Recruiting and retaining good staff is fast becoming a holy grail for many sectors, so what can we learn from one of the most challenging sector: education. Naomi Howells, Managing Director of independent education recruitment specialist Class People, addresses how employers can embrace innovation as a sustainable recruitment function.

There are hundreds of sectors currently grappling with staff shortages, skills shortages, and emigration brain drains, as individuals seek better recompense or better work life balance. Teacher vacancies are now a staggering 93% higher than before the start of the Covid pandemic, fuelled in part by growing demand and in part by mass exodus of 40,000 teachers (circa. 9% of the workforce) last academic year. According to further recent data, secondary school recruiting has increased to its greatest level in the previous five years.

With so much ongoing economic uncertainty and a potential recession on the cards, teaching offers an abundance of opportunity and job security. There are now more openings in the profession compared to any point since 2018/19. Yet the number of applicants per position across both primary and secondary education has significantly declined. In the primary sector, 59% of senior leaders have indicated a decrease in the number of applicants compared to the norm; slightly higher than the 54% reported in 2022. In the secondary sector, the recruitment cycle appears to be even more challenging, with over 80% of leaders stating a decrease in applicants compared to the usual – a notable increase from 65% reporting the same in 2022.

While this isn’t great news, what it offers is a blueprint for innovation, that is starting to emerge among strategic-thinking educational establishments.

Hiring for attitude, not aptitude
The search criteria for the right employee has evolved somewhat. It’s now more about a positive outlook, enthusiasm, a willingness to learn and upskill, and a can-do attitude. It’s not that skills aren’t important, but when the top predictor of a new hire’s success or failure is attitude, then attitude – dedication and cultural fit being two key elements – should be priority when it comes to hiring.

There are several reasons why recruiting for attitude is the right approach for a vacancy; primarily that you’ll be inviting a wider pool of candidates and secondly, that it is an effective identifier for future leadership potential. For Class People, who work exclusively in the education sector, this has driven a pilot with the Department for Work and Pensions (DwP), securing talent acquisition from unexpected pools. Ex-medical and care professionals, army rehabilitation, and work with the Job Centre have all identified candidates that are primed for upskilling, but would not normally fit the criteria for teaching. Training

For the candidates to be proceedable, training then becomes a primary consideration. How to take a person with the right attitude and upskill them to meet the training profile of an educator? This has required some bridging training and short-term qualifications, designed to enable school-based work, before joining a recognised education pathway. Adaptive processes such as these are essential for successful recruitment strategies outside the norm.

Room for flexibility
Greater flexibility is vital in the effort to re-engage and retain staff. Post-pandemic, a decent work/life balance is considered even more important than having a higher salary for many people. Before the pandemic, there was a growing desire among employees for more tangible purpose and values from their bosses. It is now crucial for businesses to focus on their culture and employee wellbeing and ensure that they are embracing the change in ways of working, using the opportunity to adopt new, more flexible working practices for the longer term.

Traditional approaches to flexibility may focus on shorter hours, flexible start and end times, or compressed hours, but many businesses do not have the luxury of adapting their hours. Innovation again becomes the priority, looking at how workers can gain a work-life balance, without compromising the integrity of business operations. In a recent survey, teachers were prompted to give suggestions of flexible working arrangements that they would consider favourable to them. Around 4 out of 10 responses related to working at home during preparation, planning and administration (PPA) time for example, despite having a role that is traditionally site-based.

Other innovative approaches include role-division to direct focus where it is required most, perhaps centralising specific administrative roles away from the individual. Innovations in other sectors have included call answering services, a client triage team, or office-based rotas, which can be utilised to meet client expectations while freeing employees to set their own flexible schedule.

Leveraging transferable skills
Just as with any role, teaching blends both sector-specific and general roles and responsibilities that are all crucial in carrying out the role. The ability to multitask, possess organisational skills, be adept at record keeping, adhere to strict deadlines and own interpersonal skills – that is, the ability to communicate information on different levels – are all prerequisites. Staying calm under pressure, following rules and using initiative as well as being a team player are also key assets.

Identifying and procuring individuals with transferable skills enable the business (or school) to benefit from life experience and skills that they might not otherwise have access to, while opening a new recruitment pool. For example, within schools, and as part of the DWP pilot, pupils and students benefit from the experience, background and skills that ex-military personnel have gained in inspiring armed forces, particularly in developing leadership skills and engaging students. They possess the expertise relevant and transferable to the classroom in terms of leadership, discipline, motivation and teamwork, making them ideal candidates for roles in senior education. Those in the health and social care sectors looking to make a career switch to teaching also have transferable skills. This includes patience, communication, problem-solving, instruction skills and a dedication to lifelong learning.

Embracing other approaches
Recruitment still has a very traditional focus, advertising on jobs boards, CV sites, headhunting, and perhaps LinkedIn, but many of these approaches are only relevant if a potential candidate is actively looking for, or passively considering a new role. Every labour or skills shortage inevitably drives innovation, and businesses will do well to embrace alternative approaches,

For example, one regional incentive being launched across the South West by Class People is a trial programme in collaboration with the Job Centre and Partners in Bristol to promote more on-the-job training. While online training and retraining is delivered to those seeking new job opportunities in teaching, Class People then secure two-week placements for them to gain experience, before placing them into a paid role, as a ‘learn and earn’ approach.  Buy-in is also important for schools to factor in, as recent evidence points to supportive leadership as a factor strongly associated with teacher retention. This is because statistically, staff are more inclined to willingly keep working at a school if they are bought-in to the school’s vision and implementation and have belief in the strategic plans of their leadership team.

And while not an overnight fix by any means, longer-term measures which might be effective at reducing candidate shortages and attracting talent include financial incentives, such as offering higher salaries or recruitment bonuses, and proper access to good quality professional development, as well as addressing the root causes of any outflow.