In light of the Coronavirus pandemic, there’s no doubt that many businesses are facing an uncertain short-term future. Not least schools, which have been forced to close for the majority of children, for the foreseeable future.
Yet, while the world grinds to a halt, certain business processes must continue – and for schools, recruitment is one of them. Ultimately, roles will need to be filled come September this year. No one is certain how long the current lock down will last, so schools should push forward with their recruitment efforts.
That way, they’ll stand a better chance of benefiting from top talent come the new school year and potentially sooner. Here are our top tips.
Embrace technology
Rather than put interviews on hold, consider interviewing candidates via video. Video tools are readily available to schools and candidates – all that’s needed is a laptop or computer and a decent internet connection. You might use Google Hangouts or Skype for interviews, or a video conferencing platform such as Zoom.
Video interviews are arguably more effective than ones conducted via phone. Being able to see a candidate (albeit on a screen) grants you a deeper level of understanding of what they are actually like.
For instance, you’ll be able to assess their communication skills and body language. You’ll also be able to see how they conduct themselves – e.g., if they have dressed smartly for the interview.
What’s important is that you help to put candidates’ minds at ease ahead of the interviews. These are obviously unusual circumstances, and there’s a chance candidates might not like or be accustomed to video interviews. It can help to acknowledge the situation and send the candidate an agenda for the interview so they’re clear of your expectations and can prepare accordingly.
Of course, nothing beats face-to-face interviews, and you can’t expect to know exactly how a candidate interacts with children unless you see them in action. But for now, interviewing via video can help to ensure your recruitment efforts continue ticking along, and prevent you from losing out to top talent.
Other things you can do remotely
The best recruitment strategies are proactive ones; they run year-round, nurturing potential candidates even at times when there are no vacancies.
There are ways you can work at your school’s recruitment process remotely. For example, you can:
- Develop your school’s career site to build your online brand and engage prospective candidates
- Keep your social media pages updated with relevant, informative and topical posts, and interact with potential candidates
- Manage your talent pool
- Review previous recruitment efforts through reporting and analytics and use this insight to fine-tune your process moving forward
Lastly, it’s important for us to point out that Eteach is still up and running, providing services and support to both schools and candidates. If you find yourself with some free time, why not get in touch to find out how our software and services can help you to enhance your school’s recruitment efforts?
