Top 3 recruitment challenges for education companies

TL;DR  

Recruitment in education is rarely just about filling open positions. For schools, training providers, and education-focused organizations, hiring is closely tied to long-term capacity, continuity, and the quality of learning experiences they can offer. Yet structural shortages, high workload, and limited recruitment resources make hiring and retention particularly challenging. 

Based on insights from our 2026 HR Report as well as conversations with education leaders and recruiters, this article outlines the three most pressing recruitment challenges education organizations face today and why solving them requires sustainable, well-structured approaches rather than short-term fixes. 

Overview 

• Why structural teacher shortages persist
• Why workload and burnout impact long-term retention
• Why limited recruitment resources hinder hiring efforts
• What this means for education recruitment moving forward

1. Structural teacher shortages

Across many regions, fewer qualified teachers enter the profession each year. This is not a short-term fluctuation, but a long-term structural challenge that directly affects schools’ ability to plan ahead. 

For recruiters and school leaders, this often means: 

• a shrinking pool of qualified candidates 
• repeated recruitment for the same roles year after year 
• limited flexibility when it comes to specializations or experience levels 

Because education roles require specific certifications and subject knowledge, expanding the talent pool is not easy. As a result, vacancies can remain open for extended periods, placing additional strain on existing staff and reducing organizational stability. 

2. High workload and burnout impacting retention 

In education, recruitment and retention are closely connected. Many institutions can attract teachers but struggle to keep them long-term. 

High workloads, administrative responsibilities, and emotional demands are common challenges, often compounded by comparatively lower compensation. Over time, this can lead to burnout, reduced engagement, and increased turnover. 

For HR teams, the challenge is not only replacing staff who leave but understanding why they leave. And from our 2026 HR Report, we know that this happens barely just half of the time. We asked over 5,000 candidates and employees if they were asked why there were leaving when leaving their last job. And the result? 50% have and 50% have not. Without addressing workload balance, support structures, and development opportunities, recruitment risks becoming a continuous cycle rather than a sustainable solution. 

3. Limited recruitment resources and tools

Unlike many private-sector organizations, education employers often operate with limited recruitment resources. Dedicated recruiters may be absent, hiring is handled alongside other responsibilities, and access to modern hiring tools or employer branding budgets is restricted. 

This affects recruitment in several ways: 

• job ads struggle to reach the right audiences 
  
• candidate communication becomes manual and time-consuming 
• hiring processes lack consistency and structure 

Candidate feedback from our 2026 HR Report reinforces how damaging this can be. Lack of feedback, unclear processes, and complex application requirements are among the most frequently cited frustrations in the job application experience.  

As a result, even motivated institutions may find it difficult to compete for attention, not because the roles lack meaning, but because the recruitment setup does not support effective outreach and engagement. 

What's next?

Recruitment in education will remain challenging, but it doesn’t have to be unsustainable. By addressing structural shortages, supporting retention, and simplifying recruitment processes, education organisations can build stability and continuity without constant hiring pressure.

At Talentech, we partner with education organizations across the Nordics and the Netherlands to:

• Build long-term talent pipelines through talent pools and structured recruitment

• Reduce administrative burden with automation and centralized workflows

• Improve candidate experience through clearer communication and more consistent processes

Explore how our recruitment solutions support organizations HERE.