With last week’s Spring Statement casually ignoring education, it looks like the school funding crisis is here to stay. And there’s still the not-so-small issue of the teacher shortage, which makes the whole process of recruiting even harder. It’s not only taking more time to find the right teacher for your vacant role, it’s also costing your school more money.
We’re here to help. As part of your school’s Recruitment Subscription, you’ll have access to the Tes Portal. But, did you know that you can do more than just book your jobs from there?
The Applicant Tracking System (ATS) helps you to keep on top of every stage of the recruitment process, from receiving applications and shortlisting to requesting references and making your final decision. It makes collaboration easier and also helps you to remain GDPR-compliant.
Here are just a few of our favorite ATS features:
1. Online application form
Frankly, if you haven’t heard of Tes’ online application forms, where have you been?! There are three - one for UK teaching roles, one for UK support staff roles and one for international roles.
By using one of these forms - instead of the CV upload or your own application form - you’re likely to get two times more applications for your role. Yep, even in these tricky recruitment times. And two times more applications means that you’re two times more likely to find the perfect teacher for your job.
The forms contain almost all of the questions you’d expect. But if there are questions specific to your school that you’d like to add, you can. There’s a simple process to get them added.
Using the online application forms also unlocks a whole range of features to support the process.
2. Application status labels
Fed up of printing reams of application forms and collating all manner of handwritten notes? Our application status labels could be the answer!
Once the applications come in, it’s really easy to collaborate with others in the hiring team to make decisions on who to shortlist using the labels. You can even qualify your choice by adding comments to each application. Everybody in the hiring team will be able to see them, which keeps the process transparent and efficient.
3. Shortlisting/interview scorecard
It’s one of our newest features - and we’ve got plenty of plans for its development - but the scorecard in its current form is another great way for those involved in the hiring process to record their thoughts during shortlisting and even the interview process.
It’s standardised, so it’s easy to compare everybody’s thoughts on each of the candidates and come to the best decision about who to take forward / offer the job to, and fast.
We’re looking for feedback on this feature - we want to know how to make it better! - so why not give it a go and let us know? You can email us: research@tes.com.
4. Online reference requests
How long does it typically take you to get responses from referees? Our online tool will get you quicker responses without the hassle. It uses automatic reminders and validated forms to ensure you get 75% response rate in three days, and a 95% in seven days.
Those schools who’ve used this feature describe it as revolutionary. With the time saved not chasing references, staff can be free to focus on the detail around the rest of the process and ultimately ensure you find the right fit for your vacant role.
If you’re looking for more info, or if you’d like to request access, take a look here. As far as we’re concerned, it’s definitely worth a try. How much time and money might you end up saving?
Want to find out more about our Applicant Tracking System (ATS) visit tes.com/ats
