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A fresh approach to teacher recruitment
WHITE PAPER
Introduction 3
Current Market 4
Advertising 6
Online Presence 8
Branding 10
Candidate Experience 12
Talent Community 14
School Mini-site 16
Online Recruitment 18
Online Advertising 19
Introduction
A Fresh Approach
Three Simple Solutions
Table of Contents
School leaders know that no matter the success of a school, a firm focus on effective recruitment is crucial. Successful schools need to keep attracting great teachers and support staff to maintain their success and those that are struggling need to attract great teachers in order to help turn things around.
There was a time when the resignation of one of your teachers wasn’t accompanied with fear, angst and worry. You’d place your advert and simply look forward to the applications you’d receive; the only stress would come with the difficult decision you’d have to make on which candidate to choose.
So what’s changed? What made school recruitment so complex and stressful?
A challenging combination of teacher shortages, stricter legislation on Safer Recruitment and the reduced influence of local authorities are just some of the key factors. Add to that an increasing uncertainty over budget cuts, the potential shift to academies and an increase in autonomy, and schools are finding themselves faced with a whole new world.
Introduction
– OFSTED
”People are the most effective.
drivers of improvement and .
change in our schools”
“Getting the best teachers into the profession is in
itself a key school improvement activity”
– JOHN STEPHENS, NCTL
It is no secret that there is a severe shortage of teachers in the UK. It’s been four years since the Department of Education last hit their trainee recruitment targets and now every single school is feeling the strain. Declining numbers entering teacher training inevitably leads to a shallower pool of talent, leaving schools in the unenviable position of filling vacant roles with temporary teachers or, in the worst scenarios, leaving vacancies unfilled.
As is inevitably the case in an industry faced with a shallow pool of talent to recruit from, schools are finding themselves having to fight to stand out in a crowd. With so much riding on getting the best people into your school, the pressure to make recruitment efforts as effective as possible is keenly felt.
On top of this, there’s the added challenge of ensuring that not only are your recruitment efforts effective and value for money, but that they also are completely in line with Safer Recruitment legislation.
With government initiatives, increasing competition and the pressure for schools to become academies, it’s a tricky time. But whether converting to an academy or just wanting to get ahead in your recruitment, you don’t have to tackle the challenges alone.
The Current Market
The realm of school recruitment has transformed considerably, with shrinking pools of talent inevitably leading to significantly increased competition. On top of this, the freedom of academies to set their own salaries makes competing with those often larger budgets incredibly difficult. Whilst previously schools have been able to turn to local authorities as a centralised source of expertise and advice, the new market freedoms require sector expertise to get ahead.
These significant changes make it even more crucial to invest in your long term strategy, and online advertising remains a linchpin in any recruitment campaign.
Your online advert is often the first contact a candidate will have with your school; it is the first impression they’ll get and likely your only chance to grab their attention before they move on to one of your competitors.
A well-written job advert should be the start of a candidate’s journey through to applying for your vacancy, providing them with all of the information they need and selling your organisation as a desirable place to work. It should also provide a clear insight into your school and effectively answer any questions they might have.
At a point where competition for the top candidates is fiercer than ever, your job advert could make all the difference between helping you stand out from the crowd and missing out on yet another potential applicant.
Jobsgopublic studies have shown that up to 81% of candidates would be put off applying for a vacancy by a badly written advert. This means that if you haven’t put the effort into making sure your advert is selling you properly, you could be left with just 19% of the pool. Considering the current state of the education job market, how confident would you feel being restricted to such a small percentage?
Your job adverts need to be clear and concise, providing details not only of the job itself, but also your organisation. This should include information about your school’s vision and values. Information like this allows candidates to relate and connect with your organisation, helping you stand out.
Our study also revealed that 69% of teachers wouldn’t apply for a vacancy if the advert was just a list of requirements, proving the importance of proper detail.
A Fresh Approach
Advertising
So you’ve got your well-written advert, but what use is it if your target audience doesn’t get to see it?
We’ve found that candidates use up to 18 different sources to find jobs. This includes search engines (91% of job searches begin on Google) along with social media platforms and other digital communications such as email. The modern jobseeker can sign up to a variety of services in which suitable vacancies are sent directly to their inbox and the rise of mobile technology means that they can now access this information at all times, even on the move.
Not using a considered combination of digital advertising and communication to widen the reach of your vacancies not only limits your access to active jobseekers, but also completely disregards the passive candidates. With such a shrinking pool of talent to begin with, it is essential that you don’t place any further restrictions on your efforts.
Your target audience is an important consideration for each vacancy; the seniority and specialism of the post are just a couple of factors that should influence the advertising mix that you use to effectively target your desired candidates.
SIMPLISTIC ADS DISCOURAGE
69% would be put off applying by an ad listing requirements only 69+31+K
BADLY WRITTEN ADS TOO...
81% would be discouraged from applying by a badly written advert 69+31+K
GOOGLE IS POPULAR!
