“Being a good employer starts at the bottom of the ladder”

As director, Kemps is responsible for 31 employees, including 25 teachers. “I have a lot of experience with starting teachers within various foundations,” he says. “I have seen what guidance is effective and how to ensure that teachers land well in a school organisation. That means they know their way around and feel seen and heard.”

Kemps“ school is part of a 15-school foundation. As a member of the foundation's personnel committee, he is closely involved in the induction phase of new teachers and staff. ”We organise four moments a year when freshmen meet, under the guidance of an HR manager and often a headmaster. The teachers get explanations about systems and protocols, but most importantly, they get peer supervision."

One of Kemps“ main concerns: making sure young teachers don't drop out because they are overworked. ”I remember a 24-year-old teacher who was so enthusiastic that he joined every working group. Within a year, he dropped out. I learnt a lot from that. Enthusiasm is wonderful, but your plate quickly gets full. That is why it is so important that teachers receive good guidance, especially in that first period. Being a good employer starts at the bottom of the ladder."

Even after the first year, support remains necessary. New teachers therefore receive three years of guidance from a coach from another school within the foundation. “Because he is less coloured, he is better able to ask about needs and pitfalls,” Kemps explains.

How does Kemps monitor the effectiveness of the guidance teachers receive? And how does he know whether the new recruits actually land within the school organisation? “We have regular discussions with the coaches and the employees themselves,” says Kemps. “But to measure employee happiness at work, DUO-Onderwijs conducts an employee survey (MO) every few years. An objective measurement gives a lot of information about how people really experience their work, the school culture and organisation.”

Kemps stresses that doing research is only useful if you do something with the results. “At school, we put a lot of time into development discussions. The research results can be a valuable starting point. For instance, by asking specific questions during development interviews when it appears that many colleagues experience work pressure. As an employee, you then feel supported: you are not alone.”

It is not for nothing that Kemps gives so much priority to the induction phase. “We owe it to our students to invest in teachers” job happiness,“ he argues. ”Pupils can develop best when they are taught by teachers who not only go to work with a smile, but also cycle home with a smile. That's the goal and that's what you have to commit to as a school headmaster."

Koen Kemps is director of IKC de Kerneel, part of the Meerderweerd foundation. The foundation is ultimately responsible for 14 regular schools and 1 special primary school in the municipalities of Weert and Nederweert.