Realistic Job Previews – Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re in the process of onboarding or considering onboarding a new teacher or staff member. And if that’s the case, you know just how vital a good onboarding process is. But what makes a good onboarding process? In our opinion, one of the most essential factors is giving your new teachers a realistic job preview.
A realistic job preview (RJP) is defined as “a management technique used to provide new employees with an accurate and honest portrayal of the job and organization before employment.” In other words, it’s all about setting expectations. And we believe that setting the right expectations from the beginning is crucial to a successful onboarding experience.
When creating an RJP for your new teachers, you’ll want to keep the following in mind. First, be honest. This isn’t the time to sugarcoat things or paint a rosier picture than reality. Second, be specific. The more specific you can be, the better. This is not to say that you should only discuss negative aspects of the position. Transparency means showing both specific strengths and growth areas so that newcomers might understand what to expect.
Realistic Job Preview Example
So what does a realistic job preview look like for a teacher? Here’s a very basic example:
“Teaching can be a challenging and demanding profession. You will likely work long hours, including evenings and weekends. You will need to be flexible and adaptable to changing situations. But teaching is also an incredibly rewarding profession. You will have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of your students. You will see them grow and learn, and you’ll be part of their success.”
Most teachers that I know would agree with the points made in this generic preview. As you can see, this RJP is honest about the challenges of teaching while also highlighting the rewards. This helps set the right expectations for your new teachers, which can help them be more successful in their onboarding experience. Even using this example and fleshing out some of the specific challenges of your school, along with the rewards, will help new employees set proper expectations.
Focus on providing new teachers with a deeper understanding of your school’s mission, values, and culture through your school’s customized onboarding platform.
New teachers must understand your school’s mission, values, and culture before stepping foot in the classroom. And the best way to ensure that they do is to focus on providing them with a deeper understanding of these things through your school’s customized onboarding platform.
If you’d like to learn more about the importance of onboarding, consider reading our Onboarding 101 article.
New Teacher Onboarding & Realistic Job Previews
Your onboarding platform should give new teachers a comprehensive overview of your school. It should include everything from your school’s history and mission to your expectations for teachers and students. And it should be accessible from anywhere, at any time.
By focusing on providing new teachers with a deeper understanding of your school through your onboarding platform, you can set them up for success. Do you want to learn more about how you can help create a smooth transition for your newly hired international teachers? Consider reading: Onboarding New Employees in International Schools: How to Ensure a Smooth Transition.
O360 fosters an environment conducive to candid conversations, allowing newly hired teachers to establish appropriate expectations for their new school home. At O360, we believe that candid conversations are crucial to a successful onboarding experience. That’s why we’ve designed our platform to foster an environment conducive to these types of conversations. Allowing newly hired teachers to establish appropriate expectations for their new school home can help them be more successful in their onboarding experience. And that’s our goal.
New teachers are the lifeblood of any school, and it’s important they feel comfortable from day one to do their best work possible for the school officials to present their organization‘s strengths and areas for growth transparently through embedded videos, photos, and pre-planned meetings before their arrival. This allows the new teacher to make an informed decision if the position is right for them and if they will be able to work within the confines of what is realistic for both parties.
Consider All Your Onboarding Options
Now that you understand the importance of onboarding, you should take the time to consider how best to deliver it. Onboard360 was built from the ground up for international teacher onboarding. O360 goes beyond the traditional onboarding process by taking a holistic approach that sets teachers up for success from day one.
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