3 Keys to Successful School Leadership: Hire Well (1 of 3)

The video and select notes below are from the webinar, 3 Keys to Successful School Leadership: Hire Well (1 of 3). 

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Companies that Hire Well

Google
Google intentionally hires people that match their culture. For example, one of the key traits evaluated by Google during the interview processes is whether the person is intelligently innovative and also comfortable with very rapid change--even when that means canceling a project that is incomplete. Not finishing a project can cause some people to stress out, but sometimes what sounded like a good idea at first is replaced by another plan.

Google has also establish a culture where anybody can talk to the CEO, anybody can talk to the CFO, etc. They emphasize a high level of transparency and trust with their employees.

Disney

Disney is fanatical about Show Ready: Everyone, Everywhere, Everything. Each employee is required to participate in training that communicates the core values, the company's history, and the meaning of show ready. To protect the Disney culture, the company intensely invests in their people with extensive attention to detail.

"You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.“ – Walt Disney

Boosterthon
The Boosterthon team is a group of ladies and gentleman who are some of the most enthusiastic people on the planet! Chris Carneal, the President of Boosterthon, has done a phenomenal job of building a very intentional team in which he personally invests. To read more about Chris click here: Interview with Chris Carneal.

Their process for hiring incorporates StrengthFinder strengths and Kolbe instincts to
build a profile on candidate and employee. From the data they have collected over the years, Booster's leadership knows the combinations that typically produce the best employees for their environment. Using such a data-driven approach has enabled them to build a dynamic team that is FULLY committed to the mission. 

Talent Development

What is Your School's Talent Quotient? 
The talent quotient is a ratio of the top performers (those who exceed expectations) in your school compared to your weakest employees (those who do not meet expectations). The talent quotient can also incorporate the rate of turnover among your top performers compared to the weakest group.

The schools that are most successful--whether public, private, or charter--are those that are very intentional about talent development. A 20/60/20 Assessment is a good way to start this dialogue between the Chief Administrator and the Administrative team to talk through the realities and impact of teacher quality. 

To build the best team you can't start recruiting in the spring--this requires a year-round commitment. Create a waiting pool of perspective employees (administration, teaching faculty, staff) who are incredibly gifted and align well with your program. 
Intentional recruiting involves attracting two types of candidates:

• Active candidates: people who are looking for a job because they are moving, don’t want to work where they have been, or maybe the previous employer decided not to renew them.

• Passive candidates: professional who are gainfully employed, but if they learned about you, your school, and the inspiring environment that you’ve created, they might be interested in applying for your position.

Step one: Talent Cycle

Step two: Talent Alignment

Step three: Talent Cultivation

This is NOT a game – students and parents are counting on you to deliver great teachers and coaches!

“You can’t win without great talent but you can lose with it.” -Lou Holtz