Recruitment. How early is too early?

The recruitment season in international schools seems to get earlier and earlier. But what is the impact on this for both candidates and schools? There is quite a difference between geographies with the big schools in Asia tending to do intentions very early in Term 1. This year in countries still facing difficulties bringing staff in through tight border controls, this is happening even earlier than usual. The large school groups in Asia have announced early recruitment campaigns and even earlier than usual intentions which is of course completely understandable in the current climate. Quite a few years ago when recruitment was at a peak in the GCC region, it seemed there was a competition between the big school groups of who could go earliest each year!!

But, what about candidates in the UK and other countries who typically don’t even start looking yet. It’s usually the time when Winter kicks in and the idea of sunnier climes is appealing that UK teachers start applying overseas in volume, that peaks around Christmas / New Year with good applicants sometimes still available as late as March due to the usual one term’s notice in UK schools.

So do you start early and take the candidates available then - usually teachers already working internationally - but then are you possibly missing out on great staff who just haven’t started looking... or risk holding out which is a risky strategy in this uncertain world....?

Applications for international leadership roles are down this year - probably due to leaders already working in good schools staying put while there is still so much uncertainty around moving internationally. And Covid-19 factors may push the UK window later than usual with people taking a ‘watch and wait’ approach.

If you are a Principal who is losing a key senior leader this year, this can be a nervous time. And no one wants to be in the position of taking someone who isn’t first choice, or worse regretting not offering someone earlier because you decide to wait and then they have been snapped up elsewhere!

If you need support or advice with recruitment strategy this year, please contact ISCHR on info@ischr.com.

But it’s only September…

As an HR specialist in schools its only natural at this time of year to want to take a deep breath and focus on cleaning up some processes and paperwork.

Over the last 4 months, while taking some holiday, you have probably been involved with hiring staff, managing their onboarding process, arrival, induction and also the exit of staff who left at the end of the previous year. All of this is lengthy, complicated and stressful. Many HR specialists will also have to either directly, or indirectly, manage some element of staff housing which adds an extra degree of difficulty and stress.

So it is perfectly natural (reasonable) to want to coast for a few weeks and deal with the day to day activities. Its easier than looking into the future and realizing what comes next.

However, by looking forward now, you will put yourself and your school in a better place in preparation for the future. Now is the time to be looking at the following:

·        New employee feedback (formal or informal)

·        Salaries and benefits for Education staff

·        Preparation for the recruitment cycle

·        Supporting new staff to settle in

·        Performance management

That’s a daunting list at the best of times, let alone when you have just come off the busiest and most stressful time of year.

But don’t be daunted. The more involved you are with these processes now, the more prepared you’ll be when they need to be delivered. Set aside some time every day to close the door and focus on these areas and take each process and split them into smaller tasks.

For example, preparing for the recruitment cycle including the following:

·        Reviewing the standard text, you use in all adverts. Does this need an update?

·        The advert itself. Can you make this easier by using standard text and then getting school leaders to tweak as necessary nearer the time?

·        Do you need to review the attraction strategy based on your level of success last year?

·        Is there any change in the process itself?

By breaking these tasks up into smaller, more manageable tasks, they will be less daunting, and you will be more prepared when the time comes.

Make sure you recover from the stress of the last 4 months but keep looking at the future and making sure you are prepared for what comes next.

If you or your school need support with any aspects of HR, including planning for the future, why not join ISCHR and engage with other school HR professionals and get their support/guidance along the way.

www.ISCHR.com

ISCHR welcomes everyone back to a new school year ... and what will this one have in store?

Depending where they are in the world, schools are starting this year yet again facing a range of challenges. Some schools in SE Asia are back to online learning, schools in the Far East are still struggling to get all their new staff in to country in the face of extremely tight border controls and schools everywhere are hoping for a smoother, easier year ahead.

So what should schools be doing at this time of year to set themselves up for the best possible year ahead? Schools will have recently welcomed their new staff, and moving abroad, which is stressful at the best of times, is even more so when compounded with all the complexities of Covid-19. Some staff moving abroad won’t know when they will see their families again, some are having to leave partners and children at home, some have faced arduous journeys to get to their destination country - there was a story of a teacher who had done quarantine in 3 separate countries before making it her new school!

