Every year, summer brings with it a sweeping round of losses for those in the education sector. Depending on the specific sector of education you work in, it’s not uncommon to see more than half of your staff leave your school or organization at the end of the school year.
Summer turnover is so ubiquitous that most education professionals have simply come to accept it and the resulting chaos. They’ve learned to act on the fly, filling positions in a rapid frenzy.
This approach, while impressive, is unnecessarily stressful on administration staff. It puts them into a high-pressure situation, with massive uncertainty and an ever-approaching deadline looming over their heads. What’s more, it often backfires, resulting in less than ideal hires and lowered retention rates.
Let’s take a look at how last-minute searching impacts educational organizations.
Unnecessary Stress
Summer brings with it the end of the school year. For those in the education sector, this is a chance to step back, regain their composure, and plan for the coming year. Unfortunately, summer turnover can upend this much-needed break.
When you leave your planning till the last minute, summer becomes a race to fill unexpected roles within your organization. Your staff has to work through major uncertainties, with impending deadlines looming just around the bend.
Not only is this bad for your administrative staff’s well-being, but it can also make them less effective. High stress levels and burnout have been linked to poorer job performance and enthusiasm.
Your administrative staff misses out on important recuperation and planning time while also being less effective at choosing the right candidates to fill your openings.
Missed Opportunities
Leaving your search till the last minute also hurts your chances of finding the perfect fit for your organization or school.
As mentioned above, your staff is scrambling to fill roles when you don’t plan in advance. This means there’s less time to deliberate, interview, and pull in applications. The process has to be rushed, meaning you don’t have time to truly think through an applicant’s skills and qualifications.
In this situation, you can easily choose the wrong candidate without knowing it, hurting your organization down the road.
Additionally, the shorter search window means fewer applicants have a chance to find your organization. You may be missing out on extremely knowledgeable and skilled applicants who begin job searching earlier in the year.
Plan for Turnover in Advance
Don’t wait to address summer turnover. Acting well in advance will keep your staff operating at their best while also drawing in a larger pool of applicants. This is how you find the employees you need to help your organization thrive.
Stronger Consulting’s search and recruiting services can help. You’ll gain expert guidance through the entire hiring process, ensuring you find the perfect fit for your organization, all while avoiding unnecessary stress.
