Innovative Solutions: How Some Schools Are Tackling the Staffing Crisis

November 21, 2024

Statistics show that there are at least 55,000 teaching vacancies in the United States, with an estimated 270,000 positions filled by underqualified teachers. This staffing crisis has forced school districts to look for different ways to fulfill their obligation to educate students, while dealing with this growing problem. Education leaders are realizing they need to think outside the box as they try to fill vacancies with qualified educators.


How Schools are Battling the Staffing Crisis

Multi-Classroom Leaders

This approach involves having experienced teachers lead small teaching teams. They continue to teach students as well as lead lesson planning, and other tasks such as coach team teachers.


Partnering with Local Colleges and Universities

Schools are reaching out to their local colleges and universities to recruit future teachers and offer student teaching opportunities and internships. The idea is to give them the hands-on training they need so they can fill vacancies when they graduate. The goal is for them to stay in these districts rather than look elsewhere.


Reaching out to Retirees

There is a large pool of retired teachers that some districts are tapping into to fill vacancies. These are educators who are experienced and may be looking to return part-time or to fill a vacancy for a teacher who is temporarily out on leave. This allows staff members to stay in their current roles rather than cover these openings.


Job Sharing

Job sharing involves two or more educators sharing the responsibilities of one full-time teaching position. Each person works part-time to split teaching hours and classroom duties. This helps to retain experienced teachers and can be cost-effective for the district.


Flexible Scheduling

While the hours of the school day can not be adjusted, teachers can still have more control over their hours with flexible scheduling. This allows them to customize their schedules while still meeting their teaching requirements. Some ways this can be done is to rotate Fridays off, offer half-days, or try remote teaching options. This type of schedule can help to retain current teachers and attract new ones who may not be able to fully commit to a traditional teaching schedule.


Highlighting Diverse Teaching Roles

Some districts are looking to pull professionals from other fields who are transitioning to education. They are promoting diverse opportunities that may not be otherwise highlighted.


Using Online Platforms

Due to the lack of teachers, some school leaders are looking at how they can utilize online platforms to streamline how they deliver their lessons. This can provide flexibility for remote teaching. By doing this, districts can attract talent from anywhere since the teaching will be done remotely. This can help to bring in a more diverse applicant pool.


Let Summit Careers Help You Tackle the Staffing Crisis

Summit Careers understands the dilemma of staff vacancies impacting the way you run your school buildings. This is why we have a database of more than 60,000 qualified candidates who are ready to apply for your positions. We have already sifted through the applications so you don’t have to! Contact us today so we can share these candidates with you!

The Great Manufacturing Debate: Hiring for Attitude vs. Experience

April 29, 2026
Hiring managers in the manufacturing field are facing a dilemma they may never have faced before. Many are wondering, do you hire for experience or for attitude? Consider this scenario: Do you hire the veteran operator with twenty years of experience but a "this is how we’ve always done it" mindset? Or do you hire the eager newcomer who doesn’t know a CNC machine from a drill press but shows up ten minutes early with a notebook in hand? While many would have quickly answered the experience, these days the tide is turning. More companies are looking beyond what a person knows. They want to look at how they learn and act. The Experience Paradox: When Knowledge Becomes a Liability Experience is extremely valuable. People need to know how to get the job done. But experience can sometimes work against some people. Someone with decades of experience may be resistant to new software, lean manufacturing pivots, or updated safety standards. They may think that they know it all, so what more do they need to learn? This attitude can hurt both the worker and the company. If someone’s experience comes with an ego and they refuse to collaborate and learn, their net value to the company often decreases. Why Attitude is Becoming More Important In manufacturing, attitude isn't just about being friendly at the water cooler. It also includes traits such as adaptability and reliability. You can teach someone how to use a new piece of equipment. You can’t teach someone how to take initiative, care about their work, or show up on time. This is all about the attitude. When you hire for attitude, you are working to maintain the retention rate. Many people are fired for their poor teamwork, refusal to follow instructions, and attendance issues. Find the Right Balance Between Attitude & Experience If you hire only for attitude and have zero experienced leads, your production will stall. The most successful manufacturing firms strive to find the right balance. Here are some ways to do this: Rewrite the Job Description: Instead of listing “5 years of experience”, emphasize a “proven track record of reliability”. This shifts the focus from experience to include attitude as well. Look to Find Out More During the Interview: Instead of asking specific questions about machinery that has been used, ask how they learn new processes. The answer to this question will tell you more about them than whether they can operate a piece of machinery. You may also want to consider a job mentorship program where new hires shadow an experienced worker. This can help those with fewer skills, but a great attitude, get more on-the-job experience. While everyone may be able to gain experience, not everyone can always maintain the right attitude. How do companies make it work? Companies need to consider stopping hiring for what people did and start hiring for what they are capable of doing. If you need help finding the right manufacturing candidates to fill your roles, Summit Careers is here to help. We have a growing list of resumes from people who want to work for you today. Contact us today to learn more!

