Hiring Great Teachers: Accessing Quality Teaching and Recruitment Do's & Don'ts

Hiring Great Teachers

Accessing Quality Teaching and Recruitment Do’s and Don’ts

December 7 (Saturday), 2024 | 12:00 - 4:30 PM
Shenwai International School
Hosted by Lynn Huang & Jeffrey Wilson

We are also partnering with ISS for our annual School Administration Conference. Click here to learn more.

This participant-driven gathering is an opportunity to connect in-person, share practices, and explore common professional inquiries.

Through collaboration and discussion, school leaders will broaden their perspectives and enhance their skills to improve the interviewing and onboarding of foreign teachers new to China. During this peer learning and sharing event, we will explore key topics such as how to better access a candidate’s quality of teaching, the legal limits of background checks and interview questions, and onboarding staff before obtaining work and resident permits. We will also examine the handling of candidate personal data, the termination of employees who misrepresent themselves during recruitment, and the implications of executing dual employment contracts.

Our Peer Learning event will begin with a Keynote presentation by Jeffrey Wilson, legal counsel in JunHe’s labor and employment practice group, who has over 20 years of experience advising companies and international schools on employment practices, terminations, and disputes. Jeffrey will help ignite our conversations by sharing insights to provoke deeper reflection and sharing on these topics:

Effect of the recent increases of retirement ages on recruitment and retention of foreign staff
Permitted extent of background checks
Permitted interview questions during recruitment
Onboarding of staff before they have obtained work and resident permits
Collection and transfer of personal data of employment candidates
Termination of employees who misrepresent or fail to disclose important information during recruitment
Legal effect of executing two different employment contracts (i.e., one contract for immigration purposes)

Following the Keynote, participants will choose one of 3 breakout sessions to take a deeper dive and collaboratively explore with peers one of these topics:

Accessing Quality Teaching
Recruitment Do’s and Don’ts
Offer Letter Signed, Now What?

Hosts

Lynn Huang

HR Director, Shen Wai International School

Dean Croy

Head of School, Canadian International School of Guangzhou

Jeffrey Wilson

China Employment Lawyer, JunHe

Henry Wong

Former Business Manager / PeerSphere PLC Host

Agenda

12:00 – 12:15 – Registration and Connecting

12:15 – 12:50 – Welcome Address and Keynote

Keynote: Chinese Labour Attorney

13:00 – 14:15 – Break-out session (Choose 1 of the topics below to participate in)

Accessing Quality Teaching
Recruitment Do’s and Don’ts
Offer Letter Signed, Now What?

14:15 – 14:45 – Break

14:45 – 15:30 – Demo Slam / Market Place

(2-3 minute presentations of things learned in the breakout rooms)

15:30 – 16:15 – Panel Debrief

16:15 – 16:30 – Closing Address

Breakout Rooms

Accessing Quality Teaching

Assessing a candidate’s teaching ability and overall quality is a critical part of the hiring process for school leaders. In this discussion, participants will share experiences and strategies for evaluating candidates, focusing on what evidence they expect candidates to submit to demonstrate their capacity for high-quality teaching. The conversation will also explore various interview techniques that help assess a candidate’s potential to deliver excellent instruction.

Guiding Questions:
- What specific materials or evidence can you request from candidates to evaluate a candidate’s ability to align with your school’s teaching standards?
- How do you structure the interview to assess both the technical skills and the cultural fit of a candidate in your school?
- What role do demonstration lessons or teaching simulations play in your evaluation of a candidate’s teaching ability?

Recruitment Do’s and Don’ts

Participants will share their experiences related to recruitment practices, focusing on the legal boundaries of background checks, interview questions, and data collection. Employers must navigate these areas carefully, ensuring that the extent of background checks and interview inquiries comply with local regulations and avoid any discriminatory or invasive practices. These discussions will provide valuable insights into avoiding common pitfalls and ensuring compliance with employment laws.

Guiding Questions:
- How do you ensure that the background checks conducted during recruitment comply with local regulations, while still providing necessary insights into candidates?
- What strategies have you found effective in formulating interview questions that avoid discriminatory practices and align with legal requirements?
- How do you manage the collection and transfer of personal data during recruitment to ensure compliance with privacy laws, and what challenges have you faced in this area?

Offer Letter Signed, Now What?

Participants will share their experiences and strategies for efficiently and effectively onboarding new recruits after they have signed the offer letter. Key topics will include managing contracts, ensuring the continued collection of necessary personal data in compliance with best practices, and how to navigate situations where new information arises that may require terminating a new recruit’s contract.

Guiding Questions:
- What strategies have you found effective for onboarding new recruits immediately after they’ve signed the offer letter, particularly in managing contracts and expectations?
- How do you approach the ongoing collection and management of personal data during the onboarding process, ensuring both compliance and efficiency?
- What steps do you take if new information surfaces that requires terminating a recruit’s contract, and how do you handle such situations to minimize disruption and maintain professionalism?