A viewpoint from Anthony Hogan

Why Real-Time Data Matters in Recruitment Supply Chains

Recruitment costs are one of the biggest challenges facing Multi-Academy Trusts today. With agency spend projected to reach well over a billion pounds annually, leaders need more than guesswork to manage budgets effectively. Yet, many Trusts are still forced to rely on retrospective reports, invoices, and phone calls to piece together what is happening across their academies.

This is where real-time data changes everything. By having accurate dashboards that instantly show spend, agency usage, safeguarding compliance, and candidate flow, Trust leaders can see the full picture at a glance. Instead of reacting after the money is spent, they can plan ahead, compare academies, and negotiate stronger terms with agencies.

Just as no business would operate without financial dashboards, no Trust should be without recruitment dashboards. With clarity comes control over costs, over compliance, and ultimately over the quality of staff in front of pupils. Because, as we often say, "without data, it’s just another opinion."