Imprimis Secure Appointment Service™
In order to provide piece of mind to employers when appointing members of staff, Imprimis has developed a process of support which eliminates many of the concerns associated with the recruitment process. The Imprimis School Monitoring Service Team is made up of a body of teachers and senior educational managers drawn from the independent sector, who assist Independent Schools in appointing the candidate most able to satisfy the stipulations of the job description and match the ethos of the school.
The following explanation shows the progressive nature of the "IMPRIMIS Secure Appointment Service™" demonstrating how the system operates.
STAGE ONE: IMPRIMIS consults with the school to clarify the job description, focusing upon the requirements and the school's ethos and matching them to the attributes prospective candidates would be expected to display.
STAGE TWO: The school sends IMPRIMIS copies of applicants' details. IMPRIMIS, independently of the school, prepares a reasoned long list of five potential interviewees. Each is then discussed with the school.
STAGE THREE: Long list candidates are interviewed by the school with a representative of IMPRIMIS on the interview panel. Post interviews, the school and IMPRIMIS review the performance of the candidates and draw up a short list of those to be called for interview.
STAGE FOUR: The IMPRIMIS representative visits the short listed candidates in their current position of employment to assess every aspect of the candidate's performance against the criteria and ethos of the post for which they have applied.
STAGE FIVE: Within 36 hours of the observation of short listed candidates, IMPRIMIS sends a comprehensive report of their findings to the potential employer.
STAGE SIX: Interviews of short listed candidates with the IMPRIMIS representative present to advise panel.
STAGE SEVEN: On going support and mentoring for the newly qualified member of staff by IMPRIMIS representative. This runs parallel to mentoring provided by the school and is particularly designed to centre on the manner in which the appointee conducts their role. The support and mentoring will involve consultation with the school's management team and will involve setting targets for the appointee, against which their performance will be monitored, evaluated and reviewed.
There are many long term benefits to this system which are integral to the whole process:
- Time saving benefits for the management team
- Security of knowing that the appointee matches the job description and reflects the aim and ethos of the school: that the right person has been appointed for the right reasons
- Security in knowing that the interview process has an independent element
- Security of knowing that the management of the school can turn to an independent body for support
- Security for the appointee in knowing that they are valued and being provided with continual support structures
- Security in knowing that, as a result of the in service and training, educational standards will be raised, thus helping to secure the reputation of the school.
PRIOR TO A CANDIDATES INTERVIEW WE WILL:
Upon request, visit a potential academic employee at their current workplace with a view to:
- Spending at least one day shadowing the potential employee to observe their practices in all aspects of school life
- Observing the applicant's adherence and contribution to their present school's ethos and ascertain their ability to assimilate the ethos and expectations (both personal and corporate) of any future educational employer
- Observing the potential employee against the criteria (job description) for the future post
- Interviewing the potential employee in order to gain an insight into their antecedents, their self image, strengths and weaknesses
- Interviewing the potential employees's managers to gain insight into the applicant's level of personal and professional development
- Seeking evidence to support our findings through an examination of all available information
- Writing a full report upon our findings based on all areas of professional conduct relating to the job description
POST APPOINTMENT WE WOULD SEEK TO:
Visit the appointee on two occasions during the first year of their appointment, with a view to:
- Ensuring they are true to the standards and ethos of the establishment
- Maintaining their focus upon the main aspects of their job
- Engendering a professional approach towards pre-ordained areas for development, whether personal or departmental
THE REPORT TO A POTENTIAL EMPLOYER WILL INCLUDE:
- A commentary on research conducted into the characteristics and environment of the school at which the applicant is working
- A confirmation of the applicant's role within the school
- An analysis of how they conduct themselves within that role
- A judgement regarding the applicant's personal/professional image and how this matches the school's ethos
- A judgement upon the applicant's attitude towards the welfare of the pupils
- A judgement regarding the applicant's commitment to extra curricular activities
- A judgement regarding the applicant's working relationship with peers
- A judgement regarding the applicant's attitudes towards the various aspects of their current job, including:
- The degree to which professional activities are planned
- The manor in which the applicant works with pupils
- The quality of learning
- The quality of teaching
- The way in which assessment is used to inform learning and teaching
- The commitment of the applicant to the job
- The applicant's knowledge of and adherence to the policies, systems and practices operated within the school