Teacher Recruitment Challenges and Best Practices for 2022
Due to COVID restrictions, it has become more difficult for schools to recruit and retain quality teachers. Throughout the pandemic, several schools have demonstrated remarkable resilience to ensure continuity in their teaching and learning provisions. These schools have achieved this amazing feat through tapping into networks and learning from peer schools and related organizations. Although schools may see recruitment as a very competitive landscape, there is much that school leaders and HR professionals can share to overcome the challenges creatively and to ensure a healthier recruitment ecosystem.
October 20, 22 HR Directors from Search Associates Member Schools joined me, as well as our 3 presenters, Ava Yang, Lily Guo, and Pisanu Kamolrungvarakul (Nu), to share their experiences on how (1) government policies, (2) teacher attraction programs and collaboration between Academic and Non-Academic administrators was impacting their 2022 recruitment efforts. Below are some quick reflections from myself and each presenter.
Government Policies
Many of the policies and directives being communicated by the MOE is in response to concerns about inequality and bolstering the public education system
The MOE wants to ensure greater accountability, not just in the school, but in the classroom
Chinese parents will still seek out every advantage, educationally, that they can give their children. This will actually create a larger opportunity for private K-12 schools.
For the past few years, there has been a need to augment International Curriculum with National Curriculum standards. This is not changing, in that schools will need to start augmenting National Curriculum with International Programs, potentially even at Years 10-12.
The coming years will be very disruptive, not only in terms of the curriculum but also school operations. The recruitment of foreign teachers is one very important consideration.
For foreign workers in the education sector in China, work in actual international schools should not be directly affected, nor should work in public schools, which might well expand. There might also be opportunities in non-curricular education using English to teach outdoor skills, arts, engineering, etc. Kindergartens and services for senior and upper-middle school students will probably be less disrupted, at least at first, than English teaching for primary and lower middle school age groups.
Teacher Attraction Programs
Review the existing Chinese and Foreign teacher salary and benefits. Reducing the psychological gap of Chinese teachers (especially those with overseas background who can conduct bilingual teaching) helps to improve their enthusiasm for work and loyalty to the school.
As one of the benefits for teachers, most schools provide staff children education discounts for their children. But it also caused some problems, such as: employees' psychological imbalance (for the Chinese and foreign teachers children discount is different), and loss of teachers (teachers may choose another school for a higher discount).
The school shall provide equal opportunities for Chinese and foreign teachers to receive professional training/career development internally and externally.
Though the HR cost has increased, it is essential for the teachers to feel they are cared for and they feel that they are a part of the school family. At the same time, it can effectively retain the existing foreign teachers and reduce the pressure of recruiting new foreign teachers.
Recruitment Collaboration between Academic and Non-Teaching Administrators
The diagram below shows the typical stakeholders involved in the entire process, from staffing planning to sourcing, screening, selection, confirmation, contracting, pre-boarding, and eventually onboarding.
In a “normal” year even without Covid-19 to complicate things, enough challenges exist to hold up the process that result in either poor candidate experience or the school missing out on a very promising candidate due to poor turnaround time.
Common challenges identified include but are not limited to:
Duplication of efforts
Not leveraging technology, or Improper use of technology
Lack of standards and common framework in assessing qualifications and/or determining pay
Communication breakdown
Messages being lost in emails, WeChat, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp
Unclear process owner at each stage
Constantly shifting regulations, different regulations by locale
