Onboarding is something that is a new concept in the recruitment process. However, with the long notice periods involved in education recruitment it is a process that will prove invaluable.

So what does good onboarding look like? Well, it’s different for every organisation that utilises it. It could be something as little as a call from the head teacher every few weeks to make sure everything is going well during their notice period. A more detailed package would offers calls, training and access to literature and pre-start days.

The key to onboarding is ensuring that the new employee feels part of the team from the day they accept and hand in their notice to their full start date.

Below are a few ideas of things that you could do:

• Update calls from the head or direct line manager.
• Access to staff portal throughout the notice period.
• Monthly update literature on what’s happening in the school or trust.
• Wherever possible get them on site for an induction day. This will enable them to hit the ground running on their first day.
• Invite to training days with colleagues.
• Making sure that new staff members get invited to social events before they start.

The most important thing you have to remember is to establish engagement with the new team member. This will ensure that they are less susceptible to counter offers from their current school. You need to ensure that before they start, you continue to reinforce the positive experience they had during the interview. They have committed to a new career with your school, so make sure that you commit to letting them know it was the right thing for them to do.