Over to Caroline….
I’ve been with Tes for more than 15 years with 10 years in education recruitment. During this time, I‘ve made strong relationships with schools and supported many teachers and senior leaders to get their dream job.
In my free time, I love supporting charity events with my local sports club to raise money for children.
What was your most challenging position to fill, and why? What was the result?
An academy in rural Essex was recruiting for a geography teacher role. The school advertised their role and they were unsatisfied with the quality of applicants. We worked with their account owner who suggested that they turn to smartMatch.
After starting the search, we quickly understood there was a lack of high-quality candidates available in the local area. I knew that this was going to be a challenging role to make a placement for, however I was determined to find the perfect candidate and make sure the school had a good teacher.
I didn’t stop until I managed to recruit for the school. I managed to find a teacher and the candidate was invited and offered the role. As the candidate was on a higher salary, I carefully negotiated with the school and the candidate to ensure that they were both happy.
With the resignation date looming, do you have any advice for schools that receive a last-minute resignation?
It's important for schools to act quickly and be clear on the type of candidates they’re looking to replace when a resignation takes place. One option is to contact the team at smartMatch so we can speak to candidates about the role, especially if you’ve a particular profile of teacher - we need to know so that we can find the best person for your role.
Be honest about what your school can offer a candidate - this is key. Understanding what your school can offer helps to make your role attractive compared to other schools that are also recruiting for a similar role. Have confidence that it’s still possible to recruit and we’ve candidates that are available and looking for roles immediately.
What are your top tips for schools looking for their ideal candidate?
- Every school is unique and will have an idea who their ideal candidate is. To ensure you find that person, I always recommend that schools be clear on what your school can offer the candidate, i.e. a positive work environment, development opportunities, CPD, financial incentives and any challenges.
- Be transparent and realistic on the profile of the candidate that you want to recruit.
- Make time to review and contact candidates quickly.
What makes smartMatch unique?
We offer personal and tailored support to schools with hard-to-fill roles. We listen and understand the ethos of each school and have conversations with candidates to find your school the best possible teacher. We’re always determined to find you a candidate and also support the candidates on their career journey.
