Best Practice – Advertising and Attraction

2023 recruitment has begun as schools and authorities look to overcome the current teacher shortage by getting started early.  In this article, we focus on the attraction stage of the teacher recruitment process.

With the help of recruitment, marketing, and education experts, we will try to answer the question: 

What can schools do differently to attract the right type of candidate during the critical teacher shortage?

Advertising today can be hit and miss.  Your best job board one day, might not perform well the next – and at no fault to the job board. It is the result of the worst teacher shortage seen in our lifetime.  We recommend posting your jobs on more than one trusted source.   

Throughout Term 2 we ran a poll to schools across Australia.  Results showed that on average, for every job a school chooses to advertise, a school is more likely to use 2 job boards or more.  Our recruiters certainly know something about that.  According to recruitment education consultant Ryan McKenzie, “our network includes up to 15 job boards, but we select those that have proven to work for a variety of locations, subjects, and times of the year.  Having the data tracking makes this an easier process.”  

Select Australian job boards that function well at all times of the year.  Be sure they service education, especially if you are using job boards more popular overseas. Seek has long had an education focus while education-exclusive job boards like Teachers-On-Net, Australian Teaching Jobs, and Education HQ are growing their job boards to help you through the shortage.  Bear in mind that subject has a lot to do with success and critical shortage areas like Technology, Physics or Chemistry will likely always require you to cast your net wider.  

Budget has a lot to do with job board selection so be sure to evaluate each recruitment campaign once you have made a hire.  This will help inform decisions on what job boards to select when the next vacancy arises.

Take the chance to give some background about your school, highlighting special programs, the potential for professional growth, and being part of a warm, collegial staff. Your preferred candidate is also most likely to be highly regarded by other potential employers.”   This is where an employee value proposition (EVP) can make all the difference.  With so many job boards and little space in each advertisement, it is easy for the job specification to become the key attraction feature.  Yet for our recruiters, the most magnetic aspect of their recruitment is the promotion of the school they are working with. 

An EVP provides an authentic description of the work environment at your school. It puts together what your school can offer its employees, from school culture and benefits to professional development opportunities. A well-thought-out (and promoted) EVP will help you attract and retain top-quality teaching staff – which goes a long way in the current teacher shortage.

There can be times of the year when it is more ideal to be attracting staff.  Advertising between February and June is always the most challenging.  For Gumley, “be aware of the popular advertising period in your region for teachers recruitment for commencement at the start of the following year. If possible, try to be one of the first schools advertising, not the last! A middle leadership role or an executive appointment will require a much earlier timeline.” If you find yourself in need of a staff member during the times of year when advertising is challenging, a quality recruiter or your own proactive techniques will be of assistance.

According to Gumley, “If you are using a egucation recruitment company, communicate with them clearly to help them understand the culture of your school so they can find the most suitable applicants. Inviting them to meet you at your school and taking them on a short tour is worth the investment in time. A strong relationship with your recruiter is vital, particularly when you are feeling the pinch of making a placement in a short space of time.”

Advertising content can improve the quantity and quality of your applicants.  According to McKenzie, “advertising has long emphasised the technical component of a teaching job.  With teaching, this can be complex. For example, an English teacher and History teacher job may promote 7 to 10 with extra emphasis on the Year 12 English component.  Add extracurricular responsibilities and suddenly the specifications are at a level where candidates may self-select themselves out of a vacancy.  The teacher shortage has made candidates even more selective.”   

This will take pressure off your advertisements and add a higher level of candidate engagement. If you are interested in building and showcasing your very own EVP, contact SchoolHouse.

LinkedIn has seen a rapid rise in engagement across the education sector.  In so doing many schools are posting to LinkedIn with staff reposting or liking.  It helps cast the net wider to attract candidates.  The advocacy can also be done through testimonials, written or through videos. Such engagement collateral can complement advertising or be used to run ongoing hiring campaigns that help build a talent pool. 

If you already have an employee value proposition and testimonials or other employment engagement material, you can consider running proactive campaigns at various or all times of year.  Social media is excellent for this with Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn allowing campaigns that can drive up your prospective employee followers.  

Expressions of interest or ongoing employment branding can quickly build up your following.  Be sure to keep track as before you even begin advertising you may find yourself with a shortlist of quality candidates. This can minimise the cost of advertising.  

Attracting a candidate is only as good as an employer’s ability to engage.  McKenzie states, “It is the most important aspect of recruitment right now. Assume that every candidate is exploring many options. Manage and engage candidates through a transparent process to avoid losing applicants.  If they are treated in a better way during the process; be it communication, timing, feedback – a candidate is more likely to better view what working at a school is all about. 

As such they are more likely to stay committed to seeing through the recruitment process.  Higher risk stages of the process include the period between the application and interview stage, the interview and appointment phase, the appointment and contract stage and the appointment and commencement date.   Create key touchpoints in the process and have a clear idea of what needs to be done to keep levels of interest and engagement high.”

Best Practice – Recruitment Planning

Best Practice – Resourcing

Best Practice – Selection and Appointment  

Best Practice – Induction and Evaluation