Recruiting is always of critical importance for any school, but right now it is harder than ever to find the right recruits for your setting. And for middle leaders taking part in that process, there are some vital considerations, from the kind of qualities to look for in candidates to crafting tasks and questions that will show them at their best.

The lowdown

Recruitment can be tough on candidates but it can also be challenging for those doing the recruiting. When you’re searching for the right person to fit into your team, how can you know, for example, that the interview is correctly structured to ensure that you find out what you want to know? What should you get candidates to do outside of the formal interview and how much guidance should be given in advance about this? What are the requirements around record keeping during the interview, and how should you come to a decision and make an offer?

What we know about what works

Pete Thomas, a professor in organisation studies at Lancaster University Management School, as well as being a primary school governor, says it’s always worth bearing in mind that some people “can be very good at interviews, and that’s actually what they’re good at” rather than the job itself.

And so, he says, drawing on evidence from elsewhere is becoming a “general feature of recruitment across a range of contexts”.

Schools are already ahead of the game in this respect, as there will often be a trial lesson and perhaps a planning task. But it is important to weight these appropriately.

When it comes to planning the interview questions, Thomas says, you should aim for a mix of general competence questions - usually taken from a bank of examples that have been built up over the years - and others directly related to the specifics of the post.

“Generally, the panel will decide who’s going to ask each of the questions and then agree the order that makes the most sense,” he says. “Typically you’ll begin with ‘Why do you want the job’, and, of course, a question to check that they’ve done their homework and found out about the school.”

Plus, you will want to check their understanding of the specific role, Thomas continues, before ending with the classic “What questions do you have for us?” . This can be “very informative about how somebody’s going to be as a colleague”, he says.

But there is value in ensuring that the interview doesn’t feel too formal, he adds, because you want the candidate to “relax and be themselves rather than be playing the role with rehearsed responses”.

When it comes to keeping track of what is said, the note-taking process should be “unobtrusive” and interviewers should be “very careful”, he advises. While it’s important to keep sufficient notes to refer back to, they should be of a tone that means “you wouldn’t be nervous if the interviewee asked to see them”.

“The notes should be very objective and they should relate to the questions that are being asked,” Thomas says. “Obviously alongside that, you will also be having thoughts and judgements about the character or the competence of the person, but they can be discussed later.”

In those discussions, panel chairs will often ask the least experienced member of the panel for their views first to encourage them not to just follow the comments made by their colleagues, he continues.

“What’s really important is to collate your comments to the criteria that you’ve set in the person spec and the job description, so all the people on the panel need to be prepped and familiar with those documents. Those are the criteria that you will make your decision on.”

And when it comes to breaking the news to the unsuccessful candidates? “It’s always difficult telling people they’ve not got a job,” Thomas says. “You have to be very straightforward. And sometimes it helps to script it. Just tell them that, in this instance, they have not been successful, but the panel chair will provide feedback.

“Feedback should be encouraged because sometimes you’ll have a candidate who was really good but let themselves down on the day. In the next interview, if they’re aware of what they did, that they can do themselves justice.”

The experienced leader view

Jon Hutchinson is director of curriculum and teacher development at the Reach Foundation. He writes:

As a middle leader you might not be involved in the actual interview of candidates and, thankfully, the final decision of who to hire will always rest on your headteacher’s broad shoulders. But there is plenty that you can do to influence the recruitment process and maximise the chance of getting the new team member who will add value to your area of responsibility.

Before you’ve even put out an advert, you can share with the senior leadership team valuable knowledge about where you feel there are skills gaps in the area that you lead. This can help to frame the job description, through to questions that are included in the interview and consideration that is given to the candidates’ responses.

For example, if you’re a head of history who has just conducted a huge overhaul of the curriculum then you’re probably less interested in someone with expertise and passion in that area. However, if you’re offering an A level in the subject for the first time then someone with experience in sixth form will be a massive advantage.

Meanwhile, an early years lead who has recently seen loads of children arriving with communication difficulties could share that experience and say that expertise in speech and language interventions would be really helpful.

Sharing this knowledge with the headteacher is a great way to not only demonstrate that you have a strong understanding of your area of responsibility but also improve the chances of getting the person that you truly need.

Many middle leaders are also getting much savvier at building a “brand” online, which increases the chances of attracting high-quality and vision-aligned staff. Writing blogs - or articles for distinguished publications like Tes magazine - can show off what your department does really well, and may entice like-minded teachers to consider moving to work with you. Becoming active in subject communities or at specialist conferences is another way to build a strong network that will grow your ability to attract a strong field.

If you wait until a notice is handed in to start recruiting, you’re massively on the back foot. Good leaders are, essentially, always recruiting.

Of course, there will be limits to how much you personally can (or would like to) “market” your school in this way. Not everyone is able to speak at Saturday conferences, especially if you have other commitments. But considering where these opportunities can be taken - little and often, spread across a team - can attract really high-quality future colleagues who will ultimately not only improve kids’ outcomes but also make your job a lot easier and more enjoyable.