Who is the go-to resource for the lowdown on international school recruiting during and after COVID? Thanks to an introduction from super-connector Laura Light, we were fortunate enough to connect with one of the best-placed people for answers to our recruiting questions. Pauline O'Brien is the Global Recruitment Business Strategy Development Director at International School Services (ISS).
We peppered Pauline with lots of questions to help our listeners deepen their understanding of where things stand concerning recruiting and other trends in international education.
Pauline O’Brien is the Director of Global Recruitment Business Strategy and Development for International Schools Services (ISS). Pauline has 20+ years of experience in professional recruiting, client service, and school board relations in international education. Pauline has led multi-cultural teams in international corporate recruitment and the non-profit international sector. She has always focused on developing talent and creating inclusive aspiring leadership programs. She has designed multi-faceted learning opportunities for international schools, which include competency-based recruiting strategies, skills-based interviewing methods, and STAR application profiles.
Her work in Women in Leadership is vast, and she is a returning global educational conference speaker. Pauline’s work has also included service on the International Task Force for Child Protection (ITFCP), resulting in the creation and delivery of educational sessions on Effective International Recruitment Practices worldwide. Coaching and mentoring school leaders and teachers on all matters of recruitment is a main focus for Pauline. She has been a Board member of Women’s Business Initiative International and ACCESS in the Netherlands. Originally from Ireland, Pauline resides with her family in the Netherlands, where she studied international business in Dutch.
The guiding question was, "What are recent changes and possible trends in international school recruiting?"
Here are a few of the myriad topics that Pauline spoke to.
Pauline's background – working at the Council of International Schools (CIS) and in the corporate world – supports her work with schools to bring new perspectives and ideas to how they go about their work, especially in building systems.
Child safeguarding continues to be a trend for schools to support.
Accountability and measurement are so crucial in making decisions.
Recruiting should be about evaluating potential hires' skills, aptitudes, and talents.
Pauline touched on some of the services that ISS offers. Listen to the interview with Nadine Richards and Dana Specker Watts for more on this topic. The ISS EDUlearn Passport platform includes learning materials to help their clients with recruiting.
The redesign of interview spaces at recruitment fairs.
Virtual fairs during the COVID lockdown.
In-person interviews are so important, providing more in-depth information for interviewers and interviewees alike.
ISS offers school leaders support in how they recruit.
The recruiting season is no longer a season. It is now year-round.
ISS is working with schools to widen the outreach to look at a broader and more diverse population of potential hires. Geotargeting is one outreach effort that connects education majors from a broader pool of universities with the idea of international teaching.
ISS preps first-time international teacher applicants for their fairs through orientation activities. A critical component is growing their self-awareness as they research potential schools for matches.
Be ready with targeted, relevant questions for the interviewers during the interview process. Our own profiling tool can help you with this.
Veteran international educators should avoid being overconfident simply because they have experience in recruiting – so much has changed recently. Do your research and find out through your network about potential teams you could be a part of at schools on your wishlist.
Many international school educators in China struggled with government policies during the COVID lockdown. It led many to leave, but now there is a resurgence for some to return to China.
There has been a movement of educators from Chinese bilingual schools to international schools in China. Opportunities opened up for many.
We also discussed the nature of what can be termed “hardship posts”.
A few related trends deal with health insurance, well-being, support for staff, PD, and crisis management.
This episode was recorded on December 18, 2023.
Contact Information: LinkedIn
Categories: School Life | Recruiting | Trends
