We all know the drill: we find that dream job online; check the website; look at the latest Ofsted report and maybe even speak to any friends who may know someone who works/has worked there. It seems a great place to work and so we begin the long and arduous process of obtaining the role.
Unlike any other profession, teaching asks that we jump through a multitude of hoops, completing several tasks across a number of formats.
The application process
First comes the application form, which is apparently different for every school and college. This can be via PDF, Word doc or through an online portal (with each portal requiring different login details) but will require that you enter every job you have ever held, as well as every qualification you have achieved since the age of 16. This is before requiring information on every course or professional development you have completed, and nearly always in a format which is difficult to navigate.
So, having done this, the statement awaits. ‘Convince us you’re the best person for the job’ is essentially the message. Over 2 pages. Fitting everything you’ve ever done and detailing the impact you have had over 2 pages is not only immensely challenging at times, but it also doesn’t necessarily give a true reflection of you as a person, team member or teacher/leader.
Having completed this, with the personal statement being redrafted for every single job application, interview day awaits. Now, these can be wildly different dependent on the setting and/or role you are applying for. I have known senior leadership interviews to last half a day, and teacher interviews to last from 8am until 5pm. There are data tasks, school/college tours, student interviews, staff interviews, leadership interviews, ‘meet and greet’ lunches involving current staff, written tasks, presentations and even feedback to give to other candidates on the day.
It gives a good picture of what performance will be like, but it’s never conclusive. And this is before thinking about how the dynamic of the existing team will be impacted by a new recruit. The best qualified or most experienced is not always the best fit (for the applicant or existing staff), regardless of performance on the day.
Friends and family in the private sector, and the majority of the public sector for that matter, can’t believe how long a process this is. ‘All day? A 2-page statement?’ they say. They laugh as they discuss their own recruitment experience, which usually amounts to a CV and a one-hour interview with an immediate line manager.
So, why can’t this change for teaching, teachers and leaders? Why can’t we accept a CV, one hour interview and maybe a short microteach which allows potential staff to evidence best practice? Why do we need to give so many tasks and challenges to applicants?
On the one hand, it does allow leaders to understand the routines and working practices of potential staff (and therefore identify strengths and areas for improvement). It identifies which applicants are more flexible and can innovate or operate under pressure, and it also allows leaders to see how staff adapt to their surroundings. On the other hand, it can be a fairly unpleasant experience, and there is no guarantee that the applicant we see on the day is a true reflection of that teacher or leader when in post. Rarely do we evaluate emotional intelligence or communication skills (which are a key component in any role within education).
How the application process is improving
Now this is not to say that changes are not being made. More and more, schools and colleges are attempting to inject consistency into recruitment processes, and organisations such as FE Jobs offer the ability to simply log in and apply for a role with pre-saved information from a profile. However, there remains some schools and colleges who ask that painstaking paperwork is completed and emailed (or, as I saw from one school a couple of years ago, requests to hand-deliver applications to the school with any emailed applications not considered).
Much is made of workload cutting initiatives and staff wellbeing throughout education, but redesigning application and interview processes would go an enormous way to cutting down workload and supporting wellbeing. This is not just for applicants, but also for those interviewing – a half day of shortlisting and a full day of interviewing mean that this time needs to be made up (work does not stop simply because we are recruiting, after all).
Hopefully, with so many changes in how tech is used in education, these changes aren’t too far away.
About the author
Jonathan Kay
Jonny Kay is Head of Teaching, Learning and Assessment at a college in the North East. He has previously worked as Head of English and maths in FE and as an English teacher and Head of English in Secondary schools. He tweets @jonnykayteacher and his book, 'Improving Maths and English in Further Education: A Practical Guide', is available now.