A sector under pressure
The 2025 OneAdvanced Business Trends Report surveyed over 6,000 professionals from a broad range of sectors, including further and higher education. It found attraction and retention of talent to be the number one challenge in education today.
This is unsurprising – followers of the OneAdvanced Trends Reports will note that skills shortages have consistently been the biggest single issue in education over the past decade. This raises two questions: why, and what can be done?
Of course, pay comes into the equation, as highlighted in a recent National Education Union (NEU) survey, but there are other factors at play, too. Excessive workload forms a major piece of the puzzle, along with lack of recognition, lack of opportunity for progression, and ineffective leadership.
And while a certain amount of pressure is to be expected, teachers continue to experience undue strain, sometimes leading to prolonged periods of absence, and often resulting in poor wellbeing. According to a 2024 Department of Education DfE report, 63% of teachers and leaders believe their job negatively affects their mental health, while 88% say they feel stressed at work.
This all has a significant impact on talent attraction and retention, and by extension, the ability of the organisation to deliver outstanding teaching. In short, happy staff equals happy students. But how can this be achieved?
People first: building a positive organisational culture
To answer this question, it is worth bearing in mind that while technology can have a significant impact on staff retention, it is by no means a cure-all. At their most valuable, tech solutions augment human input, not replace it. With a robust ‘people first’ strategy in place, technology can save time for administrators, keep records of communication, help leaders set targets, and highlight opportunities for progression.
Any people-first performance strategy should focus on building a positive organisational culture. This is essential for teams and individuals to thrive, reach their potential, and drive improvements. This will not happen overnight, but will develop over time, as team members adapt to small but significant changes in culture and become used to positive change.
The key foundations of a positive organisational culture
- Engagement and teamwork: Achieving cultural change requires collaboration, shared purpose, and involving the whole team. Leaders can set the vision but cannot implement change alone. Teams need to feel empowered and heard.
- Focus on growth and learning: Move away from micromanaging to a culture that encourages self-reflection, feedback, and professional growth. Provide ongoing guidance rather than imposing directives. Prioritise learning well over learning fast.
- Feedback and development: Regular, constructive feedback is vital for high performance. Identify strengths, address challenges, and drive productive outcomes. Adopt a coaching mindset focusing on improvement and innovation over blame.
Steps to build and sustain culture
- Define standards: Decide what practices align with organisational values and ensure consistency, eliminating negative behaviours.
- Celebrate successes: Mark milestones and achievements, big or small, to keep momentum and reinforce positive behaviours.
- Goal setting: Align individual goals with those of the organisation, ensuring transparency and clarity. Use technology to track progress and nudge teams forward.
- Adopt a growth mindset: Promote development by viewing challenges as opportunities and reframing mistakes as learning experiences.
The future of organisational culture
Adapting to rapid technological advancements necessitates creativity, critical thinking, curiosity, and collaboration. An ever-changing landscape highlights the need for adaptable, multi-skilled individuals. At the same time, organisational culture must be consistently adapted to reflect changing times.
Technology is a key part of the process. Performance and Talent is the ideal tool for recording and enhancing performance, making it easy for leaders to set clear goals and objectives. Feeback can be given in real time, giving individuals and teams the chance to reflect on recent achievements.
Performance and Talent also allows for feedback from any member of the team, ensuring every voice is heard and each opinion matters. The Performance Snapshots feature helps individuals self-assess against professional standards, and highlights opportunities for progression.
By fostering a positive learning culture, organisations can inspire trust, attract talent, and achieve meaningful outcomes. Success lies in nurturing an environment where teams can grow, innovate, and feel valued.
Are you looking to create a positive culture within your organisation to drive growth and development? Don’t miss our Unlocking Performance and Talent webinar series, free and on-demand, with education expert Barbara Van der Eecken.