Let’s be honest: most people don’t exactly *love* recruitment agencies.
And can you blame them?
Too many agencies are built for speed at any cost. Flooding inboxes. Pushing candidates into roles without understanding them. Prioritising monthly targets over long-term outcomes. It’s a system that works for agencies – but rarely for anyone else.
So we started asking the question:
What would recruitment look like if everyone involved actually felt good about it?
Not just satisfied. Not just “that’ll do.”
But actually good.
The Harris Lee Answer
At Harris Lee, we’re building the kind of agency we always wished existed. One where trust is earned. Where candidates are treated like people. Where educators feel understood. And where doing the right thing isn’t a “differentiator” – it’s just the minimum standard.
We’re not trying to disrupt the industry. We’re trying to do the job properly.
Here’s what that looks like.
Fast — but not careless
Yes, we move quickly. We often send shortlists within four hours of a brief landing.
But speed only matters when the right people are being put forward.
Every candidate we submit is:
– Chosen for relevance, not just availability
– Actually matched to the role, not guessed
– Put forward because we believe they’ll stay, not just start
If we don’t have someone suitable, we’ll say so. No inbox spam. No hoping something sticks.
Human from every angle
We’ve all seen what happens when recruitment loses its human side.
Candidates ghosted after interview.
Educators promised everything and delivered a stack of irrelevant CVs.
Recruiters pressured to hit numbers instead of focusing on fit.
We built Harris Lee to be the opposite.
That means:
– Clear, kind communication from start to finish
– Respect for educators’ time and energy
– Candidates who are looked after, not just sent off
It also means our own consultants work in a way that’s sustainable. No internal burnout culture. No toxic targets. No “smile and dial” nonsense.
Doing the job properly
Recruitment isn’t a volume game. It’s a precision job.
Every brief is handled with care. Every role is treated like it matters — because it does.
We don’t believe in pushing for placements that won’t last. We want to be the agency educators keep coming back to because they trust our judgement. That only works if we earn it.
Building impact, not just headcount
We believe recruitment should leave something behind that’s bigger than a placement.
That’s why every time we do a deal, we also fund:
– Tree planting to help offset carbon
– Mental health support for educators through Education Support
– Ocean clean-up projects with Plastic Bank
Because if we’re supporting educators, we should be protecting the future they’re working so hard to shape.
Why this matters
Recruitment isn’t just admin. It shapes the people children interact with every day. It affects workload, culture, safeguarding, and student outcomes.
A rushed placement affects more than just staffing – it affects the entire environment that students and teachers walk into each day.
That’s why we think it’s time to do better.
If you’ve been waiting for recruitment that just feels normal, helpful, and honest — maybe you’ve found your people.
