Designing an Employee Experience Approach to Teacher Retention in Hard-to-Staff Schools

Abstract

Many school employers struggle with teacher turnover challenges despite their use of wide-ranging teacher retention initiatives. Emphasizing a new Talent Centered Education Leadership approach, this article relies on a theory-building methodology that leverages the theories of career choice and Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene, empirical literature that examines the differentiated needs of teachers throughout the stages of their career, and modern strategic human resource management practices, to argue that school leaders should intentionally design a supportive employee experience for teacher support. Guidance is provided for the addressing of staffing issues in hard-to-staff secondary schools, accounting for the total employee experience journey from entry to retirement.