions are filled by the first day of the 2024-25 school year.
Currently, we are supporting principals and department leaders in using data to drive our decisions to fill hard-to-fill positions and employ creative sourcing to support paraprofessionals and bus driver recruitment. We are working with Indeed and LinkedIn with intention and have found great success.
We want to support our current employees with pathway and career development opportunities while expanding our workforce. Our students deserve to have the very best teachers, support staff, and leaders that provide extraordinary learning experiences each and every day. Currently, we are working with multiple universities to provide pathway opportunities to include para to teach and alternative pathways for our licensed educators to obtain a SPED endorsement. In addition, we have revised our Student Teacher process to support our future teachers to do their clinical and practicum experiences using our fantastic Jeffco teachers as mentors.
In addition, we will also continue to support the Regional Opportunities for Thriving Schools (ROFTS) process with the dedication and commitment to help impacted employees from closing schools as they work towards securing new positions for the 2024-25 school year.
What fun team hobby/outing does your team participate in?
We love to gather for a meal and celebrate one another. Our team has a "favorites" list that one of our team members created. We use this list when celebrating birthdays, “workaversaries” and special events.
We also enjoy spending time together after work bonding over a great basket of chips and salsa.
Share something you are most proud of when it comes to your team or share a proud moment about your team that happened recently.
I am very proud of our strong partnerships with schools and departments. The attendance and support from them at our hiring events has been very positive. We want to continue to establish and nurture these relationships in service to recruiting the very best staff for our students.
ROFTS Phase 1 was a huge accomplishment during our first year as a team. We were proud to secure positions for every educator and education support staff member that was impacted by the school closures for the 2023-24 school year.
After one year as director of this team, I am excited about the direction we are headed. #OurPeople: OurStrength
What is your favorite team quote or mission?
Our mission is – In order to serve Jeffco students, Talent Acquisition is committed to recruiting and retaining equity-based educators by upholding ethical hiring practices that are rooted in integrity.