- Job title: Recruitment Advisor
- Job Type: Permanent, Full Time, Monday to Friday (8am-5pm)
- Salary: £33,000 per annum (£38,280 if full pension flex benefit is utilised)
- Department: HR
- Reporting to: Recruitment Manager
- Location: Bishopswood Road, Highgate
- Start: ASAP
- Closing Date: 20 June 2025 at 5:00 pm
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This is an excellent opportunity to join our friendly and supportive Human Resources Team within an award-winning charity. If you are interested in being part of one of this country's top independent schools where kindness is at the heart of what we do, then this is an ideal opportunity for you.
The main purpose of this role will be to support the Recruitment Manager in providing high quality, efficient and compliant recruitment services for the School in line with the School's Safer Recruitment Policy, current legislation and best practice guidelines.
The ideal candidate will have previous recruitment experience, gained within a fast-moving environment. This is a hands on role working with all of our stakeholders - internal or external, candidates and hiring managers. As such the post-holder would be required to have excellent communication and organisational skills.
The DepartmentAn excellent opportunity to join our friendly and supportive Human Resources team.
There is a supportive and welcoming atmosphere within the department that underpins our people first culture as a school. Teamwork is at the heart of everything we do and by working together, we aim to provide the very best service to our students and staff.
The Human Resources (HR) department is made up of 9 people who work together to deliver a people first vision in line with the School's Safer Recruitment Policy, current legislation and best practice guidelines to the whole school ensuring that day to day HR functions is effectively managed. The department are on a transformation journey to deliver proactive people solutions to our staff and develop a self service mentality across the school.
Job Description
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIESRecruitment Support- Support the Recruitment Manager with the preparation of job descriptions and person specifications
- Post job vacancy adverts (internally and externally) on all concerned job boards
- Manage the internal recruitment process, including posting the job, obtaining references and completing additional checks upon appointment
- Work closely with the Recruitment Manager in improving processes, pro-actively suggesting solutions and reaching successful outcomes together
- Candidate management - pre-screening of candidates and talent pipelining including shortlisting support, collate feedback & paperwork from interviews
- Prep interview panel and at times there will be a need to partake in interviews
- Create recruitment timelines, arrange interviews, meet and greet candidates, arrange and carry out site tours, support with practical assessments
- Update SCR with new joiners across all categories
- Offer checks to other team members in the department, particularly working closely with the Recruitment Assistant to check personnel files together and ensure that all is in order
- Salary calculations and benchmarking. Understand how different contracts can impact salary. You will receive training on how to calculate salaries and be expected to have strong attention to detail in this area
- Provide advice to employees and line managers in regards to recruitment policies and procedures where relevant
- Verbal offers and progress to next steps
- Supporting the HR Team with the leavers' process, including archiving of the physical and digital personnel files
- Provide recruitment training on our Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and be the main point of contact with our ATS provider.
- In partnership with the Recruitment Manager, create PowerPoint presentations as a tool for communicating results, solutions and outcomes
- Collect and share intel from the education industry
Onboarding Process- Provide efficient administration of paperwork for new employees including all Safer Recruitment checks for example reference checks and verifications, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), overseas police checks, and other relevant pre-employment checks as required
- Liaise with new joiner on all onboarding tasks. Be the main recruitment contact for the candidate from onboarding through to probation end date.
- Ensure all new employee details are entered onto the relevant databases accurately and efficiently. Updating immigration and safeguarding logs and ensuring new employees are added to the Single Central Register (SCR)
- Update our intranet with new joiners details with job titles and photographs.
- Carry out regular audits of personnel files and chase any outstanding documents including signed contracts.
- Assist with new employee inductions including arranging induction programmes, holding induction meetings, and liaising with the IT department for log ins, equipment and ID badges.
Agency staff, host families, volunteers, casual staff and governors hiring- Work closely with the Recruitment Manager to support the recruitment of agency staff, volunteers, contractors/self-employed, host families and school governors
- Build a partnership with agencies and maintain regular communication via email, in person meetings and updates via training sessions. Ensure compliance for all agency staff and upkeep of records.
- Support with casual staff hiring. Including but not limited to Estates Assistants, Visiting Music Teachers, Supply Teachers and Teaching Assistants etc. Manage the entire recruitment process and liaise with hiring managers at the school and the applicants throughout. Advise on process including probation and other items.
- Update Casual trackers and logs. Ensure casual workers join the update service list for their DBS.
General HR Team support- Answer and deal with day-to-day enquiries (both internal and external) in a timely and efficient manner, passing non recruitment call to the relevant member within the department
- Co-manage recruitment inbox
- Ensure general filing and shredding is kept up to date
- Maintain up to date awareness of current employment law, best practice issues and changes to KCSIE and ISI guidelines
- Assist with other Recruitment and/or HR tasks and projects where required
These duties and responsibilities are intended as a guide. They are not exhaustive: the Recruitment Advisor will be expected to undertake any reasonable task or responsibility as required by the Recruitment Manager or People Director.Person Specification
- Criteria
- How will these be tested or verified?
