Based on data from 2020, Tutors International only shortlist an average of 5.5% of candidate applications per advertised position.
OXFORD, UK: Tutors International is an elite private tutoring company. They offer a bespoke high-quality service for a select clientele seeking full-time residential tuition. They do not hold a database of tutors from which to draw. Rather, they conduct a bespoke and thorough search per individual client enquiry. This is so that the perfect tutor for each family’s needs can be found and matched.
The Process
Tutors International receives hundreds of applications per advertised job. The most competitive position in 2020 was for a placement in Michigan, where 351 candidates applied. Only 11 candidates made the shortlist. This is just over 3% of the total number of applicants.
The recruitment process is extremely thorough. First, there are preliminary meetings or video calls with the client in order to gauge an in-depth understanding of the student’s needs and character. Tutors International subsequently drafts and publishes a detailed job specification. Tutors then submit their applications. Hundreds of tutors apply. The account manager then vigilantly reads, assesses and vets the applications. Then they devise a shortlist and interview the best applicants. When the best candidates are identified, they are introduced to the client. The client then makes the final decision.
The process is rigorous. This ensures the high-quality service, academic excellence, and bespoke matches that set Tutors International apart.
Shortlisting
The standard of applicants is hugely diverse. CEO, Adam Caller, reports seeing phrases such as, ‘I enjoy interlectual [sic] conversations’ in some applications. Sifting through submissions like this takes up valuable time in the effort to shortlist only the best candidates.
The questions for each job application form are written specifically for that job. Many of the questions are designed to challenge the applicant to think conceptually and imaginatively. This lets Tutors International identify the academically and pedagogically superior candidates.
Founder of Tutors International, Adam Caller, comments on finding the right candidate:
“We have hundreds of applications for every role advertised. Some complete it with just the bare minimum. Some do not even complete the application process. We also get several applications from tutors who simply do not meet the criteria outlined in the role description. We dedicate a lot of time to writing thorough descriptions for each position, so it’s frustrating when candidates apply without reading them properly. After these applicants have been eliminated from consideration, we can then begin to identify the stand out candidates. These are tutors who meet all of the criteria for that specific job, answer the application questions impressively, and evidence ample qualifications and experience to meet Tutors International’s high standards.”
