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When schools struggle to fill positions, an education recruitment agency might seem like the perfect solution with someone else doing the legwork to find and shortlist the right candidates.

However, there are a number of reasons that suggest teacher recruitment agencies might not be the best way to recruit new talent. Keep reading to find out why. 

What education recruitment agencies do 

A teacher recruitment agency works like any other recruitment agency in that they find and screen suitable candidates â€“ however they work exclusively in the education sector (or are part of a wider agency has an education department).  

They will typically have a pool of candidates that have registered with the agency as actively seeking work. They may also have access to passive candidates that aren’t currently looking for a new role but are open to the right opportunity.  

Candidates will usually provide information such as qualifications, experience, preferences, location and career goals to be matched with the right role. Schools also register with the agency, providing their requirements and individual job descriptions.  

Here’s how it works step-by-step: 

1. The school and candidates register with the agency 

2. The agency sources suitable candidates for specific roles 

3. The agency screens candidates to compile a shortlist 

4. The school selects a number of candidates for interview 

5. The agency may help with scheduling and organising interviews 

6. Interviews are conducted 

7. The schools makes their decision and extends an offer 

8. The agency communicates the results with candidates and may provide feedback 

9. The agency may assist with negotiations and initial onboarding process 

10. The process begins again from step 2 for each new hire 

5 reasons why you shouldn’t hire an education recruitment agency 

Whilst education recruitment agencies might sound like a way to save time on recruitment and the hiring process, there are a number of important disadvantages to consider before you get started. 

Cost 

Agencies work on a risky ‘no win-no fee’ model meaning that they will usually charge fees for their services, significantly increasing recruitment costs for schools. If a candidate is successfully placed, it can cost schools up to 20% of the candidate’s salary.  

Loss of control 

Schools have to place a high level of trust in their chosen agency as they have no control over shortlisted candidates. They have to trust that the agency only selects suitable candidates, but also that they aren't overlooking those with potential.

Misalignment and miscommunication 

If communication isn’t clear from the start, there may be misunderstandings on requirements that results in the wrong candidates being selected and delays in the process. 

Dependency 

Relying on agencies means that schools may neglect to develop their own, more cost-effective hiring solutions that could be tailored to their requirements and can be utilised time and time again â€“ for a fraction of the cost of using an agency. 

Time and effort 

Whilst, on the surface, it might seem that agencies can save schools a lot of time and effort, it can take a lot of time to manage the process. Schools first need to brief the agency and provide detailed requirements, then they need to manage the shortlisting process, interviews, feedback and debriefing â€“ for every open position.  

An internal recruitment process would cut out a number of steps and therefore save schools a great deal of time when recruiting.

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