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The Growth in Educational Leadership Podcast
๐ผ๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ญ๐ฉ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ก?
๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ง๐, ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ค๐๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช!
Through my recruitment work in the education and public sectors, I see trends emerging amongst the 1000s of candidates I've helped to date - from โก๏ธ career blindspots toโก๏ธ long, complicated interview questions andโก๏ธhow confidence holds so many teachers back.
Because I understand the system that teachers work in, the language they use, the challenges they face, and the frameworks that shape education, this podcast (and the way I work) means that teachers grow professionally as quickly as possible!
Combining mindset with strategy, I'll be sharing ways to sell yourself better and how to make the Looking at Our School Document work for you. I'll also share insider stories from experts in education and beyond.
๐ฅDon't forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast for weekly career and leadership tips.
Owner: Orla Dempsey
The Growth in Educational Leadership Podcast
E52: Recruitment Redefined: Steven Farrell O Callaghan on Relationships, Interview Prep, and Psychometrics
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Orla interviews Steven Farrell O Callaghan of Clark Recruitment on the Growth in Educational Podcast about his recent Home of the Year final appearance with his husband Mike, the publicity it brought, and his 18 years with Clark, which he officially took over in 2024 after joining in 2008.
Stephen explains Clarkโs relationship-driven approach to serving both employers and candidates, including on-site client visits, structured competency-based interviewing, candidate coaching, and an aftercare check-in process (weeks 1, 4, 6, 8, and 12).
He discusses application volumes (e.g., ~300 for admin roles), international sourcing via partners and a work permit department, and the value and limits of psychometric tools (InnerMetrics/DISC) for hiring and team development.
The conversation covers interview best practices, STAR storytelling, issues with untrained panellists, overly long multi-stage processes, and encouraging educators to take risks, apply even without every requirement, and seek mentoring.
TIMESTAMPS
- 00:48 Home of the Year Spotlight
- 02:52 From Publicity to Networking
- 03:17 Recruitment Relationship Building
- 06:07 Sourcing and Application Volume
- 08:18 International Partners and USP
- 09:51 Leadership Qualities and Listening
- 11:27 Aftercare and Psychometrics
- 14:41 Better Interviews and Panels
- 22:05 Candidate Prep and Storytelling
- 24:23 STAR Technique Breakdown
- 25:20 STAR Story Endings
- 26:11 Interview Surprise Fallout
- 27:09 Too Many Interview Rounds
- 29:09 Why In Person Matters
- 30:24 Hiring Timelines Reality
- 31:56 Coaching Strengths Answers
- 32:51 Recruiter Value Explained
- 35:24 Long Term Relationships
- 36:52 Psychometrics For Teams
- 42:33 Competencies And AI Gaps
- 45:36 Apply Anyway Take Risks
CONTACT DETAILS
- Clarke Recruitment Website: https://clark.ie/
- Watch Stephen and Mike on Home of the Year here: https://www.rte.ie/player/series/home-of-the-year/SI0000000759?epguid=IP10017032-12-0007
- Clarke Recruitment on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarkrecruitment/
[Interview with Orla Dempsey}