How to Attract Top Tutors to Your Platform?

The employment landscape has undergone significant transformations. The freedom and flexibility to work from anywhere and the nurturing of talent define online tutors’ new normal. 

With the influx of tutoring platforms, tutors have many opportunities to explore. If you are starting a tutoring business, it’s essential to attract and nurture invaluable talent.

First off, you need to understand what tutors are looking for. In this blog, we explore the best ways to attract top tutors to your platform and an effective recruitment process. Lastly, we end with the best platforms for discovering the right talent.

So, let’s get started!

Understanding the Value Proposition of Tutors 

The global online tutoring industry size is $10.42 billion in 2024 and expected to grow at 14.5% CAGR between 2025 to 2030. The shift from traditional educational needs, personalized learning needs, demand for specific skill-development, and growth in technology are the significant drivers. 

The massive demand in the tutoring industry has led to several tutoring platforms. If you desire long-term business success, hiring the top talent is non-negotiable. 

What exactly are tutors looking for? 

Delve deeper into their needs.

Here are key business value proposition strategies to attract top tutors:

• Competitive Compensation
• Flexibility
• Diverse Monetization Streams
• Upskilling & Platform Resources
• Strong Online Presence
• Community Building
• Analytics & Tools

How to Attract Top Tutors to Your Platform

You might have zeroed in on an effective business model and best technology to set up your tutoring business. But, your platform won’t sustain long, without the best tutors.

Effective strategies to attract & retain best tutors include:

1. Competitive Compensation

Of course, an equitable pay is a major deciding factor for choosing a specific tutoring platform. Most tutoring platforms adopt a commission model with a fixed sales cut on tutoring earnings. 

Offer an equitable compensation percentage that balances your platform profits with worth tutor pay. Popular tutoring platforms charge between 18% to 33% commission.

Here, factors to consider are subject, total hours completed on the platform, and platform type.

Along with the right pay, provide flexibility and other benefits to retain the top talent. Tutors are increasingly looking for freedom to decide tutoring hours. Offer easy rescheduling and cancelation policies in your tutoring platform.

2. Tutor-Friendly Platform Features

Tutors typically prefer an intuitive, user-friendly and feature-rich platform. While choosing a solution to build your tutoring website, ensure a minimal learning curve. 

Not all tutors are great with technology. Include features that automate workflows and minimize the workload of tutors. 

User-friendly platform features to include are:

• Automated booking system and calendar availability
• Comprehensive tutor dashboard – upcoming appointments, earnings, creating group classes, etc.
• Host live tutoring video lessons with whiteboards, screen sharing, etc.
• Performance monitoring & analytics (360-degree business view)
• Communication tools like messages, emails, and discussion forums.
• Initiate & track payout requests & check their status.

Pinlearn is a self-hosted marketplace script that is power-packed with all the above features. From diverse monetization streams, third-party marketing integrations, live classes and self-paced courses, it’s a goldmine to build a talent pool.

3. Right Marketing Strategies to Attract Pool of Talent

Whether you want to hire new talent or retain existing tutors, craft a strong marketing plan.

Focus on building a strong brand presence. Establish a clear mission and vision that captures your platform’s core values.

• Build a Solid Presence with a Website

Create a user-friendly website with essential details on your tutoring services, prices, contact information, testimonials, etc.

• Promote on Social Media

Your marketing is incomplete without a powerful social media campaign. Highlight the benefits and platform features on your social media platform. For example, you could create a resounding Facebook community share tutoring tips and engaging content on the platform. 

Instagram and TikTok are great for sharing visually-appealing stories, or short video content about your platform. Besides, LinkedIn and Twitter are excellent for sharing relevant trends and opportunities.

• Showcase Company Culture

Showcase a positive culture by demonstrating a healthy environment for business growth. Foster an inclusive culture and celebrate milestones in the tutor’s journey. Highlight success stories on social media, blog posts or emails.

• Paid Advertising

Invest in paid ad campaigns with Google Ads and social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to reach a broad audience. Track the performance of your ads to see which keywords are paying off. Accordingly, you can adjust your ad campaigns.

• Content Marketing

Create blogs and articles on trending topics, teaching methods, success stories, etc. Use tools like Semrush, Google Keywords, and Ahrefs to find high-volume keywords people are searching online. Targeting topics people are searching for helps them rank better on Google searches.

