The challenge
We have been working with Leeds City College (LCC) for over two years, so when they had an urgent requirement for a temporary SENCo to join them mid-year, they came straight to Reed to fulfil the role. The client stipulated that the desired candidate should have a background in SEND, know the education health and care plan (EHCP) processes, and could work with students and stakeholders.
Recruiting midway through the academic year can be a challenge, as most of the top talent have already secured permanent or long-term contracts. Vicki Edgar, Business Manager at Reed and specialist in recruiting for further education roles, knew the importance of creating a specialised search. She said, “To tackle the client’s brief, I had a thorough discussion with them to fully understand their requirements, the criteria that needed to be met, what the role would involve, and the impact the role had on the department.”
Ian Barker, the Head of 14-16 Developing Skills Programme at LCC, said: “Reed take time to understand your business so that they can provide you with suitable candidates. The service is first class. Vicki has excellent customer service skills and understands the sector. She kept in touch regularly and made the process straightforward.”
The service is first class. Vicki has excellent customer service skills and understands the sector. She kept in touch regularly and made the process straightforward.
Head of 14-16 Developing Skills Programme at LCC
The solution
Our specialist further education consultants Vicki and Emily Collins started the recruitment process by creating bespoke adverts specific to the role requirements and the college’s needs, highlighting the benefits of working there. This was made easier by having a long-term relationship with the college and having previously taken the time to understand the college, department, and business needs. Vicki said: “We had worked with this department at the time for almost two years. It has always been a regular occurrence for us to visit the department and speak regularly with Ian and his team, which has allowed us to fully understand their requirements. We had lengthy discussions to understand the role at the beginning, right the way through to first day checks with the college and the candidate and held a service review meeting a month after the start date.”
Vicki led a specialised search on both our internal databases and through external advertising. With the challenge of finding the perfect candidate for the role mid-year, she widened the mile radius for the search to capture more professionals. This brought up a range of suitable candidates. The consultant then conducted an in-depth vetting process for all suitable candidates to narrow the longlist into a shortlist. The vetting process included a telephone interview, followed by a face-to-face registration, all prior to them meeting the client. Vicki then arranged interviews with the client for the best candidates available.
During the recruitment process, Emily liaised regularly with the candidates, conducted the pre-screening checks, and kept them informed of the process throughout.
The results
Following on from the interview, the client was extremely happy with the candidates who had been shortlisted, and Danielle Cunningham stood out and was offered the position. Ian Barker from LCC said: “Danielle settled well into the department and her skills and knowledge impacted positively on the team and the students.”
We asked Danielle - who is now a Programme Manager at LCC - about her experience of finding a job through Reed. She said: “Once I had met with Emily at the office and she had completed all the relevant checks, she matched me almost immediately with this role. My experience of Reed has been very good – I started with Reed as a temporary worker, was given a permanent role within 10 weeks, and promoted within nine months. I think they did an amazing job matching me with the perfect employer. I would most definitely use Reed again if I were looking for work. As an establishment we use Reed for our agency staff and they always provide a superb service and fab staff.
“Emily kept in regular contact with me and still communicates with me regarding training opportunities etc. The Reed experience does not end once you secure permanent employment which is great.”
The placement has been a success for both the candidate and the client, with the role becoming permanent and Reed having built an even greater working partnership with the college. Ian Barker from LCC said “In my experience Reed provide a high level of service, flexibility, and knowledge to meet business needs.”
