Nick Dennis
In last week’s TES, Mark Steed wrote an article chiding modern hiring practices in schools for losing ‘the human touch’. I agree with the main thrust of the piece. How could we make this possible? As part of my Girls Schools Association (GSA)/Bright Field development project, I’ve been looking at recruitment and retention very carefully. I’ve previously done a considerable amount of work on CPD and staff appraisal, but I’ve always felt there was more that could be done to improve the humanity in the whole recruitment process. The article suggests that the human element is lost in practices devised by HR professionals. My view is that schools have not listened enough to the most recent HR developments and that the use of data and carefully designed structures can, counterintuitively, help the human side of the recruitment process. So here are my suggestions for a more human centred process that is effective and recognises individuality.
