Driving the Long Term Process - ebook

Driving the Long Term process June 2016

The Long Term Process You’ve started the process. You have created interest from your marketing and / or sales calls about a candidate. What to do next… First impressions count Job Spec  Take a detailed spec of the role  Explain your company  Explain what you do – EXACTLY  Agree the process We make money from people we meet. Meeting Why? Know your candidate(s) in detail Shortlist Create a strong shortlist Add value: matrix, references  Make the client’s decision making Submit process easy  What does the client need to Shortlist know / explore  Why should they hire him/her  Add value to the process  Production quality  CVs don’t tell the full story! 2/3 interviews

Vacancy / Role Crib Sheet Role Details Vacancy Management  Job Title  Candidate Search  Reason for booking  Have you placed a web advert?  Length of role (long/short term)?  Have you searched your offline / pending candidate lists for potential  Supply/permanent/ temp to perm basis? candidates?  Full job spec/ duties of role?  Have you used the marketing tool to canvas your offline / online /pending  Additional responsibilities? (class tutor/ lunch duties) candidates about the position (also asking for referrals)?  Extra curricular activities? (trips, after school clubs)  Have you used the’ long term candidate search’ on the MI?  Class size?  Have you placed ads on jobs on other websites – Guardian / Indeed?  SATS/ GCSE/ A-LEVEL?  Have you tried to broaden the search to have some alternative candidates at the  Team ethos ready?  Staff morale  Vacancy Management  Number in department?  Do you check your vacancies every day?  Characteristics of perfect candidates?  Have you worked on your vacancy immediately after taking the details?  Training and development opportunities?  Have you tailored your CVs and updated the CV highlights?  Reporting/management structure? (direct line manager)  Have you sent a CV(s) across?  Additional benefits?  Have you followed up on the CV by telephone?  Department resources (whiteboards/ new labs etc)  Have you arranged a trial day?  Can you arrange a meeting to discuss the vacancy?  Have you found a reserve candidate?  Have you followed up on your trial days? Competitor/additional Information Closing Questions  How long has this post been available for?  Closing date for applications?  Have you advertised this position? (where)  Interview process? (trial days)  Is this with other agencies?  Proposed interview dates?  Any PSLs?  Who is facilitating the vacancy? (head of department, head PA, -who best to  Level of interest/applications so far? liaise with?)  General agency support/ past agency usage?  Format for submitting suitable candidates? Email/ spec call  Charge rates of competitors?  Any other requirements?  Success rate from other agencies?  SELL SUITABLE AVAILABLE TEACHERS WHO YOU KNOW CAN DO THIS ROLE  Most important factor to school when choosing an agency?  When can we meet to bring CV’s / gain understanding of school ethos?

School requests or Impress the school; take as accepts our help with a much detail as possible vacancy/LT booking. about the vacancy gaining a good ‘understanding’ of their requirements. What Needs Inject ‘passion’ into the conversation filling the to Happen in school with confidence by telling them ‘what we will do ‘The Golden NOW!’. Agree to call the school back within ‘THE GOLDEN HOUR’. Hour’ Immediately carry out a search and selection process using our database of ‘quality’ online, LTP and pending candidates. Suitable, available and interested Suitable, available and interested online, LTP or pending candidates online, LTP or pending candidates available = NO available = YES Search Canvas for Place Web Prepare / Tailor CVs Recovery Referrals Advert Email or Fax CVs over to Re-contact the school at the the school. agreed time (‘Trust’) to update them on your search to find them the perfect candidate. Agree next Re contact the school at call back time for within 24 hours. the agreed time (‘Trust’) to discuss the CVs and update on what you have been doing for them. Arrange interviews or trial days or agree another call back for this purpose. Fill the position, impress the school and increase your days out!

Arranging an interview or trial day In the majority of cases the school will want to see a candidate in advance of recruiting them. This can be done via a trial day or a more traditional interview. A trial day is where the candidate actually works on a supply basis for the day in the particular subject or year group where there is a position. This allows the school to see the candidate in action and for the candidate to get a true picture of the school. In addition the teacher gets paid for the day and the school pay a charge. Free trial days are however a common tool to use to generate interest in a good candidate. Characteristics of a trial day: - See the candidate on the job - Only that candidate in for the day - Candidate can really use this as a chance to shine - If the candidate is good quality then there is generally a high success rate An interview is the more traditional route used by a school to vet a candidate. This may also involve the taking of a lesson so that the school can observe some basic practices. The interview panel will generally be made up of the HeadTeacher, Chair of Governors, Head of Department and perhaps one other. Some schools also involve their pupil council in the interview process. Characteristics of an interview:  Immediate decision on the day  Can be more formal  Candidates may not perform well under interview conditions  Other candidates are also involved Preparing a candidate for a Trial Day or Interview Planning and preparing for a trial day or interview in advance will clearly strengthen your candidate’s chances of being successful on the day. Please see the following help sheets on what actions you will need to take – put the leg work in as it will make a difference.

