Raising the Bar in Education Recruitment: Our B Corp Commitment
In education recruitment, the standards we uphold matter more than most people realise. The choices made by recruitment agencies do not exist in isolation; they affect schools, staff, and ultimately the children and young people in classrooms across the country. When recruitment is carried out thoughtfully and responsibly, it creates stability, trust, and continuity, enabling schools to operate effectively and educators to feel supported and valued. When it is rushed, overly transactional, or focused solely on short-term targets, the consequences are immediate and far-reaching. Becoming a Certified B Corporation is Class People’s way of formally committing to raising the bar in the sector, ensuring that our actions consistently reflect the values we have long championed.
Rethinking Success in Recruitment
Recruitment is often measured by speed, volume, and efficiency. How quickly a vacancy can be filled, how rapidly cover can be secured, and how efficiently demand can be met are traditional markers of success. While responsiveness is important, it should never come at the expense of quality, integrity, or care. In education, a purely transactional approach simply does not work. Schools are complex environments, and educators are skilled professionals whose wellbeing, confidence, and job satisfaction directly influence outcomes in the classroom. Our B Corp certification reflects a belief that recruitment agencies have a responsibility to operate to higher standards, even when doing so requires extra time, thought, and effort.
Accountability That Goes Beyond Good Intentions
B Corp certification is not awarded lightly. It requires an independent assessment of how a business operates across governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. For Class People, this process provided both validation of our existing practices and a challenge to examine where we could do better. It required us to scrutinise every aspect of our operations, from how we make decisions and treat our candidates and clients to how we measure impact and manage growth. Achieving B Corp status is not about recognition or a badge; it is about accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement. It is also a legal commitment to balance profit with purpose, ensuring that growth never comes at the cost of people or principles.
Supporting Candidates as Professionals
Teachers, teaching assistants, SEN professionals, and early years staff are not simply commodities to be moved from one placement to the next. They are highly skilled professionals whose expertise, wellbeing, and motivation have a direct impact on learning outcomes. Our B Corp status reinforces our commitment to fair treatment, transparent communication, and long-term relationships. It commits us to supporting educators throughout their careers, from initial registration to ongoing placements, ensuring that every interaction is grounded in honesty, respect, and professional care. By approaching recruitment in this way, we create an environment where candidates feel valued, supported, and able to thrive.
Partnering with Schools for Long-Term Impact
Schools and settings operate under constant pressure, from financial constraints to operational challenges, and the quality of recruitment can make a significant difference. Ethical, thoughtful recruitment reduces disruption, supports staff wellbeing, and enhances continuity for pupils. Through our B Corp commitment, we have strengthened our focus on understanding school cultures, carefully matching candidates to roles, and prioritising sustainable solutions rather than short-term fixes. This approach is not about filling vacancies as quickly as possible; it is about building partnerships based on trust, transparency, and shared responsibility, recognising that the impact of recruitment decisions extends far beyond the hiring process.
Committing to Continuous Improvement
Values matter most when they are tested, and the B Corp framework ensures that ethical standards do not rely solely on good intentions. Certification embeds accountability into every level of the business, requiring regular reassessment, measurable impact, and a willingness to adapt and improve over time. For schools and candidates, this provides reassurance that our commitment to ethical, purpose-led recruitment is independently verified and continuously reviewed. For our internal team, it provides a structure that supports professional development, wellbeing, and inclusion while ensuring that growth does not come at the expense of people or the communities we serve.
Education Shapes Futures, Recruitment Shapes Education
Ultimately, becoming a B Corp is not an endpoint. It is a framework for ongoing reflection, accountability, and improvement. It challenges us to think harder about the consequences of our decisions, to act in ways that align with our values, and to keep raising the standard for education recruitment. Our commitment is to continue operating in a way that prioritises people over process, long-term outcomes over short-term gains, and integrity over convenience. Education shapes futures, and recruitment shapes education. Becoming a Certified B Corporation ensures that Class People approaches that responsibility with care, thoughtfulness, and a relentless focus on doing what is right. Raising the bar in education recruitment is not optional; it is essential.
