Sudden Departures - How School Leaders Can Stem the Tide of Employee Attrition
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4 million Americans quit their jobs in July of 2021, while the September 2021 issue of McKinsey Quarterly reported more than 19 million US workers have left their jobs since April of this year.
These are staggering numbers and independent schools have felt the sting of this alarming trend firsthand. In speaking with heads of schools, many report having numerous vacancies on their administrative teams, faculty and staff; with employees giving little to no notice before leaving. A rush of sudden departures occurred just prior to the start of the 2021–2022 school year, while others have transpired throughout the first semester.
Faced with these unexpected resignations, heads of school are left scrambling to fill positions…causing consternation within their schools and communities. Families feel the sting of departures acutely, especially when a teacher or coach that engages with their child everyday disappears from their lives. Some families may even scale up the problem and assume broader instability in the school even if no such trend exists.
So how can school leaders address this rise in attrition?