In the latest article for our Recruitment Around the World series, we hear from Titus Edge, the headmaster of St Paul’s, the British School of São Paulo, in Brazil, about how it has changed its hiring practices as a result of the pandemic - and what has remained the same.

He talks about adapting to the challenges of remote interviews and the benefits these can offer, promoting staff wellbeing and bringing in more local hires. He also explains how professional development remains a core focus for his school, which runs its own education conference, to help with the recruitment and retention of staff.

How did your teacher recruitment for this academic year go?

Recruitment went well and we are delighted with the experience, quality and commitment shown by the staff we welcomed to St Paul’s this term.

We appointed a range of professionals coming from different parts of the globe, some with previous international experience and others experiencing their first international role.

Over the past year, we have developed our package for both international and local recruitment to make it as attractive as possible.

Of course, Brazil has much to offer in terms of quality of life, travelling experiences, diverse culture and friendly people. These elements have a significant impact in attracting candidates.

As with all schools, the pandemic proved a real challenge, and it has been heartening to see a resurgence of applications coming through over the past year.

Brazil is now, mercifully, free from some of the more draconian lockdown regimes still to be found in other parts of the world. This appears to have helped us as well.

Have you adapted your recruitment strategies over the past few years?

Of course, we were not alone in having to rethink our approach to recruitment with the onset of Covid.

Online interviews and virtual tours became the norm, and they became increasingly effective as everyone became accustomed to the ubiquitous digital reality imposed by the pandemic.

While nothing beats meeting candidates face to face, the online element is here to stay in some form, not least because it allows more people at the school to “meet” candidates before we hire.

Over the past 12 months we have taken time to thoroughly review, benchmark and upgrade our pay scales and benefits for all staff, including the way we offer housing and support for domestic life.

It is hard to measure up the experiences of working in different parts of the world, as people will be attracted to contrasting regions for a range of reasons.

Latin America has rather fewer British or international schools than, say, parts of the Middle East, but offers professional opportunities and a lifestyle that will appeal to many.

Have local hires increased - either for teaching or non-teaching roles?

Yes, we have seen an increase in local recruitment.

This was the inevitable result of the pandemic, when lockdown restrictions were in place around the globe and people were unable or afraid to leave home, worrying they would not be able to return.

Although challenging, this situation made us find and recruit some outstanding local members of staff, who have already made a positive impact around the school.

What has staff retention been like this year?

In some ways, the pandemic actually helped with staff retention, with several ex-pats deciding to delay their next move until the global situation returned to some form of normality.

Typically, ex-pat staff will stay with us for about six years. Getting the balance between retaining experience and maintaining a healthy turnover, with a regular intake of fresh faces and ideas, is always on our minds.

Luckily, we were able to bring a good deal of flexibility to this process during the pandemic, and many teachers appreciated the efforts the school made to ensure that their own wellbeing was put before the strict terms laid out in their contracts.

Those who have decided to renew their contracts are now at last able to live the whole St Paul’s experience, with the return of the normal cycle of events, such as assemblies, trips, performances and gatherings, as well as all that the great megacity of São Paulo has to offer.

Happily, we can all do this without the social constraints of face masks and distancing getting in the way.

Have you seen any changes or new trends in retention?

Applicants to St Paul’s recognise that different parts of the world offer their own attractions and come with varying potential challenges.

While salary is, of course, a significant factor, many have stated that they see unrestricted travel access to the UK as a prime consideration in choosing a job, as well as being able to enjoy social freedoms.

They are also increasingly interested in opportunities that we can offer in staff development, and this also supports healthy retention. St Paul’s invests heavily in in-house training and financial support for teaching and other professional qualifications.

One example of this is the St Paul’s Education Conference, which has returned after the pandemic, in which our teachers join with colleagues from several other schools to engage with high-profile international keynote speakers and attend numerous professional workshops.

Are you rethinking approaches to staff retention as a result?

We always welcome honest feedback from our staff, and make a point of inviting them to discuss their experiences and answer surveys.

To help ensure that our staff can engage with senior management with their concerns and ideas, we have recently launched the Staff Forum, a group that brings together representatives from different sections of the school to discuss points of improvement and suggestions with the executive.

We also encourage written ideas to be sent to a special feedback email address.

It has been a useful means of involvement for staff - we already received varied suggestions such as a staff enrichment club, a new lunch menu, alternative ways of making communication more effective, etc.

The easing of Covid restrictions has allowed us to be more collegiate as a community and enjoy special events such as the Jubilee, as well as individual staff celebrations, together.

How does wellbeing play into retention efforts?

The wellbeing of all staff is paramount and helps to ensure that they are able, in turn, to give all necessary support to the students they teach.

As a school with a strong pastoral ethos, we put great emphasis on ensuring that the culture of care we give to the children is extended to all who work at the school and their families.

The school counselling service is therefore not just available to pupils but also to our teaching and admin staff.

In addition, our HR department works closely with teachers who are new to Brazil to ensure that they and their dependants have all the support they need not just to survive but also to thrive and enjoy life in their new environment.

The teaching profession is ever-more challenging but, within a supportive school community, it remains rewarding, stimulating and enjoyable - all helped by the natural optimism and warmth that Brazil brings to our daily lives.

Titus Edge was talking to Dan Worth