If you lead an ABA clinic, school-based program, or pediatric therapy organization, you don’t need to be told that hiring is hard right now.
You’re living it.
BCBAs are stretched thin. RBT turnover is constant. Special education roles stay open longer than they should — and when you do hire, you’re holding your breath hoping it’s the right fit.
At Career Connections Recruiting, we work exclusively in ABA and special education. We talk with clinicians and operators every single day. And while the market is competitive, we see organizations succeed when they shift how they think about recruiting.
Here’s what actually makes a difference.
Ten years ago, posting a job and waiting for applicants might have worked. Today, it doesn’t.
Most experienced BCBAs, special education teachers, and clinical leaders are not actively applying. They’re working, burned out, quietly exploring better options — or completely disengaged from job boards.
That means the strongest candidates are often invisible unless you know how to reach them.
This is where many organizations get stuck:
they’re recruiting reactively in a market that now demands a proactive approach.
One of the biggest misconceptions we see is the idea that success equals volume.
More resumes.
More interviews.
More outreach.
But volume doesn’t solve misalignment.
In ABA and special education, a hire that looks great on paper can struggle quickly if the expectations, caseload, supervision model, or culture aren’t clearly defined up front.
That’s why we focus on clarity before sourcing:
Answering those questions first leads to stronger matches and better retention.
Most job descriptions are written to check boxes — not to attract the right person.
Clinicians want to know:
Clear, honest job descriptions reduce wasted interviews and build trust with candidates early. They also signal professionalism — something experienced clinicians are paying close attention to right now.
General recruiters can fill roles.
Specialized recruiters understand the work.
Knowing the difference between school-based and clinic-based ABA, understanding supervision requirements, recognizing burnout patterns, and speaking the language of clinicians matters.
Because candidates can tell when someone doesn’t get it.
At Career Connections Recruiting, our niche focus allows us to:
That’s how placements last — not just how they get filled.
The best hiring outcomes happen when recruiting is collaborative, transparent, and human.
We don’t push candidates into roles.
We don’t push organizations into hires.
We align people with environments where they can actually succeed.
That relationship-first approach is why so many of our partners come back to us again and again as they grow.
Hiring in ABA and special education isn’t just about filling seats. It’s about protecting your team, your culture, and the families you serve.
If recruiting feels harder than it should, it’s usually not because you’re doing something wrong — it’s because the old playbook doesn’t work anymore.
And that’s exactly where the right partner makes the difference.
