What are your best recruitment options?

Creating a compelling job advert is the key to attracting promising talent. But once you have done this, you need to think about which recruitment options will give you the best response.

How to finding a great apprentice:

1. Promote your vacancy on the government’s Find an Apprenticeship portal. This is where many job-seekers head to search for apprentice opportunities. Adverts posted here are shared widely with schools/colleges and on social media, plus the site also has a high Google search ranking.
2. Use social media channels to reach a wider audience. Remember that few students are on Facebook or LinkedIn, so tailor your advertisement towards any parents who might be reading. If you have a corporate TikTok account, you can also use it to shout about your apprenticeship opportunities through a video.
3. Contact local schools and colleges if appropriate to see if they can share your advert. You can also attend careers fairs and events to meet potential candidates.
4. List your vacancy on the AAT website. The AAT team can support you in promoting your apprenticeship opportunities.
5. Be careful about using job advertisement websites. You may get people applying for apprenticeships because it’s a job, but their applications may not mention anything about accounting.
6. Allow 12 weeks to employ an apprentice. This includes time for listing the job spec, advertising the vacancy, interviewing candidates, notifying candidates whether they’ve been successful, and giving the successful candidate time to work out their notice.

How quickly can I recruit?

It can take as little as four weeks to employ an apprentice. However, 12 weeks may be a more realistic time frame to work towards. This includes the following:

• Week 1: Listing the job spec.
• Weeks 2–5: Job advert is online; candidates’ CVs arrive.
• Weeks 6–8: Interviewing candidates.
• Week 9: Notifying candidates whether they’ve been successful.
• Weeks 10–12: Time for the successful candidate to work out their notice.
• Week 13: The candidate starts.

Further information

Finding talent is a competitive business, so the more you can innovate and stand out, the better. For cutting-edge tips on how top companies give themselves the edge, read our in-depth article How to attract young talent to your business.

David Nunn is Content Manager at AAT.