Voluntary Sector Recruitment Working Group: Sharing Cross-Sector Experiences of Recruitment to

Inspire Change

February 2019

Report written by Three Sisters Consultancy

Table of Contents

Introduction 2

Aims and objectives of the project 2

Partners involved 2

Background 3

Recruitment challenges in the Voluntary Sector 3

Workshop design 4

Guest speakers 5

Selection of guest speakers 5

Key points from guest speakers 5

Ideas and innovations 7

Streamlining/improving the application process for candidates 7

Promoting ourselves as organisations of choice 8

Promoting a career in care 8

Engaging with younger people 9

Assessment centres 9

Developing managers as ambassadors 10

Values based recruitment 10

Workshop 3: Background checking, vetting and barring 10

Actions and next steps 12

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Introduction

Aims and objectives of the project The primary aim of the Recruitment Working Group (RWG) is to stimulate change by providing information, analysis and inspiration to impact positively on the current recruitment crisis to improve recruitment outcomes in the social care Voluntary Sector.

As a part of this process, the RWG commissioned three workshops to be delivered to partners in the Voluntary Sector to explore key points in the recruitment process: candidate attraction, candidate selection and background checking, vetting and barring.

These workshops were designed around input from speakers from other sectors, in which speakers could discuss their own employment context and share how they have overcome recruitment challenges. Through the course of these three workshops, the group heard effective practice ideas from recruitment organisations, lawyers, construction organisations and hospitality industries.

The aim of these workshops were that participants would: ● Feel inspired by good practice in recruitment from different employment sectors ● Explore what can be learned and adapted from guest contributors for use within the Voluntary

Sector recruitment process● Feel challenged to move beyond known barriers and develop different approaches and processes

to recruitment● Collaborate effectively with colleagues from within and outwith the Voluntary Sector to address a

key challenge

Partners involved

We would like to offer thanks to CCPS for providing support and Turning Point Scotland for hosting, managing and administrating these events. The workshops were opened to the wider Voluntary Sector, and many existing members of the Recruitment Working Group attended as well as those new to the group’s work (below)

Capability ScotlandWith YouErskineThe Action GroupKeySupport for Ordinary LivingTurning Point ScotlandCarr Gomm

Project Scotland Ark Housing Association Sense ScotlandSDFSAMHEnableCrossreachCircle Scotland

TRFSCHSSInspireQuarriersAlzheimer ScotlandIncludemQueens Cross HAScottish Autism

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Background

Recruitment challenges in the Voluntary SectorSocial care workers provide support and help to people who need it, helping them to live full and valued lives in the community. (SSSC)

Upwards of 50% of services reported vacancies in a 2016 report published by the Care Inspectorate. Reasons that vacancies are hard to fill (according to providers):

Too few applicants 27%

Too few applicants with experience 20%

Too few qualified applicants 17%

Other reason 8%

Competition from other service providers 8%

Candidates unable to work the hours needed 9%

Competition from other types of work 4%

Can't afford wage demands 4%

Cost of living in the area is too high 1%

Reason unknown 2%

Care Inspectorate report on Staff Vacancies 2016 (2017)

A summary of the challenges faced when recruiting in the sector include lower wages (Scottish Living Wage as standard), funding challenges, anti-social working hours, an ageing workforce, increasing demand for services, a lack of esteem for the sector, and a lack of well-defined career pathways.

In addition to this, Brexit may have an impact on EU staff. Because of the demands of this work, staff often require comprehensive training before they can work independently and all support workers must commit to a minimum of SVQ2 qualification to continue working, which has time and cost implications. Within these workshops, not all discussion centred on the recruitment of social care workers, although it was the focus, the group also emphasised that challenges in recruitment extended to administrative and management roles as well.

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Workshop designWorkshops were advertised through Eventbrite, and open to anyone in the Voluntary Sector. Some participants chose to attend more than one workshop as part of the process. Workshops were loosely organised into three topics: candidate attraction, candidate selection and background checking, vetting and barring. However, discussion in the workshops often overlapped, reflecting the full recruitment journey, which cannot be segregated into such discrete areas.

Through the course of three workshops, the group heard presentations from representatives from five organisations: IQVIA, HRC Recruitment, Brodies, City Building and Apex Hotels. Barclay’s Bank offered their input but were unable to attend on the dates available. It is anticipated that a separate session recording this final input will be a post publishing addendum to this report.

These external speakers were given a brief about the Voluntary Sector recruitment landscape in advance of the workshop and asked to complete a brief questionnaire intended to help them structure their input. In each workshop, external speakers gave a 15 minute presentation before answering questions. Following this input, small groups formed to reflect on what struck them most about this input and what ideas felt most relevant to them. This reflection was supported by the speaker. Then, groups went on to contribute to ideas development and action planning which focused on how they might adapt practices from other sectors to their own. Groups then presented these ideas and had a wider plenary discussion about next steps. Key parts of each session were recorded for a video output. LINK

The final workshop took a different approach to explore the impact of background checking, vetting and barring on recruitment outcomes. Organisers of the workshop invited keynote listeners from organisations that had a central role in background checking, vetting and barring: Disclosure Scotland, the SSSC and the Care Inspectorate. Representatives from all three organisations kindly agreed to join and support the discussion in the role of keynote listeners. A keynote listener, in contrast to a keynote speaker, lets the group lead on the discussion and reflects and responds to the group’s agenda, rather than setting it.