Manufacturing Shift Work: How Scheduling Impacts Hiring and Retention

April 20, 2026
When it comes to manufacturing work, there is much emphasis these days on the shift schedule. For plant managers and HR directors, the "standard" shift is no longer just a logistical necessity; it is a primary marketing tool for recruitment and a major way to retain employees. Let’s take a closer look at how scheduling impacts hiring and retention. The Great Debate: 8-Hour vs. 12-Hour Shifts The choice between 8-hour and 12-hour rotations is the first major decision at any facility. Both have profound impacts on who applies and who stays. The 8-Hour Traditionalist Shift Pros: Easier for workers with childcare needs or those who find 12 hours of physical labor unsustainable. It fits the traditional "three-shift" (Morning, Afternoon, Graveyard) model. Cons: Frequent handovers increase the risk of communication gaps and "passing the buck" on equipment issues. The 12-Hour Modernist Schedule Pros: Employees work roughly 182 days a year instead of 273. This "built-in" time off is a massive recruitment draw for people seeking more free time for hobbies or family. Cons: Fatigue is a real risk. By hour ten, safety incidents can spike if not managed with proper breaks and ergonomic support. Hiring in 2026: While Flexibility Matters Scheduling flexibility has jumped to a top-three priority for manufacturing applicants, trailing only wages and benefits. This has manufacturers taking a different approach. Companies are implementing shift bidding and self-scheduling. Modern workforce management (WFM) software now allows employees to: Swap shifts via mobile apps without supervisor intervention. Volunteer for overtime during peak production. Set availability to protect specific days for education or family commitments. By treating the schedule as a dynamic menu rather than something set in stone, companies are attracting a younger, more tech-savvy demographic that values autonomy. Retention: Solving the Mid-Shift Burnout Retention isn't just about the hours worked; it’s about the predictability and recovery those hours allow. High turnover often stems from the physiological and social strain of rotating schedules. Moreover, the handoff between shifts can be a silent retention killer. When a night shift feels like they are being set up for failure by the day shift, morale crumbles. 12-hour schedules mitigate this by reducing the number of handovers, fostering a "two-crew" culture of mutual accountability. The Role of "Temp-to-Hire" in Scheduling These days, many manufacturers are using temp-to-hire models as a way to test scheduling. Before a worker commits to a permanent 12-hour night rotation, a 90-day trial period lets them see whether their lifestyle truly meshes with the demands of the floor. This realistic job preview significantly reduces turnover within the first 30 days. The Bottom Line As we move further into 2026, the manufacturers that thrive will be those that view scheduling not as a math problem to be solved, but as a human-centric strategy. Whether you opt for the stability of 8-hour shifts or the lifestyle benefits of 12-hour shifts, the goal is to maintain high productivity while reducing the revolving door. If you need help finding manufacturing workers , Summit Careers is here to help. We receive resumes daily from people looking to find their next career. Reach out to us today to learn more.

The Real Cost of Unfilled Manufacturing Positions and How to Reduce It

March 31, 2026
When it comes to filling manufacturing positions, companies are feeling the pinch of vacant positions. Data shows unfilled manufacturing roles could cost the U.S. economy $1 trillion by 2030. For an individual plant, the hidden costs of a vacancy often outweigh the salary of the person who should be there. What Vacancies are Really Costing Companies Vacancies are costing companies more than you would think when you break down the dollars and cents of it all. Experienced Workers With 26% of the manufacturing workforce aged 55 or older, every unfilled role next to a veteran worker is a missed opportunity for mentorship. When those veterans retire without a successor who has shadowed them and learned the ropes, decades of expertise are lost. Overtime Costs To meet production quotas, existing staffers must pick up the slack. This can lead to massive overtime costs and employee burnout. This can be extremely dangerous. Fatigued workers are statistically more likely to make errors or suffer injuries, driving up insurance and rework costs. Operational Costs If a maintenance job goes unfilled and machines stop working, it can lead to longer downtime, costing the company money. If a line is down for four hours instead of one because you’re short a technician, the loss can exceed thousands of dollars. Competitive Disadvantage Production delays can give competitors an advantage. While you’re taking longer to complete tasks, they’re surging ahead and taking your customers. How to Close the Gap Reducing the cost of unfilled positions requires moving from reactive hiring to proactive employee retention. 1. Data-Driven Training Instead of searching for the perfect candidate, start building them in-house. Many high-performing plants are using skill matrices to identify their gaps. By training current employees to do other tasks, you can create a more resilient, cross-trained floor. 2. Invest in Labor-Augmenting Technology In 2026, automation isn't about replacing people; it's about making the people you do have more effective. AI Resources: New AI systems can now help less experienced operators by providing real-time, natural-language troubleshooting guides based on the plant’s own historical data. This can help employees get the information they need when they need it. Collaborative Robots: These handle the more mundane tasks, allowing your human talent to focus on quality control and complex assembly. 3. Structured Onboarding Program Data shows that 30% of manufacturing departures happen within the first 90 days. To reduce this at your company, implement a structured onboarding process: Day 1: Safety-first orientation. Day 30: A "stay review" to identify friction points before the worker looks elsewhere if they are unhappy. Day 90: A clear path to the next skill level or pay grade. By showing you are taking time and effort to retain employees, they will feel valuable and will not look for a quick out. Let Summit Careers Fill Your Manufacturing Roles If you’re feeling the cost of unfilled manufacturing positions, let Summit Careers help. We work with qualified individuals seeking their next career move. Reach out to us today so we can help!