Preparing Candidates for Trial Days Consultant School  Confirm correct date, time, year group/subject to be covered on the day –any specific elements that the candidate needs to be aware of. If they are using a school lesson plan, ask for a copy of the material they are delivering in advance.  Ensure you have a job specification and a copy of the advert if applicable – ask the school for details of any specific skills/attributes/characteristics they are looking for in their ideal candidate?  Confirm format of trial day – will there be someone observing the candidate and if so when?  Would the school like to see references/testimonials/DBS in advance? Consultant Candidate  Ensure the candidate genuinely wants the role (especially if there is travel involved or if it is a tough school)  See candidate in person if possible for a preparation session  Provide them with copies of all school literature, school website details and background information  Ensure the candidate knows the full arrangements of the trial day - confirm verbally and in writing  Ensure they have fully prepared and they know the classes they will be teaching, the subject matter, difficult pupils, SEN pupils and have the opportunity to prepare if they need to create the material.  Pull out the candidate’s best USPs - how do they match up to the job specification  Make sure that they are happy to stay late if asked for an informal ‘chat’ with the SMT. This is where they will need to have prepared some questions.

Preparing Candidates for School Interviews Consultant School  Confirm correct date, time, dress code, attendees (and job titles), length of interview with school  Ensure you have a job specification and a copy of the advert if applicable – ask the school for details of any specific skills/attributes/characteristics they are looking for in their ideal candidate?  Confirm format of interview – will there be a teaching lesson involved? If so who can the candidate contact to discuss the content / resources available etc  Would the school like to see references/testimonials/DBS in advance? Consultant Candidate  Ensure the candidate genuinely wants the role (especially if there is travel involved or if it is a tough school)  See candidate in person if possible for a preparation session  Provide them with copies of all school literature, school website details and background information  Ensure the candidate knows the full arrangements of the interview - confirm verbally and in writing  If the interview involves a teaching session then ensure they have fully prepared and have asked the school questions about equipment, resources, timings, SEN pupils, accident policy etc  Explain the typical school interview process to candidate (for example school tour, teaching session, formal interview, pupil council meet)  Pull out the candidate’s best USPs - how do they match up to the job specification  Practice answering the questions that the school may have  Identify questions the candidate could ask the school

Sample School Interview Questions Introductory Questions Have you enjoyed your time at the school? (This is a good time to bring up anything interesting you have noticed on your tour). Why have you applied for this post? When did you decide to become a teacher/teaching assistant and why? Teaching Interests * Why did you choose to teach this particular age range? * What are your views on the National Curriculum? * How might you use computers in your teaching? * How would you use the locality of the school and its immediate environment? * How would you structure projects to give equal access to all pupils? * What are the important things to consider when setting up a classroom? * How much noise and moving around in the classroom do you permit? The School * What makes a successful school? * What importance do you attach to co-operation with colleagues? * How would you cope with lack of enthusiasm from colleagues? * Would you take part in the religious life of the school? * Why do you want to work at this school? Professional Issues * What are the main qualities of a good teacher? * What are your particular strengths as a teacher? * How would you develop them further? * What are your weak areas and how are you overcoming them? * Are there any areas you would particularly want to address during induction? * Which of your teaching practices was the most successful and why? * Describe the best lesson you have given - how did you know what the pupils had learnt? * Describe the worst lesson you have given - how would you approach it differently now? * What are your views on assessment? How do you go about it? * How would you ensure that you respond effectively to the differing needs and abilities of pupils? * How would you ensure a pupil was making progress? * If I came into your classroom how would I know you were committed to equal opportunities? * How would you accommodate children with English as an additional language? Primary Interviews * How would you plan the day if given a fairly free hand by the headteacher? * How do you see the literacy/numeracy strategy contributing to raising standards? * Which reading/mathematics schemes have you used? * How would you display children's work? * What are your views on the balance between creativity and basic skills? * Can you give us an example of a good teaching and learning session? Why was it good?

* What are your views on school organisation/ streaming/family grouping/team teaching/ integrated day/open plan schools? * How would you go about managing children’s behaviour, especially that of a child with specific behaviour problems? * What would you do if you had a persistently disruptive pupil in your class? Secondary Interviews * What do you like about teaching your main subject? * What other subjects could you teach and to what level? * What examination syllabuses/text books are you used to? * How would you motivate a group of year 9 pupils who have lost interest in the subject? * What part do you think your subject can play in the education of the less able pupil? * What would you say to a student considering taking your subject at 'A' level? * How important do you think it is to make links with other subjects? * What are your views on streaming/sets/mixed ability teaching? * Do you think pupils work better in single sex classes? * How would you address the under-achievement of boys/girls in your subject area? * Have you had any experience of Pre-vocational courses? You are also likely to be asked questions specific to your subject, including possible future developments which might affect it. Pastoral * How would you feel about taking on the responsibilities of being a form tutor? * What is the role of a form tutor and what relevant experience have you had? * What is your experience of having parents in school? * To what extent should this be developed? * How would you deal with an awkward or aggressive parent? * How would you assess your ability to make relationships with children? * How would you seek to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the children in your care? * What would you do if a child cut him/herself? * If you overheard a child in the corridor calling another child names what would you do? Career Development * How will you develop yourself as a professional teacher? * What are your plans for the future? * How would you like to see your career develop? The Extras * What personal interests or hobbies do you have that could be of value to the school? (Say what interests you have but it is unwise to commit yourself irrevocably until you have had time to see how you cope with the rest of your teaching load). Yourself * What is the relevance of your previous experience to teaching? (Other work experience vacation work, bringing up a family etc). * Did you work during the 6th form or at University? * What are your interests outside college work and how involved are you?

