GPSJ WINTER 2023 2024 LATEST - Flipbook - Page 23
LOCAL AUTHORITY & COUNCIL
GPSJ
Local Government Recruitment: Addressing
Challenges and Proposing Solutions
Rod McMillan, Marketing Manager, Monster UK
government, not helped by ongoing
issues in recruitment and retention.
Rod McMillan,
Marketing Manager
Monster UK
As we usher in 2024, local
authorities across the UK
find themselves at a crucial
crossroads in the continually
evolving employment arena.
A Local Government
Association survey reported
last year that over nine out of
ten councils were experiencing
recruitment difficulties in at
least one occupation.
Although councils offer a
wide range of over 800 roles
- spanning social work to IT
- they grapple with persistent
staffing challenges. These
include employee shortages,
budget constraints, outdated
recruitment processes, and a
growing reliance on agency
staff. However, there are a
number of steps that local
authorities can take to i
mprove the situation.
Key Challenges
•Recruitment and Retention
An alarming 78% of councils report
difficulties in attracting qualified staff,
with retention posing a significant
hurdle, as per the Local Government
Association’s 2021 report.
Particularly problematic is hiring and
retaining younger talent in areas
such as social services, education,
and healthcare, recruiting skilled
professionals.
The Office for National Statistics
reveals that, despite a modest
increase in public sector employment
to 5.87 million employees in June
2023, local government experienced
slower growth compared to central
•Financial Constraints
The burden of financial constraints,
exacerbated by unresolved pay
disputes, further complicates the
recruitment landscape. Examples
such as Guildford Borough Council
freezing recruitment due to a £300
million debt and Glasgow City
Council having to settle a £770
million pay dispute underscore
financial strains faced by local
authorities. With costs rising, many
councils are struggling to balance
their budgets, intensifying the
urgency for strategic solutions.
•Outdated Recruitment
Processes
While the private sector has largely
adapted to modern recruitment
practices, many local councils
lag behind, and it is high time
they followed suit. Workforce
planning strategies must include
a thorough review of processes
and tools. Notable efforts, such as
Halton Borough Council replacing
long paper application forms with
CVs and introducing immediate
interviews highlight some positive
strides. Centralising departmental
recruitment, as many councils
are now doing, and implementing
modern applicant tracking systems
and recruitment software help
standardise processes and enhance
efficiency. This enables potential
employees to find the roles that
fit best and helps councils hire
better candidates faster and costeffectively.
Developing Solutions
•Employer Branding
Creating a compelling ‘Employer
Brand’ – that is, how candidates
perceive a potential employer - is
pivotal in attracting and retaining
talent. Many factors influence this,
including their positive and negative
experiences with the council as
constituents, and news coverage.
Local councils, delivering essential
services to the community as they do
rather than selling a product, must
differentiate their value proposition to
potential employees. Understanding
employee aspirations such as
flexibility, security, and meaningful
work in a culture that aligns with
their values is crucial. It’s important
to communicate shared values to
potential candidates, and deliver
on those promises, especially in
attracting younger workers and
competing for experienced talent
against the private sector.
•Communicating Unique
Benefits
Emphasising the unique advantages
of working in local government is
also vital. Stability and job security,
work-life balance through innovative
practices such as the four-day work
week, diverse career opportunities,
and the ability to make a tangible
impact on the community are
powerful selling points that recruiters
should underscore.
•Strategic Planning and
Partnerships
Recruitment is not a one-off activity
but an ongoing process that
demands meticulous planning.
Identifying current and future
workforce needs and establishing the
right partnerships with educational
institutions and commercial
organisations are strategic moves
that can offer invaluable support to
local councils.
The challenges facing local
government recruitment are many but
not insurmountable. By modernising
•Community Impact: Working
for a council means making a
tangible difference in people’s lives, a
powerful motivator for many
•Stability and Job Security: The
public sector offers a lifeline in an
era of economic uncertainty and
recruiters should not underestimate
this advantage.
•Work-Life Balance: Innovative
councils are finding ways to introduce
flexible work arrangements, including
the four-day work week
•Diverse Opportunities: With
roles spanning urban planning to
environmental health, local councils
offer many diverse opportunities, with
clear progression paths.
All this needs to be communicated
clearly to candidates.
•Process Modernisation
Leveraging technology for online
campaigns and streamlining
application processes is imperative
for councils to stay competitive.
Embracing such change while
ensuring a consistent employee
experience not only aids recruitment
but also reduces risks and
enhances return on investment.
Council successes, such as those
highlighted in this local government
recruitment case study, demonstrate
the positive impact of embracing
modern tools and strategies. It
shows how campaign tools such
as our Pay for Performance helped
the council increase their application
volume and improve their conversion
rates, particularly in sectors requiring
specialised skills.
processes, strategically highlighting
the unique benefits of council jobs,
and forming effective partnerships,
local governments can attract and
retain a skilled and committed
workforce, thereby shaping the future
of effective local governance.
About Monster
Monster is a global leader in
connecting the right people to
the right jobs. Every day, Monster
aims to make every workplace
happier and more productive by
transforming the way employers find
talent and candidates find careers.
For 25 years, Monster has worked
to transform the recruiting industry.
Today, the company leverages
innovative digital, social and mobile
solutions, including mobile apps and
performance based advertising to
enable employers and candidates
to see each other more clearly.
Monster is a digital venture owned
by Randstad North America, a
subsidiary of Randstad N.V., a €23.8
billion global provider of flexible work
and human resources services.
https://www.monster.co.uk/
GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SECTOR JOURNAL WINTER 2023/2024
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