- Qualifications/Experience
- Essential:
- Educated to degree level (or equivalent)
- The ideal candidate will have recruitment experience within a professional services organisation
- Highly PC literate with strong systems skills
- A proven record as a well-organised, reliable and proactive self-starter, able to manage a programme of work and the timely delivery of specified outcomes effectively and to a high standard;
- Interpersonal and other skills necessary to build effective working relationships with stakeholders and to work well within a team;
- Effective and authoritative communication skills, both written and oral
- Knowledge/Skills
- Essential:
- Good knowledge of how Applicant Tracking systems work
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Excellent planning and analytical skills
- Proficiency in Word, Excel, and Outlook
Desirable:
- Knowledge of child protection and safeguarding policies
- Personal Attributes
- Essential:
- Energetic and approachable with excellent communication, organisational and interpersonal skills
- Ability to build and maintain strong relationships
- Flexible with a 'can-do' approach and able to work effectively without supervision
- Proactive approach to work, an ability to work well under pressure and to meet targets and be able to identify process improvement needs
- Good influencing skills
BenefitsLocation | Highgate Village, adjacent to Hampstead Heath, with quaint shops and easy connections across London.
Pension | AVIVA workplace pension scheme offered with a generous 26% employer contribution, with the ability to flex up to 16% of this as additional non-pensionable salary, employees contribute a minimum of 5%.
Personal development | Comprehensive induction support for new staff. Focus on continued professional development for all employees.
Leisure facilities | Free access, at stipulated times, to our sports facilities, including a fitness suite and swimming pool (recently refurbished).
Lunch | A complimentary lunch.
Help with sustainable travel | Access to the Cycle to Work Scheme and a Season Ticket Loan scheme for public transport.
Family-friendly policies | Highgate appreciates that employees sometimes have family commitments so we try to be as supportive as possible, for example with enhanced maternity pay (8 weeks' full pay, then 10 weeks' half pay) and paid dependant leave.
'The Food Bank partnership was excellent in supporting some of our families over Christmas'
- Headteacher at a local Chrysalis partner secondary school that we supported through our food bank initiative.
Working at HighgateA culture of community, kindness and belongingHighgate is a caring, open-minded community, where we promote kindness, empathy and friendship. Everyone who works and studies with us deserves to feel they are part of a welcoming environment that enables them to be themselves and to thrive as individuals.
Our community extends beyond the school, through partnerships, charity work and our commitment to equality, inclusion and sustainability. All members of our school community are encouraged to look outwards and play an active role.
Following a visit from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) in September 2024 to assess Highgate's regulatory compliance and school standards, we are pleased to share the inspection findings, which reports compliance in all five areas and a 'significant strength' in our teaching expertise.
Staff wellbeingHighgate is committed to staff wellbeing, which we promote by encouraging a strong work-life balance; trying our best to support flexible working requests; providing a nutritious complimentary lunch in the dining hall; and offering access to sporting facilities including our recently renovated swimming pool.
The Staff Wellbeing Committee, with representatives across the School, meets regularly to drive forward initiatives, and a selection of staff have been trained as Mental-Health First Aiders.
We encourage an open culture throughout our school, with regular staff surveys, action committees and opportunities to feedback. We strive for continual learning and improvement, and staff training and development is paramount. There are opportunities to participate in the wider life of our school, such as taking part in trips or societies and getting involved in partnership projects.
More details about working at Highgate can be found here:
Work with us Aims + Ethos
Charitable work and sustainabilityAs an independent school, we want to use our position as a charity effectively: to make high-quality education accessible to as many children as possible - through our bursary programme at Highgate and through our work with local state schools. We have partnerships with over 60 state schools across 7 London boroughs, and we are the principal educational sponsor for London Academy of Excellence, Tottenham - an academically-selective state sixth form in a community where such opportunities are lacking.
Alongside this, our staff and pupils undertake charitable activities throughout the year. These range from staff giving up their time to neighbourhood schools and charitable organisations, focused fundraising campaigns, to pupils undertaking community work in the local area or further afield.
As a school, we have a central role to play in educating our pupils, staff and parents about the importance of environmental sustainability. We are taking positive action to adapt our operational performance to tackle the negative effects of climate change. We encourage all our staff to reflect upon their personal and professional practices, to support our environmental agenda and to make positive changes wherever possible.
Application procedure- Closing Date: 20th June 2025
- 1st Interview: 24th and 25th June 2025
- 2nd Interview: 1st July 2025
Contact: Recruitment Team are happy to answer any questions about this post.
Early Application: Applications will be considered 'as and when' received and we may close the vacancy if we appoint before the closing date.
Apply here
InclusionWe know that more diverse teams are stronger teams, and that the more inclusive we are, the more our staff and pupils will feel a sense of belonging and will thrive. To enable us to make reasonable adjustments, please let us know of any disabilities (including neuro-divergence) when you submit your application.
SafeguardingAs this role will have regular unsupervised contact with children you must, if appointed, comply with Highgate's Safeguarding Policy and Staff Code of Conduct. If in the course of carrying out the duties of the post the post holder becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety and welfare of our pupils, these concerns must be reported immediately in accordance with the Safeguarding Policy. If whilst in the post, Highgate becomes aware of any safeguarding concerns to staff, pupils or the community; these will need to be followed up in line with the safeguarding policy and code of conduct which is underpinned by KCSIE and other legislation. These concerns may need to be shared with other agencies. A copy of these policies will accompany all offers of employment. Training will also be provided to all staff to support Safeguarding practice.
Please read before you applyHighgate is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to this post, including checks with past employers, the Disclosure and Barring Service and overseas police check if necessary. Candidates from overseas must provide information about their past conduct, for example, by providing documents issued by overseas teaching authorities. DBS Privacy Policy
Please note that this role is 'exempt' from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore, you are required to declare any convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings that are not 'protected' (i.e. filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions and those that would not be filtered, prior to the date of the interview. DBS Code of Practice
In accordance with the latest guidance from KCSIE, we shall be conducting online searches on any candidates who are shortlisted.