So teachers are showing great resilience in the face of all these challenges. And when they arrive in their new country that warm welcome is more important than ever. An excellent, well thought out and supportive induction programme - that balances personal as well as work and school needs - is absolutely key. Often it’s the small, personal touches that teachers remember the most - flowers in their apartment to welcome them to their new home, toys for their children after a long journey, a colleague popping round to see them the day after they arrive. Making time for all those important ‘life’ things, not just a carousel of talks and training in school is essential. Some schools have been forced to, or have taken the decision to, move a lot of their induction online. But how do you replicate those all important personal touches?

And how many schools really ask their new staff for feedback - What could we have done better? What do you wish you had known? What were your first impressions of the school? What surprised you? And even if they ask, how many really pay attention and use the feedback for genuine action planning to continually improve support to new staff the following year.

As teachers potentially facing another challenging year, knowing they work for a school that through their induction has demonstrated real warmth, compassion, care and kindness will make all the difference.

If you need support with any aspect of staff induction including plans or effective feedback surveys, reach out to ISCHR on info@ischr.com

How HR’s most pivotal functions play an integral role within schools to foster community during COVID-19.

Schools and teachers have demonstrated the significance of community since the beginning of the global pandemic.

School leaders and teachers have had to think quickly on their feet while confronting a number of challenges unique to the education industry; everything from student equity and access to technology to technical support and virtual schooling logistics.        

Instead of working independently to solve each problem, the education community worked collaboratively, sharing insights and resources, to achieve more, solve faster, and make sure no one got left behind.

Building a global HR community that is people-focused is the foundation of ISCHR. HR functions made all the difference when it came to both the practical aspects of organizing and coordinating the sharing of resources, as well as supporting the “people” considerations, such as teachers’ mental health and wellness, finding support and dissemination of invaluable information.

Such people-centred solutions are one of ISCHR’s most pivotal functions, especially in times of crisis.

Many schools see their HR function as mostly administrative. However, not only do schools require HR to prepare contracts, arrange visas, and create documents for new employees, but HR is also a valuable strategic partner, bringing innovative approaches to attracting and developing talent.

With more than 18 years of experience in international education and recruitment, ed-tech company, Teach Away, is a part of ISCHR’s global community and remains focused on their vision of creating a world where every student experiences the power of a great teacher. They support this vision by offering schools effective recruitment solutions as well as teacher training opportunities. One relevant and timely opportunity: in partnership with Johns Hopkins University, Teach Away offers practical and invaluable teacher support through courses such as Learning During a Pandemic: Managing Mental Health for Students and Personnel.

Teach Away has supported both ISCHR co-founders over the years in their HR roles with recruitment at many top international schools worldwide, including GEMS Education, Taaleem and Wellington College. 

“We’ve stayed true to our mission to attract and develop talented professionals who want to make a difference in the future of education,” says Dave Frey, CEO at Teach Away. “By uniting a community of teachers with HR professionals and school leaders, we become part of a reliable network that can share insights and resources.”

In a recent article, Teach Away shared their insights on how ISCHR’s community forum is a game changer for schools and the teaching community. Read their blog on how ISCHR’s forum can benefit international teachers and school professionals now and in the years to come.

Learn more about our membership plans and sign up today.

ISCHR Connections

Newsletter 1 - click here to read our regular newsletter.

Employee Engagement in schools

Over the last 12 months the whole world, and everyone in it, has been turned upside down due to the Coronavirus pandemic. No doubt you, the reader, has been impacted in a greater or lesser way and have spent hours reading, listening or watching journalists, politicians, friends and family members discuss and pontificate about the impact on ‘you’.

12 months ago, to the day, I started my 14-day isolation in a Calgary basement following a shortened trip to Dubai, via London. Little did I know then, the impact that would be felt by me, the schools that I work with and many school contacts around the world.

The impact of Covid on schools has been immense, from enforced shutdowns, the delivery of online education and the impact on the connection between the school, its employees and the students.

But here we are, now facing a return to what is being referred to by many as the ‘new normal’ and I keep asking myself, what will be the impact on employees in schools and more specifically the school HR professionals that support them.

So, what role does HR play in a school returning to the ‘new normal’?

HR is all about people.

