Human Resourcing

Well into Week Three and we still remain severely short staffed.

Myself and my Primary Management Team have now interviewed some 50 teachers and Teacher Assistants since mid September, and yet we still have two class teacher positions to fill and four TAs. We have seen a few good teachers, but we have been turned down as our salaries are poor and in some cases, embarrassingly so.

We soon decide that candidates will have to deal with Smarmy BS Merchant Mr A at Human Resources to sell them the crappy salary in the first instance, but to “sell” what will be our quality INSET, as well as a truly international school.

Many have been a complete waste of time. We have called several candidates to give model lessons – some have surprised and a couple have been so shocking, i wanted to shoot myself. Some of the EAs couldn’t utter a sentence in English and resorted to the local dialect of grunting to me. I think some of them were picked up by Mr A on the streets. It’s frightening.

Mr Chad comes in and gives a very competent lesson in 3A. This is the class that have had two non-trained clowns from the SEN department and you can tell. This class are ragged to say the least. Very noticeable as a very high proportion of our students are immaculately behaved in some pretty difficult under-resourced classrooms.

We offer him the job then and there and ask him to hightail it to HR and sign on the dotted line. He seems delighted and scurries off excitedly. I have got Mr A on one of my procedures (but one that works) and he calls me an hour later to confirm that papers have been signed and he will be in tomorrow to sort out 3A.

Sure enough, he’s there in a cheap local grey/green suit and looks ready for action. Great! One down and one to go.

I wait till the end of morning break before deciding to pop my head around the door, only to find my secretary standing very bemused in front of the class. I look around the classroom but no Mr Chad. Ms. L passes me a note which “informs me” that he has taken an emergency phone-call and has had to leave immediately. I know 3A have their faults and idiosyncrasies, but running off after 2 hours? We didn’t even have a chance to get his cell number off him.

We call HR to get his details off his C.V. (including his mobile number), but after four days he hasn’t picked up and the depressing search continues.