Search Associates Shrinking?

shadowjack
Posts: 2138
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am

Re: Search Associates Shrinking?

Post by shadowjack »

justlooking

if you let your admin know that you are happy where you are, but if your dream job came up closer to (family, travel, more money, specific position/promotion) and you are activating just to see what's out there, what does it hurt? They still will ask you what your plans are come September, October, November...
PsyGuy
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Post by PsyGuy »

@SJ

Well it would still worry leadership, looking means you might accept, and leadership in DSs depending on the position dont want to stress having to replace a DT if they dont have too. It would be like saying to your spouse, your great and amazing but i just want to look to see whats out there, its just looking.
Glerky
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Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:09 am
Location: Middle of the East

Re: Search Associates Shrinking?

Post by Glerky »

Going back to the original post... a lot of top tier schools are using other resources to find teachers. I recruited this year and signed up with SA for the first time in my 20 year overseas career (at my partners insistence). I had used other agencies (that are not as prominent anymore) at the beginning and contacts to get my more recent jobs. I honestly did not get any bites from SA and got the new job through contacts again. I am not sure I would use them again.

After speaking with my admin team at my current school they seem to be trying to use other avenues to get teachers and then use the SA fairs as their backup plan. They feel like SA is nickeling and diming them.

Although the job fair is a stress pit I kind of liked having all options on the table... now with top schools they want a commitment early and you really don't know what is out there.

Despite the fact that I landed on my feet at a good school fairly early.... from what I have seen and heard this was a tough year. A lot of schools are dialing back and teachers are staying put. Last year in early January everyone who was leaving had a new job. This year it took until last weekend for everyone I know to get placed and some had to 'settle'.

Bit of a rant... but there you have it.
PsyGuy
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Post by PsyGuy »

@Glerky

Its not that SA or ISS are nickle and dimeing them, its $500 if they dont attend a fair and then around $1500 for an IT and $2500 for a leadership placement. Thats a significant amount of coin for an IS to part with when the agency doesnt do very much for it. They arent vetting, they arent interviewing, they arent recruiting. They have a database thats mutually shared between ITs and leadership and they rent some exhibition space in a hotel. Thats not a lot for a business model that was necessary 20 years ago, but now is archaic. Anyone can do that (look at GRC) and ISs themselves are realizing they can do it themselves.
Wonder
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Joined: Thu Mar 09, 2017 8:55 pm

Re: Search Associates Shrinking?

Post by Wonder »

I don't know if SA is shrinking. I don't think it is, but the last time I joined was almost 20 years ago. I do know that I have gotten only one bite through SA. I've become quite discouraged because I know I have the experience, the qualifications, and excellent references, and I didn't see how there was any way I could improve my odds next year. So I'm glad to read that this has been a drought of a year. It's not just me!

I'd like to know where other people are finding jobs outside of SA or ISS, though. I've gone through TIE, Schrole, and TeacherHorizons, but only received two offers and neither was not right for my situation at this point in time. I'd be happy to know how others are finding viable options outside of SA, which isn't working for me this year.
PsyGuy
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Post by PsyGuy »

@Wonder

This is the boom year for direct applications.
Glerky
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Location: Middle of the East

Re: Search Associates Shrinking?

Post by Glerky »

@PG

Maybe your experience is different and I am basing this on a small sample but...

From what I heard this was not a great year for the recruitee. Experienced people who used Search and GRC and direct applications really didn't find things as quickly or easily as others did in years gone by. Again... small sample size.

Most people I know got their jobs from applying directly to the school.

I also agree with you PG the model is archaic. I used the term 'nickel and dimed' as a quote. The market has changed and even schools in Western Europe are asking for early notice these days even though no one has to give it by law until much later.

Good luck Wonder.
expatscot
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Re: Search Associates Shrinking?

Post by expatscot »

The thing is, for Search, what business model would they shift to? The one they have is pretty much the same as the one used by recruitment agencies across the world for any job in, say, financial services. Charging candidates more is an option, but (a) it would exclude the UK office, which presumably takes most British teachers, and (b) would put off candidates generally (why should I pay $500 when there's no guarantee of getting a job - at least a school knows it might get a candidate.)

Direct applications are fine, but best practice means that the school still should advertise to make sure it is getting the widest pool of candidates. Personal referrals are fine too, but again that doesn't always work. And I'm not sure whether I'd want to have hundreds of CVs sent to me as a headteacher for jobs which might not (ever) exist - it certainly wouldn't end the candidates' problem of sending off a CV never to be heard of again.
joe30
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Re: Search Associates Shrinking?

Post by joe30 »

I never got anything through SA, and I applied for like 50 different places. Not even one interview.

Direct applications worked far better.
PsyGuy
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Location: Northern Europe

Discussion

Post by PsyGuy »

@Glerky

A lot of it depended on how and what level you were recruiting at. Theres been a lot of movement in the third tier. What Im seeing is that there is lower penetration into the second and first tiers, ITs that thought they would move up are just moving over to different regions.

We agree, direct applications were and are very big this year.

It's less than archaic, in times long past a recruiter like ISS had to interview, vet, research, background check and do a whole lot of things so that they could present two candidates to the client IS. Premium agencies dont do any of that anymore, its a jobs database with F2F recruiting events, and all the agency does is fill the role of event coordinator.

@expatscot

I dont see that as accurate, theres a difference between what the premium agencies do which is have mediated access to a jobs database and coordinate some F2F events, and what a recruiting agency does for an executive. For one thing the recruiters come seek out the candidates, but premium agencies just wait for IT candidates. The premium agencies are a lot more like a casting agency then a recruiting agency.

They could do a lot of other things, but why, there isnt any more coin in it for them, why work harder for the same coin. Actually the agencies are already looking at charging more, registration fees will go up to $250 likely next year. There is also the idea of not offering a free first fair, and also pricing fair invitations differently.

I wouldnt say that advertising wide is "best practices", "common practice" but I don't know what's best about it.
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