School HR professionals should play a pivotal role in supporting employees to return to school and the routines that they previously enjoyed. For some this will be a welcome relief but for others, this transition may be more difficult, especially in a more isolated international school setting.

An effective Employee Engagement strategy is essential, but this HR phrase, while used frequently is often misunderstood.

I would argue that Employee Engagement has never been more important in international schools than it is today.

So how should a school HR professional think about employee engagement and what should they be doing right now?

Firstly, they should be reviewing what they previously did or was related to Employee Engagement and ask some tough questions about the value of what was being done and its impact. Getting employee feedback from a survey can give you information, but with comes expectations. Without impact, often Employee Engagement can miss the mark with employees.

Secondly, and most importantly, school HR professionals need to find out what employees need. Do employees need the opportunity to talk to someone? Do they need solutions to specific problems? With the ‘new normal’ comes change in pressure and responsibility so how do schools best prepare, manage and support their people? In answering these and similar questions, school HR can develop a focused Employee Engagement strategy that meets employee’s needs.

And lastly, school HR and school leadership need to deliver the strategy, or parts of it, effectively. Employees are expected to accept, change and meet the demands of the ‘new normal’ but equally the school leadership and school HR need to deliver systems and support that meets their employee’s needs.

All the above seems obvious and straightforward but ask yourself this. If Covid had not happened, and you did not need to think more deeply about your employees, would your school have gone through this process anyway? Possibly, but probably not. Effective employee engagement is a key retention strategy for schools, or any business, but it is too often overlooked.

For support with Employee Engagement strategy, join ISCHR (www.ischr.com). Register on the website or follow on Linkedin for more information.

How can School HR Professionals add value?

As we have said before, historically, and even now, many schools see their HR function as mostly administrative. They are asked to prepare contracts, collate documents for new employees and arrange visas.

I am often staggered by this traditional approach that in no way recognises the value HR can bring. In this respect schools are falling far behind companies in other sectors where HR is playing a key role now as a strategic business partner, bringing innovative approaches to attracting and developing talent.

So, what value can HR really bring to a school?

If you consider the main areas of the employee lifecycle, HR can add value at all points.

For example, recruiting new employees is often a time-consuming process involving many people within a school.

However, a skilled HR professional will be able to:

·        write and place a compelling advert and know where to advertise to attract the best talent locally and globally

·        proactively target candidates in the market through Linked In and other social media platforms

·        shortlist the best high-quality applications to save Senior Leaders significant time

·        conduct initial telephone interviews to assess motivations, values and ‘fit’ for the school

·        oversee an annual recruitment strategy including fairs, recruitment events, open days and online activity

·        build relationships with candidates from the initial application stage all the way through to when they get off the plane to start their new job.

By doing this, HR will dramatically cut the amount of time and effort needed to appoint people, and by creating relationships with the candidate through the process, greatly increase your chances of successfully hiring the right people. The cost and time savings are significant.

When it comes to a new employee starting at an International School, the value of HR in the onboarding and induction process cannot be understated.

This process is often left to teaching colleagues or others in a school, but when delivered by an HR professional, the impact is significant. HR can ensure regular contact and manage any logistical questions employees might have. They can oversee the paperwork needed and liaise with others in the school to ensure and processes are completed successfully. They can then make sure employees feel valued as they arrive in-country and at the school preparing the new employees for their first day and onwards.

The success of onboarding and inducting new employees increases the level of performance on day 1 and significantly lowers the chance that an employee is disappointed when they start.

These are 2 examples, but HR can play a significant role in developing staff, managing performance and impacting retention.

Visit www.ischr.com or follow ISCHR on Linked In to see how membership can support developing and promoting the value of HR in your school.

Performance Management - its not just for teachers

When we think about performance management in schools it is natural to think about teachers, with regular lesson observations, ongoing feedback and formal annual appraisals. Because teachers in international schools are on fixed term contracts there is a natural cycle for speaking to teachers about their intentions and career plans. 

But how much do schools think about their non-academic teams when it comes to performance management? In many international schools, it’s the non-academic teams that form the backbone of the school. They are often the long serving employees as expat teachers regularly come and go. 

How many schools really take time to understand these employees, what their career aspirations and goals are, what motivates and inspires them, what their passion is? In my career I’ve often seen schools surprised when these employees suddenly resign, often to use skills that the school didn’t know they had.

