Induction of new staff
How do we induct (new) staff?
How you induct new colleagues says a lot about the culture of your school.
How welcoming are you?
How tailored is the experience for them?
The induction programme is a first important stage in the employee’s personal development plan.
Research has highlighted the importance of providing high quality induction (and mentoring) programmes for new staff. Effective induction lays important foundations for a productive relationship and is critical to their retention and high standards of performance.
“Onboarding new … teachers is more than just paperwork, curriculum documentation, and orientation. It’s about creating memorable experiences that shape their perception and effectiveness in our school. Effective teacher onboarding addresses their concerns and creates moments that matter.” (Yang, A. (2024, July 28). Effective MYP teacher onboarding: Ideas and activities for success. AlisonYang.com)
“In their book The Power of Moments, bestselling authors Chip and Dan Heath write about how to make impactful moments a reality. “Defining moments shape our lives, and we don’t have to wait for them to happen,” they write. “We can be the authors of extraordinary moments.” When we recall a past experience, we tend to remember the most intense—or the peak—moments, but everything in between is a little fuzzy. We recall the moments that matter. So where can you craft the positive, memorable moments that will determine how your new hires view their onboarding experience?” (Kressin, M. (2023, April)
Our professional inquiry considers:
- How do you induct staff into your school?
- What do you need to include in an induction programme?
- What elements of the culture of your school do you need to include in the induction process?
- Who provides pedagogical leadership for your induction programme?
- Who trains the mentors? What qualities does an effective mentor possess?
- How do you build mentoring capacity in your school?
People remember how they have been ‘welcomed’ into a new school. Inductions are memorable events. That is why a supportive induction process is crucial for the recruitment and retention of staff. How do we ensure that our induction process makes people feel welcome and ‘at home’ as opposed to feeling isolated and unsure of their place?
- Put someone in charge of welcoming new staff. Give that person time and resources. The induction lead may not be a teacher, for example, it may be a member of HR, but there must be coordination and every department must have an induction champion. If the person taking the lead on induction is not a member of the senior leadership team, they must be supported by and accountable to a member of the SLT to give the required level of authority.
- Induction policy which outlines the programme that is used at your school to welcome any newly appointed staff (both teaching and non-teaching) and governors. The Induction Programme for newly appointed staff is the first part of the School’s Staff Development Programme, which involves all staff – both teaching and non-teaching. Staff are our most expensive resource and form a large part of the investment of the school and therefore the induction programme is planned for in the School Development Plan.
- Provide a comprehensive orientation: Schedule a comprehensive orientation programme that covers everything from the school's mission and values to defining each individual teachers' role, specific policies and procedures. Consider using a version of Maslow's hierarchy of needs to address basic infomation to do the job, as well as identify personal goals.
- Induction programme: Ideally this starts straight after the recruitment process ends. Provide new staff with ways of getting to know about the school ahead of them arriving – this could be through providing them with an induction pack and providing them with a member of staff to be in contact with (e.g., a buddy system – please see below). Arrange a pre-start visit – ideally before they start working in the school. This is an opportunity for them to get to know the facilities and the context of the school. What about providing them with a professional guide to the town / city they are going to be working in – this will excite them and give them an understanding of the context of the school? Give new staff extra time to get settled – this could be through a specific induction programme prior to term starting (but also remember that not all members of staff begin at the beginning of a school year – and they also need time to feel at home). Make sure they have a practical guide – someone who will help them, e.g., open a bank account, find the nearest doctor / pharmacist etc. It also involves familiarisation with IT systems and providing additional support if needed. Introduce new staff to each other so they know someone else who is new to the school. That way, they know they are not the only “new fish”. Consider a few social events to introduce them to key people they need to know in an informal setting. Let them see all aspects of the school – one way of doing this is providing the opportunity for new staff to track a student for a day to see how the school operates from a student’s point of view.
Make it individual. Find out about your new staff, and tailor your induction programme to the individual. It is important to know their experiences, expectations, and preferences. You could do this by asking them to complete a questionnaire and then follow this up with an informal post-recruitment conversation which asks how we can support them to settle into the school. Each member of staff comes with their own rich experiences and aspirations for their future.- Appreciative inquiry: Adopt an appreciative inquiry stance. Starting a new job is not about starting from scratch but continuing their learning journey. They have much to contribute. It is supportive to find out about their experiences as well as expectations. How do they wish to develop, and what plan can be put in place to help them? What aspects of the school will be new to them – it could be curriculum programmes, assessment procedures etc.
- Be welcoming: Be intentional about making new staff feel welcome – making sure that all staff look out for them. Be intentional about ensuring they feel a sense of belonging: consider mentorship / buddy programmes (see below), (informal) social events, regular (bi-weekly) check-ins. Some schools: organise breakfasts/lunches where staff can meet each other; provide (branded) welcoming kits containing school merchandise, and a handwritten note from the Head of School; school story-telling sessions where experienced teachers share stories of what has been impactful / distinctive about their school ("These personal narratives are likely to resonate on a more emotional level, making the school’s values and mission come to life in a relatable and compelling way." (Alison Yang, 2024)
Buddy: There are pros and cons of giving new staff a buddy. They need to be well-matched. A good buddy is someone who has been at the school for a few years, so they know how things work and can assuage any doubts a new starter may have - not least by talking about their own experiences. If you are going to provide members of staff with a buddy avoid having that person as their line manager, someone they are accountable to. Train up your buddies in how they contribute to the induction programme.- Encourage ongoing feedback: Encourage ongoing feedback from the new teacher, including regular check-ins and feedback opportunities. This will help identify any areas where they may need additional support.
- Don't rush it: people take different amounts of time to feel at home in a new context. Induction has several stages: first hours and days, the first term, the first year.
- Celebrate achievements: Celebrate the new teacher's achievements to help build confidence and encourage continued growth.
Fashola, A. (2022, May). Why induction for new starters is so crucial in schools. TES. An experienced leader from multiple sectors explains why the induction of new staff is critical to a school’s smooth operation – and offers ideas to make sure you welcome new staff in the best way possible.
New Teacher Onboarding and Cultivation, TNTP.
Kressin, M. (2023, April). Onboarding can be a powerful teacher retention strategy: Making your teacher onboarding a productive and memorable experience may keep educators in your classrooms. SchoolCEO.Alison Ya-Wen Yang has written several blogs about the first few weeks of a new academic year in which she curates key aspects of inducting both students and staff into the hidden curriculum of the school.
- In Effective MYP Teacher Onboarding she writes of the importance of creating memorable moments - and not giving teachers cognitive overload by bombarding them with multiple IB documents. Drawing from “The Power of Moments” by Chip and Dan Heath, we can turn routine onboarding into a memorable and impactful experience. Click HERE for the blog.
- In 16 ideas to introduce the hidden curriculum in the first weeks she explains: “The first weeks of school can be the most stressful time of the year. Teachers are trying to figure out their schedules and classrooms, and students are trying to make new friends. One of the best ways to start the new school year to help teachers and students get to know each other better is to introduce the hidden curriculum. Understandably, teachers want their students to know about the syllabus and assessment criteria. However, I sincerely believe in "go slow to go fast." The hidden curriculum is the unwritten rules students need to learn to succeed in school and life. This can include social skills, attitudes, values, and unwritten rules. The hidden curriculum is often an unspoken part of school culture. A successful introduction of some aspects of the hidden curriculum at the beginning of the school year can significantly influence the students' later learning and success.” HERE is the link.