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.

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