Recruitment: why you should consider non-FE candidates

Historically the further education (FE) sector has relied heavily on its own pipeline of talent to fill leadership roles. However, there are compelling arguments to looking beyond FE for impactful leaders, especially in corporate services roles where they can bring transferable expertise and fresh perspectives. Research undertaken by the Further Education Trust for Leadership (FETL), Association of Education and Learning Providers (AELP) and the 157 Group proposed that recruiting from outside the FE sector can bring a more commercial edge and stimulate new thinking.

A great example of this is the appointment of John Flaherty as Vice Principal Finance and Planning at Shipley College. John has an impressive track record in senior, strategic finance roles in commerce and financial services, most recently as UK Finance Director and Group Commercial Asset Director at a multi-national credit management company. He was able to bring experience of significantly delivering growth in income and EBITDA, embedding new business capabilities and creating strategies that ensured success across all areas than rather than by just financial measures. Moreover, his experience lay within values-led, regulated businesses so there was synergy with the college culture which is, of course, of paramount importance.

When asked what encouraged him to consider the FE sector, John said: “The one constant for me when joining a new business is to work in an environment that mirrors my own values. My next consideration is to how new to me the sector is, as I actively seek that variety. The advantage of working in finance (and other support functions) is that the core skills are transferable across every business, but the opportunity to adapt previous experiences and apply in a new situation is exciting.”

He is settling in really well. John said: “So far it’s been a positive introduction – the terminology is different (for example, I now work for a Principal and we have a board of governors, previously it was a CEO and non-executive directors), and the various funding streams have taken a while to get used to, but the challenges are similar and I’m confident that my background can help improve our understanding of the risks and opportunities facing the college and better articulate and guide the college’s ongoing growth.”

Shipley College was in a strong position, both overall and in financial terms, and open to the additional value that a candidate like John could bring. What really mattered to Diana Bird, the college Principal and CEO, was that the new post holder would not just reflect the financial position but would play a key part in overall college direction, influencing and shaping beyond the numbers.

Meanwhile in London, Dave Barden, another leader who came from out of sector, has made a significant contribution in his college. Dave joined Waltham Forest College as Head of HR in early 2023, having had an impressive background as a senior leader in various organisation across the commercial and not-for-profit sectors. He brought experience of leading cultural change, HR strategy design and senior leadership business partnering, in both nationwide and regional organisations.

For Dave, a key motivator is the desire to “leave his fingerprints on the business” and witness first-hand the impact of his efforts. This aspiration aligns perfectly with the college environment, where corporate resource leaders directly influence students’ welfare, success and life opportunities.

Dave spoke of the benefits that candidates from beyond FE can bring, believing this increases the sector’s ability to grow, to think competitively, to act commercially and to work at pace. Innovation and fresh thinking are paramount, and opening the door to new and fresh approaches can be extremely beneficial.

Dave has been keen to further develop the excellent working culture at Waltham Forest College and has contributed to new ideas around benefits and staff wellbeing. He has proactively worked with his colleagues to introduce a greater range of “soft” benefits and to prioritise staff support and development. This has paid dividends in terms of staff satisfaction (evidenced in an impressive score of 91% staff satisfaction in the recent staff survey), as well as in key performance indicators such as retention and absence. Dave, along with the whole college community, has celebrated the college being rated outstanding by Ofsted following its most recent inspection.

Of course, one major issue in attracting candidates to FE is pay, as college salaries can be lower than comparable roles in other industries. However, college benefits often outweigh those offered by other organisations and, being a lifelong learning sector, FE usually embraces and offers excellent opportunities for career development. Highlighting benefits and personal development can pay dividends in attracting strong candidates from out of sector. It’s also important to position roles to appeal to those likely to have shared values and a desire to make a social impact.

We sometimes see that selection panels are reticent to initially consider external applicants, preferring to focus on “safe” college career backgrounds, and they worry that the learning curve will be steep and that they won’t see such an immediate impact.

While it is true that external candidates will need some time initially to get up and running and to learn about the idiosyncrasies of FE, there is every likelihood that such candidates could take them further in the longer term and make a greater overall impact. Their perspectives are likely to complement those with FE backgrounds and bring more diversity of thought and approach.

Bernie Cullen is a Recruitment Manager at AoC.

The post holders featured in this article, John Flaherty and Dave Barden, were both appointed in their respective roles by AoC Executive Recruitment. We were delighted to source impactful individuals for their colleges.