91% of applicants start their job search on Google 91+9+K
AVERAGE SOURCES USED
The average jobseeker uses 18 different sources to find vacancies
18
96% of teachers said they visit a school’s
website before applying for a vacancy
– JOBSGOPUBLIC SURVEY
9 out of 10 candidates will research an organisation before applying for a vacancy, according to our research. Unsurprisingly, they research potential employers in exactly the same way as they research a restaurant before making a reservation or a new car before booking a test drive: on the internet.
It is for this reason that having a strong online presence is vital to your recruitment efforts and will give you an advantage that could be crucial in the long run.
Whilst it should by no means end there, your online presence should begin with your website. 96% of respondents to our exclusive survey said that they would visit a school’s website before applying for a vacancy. This makes it extremely important for you to have a website that, if not entirely geared towards jobseekers, at least considers what information candidates might be looking for.
Once you have your website in place, you then need to think about how it’s going to get seen. Unless a candidate knows exactly who you are and what your website address is, the likelihood is the majority of users will find your site through a search on Google or a similar search engine (but most likely Google).
Within a crowded job market, it’s likely that there are a number of your competitors who will also by vying for candidates’ attention, so it’s integral that some thought, and investment, is put into ensuring that your site can be found easily on search engines. Those coveted top search results fall to the people who are willing to work for them. Think about your search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy as well as investing in search engine marketing (SEM) to ensure that you’re securing the top spots.
Considering the powerhouse that social media has become in modern society, ignoring it is a great risk. When used effectively, your social media accounts can give candidates a unique insight into your school, your staff and your pupils. The more candidates feel they know about your organisation, the more comfortable they will feel and the more they will trust you. Trust can be key when it comes to securing applications.
Use your social media accounts as an extension of your website, with consistent branding so it immediately feels familiar to candidates. The immediate nature of social media gives your followers a better understanding of the day-to-day goings on at your school. Using a variety of content, including images and videos, enhances this.
A Fresh Approach
Online Presence
In 2015, it was widely reported that the UK job market had become one driven by candidates rather than employers. This came as a result of there being, for the first time since the recession, a greater number of vacancies than active candidates, leaving employers having to fiercely compete for the top talent.
As a reaction to this dramatic shift in the job market, the concept of ‘employer branding’ emerged as a key way for organisations to stand out from their competition.
Employer branding is what establishes your organisation as an employer of choice, as an ideal place to work and subsequently plays a huge role in attracting the very best candidates. As this is a product of a candidate-driven market, a big part of employer branding involves organisations aligning themselves with what their candidates are looking for, recognising the shift in power that has taken place and co-operating with it rather than resisting.
The situation within the education job market at the moment is essentially a concentrated version of that in the general UK market. In fact, many could argue that, in education, it is significantly more severe. If that is the case, employer branding could have a vital role to play in helping you attract the top talent in the sector.
The key to effective employer branding is a genuine understanding of your candidates: what are they looking for from an employer? What are they looking for from an application process? And, perhaps most importantly, what aspirations do they have for the future?
A true understanding of these factors will give you the information you need to re-mould your recruitment efforts, genuinely standing out from the crowd and showing that you care.
A key aspect of effective employer branding is that it isn’t just achieved through external communication: you must consider, too, your internal communication and current employees. In the world of social media and digital communication, it’s easy for candidates to contact your current employees to find out more about your organisation. What will your people say about you?
On top of that, ex-employees can damage your reputation, especially with the emergence of sites such as Glassdoor, which allow ex-staff to review you as an employer.
While there is little you can do about former staff, it’s very important to consider the impression you make on your current employees. Are they happy? Are their needs being met? How will they contribute to your employer brand?
A Fresh Approach
Employer Branding
The most daunting thing about moving to a new school for education professionals is a lack of familiarity
WILLING TO RELOCATE
61% of teachers are willing to relocate for the right position 61+39+K
PREFER TO APPLY ONLINE
80% of education professionals prefer to apply on an online application form 80+20+K
LOOK FOR PROMOTION
50% of teachers look for promotion two years after starting a new position 50+50+K
CAN’T SEE A CAREER PATH
53% of teachers say their career path isn’t clear in their current position 53+47+K
Target your employer brand
Our exclusive survey gave us an insight into how schools can really stand out amongst the crowd when it comes to recruiting. Mould your recruitment efforts to what teachers really think...
Only 1% of teachers surveyed could name
a single positive recruitment experience
– JOBSGOPUBLIC SURVEY
Your candidates’ experiences during the application process is a massive contributing factor to how your employer brand is perceived.
In our recent study, we asked teachers to name a school that had provided them with a positive application experience. Shockingly, only 1% of those we spoke to were able to name a single one.
At a time where it is harder to attract education professionals than ever before, and the individuals in question have more choice than ever before, how could you run the risk of going to all the effort to attract them only to lose them in a poor application process?
Candidate experience begins with someone seeing your advert and ends with their appointment, or unfortunate dismissal from the process, encompassing every single step of the process in between.
Our research has shown that 84% of teachers will share their experiences of an application process with colleagues; when only 1% have had a single positive experience that’s a lot of negative stories flying around! Not considering the experience you’re providing could have an incredibly detrimental impact on your reputation and make it very difficult to stand out in a positive way.
