Conducting an Executive Search to appoint a contemporary educational leader with exceptional communication and interpersonal skills to the position of Principal.
The Brief
With the impending retirement of the Principal after ten years of distinguished service, the School Board chose to partner with Future Leadership™ to appoint their new Principal.
Offering a diverse academic curriculum, combined with a caring pastoral approach, the College sought to appoint a contemporary educational leader who displays exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, coupled with a nurturing approach and the ability to inspire trust within the school community. With much of the staff cohort holding long term tenure with the College, this was an exciting opportunity for a first time Principal.
Candidate net Promote Score
Future Leadership combines truly personalised relationships with innovative technology solutions to ensure an approachable and efficient process for all our Net Promoter Score across clients, successful candidates and unsuccessful candidates is well above industry standard.
Candidates supported every year
We maintain genuine relationships with past candidates and continue to support them with leadership solutions long term, after they land their role.
Senior Women Appointed since 2002
Over half of the executive search assignments undertaken by our team have resulted in the appointment of outstanding female or LGBTQI+ leaders to high profile roles.
Candidate Retention Rate for 12 months since 2002
Our thorough briefing process and ability to engage passive candidates mean that we go to great lengths to find the right person for the role – long term!
The Process
Future Leadership™, represented by Liz Jones visited the College to complete a comprehensive briefing workshop with the Board and to undertake a tour of the campus.
With a full understanding of the nuances of the position and culture Future Leadership™ prepared a search strategy targeting proven leaders in Independent Schools supported by a print and online advertising campaign.
A shortlist of eight external candidates and one internal candidate was presented, comprising consultant report and candidate application documents. Two rounds of panel interviews were conducted with the Board, with the final two candidates attending an on-site meeting comprising a presentation and College tour. Future Leadership™ supported all aspects of this process including interview logistics, interview guides and questions, and consultant participation.
Emerging Capabilities
Curriculum
Designing and implementing educational programs and course structures that align with academic standards and meet the diverse needs of students, ensuring a comprehensive and engaging learning experience.
Education Management
Overseeing the administration and leadership of educational institutions or programs, including managing staff, resources, and policies to create an effective and supportive learning environment.
Committees
This skill refers to participating in, leading, or managing committees within an organisation. It includes coordinating activities, facilitating discussions, and making decisions that align with the organisation's goals while representing various stakeholders' interests.
Educational Leadership
Demonstrating strong leadership within an educational setting, including setting strategic direction, managing staff, fostering a positive learning environment, and ensuring the effective delivery of educational programs.
Staff Development
This skill involves designing, implementing, and overseeing professional development programs for staff. It includes identifying training needs, fostering continuous learning, and improving skills to enhance overall performance and organisational effectiveness.
The Outcome
The successful candidate was appointed and commenced in 2021.
The successful candidate is an experienced educator with over 25 years of experience across the education sector, bringing skills in teaching and learning. Additionally the appointee had a strong affinity with the broader community having grown up spending time in the area with family.
Our Board engaged Future Leadership™, led by Liz Jones, to support the College to appoint a new Principal. The Board selected Future Leadership™ as our partner in this critical process on the basis of their demonstrated work with other schools and the strong synergies between those schools and the College. The focus of the College is very much about lifting each student to their potential without losing the caring environment and it was important in undertaking the search that potential candidates would bring a contemporary approach to academic development while maintaining a focus on pastoral care.
From the beginning Liz guided us through each stage of the search process, providing timely and sage advice at each juncture. In the first instance Liz visited our campus to tour the College and meet all of the Senior Leadership team and to meet with the Board to obtain a full brief, taking the time to understand all of our requirements. Regular weekly calls kept us up to date on the progress of the search and provided an opportunity to calibrate the emerging field.
The process of appointing our new Principal had an added degree of complexity as we were managing the process during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future Leadership™ managed all the logistics around remote interviewing, and we held two successful rounds of panel interviews via video conference. Liz worked closely with us to develop a strategy for a final round of interviews onsite at the College, ensuring all relevant public health orders were complied with while providing the College Board an opportunity to come face to face with the final two candidates.
Liz’s support and advice over the course of this selection process has been invaluable and I highly recommend her and the Future Leadership™ team. We are delighted with the appointment of our new Principal and look forward to their contribution to our College and the local community.
Liz Jones and Future Leadership™ were great to work with. Transparent, thorough and professional, their ongoing communication and care for me as the candidate was first class. It enabled me to present myself in the best way possible. Over the recruitment process Liz was able to facilitate an open and trusting relationship with my future employer. This is the ideal basis for me to start my new position.
