A Fresh Start: What Recruitment Agencies Should Prioritise in the New Year

The start of a new year always brings a sense of renewal — and for schools, January is no exception. Pupils return after the holidays, timetables reset, and leadership teams refocus on academic goals. But the challenges don’t disappear. Absences, staff turnover, and compliance demands remain high, and schools lean heavily on recruitment agencies to help them start the term on solid ground.

For agencies, January is the perfect time to refocus priorities and set the tone for the year ahead. So what should education recruiters be prioritising this term?

1. Rebuilding Candidate Engagement

After the Christmas break, many supply staff drift. Some reduce their hours, others wait for long-term contracts, and a few may leave education altogether. Agencies who re-engage quickly with their candidates — confirming availability, checking preferences, and offering early placements — will have stronger pipelines than those who wait.

2. Anticipating High Absence Levels

January is notorious for seasonal illness. Cold weather, flu, and winter bugs hit staff and pupils hard, meaning schools often face sudden cover shortages. Agencies who can provide fast, compliant cover at short notice become invaluable partners.

3. Strengthening School Relationships

The first term of the year sets the tone for schools’ perception of an agency. Recruiters who are proactive — checking in with leadership teams, forecasting needs, and offering solutions — stand out from competitors who simply react to bookings.

4. Keeping Compliance Tight

The new year often brings fresh audits and safeguarding reviews. Schools want reassurance that every candidate sent to them is fully compliant. Agencies who start January with clear, watertight compliance processes inspire confidence and build trust.

5. Planning Beyond the Immediate

While day-to-day cover is critical, smart agencies also look ahead. Spring brings exams, summer brings transitions, and September always looms large. January is the moment to forecast long-term needs and begin preparing early.

How MyTalent CRM Helps Agencies Start the Year Strong

At MyTalent CRM, we designed our platform to give recruiters the tools they need to prioritise effectively in January and beyond:

Automated candidate engagement tools to re-activate talent after the break.
Real-time availability and booking dashboards to respond to absences quickly.
Compliance workflows to guarantee every placement is safe.
Analytics and forecasting to help agencies plan beyond the week ahead.

With the right systems in place, January doesn’t have to mean firefighting — it can mean leading the way into a successful year.

Final Thought
January sets the tone for the year in education. For recruitment agencies, the priority is clear: re-engage candidates, support schools through winter absences, and plan ahead with confidence. Agencies who do this not only survive the challenges of January — they thrive.

👉 Discover how MyTalent CRM helps agencies prioritise what matters most this term

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