4. Diversify Revenue Streams

While commissions are the primary revenue source for tutoring platforms, relying on a single source is risky. Why not include multiple sources for revenue stability? 

Diversify your platform revenue with the following:

• Group tutoring sessions- Tutor small learning groups and earn more for the same time and effort.
• Subscription & Memberships– Platforms like Preply and Varsity Tutors offer monthly subscription plans with unlimited live classes, assessments & progress tracking.
• Affiliate Marketing – Earn from affiliate programs for educational tools or software like Grammarly, Udemy, and Coursera.
• Advertising – Use Google AdSense to earn from ads relevant to your audience. You can also earn money from affiliate marketing (for software) and direct sponsorships.
• Online courses – While tutors can create and sell structured courses, platforms can monetize from commissions.
• Exam preparation and learning materials – If your platform tutors for popular exams like SAT, ACT, GRE, sell preparation materials for students.
• Partnerships and collaborations – Partner with popular universities & accredited institutions and offer degrees, certifications, and master track programs. E.g., Coursera partners with popular universities and companies to offer several job-relevant and skill-based learning.

Diversification adds to your platform revenue but also meets diverse learning needs. 

💡 In pursuit of your next million-dollar business idea? We have curated a few profitable niche tutoring ideas to get you started.

5. Create Referral Programs & Offer Attractive Incentives

You don’t need to look further; your existing customers are your greatest cheerleaders.

They know your platform inside and out — from features, compensation benefits, and user experience. 

So, why not leverage your network to find potential clients? 

Include attractive referral incentives like:

• Fixed monetary rewards & cashback
• Free lessons on successful referrals
• Tiered referral programs ( 3 referrals= 3 free lessons + premium resource offer; 1 referral= 1 free lesson) 
• Amazon gifts and vouchers
• Family discount programs
• Seasonal & festive referral bonuses 

How to implement?: 

There are several ways to implement your referrals. 

You can include your referrals in the email signature or within the email content. For instance, A “tag a friend” campaign on social media with exclusive offers and discounts. Lastly, you can mention the referral program on your tutoring website.

For example, Preply’s referral program allows existing students to book a lesson and get a 70% off for new learners. Further, if they subscribe, avail a $50 on their first subscription lesson.

6. Community Building Support

Tutoring is a rewarding pursuit, but it sure is a challenging endeavour. Whether it’s designing your curriculum or finding new engagement tactics, it’s all about trial and error.

Having an effective support system can make the road less bumpy. For example, online forums or groups offer digital spaces to ask questions, address concerns, and share your experiences. Add peer-to-peer mentorship programs, virtual chats, and mentorship programs in community support.

Such forums also create essential feedback systems to improve your teaching craft. Tutoring platforms can also create collaborative spaces for both tutors and students. Students can build their skills through exercises, tests, assessments, and challenges.

7. Professional Development & Ongoing Support

Your tutors are the cornerstone of your tutoring platform. With evolving trends and curricula, you need to equip your tutors with essential skills and knowledge. 

This helps to streamline their efforts in the right direction. 

While tutors can build their skills, learners can maximize the knowledge gained from the platform. 

Tutoring platforms can offer professional development for:

• Techniques on pedagogy  & personalization to different learning styles
• Time-management strategies and tips
• Student engagement tips & techniques
• Workshops on teaching tools and software (Zoom, whiteboards, recording videos)
• Micro-certifications & workshops on areas of expertise or specific topics
• Student assessment, key evaluation metrics, progress tracking

How to Create a Streamlined Recruitment Process?

Want to hire the best in business? From understanding the target market to offering ongoing onboarding support, everything matters!

First and foremost, you need to tap into the popular trends & opportunities in the market. Grasping the demand and competition to choose what’s right for your tutoring business.

Consider these key points for streamlined tutor recruitment:

1. Create Job Description & Advertising

Attracting top tutors with a different skill set or inappropriate experience is the last thing you want. A clear & precise job description cuts to chase and attracts the right talent. Specify the essential qualifications, experience and certifications required for the role.

Also, mention the characteristics or qualities like communication skills, time management, and adaptability you desire.

Be specific and narrow down the experience.  Mention the particular curriculum, age group, subject or skills you’re looking for.

For instance, if you’re looking for a special needs tutor for reading, writing for K-12 students. Include a degree in health science, psychology or occupational therapy in the expected qualifications. Plus, the candidate needs to have experience worked in a similar setting (like special needs school).

