Attracting Staff for School Heads on School Marketing Journal Podcast
Topic: Attracting Staff
Episode Number: 229
Date: 31 October 2025
Media Outlet: School Marketing Journal Podcast by Image Seven
Broadcaster / Interviewer: Brad Entwistle and Andrew Sculthorpe
Producer or Podcast Name: Image Seven School Marketing Journal
Duration: 00:19:49
Audio Recording: Available on various podcast channels
Brad speaks to Sue Ellson, independent LinkedIn Specialist and career development author, to discuss how schools can attract and retain quality staff in a competitive employment landscape. Sue shares practical ways to build a stronger professional presence online, position your school as an employer of choice, and use LinkedIn to reach candidates. Together, they explore how Heads can shape staff attraction strategies that align with a school’s values, strengthen culture and enhance reputation.
Image Seven website
https://www.imageseven.com.au/229-attracting-staff-interview-with-sue-ellson
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/229-attracting-staff-interview-with-sue-ellson/id1480791902?i=1000734261325
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1giLq0o2r2mCaghA6BZWl3
Podbean
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/dir-7npq9-286bde02
Listen Notes
https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/smj-school/229-attracting-staff-XQsD_n7a1cg
Topics Discussed: Created by Snipcast (partially edited)
In this episode of The School Marketing Journal Podcast, Brad Entwistle interviews Sue Ellson, a LinkedIn specialist, about effective strategies for schools to attract talent beyond traditional job ads. They discuss leveraging LinkedIn and other platforms, the importance of personal branding for school leaders, and the evolving expectations of potential employees. The conversation emphasizes relationship-building and adapting recruitment processes to meet current demands.
Key Takeaways 💡
• Schools often struggle to attract quality candidates through online job ads due to increased selectivity among staff and a skills shortage. Many applications are AI-generated or from overseas candidates seeking visas, making it difficult to find suitable local talent even with paid LinkedIn ads. Sue recommends using Google’s Advanced Search to directly find and contact potential candidates on LinkedIn, such as geography teachers in specific suburbs, effectively cutting out the recruiter middleman.
• LinkedIn is valuable as a networking and research tool, especially for connecting with the 25-34 age group, a key demographic for many school hires. Instead of relying solely on job postings and sorting through numerous applications, schools should proactively search for ideal candidates and reach out to them directly. This targeted approach requires more lead time and may involve following up with a phone call to gauge interest and direct them to the job description on the school’s website. More time sourcing candidates, less time sorting applications.
• LinkedIn Recruiter is a more expensive, enhanced version of LinkedIn, commonly used by recruiters, but its effectiveness depends on whether the desired talent is active on the platform. Building and maintaining relationships with potential candidates is crucial; schools should invite quality applicants (and existing staff) to follow their social media to stay connected for future opportunities. Savvy recruitment processes that provide a positive experience for all applicants, even those who are not selected, are essential for maintaining a favourable reputation.
• Formal training in targeted selection recruitment techniques is beneficial for those involved in the hiring process, and resources like LinkedIn Learning and MOOCs offer accessible ways to upskill. It’s crucial to invest time in building relationships and connections rather than scrambling at the last moment when a vacancy arises. A principal’s LinkedIn profile reflects the school, and their content can have a significant reach, making it important for them to share thought leadership and school innovations (and not just rely on the School’s LinkedIn Page).
• Many people in schools are not on LinkedIn because they perceive it as outdated compared to newer technologies like AI. Maintaining a LinkedIn presence is important for relationship management, as it provides a consistent way to connect with people regardless of changes in their contact information or job status. Despite technological advancements, relationships remain crucial, and LinkedIn continues to be a valuable professional network, especially with Microsoft’s involvement and its connection to AI developments like ChatGPT.
• Principals should share thought pieces and stories about the school’s innovations to attract talent, and senior leaders should have their own websites showcasing their value proposition and past achievements. Flexibility is highly valued by potential employees, including options for working closer to home or compressed work schedules. Job postings should include the salary and benefits to attract top candidates, as a significant percentage of applicants will not apply without this information.
• The school website is the most important platform for job postings, and each job should have its own page on the school website. Sharing job openings in the school newsletter and on Facebook can also be effective, as long as they link back to the school website page. Consider advertising on other platforms like SEEK, Indeed, or Jora, depending on the target talent pool, and explore professional associations to find potential candidates. Offering flexible work arrangements, such as part-time positions, can attract older, experienced candidates and promote age diversity within the school.
Other Resources that may be helpful
Educate Plus NSW / ACT Chapter Conference 2025 Digital Strategies to Attract and Retain Educational Professionals
https://sueellson.com/blog/educate-plus-nsw-act-chapter-conference-2025-digital-strategies-to-attract-and-retain-educational-professionals (includes slides and video recording)
Online Strategies to Attract and Retain Quality Employees
https://sueellson.com/blog/online-strategies-to-attract-and-retain-quality-employees
Shared online:
PODCAST // 🏫School Principals, are you having difficulty attracting quality candidates to vacant roles at your school?
Are you receiving multiple AI generated applications from overseas candidates seeking a visa to work in Australia?
Have you exhausted all of your own sourcing techniques and are you looking for some more options that will also help the school’s brand?
I was recently interviewed by Brad Entwistle from imageseven on the School Marketing Journal Podcast 🎙️and you can listen in at https://sueellson.com/blog/attracting-staff-for-school-heads-on-school-marketing-journal-podcast
This link includes access to the 19 minute podcast, an AI generated summary and links to more resources related to this topic.
Key recommendations include:
✔ Creating a separate page on your school website for each role you are advertising and then using various techniques to share the link to that role to people who can recommend suitable candidates to apply
✔ Including a detailed list of all of the benefits on offer including workplace culture, flexible working arrangements and salary range to attract quality candidates
✔ Spending more time sourcing candidates and less time sorting candidate applications
✔ Maintaining relationships, particularly in your local community and related professional associations
✔ Ensuring that your School Principal leads your online presence and not rely exclusively on the School’s Social Media Pages
✔ Consider adding an introductory video on the main careers page of your school website explaining what will be involved when a candidate applies for a role at the school
Happy listening and action taking! 🎧
May also be of interest to members of ASBA Limited, Australian HR Institute and Educate Plus
#linkedin #schoolprincipals #sueellson #onlinerecruitment
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