Take the time to consider each step of your recruitment process: does it align with what your candidates want? Will it provide a positive experience?
As mentioned above, 80% of teachers want to apply through an online application form. Do you have an online application form?
62% of teachers claim to have not applied for a vacancy due to a faulty online application form. If you have an online form, is it fully functional?
Once you’ve secured your applications, do you have procedures in place to effectively contact candidates, to keep them updated of their progress throughout the process? Do you regret manage unsuccessful candidates?
Ongoing communication and timely processing gives candidates a good impression of the school, as well as making them feel valued. With resignation dates still determining the recruitment cycle, you cannot afford to lose candidates to another school that has got this right
A well considered candidate experience can go a long way to ensuring that you not only are able to attract the best candidates, but that you are able to retain them throughout the entire process.
A Fresh Approach
Candidate Experience
One of the most powerful strategies for attracting and recruiting top talent is the cultivation of talent communities. Talent communities are composed of people who may not be quite ready to apply for a job, or for whom there is no appropriate position open.
With a community of engaged jobseekers to whom you can immediately advertise vacancies, you might find that you are able to massively streamline your recruitment process. Not only do you side-step the complication of advertisement and attraction, but you will find that members of this community have already ‘bought in’ to your organisation and developed a sense of trust. This can be absolutely crucial in helping you secure applications.
The key to developing a community like this is a combination of advertising, employer branding and candidate experience.
If you can effectively execute each stage, then you may find that each new vacancy quickly receives a number of applications from your community - removing many of the common headaches of recruitment!
A Fresh Approach
Talent Community
Develop a talent community
Take our three easy steps to building a community of engaged jobseekers, ready to apply whenever you advertise.
Raise AwarenessFirst, you’ll need to make these candidates aware of you as an employer.
Build Your BrandCreate a strong brand as an employer of choice, even where there are no current vacancies that suit an applicant.
Keep CommunicatingMaintain ongoing communication with your potential applicants to keep them engaged.
A fresh approach is essential. Yet with so many critical elements to consider, it can appear daunting to those with less direct experience in recruitment.
At Jobsgopublic, this is what we do. As a recruitment partner, we want to do what we can to help schools, academies and colleges recruit the best teachers, effectively and efficiently.
We understand that, as education professionals, your full focus should be on your pupils. We appreciate the challenges that you face when recruiting teachers and support staff and the drain that this can be on your time and resources.
Utilising 16 years of experience and in conjunction with school leaders, we have put together a solution package that helps you to separate yourself from the competition, attracting the best talent whilst saving you time and money, and minimising risk.
The Jobsgopublic SolutionRecruit the best, effectively and efficiently, with our innovative solutions
Over the last 16 years, Jobsgopublic have gained a reputation for working with some of the top employers within the education sector in the UK. This is the reason that those looking to work in schools, academies and colleges keep coming back to us to search for their next opportunity.
As part of our solution we offer the opportunity to tap into our extensive audience of engaged education professionals.
Combine a job listing with our top performing enhancements and you can be sure that your vacancy will be highly visible, boosting your profile and widening your reach.
Online Advertising
Ensure your vacancies get seen by lots of highly qualified, engaged jobseekers by advertising with Jobsgopublic.
Education vacancies consistently receive good numbers of high quality applications - over 14 on average.
Put your vacancy in front of a vast network, with 170k monthly visitors from the sector.
We are proud to attract a diverse audience of jobseekers, with 33% identifying as black or minority ethnic.
Combine a job listing with our top performing enhancements and you can be sure that your vacancy will be highly visible, widening your reach.
170,000 education professionals
A very diverse audience
Highqualityapplications
Boost your profile
A recruitment-centric mini-site places all the key information that candidates are looking for, about both your school and you as an employer, in one place. This provides jobseekers with a one-stop information hub, building trust and encouraging applications.
A mini-site not only builds your online presence and helps to boost your employer brand but provides the first step of a fantastic candidate experience. The days of candidates having to search painstakingly for the information they need are over.
Choose from our modern templates, and Jobsgopublic will create your mini-site, branding it with your logo and colours and filling it with great content along with your vacancies.
More informed candidates result in better quality applications!
Mini-site
Make negative candidate experiences a thing of the past with an easy-to-use and highly functional recruitment system.
The Jobsgopublic Online Recruitment System provides you with the practical tools you need to provide a first rate application experience, helping you retain candidates throughout and comply with all Safer Recruitment legislation.
Bring all of your recruitment activity online and in one place, streamline your process and provide the very best experience for your candidates.
Online Recruitment System
Bring all of your recruitment activity online and in one place
One simple system
Carry out pre-employment & reference checks in line with Safer Recruitment
Safer Recruitment Compliant
Easily organise and filter your applications and contact candidates at the click of a button, saving you precious time
Simple tools to save time
Keep records of applicants, to start to build your organically grown pool of candidates for the future
Grow an applicant pool
Easy to use online application form, completely mobile and tablet responsive
Easy & responsive forms
See where your applications and, ultimately, hires are coming from along with a detailed spend analysis
Make smarter decisions
