Recruitment

Online recruitment options

Recruiting a new member of staff can be a daunting: are there benefits of online advertising? By Paul Howells

At the start of a new term, many of you will contend with a mountain of issues, ranging from repairs to the school buildings, the organisation of budgets and the introduction and retention of staff. At some point you will also have to deal with replacing a member of your team who has decided to move on to pastures new. This however, can be easier said than done.

A study by the then DfES has highlighted significant shortages of science, maths and foreign language teachers. Furthermore, there has been a worrying drop in graduates applying for PGCE training and teacher positions; all of which will have a real impact on the education of our country’s young minds. Therefore, recruitment advertising can not only take up a considerable amount of time but can also be a blight on your financial management. 

Budget busters
Over the years, no doubt a significant proportion of your overall school budget is spent on staff recruitment. When this figure is combined throughout England and Wales, it amounts to almost £120 million every year.

The majority of schools use the traditional methods of recruitment advertising in national newspapers and regional press. However, many of you may not be aware that there are now resources available to advertise your jobs online, which can result in an equally rewarding and less costly and complicated process. Interestingly, the majority of schools in Wales use the online recruitment method and are reaping the rewards.

Online advertising can have a huge benefit for both schools and potential applicants alike. With the immediacy of the internet, your recruitment advertisement goes live instantly. You could literally start attracting applications within minutes, rather than waiting days for newspapers to be printed.

Cost-effective
Importantly, the overall cost of online advertising is significantly less than the print alternative. A press advertisement can cost anything from £400 to £2,000 for a premium placement. In contrast, online advertising can cost as little as £200 for a single vacancy. A crucial factor with online advertising is that your ads can stay online until your position is filled, whereas many print publications are only available for one day. Also, for ease of access, application packs, policies and Ofsted reports can be uploaded with each vacancy, saving time and money on print and postage.

The other benefit of going online is that the information is easily quantifiable. Once your advert has been placed, you can receive information on how many times an advert has been viewed and how many application forms have been downloaded. If you notice that your advertisement has been viewed a number of times and yet you have not received any applications, you can change your copy or review your criteria. Similarly, if you are getting too much interest from unsuitable applicants, you can simply adjust your advert to include more specific qualifications and experience.

While many of you may have had some success using traditional press advertising, the fact is that in the future schools may need to consider spreading their net wider by using a variety of online networks. Online recruitment advertising produces the same results at a fraction of the cost, in time and money. If more schools use the benefits of online recruitment it will be possible to spend more on teachers’ salaries and school equipment.

Top 5 tips on how to get the most out of online recruitment: 

1 Get advice from the experts

You don’t have to be fluent in IT to run a successful online recruitment campaign as the process is simple and will only take a matter of minutes. Good online recruitment providers have a detailed on-screen user guide and a helpline to talk you through how to set up your account and place your first advert.  

2 Ensure you get to the right candidates

Before you place a vacancy, make sure you have your job description and requirement clearly defined. Often these can be added to the advert to save time and avoid confusion. The more information you put into an advert, the better the results, yet you are not being charged by the word or column inches, like you will in newspapers.

3 Save time and money

Attach application packs to the advertisement, as this will save you a fortune in paper and postage, as well as time.

4 Monitor your adverts

One of the benefits of using online recruitment services means that you are able to regularly monitor your advert. While it is live, you can instantly see how many times your vacancy has been viewed against the number of applications your have received. Careful monitoring will allow you to understand if your advert is attracting candidates and if applications are from suitable teachers. If viewings or applications are low, you could revamp the copy.  

5 It’s www for a reason…

It is estimated that more than 75% of all vacancies are now filled online, so online recruitment will work for all your staff needs, from management, academic to support and administration staff.

Remember, the web is global so you will also attract applicants from far and wide, so state whether your vacancies are suitable for overseas workers or use the filter systems on the website to restrict applications to your local area or UK or EU candidates as required.

Paul Howells is chief executive of eteach.com

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