The secret to teacher retention that nobody's talking about

The education sector is a dynamic landscape, constantly evolving to meet the needs of pupils and society. One of the most pressing challenges facing educational institutions today is teacher retention. Whilst many focus on salary and benefits, there's a secret weapon that's often overlooked: effective onboarding at the outset and cutting-edge recruitment software.

In this blog, we'll delve deeper into how applicant tracking systems (ATS) with onboarding tools can revolutionise teacher retention strategies, making it easier for operational-level staff in educational institutions to keep top talent.

- The challenge: high competition and time
- The solution: streamlined recruitment and onboarding
- Key ATS features tailored for education and onboarding
- The Onboarding blackhole
- Why this matters for retention
- The bigger picture: data-driven decisions
- Conclusion

The challenge: high competition and time-to-hire

The competition for hiring the best teaching staff is fierce, especially because of the limited hiring periods each year. The industry average time-to-hire can be as long as three months for colleges and universities and two months for multi-academy trusts, leading to candidate drop-offs and missed opportunities.

Effective and engaging onboarding during this crucial period can be the key to retaining top talent long term - and the longer a position remains vacant, the more it costs the institution in terms of money, productivity and pupil satisfaction, so managing onboarding well is crucial.

The solution: streamlined recruitment and onboarding

Our Jobtrain Applicant Tracking System offers a seamless, flexible and cutting-edge ATS designed for educational institutions, including colleges and universities and multi-academy trusts. Recruitment technology can cut in half the time-to-hire through automation and reducing administrative and labour-intensive tasks. But it's not just about filling positions quickly; it's about filling them with the right people who will stay for the long term. An ATS also allows for customisation to fit the unique needs of each institution, ensuring that the recruitment process aligns with the overall goals and culture of the organisation.

For education organisations, the real game-changer is the onboarding process. Our Onboarding Welcome Hub keeps new hires engaged before their start date, which is crucial for teacher retention. It allows for customisation to fit the unique needs of each institution, ensuring that the process aligns with the overall goals and culture of the organisation.

What to look for - key ATS features tailored for education and onboarding

1. Branded candidate portal: Creates a professional and engaging first impression. This is the first step in making candidates feel valued, informed and welcomed.
2. Fully mobile accessible: Allows 'on-the-go' access for both recruiters and candidates, making it easier to keep the recruitment process moving swiftly.
3. Video interviewing: Streamlines the initial screening process, saving time for both parties and allowing for a more in-depth first interaction.
4. Bulk recruitment tools: Ideal for hiring multiple positions at once, especially useful for organisations with several locations, campuses or departments.
5. Integrated DBS checking: Compliance is a key part of onboarding and within our own ATS our Enhanced Onboarding features helps speed up this process. This ensures all legal requirements are met before the new hire's first day, reducing any potential risks.
6. Onboarding tools:  An "onboarding powerhouse" that provides state-of-the-art features to minimise candidate drop-off through integrated compliance features and welcome hub.

The Onboarding blackhole

One of the most critical stages is onboarding, especially for teacher retention, with the time between offer and start date often being months. According to a recent candidate survey by Gartner, one in two candidates have accepted a job offer but backed out before starting the new role in the last 12 months.

That's why we created the Onboarding Welcome Hub to ensure new hires are fully engaged and prepared before their start date. This feature allows organisations to share important information, introduce team members virtually and even assign pre-start tasks, making the new hire feel like part of the team even before day one.

This proactive approach to onboarding can significantly reduce the likelihood of new hires leaving for other opportunities and helps new hires feel more comfortable and prepared on their first day, setting the scene for long-term retention.

Why this matters for retention

1. Reduced time-to-hire: Fast and efficient hiring processes reduce candidate drop-off rates, ensuring that you secure top talent before your competitors do.
2. Effective and engaging onboarding: Keeps new hires engaged, reducing the chances of last-minute drop-offs and ensuring a smooth transition into their new role.  An informed and engaged employee is more likely to stay, contributing to better retention rates.
3. Compliance: Integrated DBS and Right-to-Work checks are a crucial part of the onboarding process in the education sector. Ensuring that these checks are completed efficiently can speed up the onboarding process and ultimately improve retention rates. 

The bigger picture: data-driven decisions

Our ATS doesn't just streamline recruitment; it also provides valuable data that can inform future hiring decisions. This includes metrics on the effectiveness of onboarding, different job boards, the average time-to-hire for different roles and even candidate feedback. By analysing data, educational institutions can continually refine their recruitment, onboarding and retention strategies, ensuring long-term retention success.

Conclusion

Whilst salary and benefits are essential, the secret to teacher retention that nobody's talking about is a streamlined recruitment process and effective onboarding. By investing in a specialised ATS that has experience in delivering recruitment and onboarding solutions to education organisations, they will significantly improve their hiring and retention rates.

The benefits of a well-thought-out, efficient recruitment and onboarding strategy extend beyond just filling vacancies; they contribute to the overall quality of education and the well-being of both staff and students.

Is it time to upgrade your recruitment strategy and boost teacher retention?