Like many who have been in education for a while, I have had many job interviews in my career.

Sadly, I can count on the fingers of one hand the schools and organisations where I felt the process was a genuine search for someone who would be really effective at the role.

In fact, I would recommend the process to anyone who wants to see inside the dark heart of the education profession because, as a woman in education, recruitment mostly seems to be an exercise in power and sexism: all-male interview panels, cronyism, strange looks and blatant attempts to humiliate.

A long list

Examples? Well, there was the interview where I was told that I got the answers wrong, but the close friend of the interviewer was, apparently, outstanding in his responses.

Or the interview where one of the interviewers began to lecture me on what I should be reading - which was essentially just a long list of male academics.

I have been winked at by a member of the (all-male) panel; been told, in a secret whisper, that the (all-male) panel was finding my knowledge and experience intimidating and I should make an effort to be “nicer”; and been informed that my tone was not considered correct. 

Oh, and what about the interview where I was told I had not been successful for the post, but they would like to offer me a different job at a lower salary and lower seniority than the position I was in.

My line manager would be the colleague they had offered the job to and who, they admitted, had little experience. Apparently, they thought I would be a wonderful mentor to him. They were quite shocked when I declined the offer. 

Then, of course, there are the interviews where it is clear they have already given the job to a colleague and are just going through the motions. Or when the organisation does not feel they need to share the outcome of the process.

On one occasion, after being on a shortlist of three, the organisation did not feel it was necessary to let me know the outcome. Eventually, after several days I emailed to find out, assuming by then I had not got the job.

A plea to do better

On reflection, I am glad that I was not successful in any of these applications - the implicit values and assumptions shown by these organisations make it clear that I would find them difficult places to work. 

For all the talk of meritocracy and fairness, I have consistently experienced discrimination and humiliation where the recruitment process has felt more about power than anything else. 

But, a plea, to anyone who is about to embark on the process of recruiting new employees in education: think hard about the impression you give throughout the process and remember that people are trying their best.

Their best might not be right for you, but that’s OK - you should, at least, respect them and treat them with dignity.

It is, after all, what we spend time teaching children to do. 

The author is a senior leader in a large MAT