The shortage of teachers in key subjects such as Maths and Physics is well documented but the current system is exacerbating the problem by deterring time-poor applicantsTeachers are giving up on job applications because the process is too lengthy and too complicated for busy job searchers.
Education specialists Randstad found two thirds of teachers have given up on filling out an application form because it takes too much time.
The shortage of teachers in key subjects such as Maths and Physics is well documented but the current system is exacerbating the problem by deterring time-poor applicants.
It is the role of specialist recruiters to smooth out that process and make it easier for applicants and get teachers in classrooms sooner.
There are more than 63,000 online job adverts a year for teaching positions, but research by Randstad Education revealed teachers hardly applied for more than one job and as a result 90% would like to see a universal application introduced.
The recruitment specialist also found that 45% of the 875 surveyed preferred to go through agencies, indicating that schools who didn’t use all recruiting resources available to them might be missing out on a significant number of ready to work and available teachers.
Stewart McCoy, Strategic Operations Director, said:
“The complex recruitment process is simply exacerbating the ongoing teacher exodus. If a teacher is already considering leaving the profession, why would they want to apply for new teaching jobs if the process they have to go through is so lengthy?
“Many teachers said they preferred to go through an agency whilst 84% of schools don’t have the resources to carry out recruitment themselves – using a specialist agency can increase their access to the teacher talent pool and save them precious time and resources.”
According to the survey, 34% of teachers expected to apply for one role, just 10% would apply for two roles and only 9% for three roles. 40% of supply teachers felt the application process wasn’t appropriate for them and 25% of permanent teachers agreed.
The majority of those surveyed agreed a standardised application form which captured all relevant experience, CPD achievements and was portable from one area of the country to another and one school to another would improve the process.
Whilst a standardised form is still some way off, Randstad Education has created Teacher Application Hub for teachers to make the existing recruitment process as simple and easy as possible.
McCoy added: “The fact a typical application doesn’t extend beyond more than one school is something schools need to address because it is deterring qualified teachers and increasing the national teacher shortage.
“At Randstad, we felt it was important to create something which highlights the process teachers need to go through currently and make it as easy as possible for them to apply and for schools to recruit. The guide is a comprehensive look at the existing system, providing lots of helpful advice and information.”
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