* What have been the major events in your life and how have they affected you? * If we were to offer you this post are you in a position to accept it? (If you are offered the job you will normally be expected to give an answer there and then and abide by it, so if you have other interviews arranged with schools you prefer you will have to think carefully about how to respond to this) How do you manage the school?  Ask when the school will decide the outcome of the trial day / Interview  Ask the school to come to you first so that you can go to the candidate with the good news. When the school comes to you that is a good time to negotiate the relevant charges so that you can manage the teacher and their expectations to meet margin requirements – you may also need to discuss payment options.  Follow up with a vacancy confirmation letter  If the candidate was unsuccessful ask for full debrief  If the school have not filled the position suggest a short term cover solution until they find a replacement

Long Term Process Top Tips  The golden hour is there for a reason. Focus, Pace, intensity and do everything to get the strongest possible shortlist  Remember a CV is a brochure for a product potentially worth thousands of pounds. It is a sales document and should be full of benefits and tailored every time. Be sloppy here and watch your fill rate plummet. Every CV should have a paragraph with it explaining why the school should meet the candidate. Every CV must be followed up with a pre-arranged phone call to explain to the decision maker (not a receptionist) why they should meet them. Have confidence in your product and go for trial days on the phone every time.  It is not the best candidate that gets the job but the best prepared candidate. If you get an interview or trial day for a teacher bring them in to branch and brief them properly. Make sure they can tell you 10 things about the school from the Ofsted report and why they want the job. Ask them the questions you know they’ll be asked and work on the answers with them. Help them come up with brilliant incisive questions to ask.  If you have 1 interview/trial day you almost certainly won’t fill the post. 2 you probably won’t, 3 you probably will and 4 you almost certainly will. How often do we get 1 interview and then get disappointed. Even a marginal candidate might get the job and if nothing else makes out other candidates look good and stops the school interviewing someone from a competitor  Filling a job is far harder than picking one up. Allow time to work on filling jobs. You should take control of filling every job and re-shortlist every day. Search the job boards daily, have every vacancy visible on a white board and go through them every day in the DBM. Get the Branch to pick them up- you fill them with them  If you think vacancy = meeting you won’t go wrong. If you meet (or have met) the school, you’ll probably fill it. If you not you probably won’t  Quickly do everything possible to generate the shortlist and then move on. Even if the shortlist looks OK, still do everything – you can’t have too many good candidates. BE THOROUGH AND FAST  Until you have a trial day or interview arranged you are nowhere near filling the vacancy  Your approach with the school must be “ work with me and I will fill this for you by selecting and finding the right teacher – but you need to brief me properly and trust me”  Always, always ask for exclusivity the 150 day+ RC gets it and still assumes the school will let him down if they are too slow.  Get teachers to agree to trust you as to when you put them forward for a role. at least go along and find out, Hundreds of placements have been made when the teacher initially said it was too far or they didn’t think they would like it. Having said that, if you get them to go far too far, don’t be surprised when they let you down.  Don’t assume your teachers will accept an offer. Pre-close form the start. Asking: “how does this compare with the other things you have on the go? What are they? All thingsbeing equal is there anything that would stop you accepting if offered?  Always set the figure on pay and charge and then you will negotiate from the starting point you want

 Prioritise, if a job is not fillable move on. Look at your relationship with the school, the communication around this vacancy and the candidate type they are seeking. If a school doesn’t return calls and is evasive, don’t spend too long chasing shadows!  The easier a job is to pick up the harder to will be to fill. Don’t spend hours on 1 day a week Maths and Japanese based role based in a council estate 26 miles from the nearest bus stop!  Don’t be afraid to tell a school that, without changing their expectations, this will be hard to fill. If we have trouble filling it, all our competitors will have trouble. Change something and you will be more likely to succeed.  Even if you pick up a job that seems unfillable- too senior for example, there is no harm in a quick ad and email for referrals. Every now and again you will get lucky. But a quick look is all you need to do. Remember your clients will know or be interested in Senior Jobs, don’t be afraid to ask them for help  Consultancy and quality does not equal “dawdling”. The faster you work on jobs, the more time you have to pick up vacancies and fill the next one. LT activity should be as quick and intense as D2D.  Don’t give up if a job is a bit tricky to fill. If it was simple, the school would have filled it themselves. We have a massive database of teachers and teaching assistants – use it.

“Great recruiters don’t take short cuts because short cuts don’t work. They consistently practice the basics that made them successful in the first place”- Carol Schiltz