Education World Global ECE Conference Workshops. Workshop 4: “What happens if we invest in developing staff and then they leave us?” – A ‘Hackathon’ on Strategies for Attracting and Retaining Teachers, 22 January 2016.

1. A ‘Hackathon’ on Strategies for Attracting and Retaining Teachers
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3. It’s green where you
water it.

6. Do#you#have#a#plan#
for#this?#

8. Assumptions
! Acceptance of the importance of engaging and
retaining teachers and support staff
! Recognition of the costs of losing talent
! Formulating a sustainable strategy for attracting and
retaining staff makes good commercial sense

9. Process
1. One table = one team
2. Each individual shares a personal case study that encapsulates the
problem of staff retention (10 mins)
3. Each team select one case study from their table to share with the
larger group (10 mins)
4. Each team votes for a case study (other than their own) for the
larger group to ‘hack’ a solution for (5 mins)
5. Each team discusses and proposes a set of recommendations/
strategy to address the problem (1 hour)
6. Report back to whole group (2 slides) (30 mins)

10. Food for thought …
! Characteristics of employees that stay?
! Motivators other than salary?
! Organisational goals "# employee’s goals?
! How to read organisational pulse/ employee dynamics?
! Is retention strategy expensive to implement?
! Period of time for roll out of action plan?

11. Meera’s story
! Stop Gap arrangement between two phases of life
! No specific qualification required to work as a preschool teacher
! Low salaries paid hence easy to get a replacement
! Not a career decision
! No pride in the job undertaken.

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13. INSANELY GREAT
PEOPLE
Friday, January 22, 16

14. Killing Time - Is that so bad?
Latent passion, set alight with empowerment
This is ‘who we are’, who are you?
Honest conversation - expectations, timelines
The next level - not just training
Let’s break it down - internship, mentoring,
feedback, exposure
Friday, January 22, 16

15. Solu%on'to'the'Meera'situa%on'
• Environment'
– Create'an'environment'that'makes'one'proud'of'being'associated'with'the'environment'
• Con%nuous'Training'
– Stress'on'the'importance'of'an'ECE'teacher'in'a'child’s'life'
– Train'on'to'why'do'you'do'what'we'do'9objec%ves)'
• Recogni%on'
– Recognize'and'appreciate'early'and'in'a'larger'forum'
• WorkElife'connect'
– Allow'parents,'spouses'and'families'to'visit'the'workplace'and'be'part'of'the'awards'
• Cer%fica%on'in'ECE'
– Sponsor'for'appropriate'qualifica%on'and'training'

16. Company Policies and Processes
Teacher Training and Skill Development
Team Building and Bonding exercises
Foster a Culture of Appreciation – for e.g
Teacher of the Month
Robust Hiring Systems
Effective Leadership and Supervision
Culture of Peer Learning and aligning to company
ethos

17. Extrinsic Rewards
! Salary as per Industry Benchmark
! Performance Bonus Options
! Position Allowance
! Referral scheme for Jobs
! Gifts and Wellness Packages
Intrinsic Rewards
! Culture
! People Behavior
! Interpersonal Relationship
! Transparent and an inclusive system

18. Meera%Story.%
%
! Suggest%real%life%situations%of%the%importance%of%
professional%development%and%its%help%in%her%future%life.%
%
! Orientation%for%meera%to%understand%what%she%needs%to%be%
equipped%with%before%stepping%into%the%class%,%the%importance%
and%the%science%of%Early%child%education.%
%
! %Expose%her%to%situations%to%handle%and%discover%solutions%
for%the%same.%
%
%

19. ! Peer%observation%.%
%
! Encourage%social%interactive%ambience%to%
inculcate%interest.%
%
! Sending%meera%for%career%counselling.%
%
! Focusing%towards%her%strengths%in%the%Early%
childhood%settings%.%

20. MOTIVATING)MEERA)
! By#iden(fying#her#skill/area#of#interest#and#give#her#that#area#to#work#on#with#
children,#being#young#she#will#enjoy#doing#that#with#kids#.#Eg#dance#his#her#area##
of#interest#so#dance#sessions#with#children.##
! Give#her#an#experienced#and#good#mentor#who#is#able#to#understand#her#well#
and#help#her#to#build#interest#in#teaching#profession.#
! Send#her#for#ECE#trainings#and#introduce#her#to#people#who#have#taken#up#
teaching#and#are#enjoying#and#growing#.#So#that#she#starts#taking#pride#in##
choosing#teaching#as#a#profession.#
! Recognize#her#small#liEle#achievements#and#give#monitory#recogni(on.##Eg#
she#can#prepare#children#for#a#dance#drama#and#we#provide#a#plaForm#to#
showcase#her#teaching#skill.##
! Counsel#her#by#giving#examples#of#teachers#and#value#of#this#profession.##
! Let#other#teachers#share#their#experiences#and#proud#moments.#
! These)))li1le)steps)will)help)her)become)a)‘Teacher)for))Life)Time)‘and)
take)pride)in.))
! Let’s)make)a)difference)in)her)life))

21. Motivating Meera

22. Employees who stay are ..
! Passionate & driven towards chosen career path
! Take pride in job
! Involved
! Emotionally connected to children
! Responsible
! Aligned to organizations & personal goals
! Well trained

23. Motivational Strategy
! Sense of Purpose
! Sensitizing towards kids
! Career Path
! Appreciating & giving her positive feedback
! Creating relationships outside the classrooms
! Mentorship
! Informal training
! Sense of belonging
! Counseling
! Formal (identify her strength, goals in life etc.)
! Informal
! Training
! Formal
! Informal

24. ! Emotional Analysis (Maturity level) of fresher to
understand if she is ready for the job
! Do they understand what early childhood education job
entails
! Provide a trial in the system, so that people like Meera
can understand what they are signing for
! Induction program to build awareness about the job
! If you have to do gap fills – we can hire these stop gaps
*

25. ! Generate interest or passion for the job in Meera
! Identify her strengths
! Show career path
! Recognize and appreciate her work
! Partner her with a good mentor
! Support as an organization to give her work-life balance
(give holidays for marriage, help in relocation, maternity
leave, child care, flexible timings, etc.)
*