A look inside our recruitment process

Helen Voogt-Dillon, Director of Human Resources, outlines our staff recruitment process and the attributes we look for in candidates.

In my role as Director of Human Resources, I understand that applying for a job with Melbourne Grammar School is something people do because they have a true passion for working with us. For those considering applying for a position, I’d like to outline a little about how we hire and what it’s like to work in our School.

Our interview process

We take a considered and flexible approach to our recruiting process, including our interviews. Rather than follow a highly structured set of questions, we prefer to use interviews as opportunities to get to know each candidate better and to describe what Melbourne Grammar is like. This is a two-way conversation—a chance for candidates to understand our School and for us to understand them.

As we narrow down our candidate choices, we make sure we have conversations to make sure people feel informed about the process and know as much as they can about working at Melbourne Grammar. Candidates often say that by the time we reach second round interviews, there are no surprises left to discover.

For teaching staff, we expect every candidate to run an observation class that one or two members of the interview panel will observe. Candidates can expect a lot of support going into this experience, including a comprehensive briefing about the expectations of the class to be taught from a senior teacher. We want to ensure candidates can do their very best during this experience.

Who we look for

Above all, we want to employ people who truly want to work at Melbourne Grammar School. We’re looking for teachers and general staff who have a focus on excellence and a desire to add value over their time in a role.

While we are focused on expertise, excellence and track record, we also recognise that we need diversity across our staff in terms of age and experience. For Graduate teachers, we’re keen to find people starting their careers who’ve done more than complete their degrees and can show their engagement with school life beyond the classroom.

Our School culture

The perception of what it’s like to work at Melbourne Grammar is vastly different to the experience—for the better. Our School is not a cold bluestone rooted in the ways of the past. We willingly embrace well researched change that will benefit the School as a whole.

In everything we do, there is a requirement to strive for excellence. Those who thrive here are the people who want to go above and beyond what’s purely necessary—who want to do their very best in their role. We also regard it as one of our responsibilities to help people develop in their roles so that they can move on to the next step in their careers.

Finally, I would describe Melbourne Grammar as a place built on the quality of the relationships between staff. For those who truly want to work for us, it’s worth taking the time to connect with people who already work here to understand what the School has to offer and how you can contribute.

Helen Voogt-Dillon Director of Human Resources

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