Optimizing Recruitment: Engaging Prospects and Incentivizing Recruiters at Teach for America

Abstract

Teach for America (TFA) aims to combat educational inequity by placing high caliber leaders in underserved classrooms, thereby closing the achievement gap present in K-12 schools. This important work is spearheaded by a skilled Recruitment Team that has generated leads and nurtured prospects through an expertly designed recruitment pipeline. Recently, leaders within the Recruitment Team sought to gain a deeper understanding of the low “engaged prospect-to-app start” rate at TFA. This capstone investigation utilized a mixed-methods approach, integrating data from multiple sources for comprehensive analysis. Results of this investigation revealed key issues contributing to low app start rates, including external campus factors and internal organizational systems. The “Optimized Recruitment Framework” was developed through this work and served as a guideline for developing strategic recommendations for the TFA Recruitment Team.