Demand for flexible working has increased significantly since Covid, and more people than ever are looking for roles which provide better work/life balance.
Flexible working is particularly important to certain demographics, such as working parents and unpaid carers, but broader research shows that Generation X and Y see remote, hybrid and flexible working as important benefits and accept the trade-off with salary. Gen Z workers expect – even demand – these from employers.
It’s therefore prudent to appeal to this mine of potential candidates, particularly as teacher and school leadership vacancies are two thirds higher than pre-pandemic levels, and competition is growing for good quality hires.
Traditionally, schools have been cautious about flexible working arrangements. Minimum staffing levels, legal ratios and set timetables create a rigid structure seemingly at odds with the demands of flexible working.
However, by adopting a more flexible approach to working patterns and locations, it’s possible to not only attract applications from a wider pool of candidates, but also to improve the work/life balance and wellbeing of existing staff and retain more experienced team members.
Starting your flexible working journey
If you haven’t considered flexible working options before, use these three questions to consider how each role at your school could be done differently:
- How is the work done?
- Where is the work done?
- When is the work done?
A headteacher role has always been considered a full-time position but ‘how’ this job is delivered can evolve. We’ve seen examples of schools hiring an experienced head part-time, so the leadership team benefits from their expertise while the head reduces their hours before they retire.
Job-shares are another way to change up the ‘how’. We know of schools in one locality that share a maintenance/grounds person, as they’ve struggled individually to fill it as a full-time role.
For teachers and teaching assistants, the ‘where’ will almost certainly be the classroom, but perhaps there are opportunities to do PPA and administrative tasks at home, or for senior leadership to work from home once a week to catch up on admin or planning.
‘When’ work is done is somewhat restricted by the school day and timetable, but there can still be flexibility. Allowing teaching assistants to start later and finish earlier to work around their own children’s schooling might be an option. Back office and reception staff could work compressed hours, where they do the same hours but in fewer days.
At a time when every business and organisation is struggling to recruit, and in light of the recent focus from the DfE on improving teacher workload and wellbeing, flexible working is a must-have for attracting new people into education, while helping to stop experienced and enthusiastic people leaving the profession.
Lucy Makins is the schools recruitment manager for HFL Education.
