Employee retention has always been an important factor in schools. But given the current teacher shortage in the UK, it’s become more crucial than ever for schools to find ways to inspire loyalty and retention among staff.
A Gallup study cited by the Education Executive revealed that millennials are three times more likely to leave a job in pursuit of a new opportunity, most often due to lack of engagement with their role or career stagnation. Chances are, millennials make up a good deal of your current workforce and are the type of candidates you are trying to target.
So, how can you foster loyalty and retention among your school staff? Here are some ideas:
Talk progression
We all have aspirations and all want to feel like we’re going somewhere. A teacher may start considering other opportunities if they feel they have reached all of their goals at your school, or if there’s no clear route for them to develop professionally.
The best thing to do is to hold regular, one-to-one meetings with your staff. Talk about where they are now, where they’d like to be and what skills they’d like to learn or develop. Then it’s down to you to make sure they are given the tools and support to flourish.
It’s important that your school is committed to the professional development of your staff – and to clearly show that this is the case. You should have a clear and well-defined career path for aspiring teachers who one day see themselves in middle and senior leadership roles.
It’s important to touch on how your school supports career progression in any jobs you advertise, because many candidates will be looking out for this information.
Recognise hard work
A little praise can go a long way in helping staff feel appreciated, valued and happy at work. By recognising a member of staff’s hard work, it creates a sense of achievement which links back to their sense of career progression.
There are many different ways you can show your appreciation – from buying a gift for the member of staff, to acknowledging them in your school newsletter or during a staff meeting. But don’t knock a heartfelt, face-to-face “thank you” as this is a more meaningful and authentic way to show your appreciation.
Draw on internal resource
When teachers are provided a fair chance to rise through the ranks, this will encourage them to invest in your school and be loyal to it.
So, if a role becomes available, look towards your existing workforce before advertising externally. You could consider drafting a provision talent pipeline, looking at how you can develop certain members of staff and help them to gain the skills they could need to take up certain positions in the future. Again, all this feeds into championing defined, professional development pathways for your current staff.
Of course, sometimes you’ll need to recruit externally. And when you do, Eteach is here to help. Not only are we the world’s #1 education only jobs board, we also offer a wide range of recruitment services and solutions to help your school to hire top talent, fast. Get in touch today to find out more!