According to Director of Human Resources Meghan Gomm, when a teaching position becomes available, the school initiates a widespread global posting of the job opening.
“We post the teacher position overseas to a lot of international recruitment agencies, and we also have to post them internally on our staff newsletter,” Gomm said. “We post them as widely as we can to make sure we receive a variety of candidates.”
Social Studies Teacher Yonsoo Kang started teaching at the school this year, and said he first heard about the opening at the school from a colleague while living in the U.S.
“I had no idea this school existed, and I wasn’t even looking in London for a job,” Kang said. “My former department chair at my old school in Maryland was notified of an open position for a social studies teacher here at ASL and recommended that I apply.”
In addition, Gomm said HR plays a vital role in collecting CVs for prospective faculty and then forming a team consisting of the High School administration, the relevant department chair and an HR member to evaluate the candidates.
“HR pulls a panel together, usually consisting of four to five adults for High School teacher positions,” Gomm said. “Once that team is made, we will begin to look at all of the submitted CVs and shortlist candidates for the first round of formal interviews.”
High School Assistant Principal Natalie Maisey said the school is dedicated to fostering a diverse educational setting and ensures various viewpoints are involved in hiring faculty to ensure “the process is as fair as possible.”
A few weeks after submitting his CV, Kang said he entered the “screening calls” phase, which delves deeper into the candidates’ work experience and character qualities.
Kang said the first time he was interviewed for the job, it was over Zoom with Maisey and lasted 20 minutes. He was asked about his content knowledge, work ethic and past work experiences.
Moreover, Maisey said the school attempts to recruit teachers who not only meet the academic requirements but also resonate with the school’s pedagogy.
“If we are still struggling to narrow down applicants, we have another panel round, and we try to find out more about the teacher’s values and work ethics,” Maisey said.
Kang said successful candidates proceed to the panel round interviews, which consist of a more thorough investigation of the applicant where they are asked to write a unit plan and are asked questions about the planning process.
To ensure thorough notes are taken and safeguarding concerns are examined accordingly, Gomm said an HR member is always present on the interview panel.
“We take notes, and we are all trained in recruitment practice, making sure that the candidates are appropriate to work with children,” Gomm said.
Furthermore, Gomm said reference checking is considered one of the most vital steps in the process. The school contacts the candidates’ former employers to ensure a comprehensive understanding of their background.
“Candidates can be very good at interviews and giving the right answers, but you want to have references and background checks to make sure that everything lines up,” Gomm said.
After multiple interview rounds, Gomm said HR notifies the High School principal of the chosen candidate.
“We like to let the High School principal have the pleasure of making the phone call and telling the chosen candidate that they have been chosen for the job,” Gomm said. “Afterward, I will send the formal offer letter and start with the paperwork.”
Ultimately, Kang said he thought the process was meticulous and provided him with the opportunity to showcase his skills and character.
“I think the interview process was well-thought-out,” Kang said. “Each stage allowed me to use all of the skills I wanted to show, and it let the school understand my strengths as a teacher.”
