Recruit Hard & Manage Easy

What is on my agenda this week? Recruitment to safeguard against the complexity of employment in a labor market shortage - Who would have thought I would be recruiting teachers in June-July 2023 to fill vacancies for February 2024. The phrase 'hire hard, manage easy' is a common saying in the business world, emphasizing the importance of investing time an effort in the hiring process to ensure that the right people are on board. This approach is based on the idea that the quality of the people you hire will significantly impact your organization's success and that it is easier to manage employees who are a good fit for the job and the company culture.

What is a good fit in education? Schools that take the time to carefully screen and select quality candidates for teaching and administrative positions will directly impact the quality of education that students receive. When schools "hire hard," they are looking for candidates who not only have the necessary qualifications and experience but also possess the right personality traits, values, and attitudes that align with the school's mission and culture. This may involve advanced screening techniques, interviews, and carefully checking references. It is commonplace to employ candidates who reflect your own beliefs and values, and your unconscious bias directs you to choose people ‘like’ you.

Let’s hope you are a leader who is passionate, enthusiastic, and dedicated to best practices! When the right people are in the room, intentionally consider the strengths of the candidate and the opportunities that they may pose to challenge you and the organization to keep growing, as safe can be ‘mediocre’. A great leader makes strategic decisions about employment balance. One of the hardest decisions is ‘not to appoint’ when the person does not appear to be the right fit. I urge future leaders to consider whether the next teacher will be the optimal person for students in the classroom. By investing the time and effort to hire the right people, we manage easily, because developing a team of educators and administrators who are motivated, engaged, and committed to their work will brighten anyone’s day.

A ‘bright disposition’ is critical in an early learning scenario. These employees are likely to be effective in their roles, collaborate well with colleagues, and contribute to a positive school culture. In our context, my choice is a team of teachers that focus on their personal performance, are accountable to their students and families, and aim to provide exceptional experiences. The team supports individual differences; however, members don’t go ‘rogue’. I am mindful that cheap is not necessarily better and understand that experience' comes at a price. As a leader, I choose to balance some graduates with more experienced staff and do this with care, as a graduate will require leadership and mentoring to harness that enthusiasm. Schools that fill gaps with too many graduates are at risk of a rough ride as they do not have enough sure feet to keep the school on a steady trajectory.

HAVE YOU RUSHED A HIRING DECISION AND REGRETTED IT LATER?

• Yes
• No

'Hire hard, manage easy' must engage a growth mindset. School leaders need to create a supportive and empowering work environment that enables employees to thrive. This means providing ongoing training and professional development opportunities, recognising and rewarding good performance, and fostering a culture of open communication and feedback. We want good relationships in classrooms to build a positive culture of teaching and learning, and our management must reflect the same ideals. In addition, it is important to create a supportive and inclusive environment where all employees feel valued and respected. This can be achieved through diversity and inclusion initiatives, team-building, and most importantly promoting work-life balance.

Best of luck to you in 2023-24!

Donna Wright

Primary School Principal in rural Victoria Australia