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By Susie Murtaugh

HUMAN RESOURCES COORDINATOR (RETIRED AUGUST 2020) APTAKISIC-TRIPP CCSD 102O

Leah Waser

HUMAN RELATIONS COORDINATOR APTAKISIC-TRIPP CCSD 102

Be prepared Try to gather as much information about the situation or issue to be discussed before the meeting. It helps to ask the staff member if there are any questions you can answer before you meet and/or if there is any information they would like you to have ready for them. Have a box of Kleenex on the table, and a bottle of water for everyone.

offer acknowledgment Before you begin, state the purpose for your meeting and acknowledge to the staff member(s) that the conversation you are about to have is going to be difficult. Tell him/her/them you understand how uncomfortable they may be feeling, and that you are there to help, not judge, in order to reach the best possible outcome for all concerned. We have found that just saying this out loud can help change the tone of the conversation by helping everyone become more at ease. Be human!

listen We believe (in most instances) the staff member should be heard first. Validating someone’s feelings by listening first is important for a productive two-way conversation. A true two-way conversation means hearing them out, not interrupting or talking over the staff member.

keep tHis acronym in mind: wait: wHy am i talking? it Helps us rememBer to fully listen.

Be Honest, direct and kind When it is your turn to talk be honest, direct and kind. Think about how it may feel to be on the receiving end of the difficult conversation. Not only are they uncomfortable, many times they may also be really scared. If you do not know the answer, do not answer; it is perfectly fine to say you will get back to them. Then be sure to get the answer to them as soon as possible.

memorialize your conversation Following the meeting, document your conversation including who was present, the purpose for the meeting, the date you met, what was discussed and any outcomes, consequences, goals, follow-up meetings, etc. that were determined. This provides history and ensures that everyone is on the same page with a clear understanding of what was discussed and what was determined. Give a copy to all parties concerned and the superintendent, plus place a copy in the personnel file(s). Always end by telling the staff member(s) that they will receive a written summary of the meeting, when they can expect the summary and that they are welcome to submit a written response that will also be placed in their personnel file.

In addition to a positive resolution, the outcome we strive for is knowing that staff members leave the table with their dignity intact, feeling heard and respected. Difficult conversations will never be easy, but we have found they can be less difficult when we remember that working in human resources means being human… thoughtful, understanding and empathetic.

How to Market

Your District STAND OUT as an employer TO ATTRACT the best talent.

Faced with teacher shortages, maintaining student-to-teacher ratios, broadening curriculum offerings – not to mention the need for high quality support staff – school districts are challenged like never before to market themselves in order to find and keep high quality employees.

What does it mean to market your district as an employer?

By Tom Jackson, APR

PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER EAST AURORA SCHOOL DISTRICT 131

BEGIN WITH RESEARCH Public relations professionals always recommend beginning with research. Resist the urge to quickly implement a flurry of tactics, and instead take time to discover more about your district and be intentional about who you want to recruit.

Research does not have to be complicated. You can gather data by surveying current employees and asking them to share thoughts and feelings on your district culture and what brought them in and keeps them there. HR departments can review data from past recruitment efforts. Look for data points such as: • Over two years, how many applications were completed each month? • What percentage were qualified, interviewworthy candidates? • Track and review referral sources (how they learned about the position), as well as retention rate, especially from key departments.

A less common, but valuable, data collection method is the exit interview. Look for points such as: > What are the top reasons employees leave your district? > What recommendations do they have? Being aware of this information can help determine how to make your district more marketable.

Armed with data, identify goals for your HR efforts. Goals Might Include: • Increase number of applicants by X percentage. • Decrease percentage of turnover. • Fill all positions within a key category of employee.

IDENTIFY YOUR CANDIDATES Next, identify and prioritize your target candidates. Determine if your district is looking for new graduates, retirees, stay-at-home parents or grandparents or maybe even professionals from other industries. Your target market will shape the messages and strategies you use to recruit.

Behavioral marketing segmentation can further define your targeted audience. Simply put, it divides people into groups based on patterns. For example, by knowing the types of content your ideal candidates are likely to consume, the types of websites they visit, the groups they participate in, or other behaviors, you can further customize the messaging to your target audience.

Start by tapping your best employees. Ask them to share their favorite forums, discussion groups and online networking venues. Then, begin to develop appropriate ways to network within these sources. Candidates have been recruited based on professional blogs they read, newsletters or associations they belong to, and even the sections they frequent at a bookstore.

GATHER RESEARCH. SET GOALS. DEFINE YOUR TARGET AUDIENCES.

These steps will help YOU track and evaluate YOUR efforts.

. THE POWER OF CULTURE Last month a recent graduate told me about his career goals, saying most of all he wanted to work for an organization that demonstrated a commitment to diversity and inclusion. For him, culture was more important than title, commute or even salary. With this in mind, culture needs to be a significant factor in marketing your district.

Culture is the environment your district creates for employees. It can greatly influence an employees’ satisfaction with their work, their relationships and their growth. Your recipe for district culture includes your leadership, values, traditions, behaviors and attitudes.

Your goal is to create and promote a culture so attractive that your employees become natural ambassadors for your district. The power of culture can inspire your employees to instinctively tell others that your district is a great place to work. This is ideal because it offers candidates a truly authentic voice, one that is more easily believed than the HR section of your website.

Measure culture annually by surveying new and seasoned employees. Once again, ask about their favorite aspects of working for your district – the research never stops. Not only will you learn what your employees love about working in your district, you may also discover areas that need improvement.

SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE This year at East Aurora School District 131, we jumped boldly into the waters of dual language by launching a district-wide dual language program. In 2020-21, almost 1,000 kindergarteners were placed in a dual language class. We plan to grow the program by one grade level each year, until the entire district is dual language.

Naturally a focus was to increase the number of dual language teachers and staff. Throughout the recruitment phase, Dr. Rita Guzman, our Executive Director of Language Acquisition & Early Learning, had very purposeful discussions with candidates, ensuring that they knew how much our district values language. Candidates discovered that dual language was not merely an ancillary department, but a guiding principle of the district that would impact the education of all students.

Are your discussions with candidates purposeful? Do they clearly showcase your guiding principles? Do your messages resonate with the types of candidates you are hoping to attract?

Discussions resonate further when including like-minded perks. Whether you provide a high-quality mentorship program to new teachers, financial assistance to those pursuing an ESL or bilingual endorsement or best-in-class professional development, the purposeful discussions you have with your target candidates make a difference in attracting and keeping high-quality employees.

UNIQUE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS Employee-focused organizations look for ways to offer unique benefits to employees. Quarterly luncheons, raffles and giveaways, prime parking spots – sometimes the little things matter a lot.

According to their employee benefits guide, the financial services company Charles Schwab offers a remarkable benefit: “After five years, eligible employees can apply for a 28-day paid sabbatical, which can be used for relaxing and pursuing personal or professional development, such as community service, education or reflecting on their career and life.”

Maybe you are not offering month-long sabbaticals, but how can your district creatively upgrade benefits for a wide spectrum of employees, from teachers to administrators to support staff? Think about offering summer hours or extended parental leave or additional considerations for employees who become new parents, move into a new home or grieve the loss of a parent.

Let’s not forget unique recognition programs! We can never recognize and thank employees enough.

GROW THE PIPELINE Your district should continuously engage in networking. An HR department has the power to build and grow relationships with potential employees before opportunities exist. Two key groups include interns and student teachers. Are you pitching your district’s culture and benefits to these groups? Consider holding a breakfast or invite them to face time with leaders. Share a video that communicates why your district is a great place to work.