In the final piece in our Recruitment around the World series, we head to Singapore to hear from Ayako Sugaya, director of people at the Tanglin School Trust, about how her school adapted to the impact of the “Great Resignation” post-pandemic, and the challenges caused by sorting housing for new staff.
She also explains why continuing professional development (CPD) is so important to long-term staff retention and staff wellbeing.
How did your recruitment for this academic year go?
Singapore experienced “the Great Resignation” during the past academic year (2021-22), which saw higher than usual staff numbers leaving international schools in Singapore.
At Tanglin, one of the primary reasons for these resignations was for staff to be closer to their families and elderly relatives back home.
We didn’t experience too much difficulty filling the positions with outstanding candidates, as Singapore remains a popular destination for international teachers and Tanglin has a very good reputation.
However, there was one issue we experienced that was of our own making. Unlike most international schools in Singapore, Tanglin finds housing for teachers joining from overseas as part of its offer.
This year, it was quite challenging owing to reduced supply as a result of construction delays and increased demand from people moving to Singapore.
However, through the enormous efforts of our HR team, we managed to secure housing for all new joiners from overseas.
Have you adapted your recruitment strategies over the past few years?
Tanglin Trust School in Singapore has a long tradition of providing British-based learning with an international perspective.
Our faculty roles are difficult to hire for locally as Singaporeans rarely have the qualifications and specific curriculum experience we need.
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We implemented a strategic recruitment plan that targeted recruitment using Tes and LinkedIn, with the objective being to attract the best possible candidates through effective employer branding and candidate relationship management.
We have been pleased to appoint many outstanding teachers in this challenging environment.
Have local hires increased either for teaching or non-teaching roles?
For teaching roles, we recruit the best possible candidates who meet our requirements for qualifications and experience, and the majority are from the UK.
For non-teaching positions, local hires have increased as recent changes to the local immigration law have taken effect and more support roles have been filled by Singaporeans/permanent residents.
What has staff retention been like this year?
While last year saw a higher-than-average number of resignations, this year we are experiencing the opposite. Far fewer teachers than usual have given notice to date, fewer even than in the pre-Covid days.
Our average attrition before the pandemic was about 10 per cent and it is anticipated to be lower than that this year. A single-digit turnover in the international education sector is rare, with 15 per cent being the average. We are hopeful that the Covid staffing impact is over.
Have you seen any new trends in retention?
There are more than 300 foreign staff at Tanglin, which represents a little less than half of all employees, and the average tenure for faculty across the whole school is eight years.
A big part of what we believe keep staff motivated to remain with us is our focus on CPD. There is a collective responsibility to promote, develop and support members of our community in their commitment to lifelong learning that ensures they feel valued and are able to grow with us.
To enhance this, the Institute@Tanglin was started in 2022 as a forum that promotes excellence, provides thought leadership and encourages discourse to inspire, challenge and prepare the next generation of leaders in our community.
Are you rethinking approaches to staff retention as a result?
At Tanglin, we always have the best interests of our staff at the forefront of our minds when formulating or making changes to staff policies.
Staff will perform at their best when they feel valued and supported, and we try hard to ensure that this is always the case. We actively seek feedback from our staff on current policies and implement changes where needed.
As testament to this, Tanglin Trust School was named one of Singapore’s best employers in 2022, in a ranking of the top 200 companies and institutions with at least 200 employees.
How does wellbeing play into retention efforts?
Tanglin is a community where the wellbeing of the staff, students and parents is paramount.
We have the whole school wellbeing committee that shares information and tips through termly newsletters.
We have an employee assistance programme in place for all staff where they have access to counselling and psychological support.
Other wellbeing resources include a staff discount for select gyms and yoga classes, organised walks and free access to an app for mindfulness and meditation.
We have support groups set up around certain initiatives - mental health, maternity, diversity and inclusion, menopause, etc - and these are great vehicles for initiating conversations, and understanding what works well and what could be improved upon.
There are social events and celebrations of birthdays across the schools and departments, which build a strong, vibrant and supportive community.
Ayako Sugaya is director of people at the Tanglin School Trust, Singapore
