The internet has revolutionised the way we find information about the world around us. From breaking news to buying a house, hot new restaurants to romantic prospects, social media has become a primary port-of-call for people looking for information and insight.
The way people now look for jobs is no different. This creates a huge opportunity for schools looking for the best talent. For the first time, they can target a passive audience and reach people that might not even be actively looking for their next step. To reach this huge audience, schools need to cut through the noise on social media while staying on top of the latest trends to maximise exposure to the right audiences.
These are some of my top tips on how to succeed on social:
1. Identity – know who you are and your target audience
If you don’t have a clear vision of who your school is and why people should want to work there, then potential candidates won’t either. Be prepared to highlight your school’s values and principles and what teachers could expect if they were to step into your classroom. Candidates are more likely to apply if they envisage that they are a good fit for your school’s ethos.
2. Promote your brand
Social media is a great platform to manage your school’s branding. The aim of building a strong employer brand is to attract suitable employees, retain and engage them. Excellent brand management has a wealth of benefits including reduction in recruitment costs, higher employer retention as well as increased commitment from employees. To make the most of your social channels, keep your profiles updated regularly and monitor and respond to comments quickly. A healthy social media presence improves your ability to be seen.
3. Highlight your successes
If you have a great teaching community at your school, shout about it. Teacher socials, staff room camaraderie or even your latest Ofsted report. Think about what makes your school unique and why it would be a great place to work, all are important to potential candidates.
4. Share valuable content and become education thought leaders
Use your social channels as a way to position your school as an expert on all things education related. Share your expertise with the social community. The more great content that you communicate, the more people and potential candidates will respect your school’s social channels as valuable sources of information. Social media is a fast and easy way to communicate with a new audience and reach a new group of people.
5. Feature good teacher case studies. They are your brand!
Use your teachers as ambassadors for your school to help build a stand out and engaging social presence. If potential candidates hear the opinions of your current teachers, they will have more of an idea about whether they would be suited to working alongside them. Be creative, fun and informal with messaging and use dynamic content, videos and imagery.
6. Host a teacher Q and A
Profile your schools’ best teachers and the senior leadership team with hosted weekly question and answer sessions. This way, any potential candidates can quiz teachers and get an informal introduction to the head- a great way to sound out a potential workplace.
7. Put yourself in their shoes
If you’re posting a job advert through social media, remember your sole purpose is to sell the vacancy, and position your school as a great place to work. Imagine your dream candidate for the role and tailor the way you describe the post to attract this individual.
8. What differentiates your school?
With a number of social networks at your fingertips, the ability to really maximise exposure has never been easier. If you are highlighting the amazing location of your school, show it off with an image gallery of views from the classroom or a short video of the school’s surroundings. A key motivational factor recruiters often miss out is location, so capitalise on this to attract the best candidates.
9. A picture paints a thousand words
Instagram has now overtaken Twitter in terms of user numbers, so why not create an Instagram account for your school and introduce potential candidates through candid snaps. This could be anything from classroom views to student projects, even sports days.
10. Keep it simple
The best candidates are often the busiest so don’t make them jump through hoops to find your latest job posts. Have clear descriptions and links available so that once they’re viewing the post, you don’t lose them because the process is taking too long.
Get the full Eteach guide on using social media to recruit here.
About the author
Katie Newell
Katie Newell BA(Hons) PGCE is an ex-primary school teacher, Head of Maths, Head of Year five and languages specialist. Katie qualified in Psychology at Liverpool then specialised in Primary Languages for her PGCE at Reading. Katie feels passionately that teachers are the unsung heroes of society; that opening minds to creative timetabling could revolutionise keeping women in teaching, and that a total change to pupil feedback is the key to solving the work life balance issue for the best job in the world.
