Head of School Search Consulting Firm

Hi,

As always, HEG is busy on current and new projects. We've just been retained to develop a business plan for a new religious orthodox high school in Florida, as well as a Head of School Search for a faith-based private K-12 school in California. However, I'm planning to take Thursday off and drive up to Whistler to enjoy the scenery and even try some zip-lining.

Is your school planning on hiring a new Head of School, Principal, or senior leadership position? Are you trying to figure out the most appropriate process to find the right fit for your school? Research indicates that successful schools have visionary, long-term leadership. While data also indicates that the average tenure for a Head of School is around three years. In addition, candidates that are hired internally extend their tenure to at least six years, but internal candidates are only hired 1 out 10 times. What does it look like at your school? Do you hire and keep your Head of School on for the long-term or do you turn them over every three years?

Today I'm going to share with you the process you may want to follow when searching for a new senior leadership position for your school. Please read on to find out more.

To your success,

 

Doug Halladay

President

Halladay Education Group


P.S. Don't forget to go to our secure Online Store to invest in our Strategic Planning or Start-A-School Toolkits.

 


Head Of School Search Process

At some point during your board's tenure, you're going to have to recruit and hire a new Head of School or other senior leadership positions. For some fortunate schools, they have a succession plan in place, but for most, they're starting from ground zero each time.


Typically, a number of things happen:

1. The announcement of the Head's departure is a shock to the community and affects enrollment and staff retention;
2. The board is dependent on the Head for its direction and momentum, and falls into a vacuum for the vision of the school;
3. The board doesn't have any potential internal or external candidates and has no idea what the optimal candidate should be or how to find him or her.

Most board's don't recognize that there are specific seasons for hiring Heads of School, and as a result many boards move to late to find the best candidate. If a school is in good financial shape and is functioning well with solid leadership, it can handle a change. However, if the school suffers from poor leadership, financial issues, recruiting deficits, or power struggles, they may need to stabilize their structure before beginning the search (perhaps bringing on an Interim Head). On the other hand, having an interim candidate may allow you test his or her leadership capabilities and determine whether they're a fit.


At this point, your board needs to determine whether to retain a professional search firm (such HEG), or do it themselves. Either way, they need a plan before beginning the formal search. The process that HEG utilizes for our search process focuses on the following steps:

Step 1:Define Scope of Search Process

• Clarify search process, Search Committee members, time lines, budget, communication, and procedural rules;
• Communicate to school community what is happening.

Step 2: Develop Position Profile

• Meet with members of the community to determine the school's strengths, weakness, opportunities, threats, and issues that need to addressed by the next Head;
• Develop a "Position Description" and "School Profile" to be used in communicating to the candidates;

Step 3: Candidate Exploration

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  Implement a comprehensive exploration to identify candidates;
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  Request a cover letter, CV, personal statement/educational philosophy, references, and transcripts;
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  Employ a variety of advertising media to post the position vacancy (e.g., Newspaper-Career Section, Internet, Direct Mail, Personal Contacts).

Step 4: Collect & Screen Candidates

• Collect, collate, and screen initial candidates;
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  References are checked for each finalist and a presented to the Search Committee;
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  Final candidates are either interviewed by the Search Committee and/or by the Board as a whole

Step 6: Select & Offer Position

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  Final evaluation of interviews, reference checks, and Search Committee(s) feedback;
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  Selection of final candidate and offer presented;
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  Communicate selection to community at large.

Step 7: Transition

• The Board may form a Transition Committee to assist new the Head with 'transitioning' into the new position (e.g., moving, spouse/family issues, entry plan, orientation, welcoming event);
• Provide additional community announcements when needed (e.g., news releases).

NEXT STEP

HEG and our experienced team are well suited and experienced to help your school with your Head of School Search. If you feel that your school needs support with your leadership search, then you should seriously consider our services. If you'd like to learn more about how we can help your organization, please email  HEG or call  our direct line at +1-604-868-0002 to find out more.