(Reflection of Christopher Russo, Assistant Superintendent in Portland and Reynolds and currently the Director of the American School of Asuncion, Paraguay.)
International recruitment, well recruitment in general regardless of locale, is an art. You must take into consideration the mission and vision of the organization, like the prime colors of a painting. You should note the institutional culture (or culture of the host country)--like the details of picture or drawing. And for certain temper it all with a balance of pieces like skill, resilience, organization--like the tones and shades as you bring dimension and depth to the work of art. I don't know if there truly is a magic combo, how you choose your colors, save what the conditions of the hire are, who the person is as a "person", and how that defines that match with the organization.
Of course, depending upon the position, there are also the soft and hard assets needed--language ability, knowledge of the tools of the trade, etc. What I find interesting is I keep going back to certain characteristics, those of resilience and growth mindset, as primary drivers or as my "primary colors" when I paint that picture of a quality hire. I feel that these two attributes can be telling predictors of whether we have a fit or not.
Resilience ebbs and flows through both challenge and success, and growth mindset is there to culture humility and growth.
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