Our recent reorganization around Digital Products reflects that shift. Rather than treating recruitment, professional development, and other digital services as separate programs, we are taking an approach that focusses on usability, flexibility, scalability, and the specific needs of schools at different stages, enrollments, locations, and tuition levels.
One visible result is the decision to debundle some of our recruitment products. Schools no longer need to purchase a broad package simply to access one or two services they value. Database access, virtual recruiting events, job promotion, and related services can now be purchased independently or combined where that makes sense. The intent is straightforward: schools should be able to buy what they need, at any point during the school year, at a level that fits their circumstances.
In their recently published International Market Overview, ISC Research notes that “Teacher recruitment is no longer just about filling vacancies. Across the international school sector, staffing has become a strategic priority that shapes schools’ ability to deliver education programmes, maintain their reputation, and support their long-term strategic plan.”
The recruiting space has become increasingly crowded and competitive. Schools and educators now encounter opportunities across numerous platforms, professional networks, social channels, and direct application systems. In that context, it has become increasingly difficult to attribute a hire to a single service or platform. In the diffuse recruitment environment that exists, reach visibility, candidate engagement, access to talent, ease of use, and the strength of the broader professional community are the more meaningful measures of the value of a recruitment system. Our goal is to support schools across that wider recruiting ecosystem rather than require that every interaction begin and end within a single platform – few do today given the myriad recruitment and communication tools available.
The same philosophy is shaping our approach to professional learning. ISS EDUlearn® is being developed as a broad and continuously growing resource for the entire school community. Live sessions, recorded content, special programs, and new learning opportunities are intended to serve teachers, school leaders, and other professional staff across a wide range of interests and responsibilities.
Importantly, we do not see an online professional learning platform as a replacement for a school’s existing professional development program. Schools will continue to invest in conferences, consultants, internal learning, collaborative planning, and other forms of professional growth. Our aim is to complement those efforts by providing accessible, affordable resources that schools can use throughout the year and across their communities on an as needed and when needed basis.
We believe and are leaning into the idea that digital products should reduce barriers rather than create them. More flexible access, multiple price points, and products designed around how schools work are central to the direction we are taking. We will continue to evolve our products and services based not only on formal user feedback but also on user engagement on the platform.