As a school leader you will know only too well that the task of recruiting teachers can be challenging, and retaining them in the face of major, and worsening skills shortages, is a significant problem too. Such is the scarcity of available skills on the job market, organisations are putting greater efforts into avoiding losing talented staff members to other schools, academies and trusts. But what can leaders do to avoid having to embark on yet another search for skills?
Retaining teachers
As we know, conditions are challenging for education specialists. Therefore, it’s not wholly surprising that they might seek the best possible working environment and better pay by moving jobs, particularly with the wider issues created by the cost-of-living crisis and other macro inflationary pressures. The issue is exacerbated further as the majority of employers are unable to boost pay levels as they too face the same challenges.
Retaining staff, then, is going to be difficult. But it’s not impossible.
Boost buy-in
According to data from The Engagement Platform (TEP) – a new service for school and Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) leaders that gathers information about staff engagement and working environments in the education sector – teachers who ‘buy-in’ to their school and feel committed and loyal to it are 20% more likely to reject an outside employment offer than those who don’t support their leader’s strategy. According to the platform’s developer, John Jerrim, a Professor of education and social statistics at UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, this means that fostering this kind of loyalty is absolutely key to retaining staff.
While this isn’t necessarily reinventing the wheel – it’s fairly obvious that professionals across all industries are more likely to stay if they feel supported by their employer and can trust in their leadership – such are the extent of skills shortages this is even more acute in education than anywhere else. In fact, the study reveals that this particular brand of loyalty is the single biggest factor that would impact a teacher’s decision to stay with or leave an employer. It has a bigger impact than whether staff feel they have a good relationship with colleagues versus a poor relationship (12% difference), if they are satisfied versus dissatisfied with their workload (9%), and if they believe their pay/compensation is fair (2%).
For school leaders, this is a lot to take in. However, we don’t know how the level of teacher buy-in is affected by time and whether loyalty shifts quickly or slowly. Equally, we don’t know the impact of major events like a school inspection or a change of leadership team on staff sentiment. However, at a time when skills are in such short supply, ensuring teachers are bought-in to the school’s vision looks to be an important factor, and one that leaders have the power to influence.
Alternative methods
Outside of this study, there are of course other methods of boosting your relationships with your staff and then retaining them in the face of competition from other schools, trusts and institutions; Many teachers move on to other working locations because they feel overlooked and undervalued, so ensuring you recognise their efforts and reward them accordingly can make a big difference. By building a culture of recognised success you will create an environment that rewards both loyalty and effort.
Equally, rewarding dedication can go a long way. While few schools can afford to boost pay, some have gone for more creative methods of highlighting their staff’s work by using methods such as ‘free breakfast Fridays’ or ‘duvet days’ where staff are rewarded by being given an extra day’s holiday to use within term-time. Each leader will have different ideas, but in general tailoring rewards to reflect what your teachers value can go a long way.
Investing in development
Another key reason why staff may move on, outside of receiving better pay or working conditions, is a lack of personal and professional development. In fact, two out of five teachers say they would turn down a job that offered no training or development. This issue can be tackled by introducing regular continuing professional development (CPD) which will lead to teachers feeling more committed to their employer as well as boost their ability to offer highly successful teaching for their students.
However, the awkward truth is, despite the best efforts of school leaders, many will struggle with retaining teachers and professionals will move roles to seek better pay, more flexible conditions or whatever they seek from their employment contract. This is a particular issue in the education sector where teachers know their value is heightened because of the extent of skills shortages facing schools, academies and trusts. In these cases, and particularly when you are left with gaps to fill at short notice, the best option is to leverage the skills of talented supply professionals. If you are looking for assistance managing your workforce challenges then speak to our expert team to source outstanding teachers who are the right technical and cultural fit for your school.
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