In the latest in our Recruitment Around the World series, we chat with Ian Thurston, principal of the Dubai International Academy Al Barsha, an International Baccalaureate continuum school in the United Arab Emirates, to hear how the school has adapted its hiring practices in the wake of the pandemic and how shifting to a four-and-a-half day week has made working in the emirate more appealing to teachers.
He also outlines the importance of a strong focus on wellbeing and explains why offering real and meaningful professional development opportunities is a key aspect of a holistic retention strategy.
How did your teacher recruitment for this academic year go?
Recruitment was largely completed by March for September 2022. Fortunately, Dubai is a sought-after destination at the moment, regarded as a place that has coped well with the Covid pandemic and with the new four-and-a-half-day working week that was introduced in January 2022, I think it is also seen as a place where you can maintain a healthy work-life balance.
With Asia still having lockdowns due to Covid, there have been a number of teachers looking to move to a city where they and their families can live their lives again.
This “desirable destination status” has meant that Dubai has seen a significant influx of people, resulting in more student enrolments over the summer than expected, thus requiring us to reach for additional teachers.
While this has come with a tight timeframe, we have been able to fill all required places to ensure continuity of learning for all students.
Have you adapted your recruitment strategies over the past few years?
During the pandemic, there was definitely a desire to find teachers already in the country, as it reduced the likelihood of complications due to lockdowns and changing travel restrictions meaning that people were not able to travel.
We have also made more use of technology, such as video applications or video interviews, to support the process.
I think we are well and truly out of “pandemic mode” and just like improvements in the travel industry, there seems to be real pent-up demand for working abroad again, resulting in an increase in high-quality applications.
In Dubai, especially, the teacher jobs market is competitive and schools need to differentiate themselves from others.
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It seems that factors like providing a stimulating environment to work where people are valued are more important than cash, and many of our recruits actually came from recommendations from our current teachers. It’s wonderful that our staff are so happy that they feel they can recommend it as a place to work to their friends.
Have local hires increased - either for teaching or non-teaching roles?
Local hires certainly increased over the past two years but with increasing student numbers in Dubai, there has always had to be schools finding teachers from overseas. Having experience and already being in Dubai are definitely seen as an advantage.
What has staff retention been like this year?
Our staff retention has been very high - a really positive indicator of staff morale.
Across the city, there are a number of people who are worried about the cost of living, which has made some more reluctant to move, as they are not sure what the immediate future may bring. It’s sometimes a case of “better the devil you know”.
Of the few staff who did leave, most went overseas. There were still a couple who quoted family reasons for wanting to return to their home country but there was also a desire from some to move on to a new country and experience a new culture and environment.
Have you seen any changes or new trends in retention?
With rising costs across the world, there is obviously some pressure on salaries. However, a positive working environment seems to be far more important than salary in terms of retention.
Staff report feeling valued as part of a team, feeling like they belong to a school that is improving and feeling as though there is the potential to progress in their career and professional development.
Are you rethinking approaches to staff retention as a result?
Schools are being fairly overt about their desire to retain staff as demand for teachers grows and therefore competition does as well.
Providing staff development opportunities not only supports improvements in staff capabilities but also helps teachers to see a career path at the school and strengthens a sense of loyalty.
How does wellbeing play into retention efforts?
Following on from the above, staff voice is equally important in our retention efforts, as it gets buy-in from staff: ensuring they are consulted on the future direction of the school and involved in the development of policies and procedures through working parties, and we listen to staff about their wellbeing and try to minimise what causes stress and maximise what brings enjoyment or fulfillment.
Ian Thurston was talking to Dan Worth
