Understanding, planning, and implementing an effective teacher onboarding strategy is your school’s responsibility in order to create short and long-term retention success.
Onboarding refers to the time gap between when a new employee receives their acceptance offer and they start their first day at your school. This is a critical part of the candidate’s experience.
Consider how the teacher(s) you just hired feel with your onboarding process.
Are they prepared? Are they comfortable and familiar with their responsibilities?
Even with the best of intentions, a teacher will only be as ready and successful as your onboarding.
Teach Away’s 2022 International Education Recruitment clearly found that onboarding is the holy grail of teacher retention.
In fact, 41% of candidates stated they would quit a job, specifically because they didn’t feel they were onboarded or trained properly.
To give new teachers the lay of the land, leaving them with an in-depth understanding of their role and the school, consider the following tips.
It’s time to retain and develop your staff with ease!
1. Creating a positive environment
2. Maintain open communication
3. Transitioning your new teachers
4. Speak about the long-term perks of this position
1. Creating a positive environment
Onboarding is more than just filing paperwork and completing all of the administrative tasks.
The onboarding process is an opportunity for your new teachers to become excited that they are integrating with your school.
The assumption from you, as an employer, will also be that your staff will stick around for long periods of time.
The question becomes, is this process a positive experience for candidates?
A positive experience can include being mindful when you contact your teachers and asking them if they require anything.
Don’t underestimate the value of offering small gestures of support via email or message!
In addition, schedule some one-on-one time with each new hire individually within the first week or two of their acceptance, and do so again within a couple of weeks of them being on the job.
Getting feedback is another layer of creating a communicative and positive environment. Ask questions such as:
- How can I support you?
- What’s going particularly well?
- What could be going better?
The more welcomed and engaged new teachers will feel, the more harmonious the relationship will be between that individual and your school.
2. Open communication
Communication is always key to establishing strong new relationships, and this situation is no different.
A few essential highlights to communicate will be:
- Starting date
- Company’s values & mission
- Culture
Effective communication helps catch and keep the attention from employees.
And as previously mentioned, the way in which you communicate will be key!
Speak to your staff with kindness and openness, while also maintaining a sense of professionalism when delivering messages. Always personalize messages, celebrate and encourage your staff, and offer them the opportunity to ask as many questions as needed, while they settle into their new position.
3. Transitioning your teachers
Starting a new job and being surrounded by strangers can feel intimidating.
That is why it’s crucial your new teachers are smoothly transitioned into their position.
If you skip this part, you could wind up right back where you started, looking for someone to fill the role.
The following three tips can help support your new hires:
- Create a mentor/buddy program to settle into the role. A mentor can empathize with new staff and help them feel supported.
- Meet and greet with current staff. This will ease teachers into getting to know their colleagues.
- Providing a school orientation prior to starting. It can feel disorienting if you don’t know where the basic facilities are. An in-person orientation will help.
The truth is, every single employee desires to be welcomed and integrated into their new position.
This means they want to understand what will be expected of them! A smooth onboarding process is key for this. And remember, you only get to make a first impression, once!
4. Speak about the long-term perks of this position
A new hire is likely to consider what their professional development will look like within your school.
Do they have any opportunity to grow? Does your school offer programs and courses that are designed to help teachers continuously learn and become better educators?
Onboarding continues far beyond the first initial weeks.
For a truly successful onboarding strategy, consider what you can offer your staff throughout the year.
What gatherings, social events and development opportunities are out there!
Build their professional skills and be mindful of their own goals as a teacher.
Improve your onboarding with Teach Away
Reflecting on your current onboarding experience can help you dramatically improve it, noticing where adjustments need to be made and how this can impact the development of your teachers.
The investment you make in your onboarding, now, will create successful ripple effects for the well-being of your students, staff and classroom dynamic.
Contact Teach Away today and let us help you polish your recruitment strategy to your school’s specific needs and goals.