Edge Hill University
Headteachers’ attitudes and responses to applicants’ digital footprints when recruiting early career teachers
Cybervetting practices are widespread in the recruitment of professionals across industries in the UK and internationally. There is no legal mandate for schools in England to conduct online searching of applicants, although recently updated government policy recommends that searches are conducted on shortlisted candidates. Unofficial sources of guidance for schools are contradictory, and the expectations of both schools as employers and of applicants to teaching posts are unclear. This presentation will outline research findings which explore the behaviours, attitudes and motivations of primary phase Headteachers in England in respect of applicants’ digital footprints. The findings indicate that cybervetting practices vary between schools and may or may not include social media searching. Accordingly, perceptions of personal content vary, with some evidence of subjective decision making and bias. It is recognised that many people have an ever-changing digital presence, often due to their social media engagement, increasing use of social media for professional purposes and growing trend for self-promotional online behaviours. Using social media for professional purposes is unlikely to have negative consequences for Early Career Teachers seeking employment, although employers are generally not significantly influenced by professional engagement. Overall, schools carry out online searches of applicants for the purposes of safeguarding, ascertaining suitability and protecting reputation, with Headteachers considering themselves to be gatekeepers to the profession.