I remember a school I worked with a few years ago who were very upset when one of their longest serving and best performing admin staff resigned. It turned out she was taking a backwards step into an entry level Marketing role. No one at the school had any idea she had long wanted to move into Marketing. The Head told me they could have offered her a marketing role in school if they’d known, but of course by then it was too late. 

So how can HR help? Firstly, it’s important to develop a robust appraisal system that can be used for all employees across the school. But this is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Ideally you will have different types of appraisal systems for different staff. Some might be individual KPI based but for some staff this might be daunting at first and it can be better to start with a simplified system based around skills and competencies to do their job. As staff get used to an annual performance management process you can progress to setting stretching individual targets to develop them. 

The most valuable part of any performance management process is the conversation. This is where the line manager spends one on one time with their staff, and dedicates quality time to understanding how they feel about their job, what their career aspirations and training needs are. HR plays a key role here in establishing a quality process and making sure it actually happens. HR can coach and advise line managers on handling annual performance conversations and can prepare staff to see the conversation as positive not something to be nervous about and encouraging them to be open and honest with their line manager. 

It is also important to mention the less positive side of performance management which is of course dealing with underperformance. In my experience, often with administration staff, by the time these issues are addressed it’s already gone on for far too long - and because no formal performance conversations have been had it can then become very difficult to manage, as the school has no evidence or grounds to back up disciplinary action. This can result in messy situations and at worst long drawn out and costly court cases. 

Well established HR processes can mitigate a lot of risk whilst also embedding and driving systems that support employee performance management and development.  All of this is a key part of a school’s staff retention strategy.

As a member of ISCHR you’ll have access to a range of tools and templates to support best practice performance management for all staff in your school.

Go to www.ischr.com and sign up for our newsletter and to find out more.

School HR Professionals add value to the recruitment process

International Schools face a challenging task each year in recruiting new teachers.

The recruitment process itself includes various people and processes and many intangibles. Invariably School HR will be involved but how can schools best make use of this resource to add value to the process.

Often, the extent of School HR’s involvement might be to share CVs, collate names, arrange interviews and send out/chase contracts and other documents.

School HR should really play a pivotal role in the recruitment process and can spend time adding immense value, if given the opportunity.

Here’s how:

·        Give School HR the responsibility to assess CVs. This includes research on teachers’ backgrounds and experience and their ‘fit’ for the role.

·        School HR can make the initial call to a prospective candidate and assess their suitability to be considered, their knowledge about moving overseas and get a basic understanding of teaching background and expectations.

·        After formal interviews, School HR can contact candidates to receive feedback about the interview and their level of interest in a role at the school. At this point School HR can also answer any key questions that the candidate may have forgotten or not wanted to ask in the formal interview.

·        If an offer is made, School HR can either deliver the message or make a follow-up call to go through contracts, documentation or any other processes that will reassure a candidate that they should accept the role.

By allowing your School HR to oversee and be involved in the process they often build initial relationships with candidates that allow them to play a pivotal role in supporting the process at all points. The main advantages are:

·        That school leadership do not need to spend as much time going through CVs. When a shortlist of CVs is presented, they know these candidates have an appropriate background, qualifications and experience and that they have already passed an initial informal interview.

·        The candidates feel that they are being ‘looked after’ right from the beginning of the process. The process is more personal and makes candidates feel valued.

·        School HR can speak to candidates honestly and answer questions that might help candidates make decisions. School HR can spend more time going through details with candidates and explaining where they might live, the cost of living and other important details that aren’t covered during the interview. The importance of this should not be underestimated especially during Covid when applications to teach internationally are down and people feel understandably nervous about making a big move to a different country.

·        By playing an important role in the recruitment process it makes School HR even more impactful during onboarding and induction.

School HR professionals can add a lot of value. They should be involved in recruitment discussions and understand specifically what schools are looking for.

They can then celebrate the schools’ success in hiring top quality ‘new’ teachers and every year they will add even more value to the process. You are also much more likely to retain your HR staff if they feel they are not just performing an admin function but actually playing a key role in the school’s strategy and success.

