When it comes to recruitment advertising, schools have a lot of competition. All you need to do is a simple search on the TES to see that the market is over-saturated with jobs.
Maths Teacher adverts, for example, have hundreds of others to compete with, therefore it is crucial to ensure that you are making the process easy, accessible and smooth-running for potential applicants.
In order to make your school and adverts really stand out, there are a few easy steps you can implement into your advertising in order to optimise your candidate’s journey.
#1 Put yourself in their shoes
Simple but effective, putting yourself into the shoes of your potential applicants is a valuable method in identifying ways in which you can make the application process easier.
From start to finish, you need to be thinking about how you’d like the process to be if it were you who was job hunting. It may be helpful to do some research of your own – visit the job board you are hoping to advertise on and act as if you were the job seeker. From the initial search to the method of application, the process should be smooth and as clear as possible. From this research you can ascertain what works well and what isn’t so effective.
At this stage it would be helpful to write some notes to inform what you do next.
#2 Sell your school
An English teacher already knows how to teach English, so don’t fill your advert with text explaining what it means to teach their subject. Instead, sell your school.
There will be hundreds of Teacher of English roles available, so make it an easy choice for the applicant and explain how your staff benefit from working for you. Whether it’s free lunches, excellent CPD opportunities or extracurricular clubs, you need to win them over, so don’t shy away from what makes you a great place to work.
#3 Don’t make them search
In an age where everything is instant and attention spans are at an all-time low, job seekers won’t be spending their valuable time searching for information that should be readily accessible.
The key elements of a role such whether it’s full or part time, permanent or otherwise, as well as the salary are all integral factors determining whether or not somebody will apply. So, make sure to include these to avoid misleading your candidates. It goes without saying, but ensure you make it crystal clear when the closing date is and how to apply.
Top tip: to make life even easier for your candidates, consider utilising the TES Quick Apply function. Their TES profile will allow the form to autofill, significantly cutting down their time spent applying.
Teachers are busy people, so making their lives easier will go down very well and only add to their positive experience of your school.
#4 It’s the little things
So, an applicant has found your role, knows all the perks of working for you and knows how to apply. But what else can you do to optimise your candidate’s journey?
- Make sure your school website links are clickable, this is a small task, but it goes a long way.
- Attachments with further school materials are a useful way to present information in a way which candidates can choose to consume the facts rather than bombarding them with it in the advert itself.
- Keep the textbooks in the classroom, not in your advert!
- Keep your TES School Profile up to date with the latest information and photos. This makes you look prepared, polished and professional.
#5 Communication is key
Last, but certainly not least, is communication.
To end your candidate’s journey positively, communicating the outcome of their application is a touch that will be much appreciated by those who took the time to put themselves forward for the role. A simple email to acknowledge their time will take seconds out of your day but will show that your school is professional and cares about their staff.
This simple, human touch cannot be underestimated for its power in rounding off a brilliant and positive candidate journey.
Final thoughts
By implementing these methods into your advertising, your chances of encouraging somebody to apply for your vacancy will most definitely increase. It will show that you’ve made the effort to think about what works well, how best to promote your school and last, but certainly not least, it’ll also show that you appreciate the valuable free time that teachers have.
Bryony – Guide
