Recruitment ‘toolkit’ helps healthcare employers tackle hard-to-fill vacancies

Healthcare employers are tackling hard-to-fill entry level vacancies while helping local long-term unemployed people back into sustainable employment, thanks to an innovative recruitment programme developed by Skills for Health with Jobcentre Plus.

The ‘sector employability toolkit’ offers employers best practice resources to run a five-week pre-employment programme, supported by their local Jobcentre Plus and education providers.

During the programme, candidates’ employability skills are developed through on- and off-the-job training. At the end of the programme, all candidates are guaranteed a job interview for an identified vacancy.

The programme is particularly valuable in areas of high unemployment where poor employability skills could make recruitment especially problematic.

The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust is one of a number of NHS organisations to have piloted the toolkit, with positive results.

The Trust had previously struggled to retain staff in entry-level domestic assistant posts, but by piloting the employability toolkit it was able to identify 14 candidates for posts. It then worked with these candidates to provide tailored pre-employment training and development and ultimately offered jobs to 10 individuals, of whom nine are still in post a year later.

Employability Project Manager Mohammed Rawat said: “The programme really is unique in giving employers a chance to reach out to potential recruits who might not usually have considered a career in healthcare.

“Like many health care employers, we work in communities with pockets of very high unemployment, low qualification levels and poor employability skills. Under normal circumstances people from these communities may have struggled to access employment openings but the toolkit gave us a chance to work with candidates to assess their potential and help them develop the employability skills they need to do their best in the recruitment process.

“The results have been fantastic. The toolkit has not only given local people a path into sustainable employment but it has also helped us attract people who are very committed and enthusiastic about working with us. And in financial terms there are very clear benefits – we have saved on recruitment and training fees by going down this route, and we are also seeing much higher retention levels among people recruited in this way.”

Skills for Health chief executive John Rogers said: “This is a really innovative programme that helps health sector employers build the skilled, flexible workforces they need to deliver high-quality health care.

“It delivers a range of benefits for employers including reduced recruitment costs and better links with their local communities. And it also contributes to the health promotion agenda by tackling health inequalities associated with long-term unemployment.”

Matthew Nicholas, Jobcentre Plus Director, Employers and Stakeholders said: “This programme provides real benefits and results. The toolkit not only gives people looking for work the confidence, skills and knowledge they need for a career in the health sector, but also provides the tailored and effective pre-employment training we know employers want.”

Employers who use the toolkit begin their programme with a recruitment event promoted with their local Jobcentre Plus, followed by a five-week pre-employment programme. Supporting materials in the toolkit include:

• An employability checklist to identify attitudes, skills and behaviour expected at point of entry to the health sector

• Guidance and resources for the selection process, including interviews and assessments

• Training plans, timetables, materials and handouts needed to deliver a five week pre-employment programme contextualised to each employer’s needs.

The toolkit is suitable for use throughout the UK, in NHS and independent or voluntary sector health care organisations.