T3. Get the Right People on the Bus – Coach and Practice
This behaviour develops a leader’s ability to recruit, induct, and retain staff who align with the school’s culture and purpose.
Behaviour focus
Helping leaders design recruitment and onboarding processes that assess both skill and cultural fit.
Purpose
To ensure the team’s composition strengthens the school’s values, performance, and sense of community.
| Action Steps | Key Questions | Practice |
| Define non-negotiables. | What personal qualities are essential for success in your school? | Ask the leader to list three must-have attributes and craft interview questions that reveal them. |
| Recruit for values and capability. | How will you assess alignment with culture as well as skill? | Practise running a mock interview or task that tests both technical and relational fit. |
| Plan purposeful induction. | How can you make the first weeks feel welcoming and clarifying? | Ask the leader to design a one-week induction schedule that blends culture, clarity, and connection. |
| Support and review early. | How do you check if new staff are thriving? | Practise a first-month check-in conversation focusing on both performance and wellbeing. |