Every June, the same pattern plays out across schools and MATs up and down the country. A leadership vacancy goes live. The advert looks great. It goes on the job board, gets shared on social media, maybe picked up in a newsletter or two. And then the applications come in – or rather, they don’t. Or they do, but not quite right. Not the calibre the trust needs for a role this important.
With September looming, the pressure builds fast.
I’ve worked in education recruitment long enough to know that this isn’t a reflection of the school, the salary, or even the job itself. It’s a reflection of how most senior roles are filled – and how most of the best candidates behave.
The best candidates aren’t looking
Here’s the uncomfortable truth about hiring for C-suite and leadership roles in education: the people you most want to appoint are almost certainly already in post, doing a good job, and not actively searching for their next role.
They’re not browsing job boards at 10pm. They’re not uploading their CV to any platform. They might not even be thinking about a move at all – until someone puts an interesting opportunity in front of them directly, confidentially, and in a way that’s clearly been thought through.
This is the gap that traditional advertising, no matter how well written or widely distributed, cannot bridge. Advertising reaches active candidates. The best candidates, at senior level, are almost never active.
Headhunting isn’t just for the private sector
There’s a persistent assumption in education that headhunting – proactively identifying and approaching candidates – is something investment banks and law firms do, not schools and trusts. That assumption is changing, and rightly so.
MATs are complex organisations. A CEO, CFO, or Director of Education carries enormous responsibility. The stakes of getting that hire wrong — in terms of cost, culture, and impact on children – are significant. Treating those appointments the same way you’d recruit a classroom teacher has never really made sense.
Headhunting for these roles means doing the research first. It means mapping who is doing excellent work in comparable roles, understanding what would make a move attractive to them, and making a thoughtful, personalised approach. It replaces the scattergun of advertising with genuine targeting.
With eight weeks to September, now is the time
If you have a leadership vacancy that hasn’t filled, or one you’re about to advertise and already suspect will be difficult, please don’t wait. The window to appoint in time for September is short, and headhunting takes time done properly.
Get in touch via Eteach, or come directly to us at connectingeducation.co.uk. We’d love to help.
Connecting Education are a specialist headhunting partner for MATs and schools, working exclusively on C-suite, leadership, and central services appointments. We are an approved member of BESA and an approved recruiter with the International Schools Network.