We have listed the best places to advertise in the next section.

2. Screening Applications

The next step is reviewing applications and to find the best fit. This is quite tedious, especially if you receive a whole lot of applications. Prioritize candidates aligning with your expected qualifications, experience, and skills. 

3. Conducting  Interview Process

Typically, one or two interview rounds are enough to screen candidates based on your role complexity. You could invite them for basic assessments first. 

Once they clear the test, invite them for demo lessons or practical scenario-based questions. Test their teaching abilities, communication skills and work ethics here.  

4. Verification & Background Checks

The last step is essential identification checks, such as verifying education credentials and even criminal background checks. Also, reach out to references to confirm their past experiences and get more insights into their work ethics.

5. Effective Onboarding

Onboarding tutors involves clarifying the platform terms and policies, payment terms, expectations, and rules. Include a quick demo walkthrough to know how the platform works. Welcome them onboard with a warm and friendly email. 

You could include the platform’s mission and vision and walkthrough demo in the email.

Best Platforms to Hire Top Talent

First off, spread the word out within your personal network — circle of family & friends. Inform them that you’re looking for key resources.

Job Boards & Online Tutor Directories

Advertise the job posting on popular job boards like Linked Jobs, Indeed, Ziprecruiter, and Glassdoor. Online tutor directories & marketplaces like Wyzant, Preply, Tutor.me, Varsity Tutors have an active database of expert tutors. Find subject experts and reach out to them personally.

Cold Outreach on Social Media

This is an indispensable hiring strategy that works if you’re starting from scratch. 

• Popular tutoring Facebook groups – “Tutors for Hire” & “Online Tutors US/UK.”
• Reddit communities – r/forhire, r/tutor,  r/freelance, r/OnlineTutor
• LinkedIn Professional Groups –  Tutors Inc, ESL Teachers,  UK & International Teacher and Training Jobs

University Job Boards & Career Centers

University job boards primarily target recent graduates, alumni and staff. Listing on such boards helps to attract fresh talent and expertise in the specific area.

• Popular university listings include Harvard, Stanford, and MIT.
• Talent recruiting platforms like Simplicity, Handshake, etc. 
• Teaching associations like National Education Association(NEA), National Teaching Association (NTA)and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

Freelancing Platforms like Fiverr and Upwork

Professional freelancing platforms like Upwork and Fiverr provide access to extensive talent across the globe. You can create job listings based on required skills and pricing.

Conclusion

Attracting and nurturing the right tutors is crucial for your tutoring platform’s success. The basic goal is to reassure that your platform is an amazing stage for their career and financial growth. 

Showcase the best platform experience, monetary benefits, and community support. Make their onboarding experience smooth and hassle-free. So, what does your platform’s retention strategy look like? Do you stick by the rule book or stride through outliers? Leave a comment below!

FAQ-Related to Attract Top Tutors to Your Platform

1. What are the effective strategies to attract top tutors to your platform?

Effective strategies to attract & retain tutors include:

• Providing competitive compensation
• Tutor-centric platform features
• Employing the right marketing strategies to build an online presence
• Diversifying revenue streams to drive income potential
• Creating an attractive referral program
• Community-Building & Support Group
• Professional Development & Ongoing Support

2. What are marketing strategies to hire the right tutors for your platform?

Consider these marketing strategies to solidify your brand presence:

• Create a compelling tutoring website listing your service offerings, pricing, testimonials, etc
• Use social media to share testimonials, platform benefits, or amazing tutoring tips 
• Include paid Google and social media campaigns to broaden your reach  
• Create blogs and articles targeting high-volume keywords and trends
• Showcase a positive culture by highlighting success stories and fostering an inclusive culture.

3. What are the criteria for selecting the right tutors?

Every online tutoring platform has different criteria for its recruitment process. Common eligibility criteria for the tutor selection process include:

• Expertise and qualifications
• Experience with targeted age groups, subject areas, or similar environment
• Certifications like NTA, CRLA, and language certifications like TESL, TESOL, TEFL
• Teaching methodology
• Communication & other soft skills

4. Which user-friendly platform features attract the top talent?

First off, we aim to design an intuitive, user-friendly, feature-rich platform.

Essential features tutors look for in tutoring software include:

• Appointment scheduling
• Calendar management
• Adaptive learning and assessments
• Communication tools like messaging, email, discussion boards
• Community & ongoing support for tutors
• Security & authentication features