The Annual Teacher Recruitment Race

Having been involved with teacher recruitment for more than 20 years, there isn’t much that I haven’t experienced. I have directly recruited with schools, recruited for schools and watched my wife, a teacher, go through the process on several occasions.

What surprises me every year is the difference in approaches that schools take ranging from timeline, approach and the actual interview process itself.

Some schools start their recruitment strategy in October of the previous year whereas other schools seem to be surprised in March that they aren’t fully staffed for the following September.

So, what are some of the key actions that result in an effective recruitment process:

1.      Start planning early. It may seem strange to have just welcomed your new teachers and returning staff to the new school year, but 4-6 weeks later you should be already planning for the next academic year and the new intake. The process starts with a review of salary and benefits and any proposed changes, followed by the contract renewal process and advertising. By starting to plan well in advance this can highlight potential budgetary challenges that can then be addressed before the recruitment process starts.

2.      Find out who is leaving or could be leaving before the end of the first term. Most international schools have some process of asking staff for an indication of their plans for the following year. Are people planning to stay, planning to move on or not sure. This gives a school an estimate of the number of new staff they will be looking for. Anyone who states they are ‘’not sure’’ should understand their role will be advertised along with the confirmed vacancies.

3.      The recruitment process – attracting candidates is important but almost more important is what you do with them. The best recruitment processes happen quickly and are personal. Slow processes with many steps and mostly online interactions initially are not as effective. Schools who ‘pick up the phone’ and create a connection will always be more favourable to candidates. Building that relationship in the early stages is far more likely to result in a successful appointment.

4.      The offer process is one that is often considered a formality. Offer the salary and explain the benefits and then send offer an offer letter/contract. Assuming this process is straightforward often leads to a less than perfect acceptance record. Candidates need the salary and package to be explained carefully to avoid surprises later and if there are complicated aspects (housing allowances and utilities etc…) extra time taken to explain can make all the difference. Its not the package, it’s the care you take and how this makes the candidate feel that’s important. Remember its highly likely you ae not the only school the candidate has an offer from. If appropriately knowledgeable and experienced, your school HR can play a key role here, and relieve a lot of pressure on senior leaders.

The recruitment process is often taken for granted but as this piece published recently by Richard Gaskell from IES suggests (https://ies.network/ies-blog/market-intelligence/), this year it is even more critical than usual.

For support in developing a more effective recruitment process email us at info@ischr.com.

ISCHR Journey

---

Welcome to the ISCHR blog

For our first post I thought people would be interested to know about the origin of ISCHR, where the idea came from and how it all started.

From 2011 to 2016, Rowan and I worked together at GEMS, in Dubai. Rowan started by supporting the Education Solutions team with all things HR and I was overseeing all school HR and recruitment in the schools. Through the 5 years we worked together we saw most things in school HR, in most areas of the world.

Rowan then left GEMS and moved to Taaleem Education, still based in Dubai.

At this point there was a small number of us who would meet up for lunch, one Thursday every 2 months, to catch up. We mainly talked about our lives and what was happening but invariably we would end up talking about HR challenges in the various schools and school groups that we worked for. We would discuss the good, the bad and the new as it happened and supported each other with ideas and solutions.

Soon we called these lunches our quarterly HR conference. It was the excuse we gave ourselves when lunches might over run. We were learning about different challenges, different schools and finding solutions to shared problems.

Fast forward to today and Rowan and I have been discussing starting ISCHR. Rowan is now based in China and has been at the forefront of the COVID 19 challenges faced initially in China. From this many people have contacted her for guidance and advice. I am now based in Calgary, Canada and support various schools/school groups with HR solutions and strategy.

The need to create an International School Human Resources Association is about creating a community who, like our regular lunches, can share the problems of the day/week/month, get advice and implement solutions.

As our membership grows our medium and long-term aim is to employ a range of HR professionals with (and possibly without) school experience to build the bespoke support that schools need. The range of services and support will grow, become more comprehensive, and when the opportunity arises, localized. The aim is for ISCHR to provide a focal point for school HR professionals to learn the basics, to meet others who work in the same environments and then to become experts and add exceptional value to all people who work in schools.

So as we start ISCHR, we look forward to supporting and talking directly to members, and possibly, in the future, there might be the opportunity to meet people at a formal conference, and have lunch with lots of likeminded, school HR professionals.

---