The core activity of this workshop was completing a journey map detailing the impact of key background checking, vetting and barring processes on recruitment and retention. A journey map is a design tool which helps visualise the experience of key groups through a journey or process. In this case, it helped to identify key pressure points in the background checking, vetting and barring process for groups to discuss and develop ideas to address. An overview of findings from these workshops is included in this report.

All three workshops were well evaluated; all of the participants said that they gained knowledge that they could take back to their organisation to inform their own recruitment practice.

● “Got good ideas on advertising and new approaches”● “A brilliant workshop”● “Interesting to see how other sectors can also contribute their ideas”

However, some participants felt that the sessions could have been longer. Participants particularly valued the input from representatives from other sectors and would have wanted more of this input.

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These workshops were designed and facilitated by Three Sisters Consultancy who were able to offer neutral facilitation to shape the outcomes of the day.

Guest speakers

Selection of guest speakersGuests from other sectors were selected by workshop organisers because they represented sectors with comparative recruitment challenges or innovative practice.

Guest speakers in attendance at the workshops were:● Fiona Beattie, Director, Global Talent Acquisition, Human Resources, IQVIA● Evelyn Costello, Senior Recruitment Consultant, HR & Training, HRC Recruitment● Kirstie Maclennan, Human Resource & Development Director and Wendy Murphy, Graduate

Recruitment Manager, Brodies● Lynsey Chambers, Apprentice Training Centre Manager, City Building ● Danielle Ramsay, Group Recruitment Manager, Apex Hotels

Key points from guest speakers IQVIA- IQVIA mobilizes unparalleled data, analytics, technology, and expertise through solutions connecting stakeholders to improve health

The presentation from IQVIA focused on overcoming challenges stemming from a complex recruitment process and challenges in retention.

The IQVIA representative discussed recent changes to the onboarding process within their including:

● A congratulatory call from Hiring Manager● Ongoing candidate engagement activities from verbal acceptance to day 1● Onboarding employee survey and ongoing analysis● Check in call at 30 days service by Talent Acquisition● Hiring Excellence Program● Recruiter Onboarding and Training Program● Using assessment centres to build relationships and showcase the culture of the organisation

IQVIA also discussed the importance of clarity of role, and developing role descriptions that were more than just a list of tasks. They wanted to appeal to the future of a role, using Spotlight stories of successful postholders who had progressed in their career.

HRC Recruitment – HRC is a specialist recruitment agency that covers multiple disciplines across the Scottish market including Accountancy & Finance, Legal, Manufacturing & Engineering, Call & Contact Centre, Insurance, Financial Services and HR.

The presentation from HRC focused on addressing challenges from an oversaturated recruitment market, where very few people were interested in temporary work. HRC Recruitment shared innovative practice,

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including a video that they created to showcase the working culture within the organisation. In addition, the representative spoke about the importance of more active recruitment (headhunting) rather than passively waiting for candidates to respond to an ad. HRC also discussed the successes they had experienced in recruiting graduates using video CVs, citing an increased engagement from candidates. The representative discussed some of the drawbacks of using long application forms, promoting using interviews or assessment centres instead to get these details. HRC also discussed a recent review of salary and benefits to highlight all the benefits of the job to candidates.

Brodies - Brodies is the Scottish headquartered law firm offering clients the largest specialist legal resource in Scotland, delivering services of the highest quality to Scottish, UK and global organisations.

In their presentation, the representative from Brodies discussed the use of a core competency for all roles, which tracks through all stages of the recruitment process as well as staff management and progression. Brodies also discussed their use of assessment centres for selection. The organisation has to recruit graduate trainees two years in advance of starting their post. Because of these timescales, continued engagement with this group is important and is done through frequent communication and events for staff to get to know each other. Some staff are hired through internships as part of this pathway.

For Brodies, branding starts at secondary school level. This can be through promotion, sponsorships, or school career days. Brodies see all staff who have engaged at some point as ambassadors of their brand. Even if they move away for other opportunities, they can speak positively of Brodies as an employer.

The organisation does a survey with staff every two years to reflect on their experience- this can be a challenge because they cannot anticipate what feedback they will receive, but for them, it’s the best way to find out what staff need and improve engagement. Promoting their organisation and field of work, securing strong candidates in short timelines and keeping high levels of engagement were key to their success.

City Building - City Building is a large construction company based in Glasgow that was originally a part of Glasgow City Council. They deliver various services across the City including house building/maintenance; new build care homes, schools and a design and manufacturing service at RSBi.

City Building’s recruitment process runs through the Glasgow Guarantee recruitment website. They have a very high level of modern apprenticeships in place and have developed a learning centre (academy). The representative explained that this process can be a barrier to some young people who don’t have the support of their parents and carers to access this system. Some applicants have limited literacy support at home, which can limit their abilities to fill out the application. City Building took this into account and have made their minimum word count smaller to reduce this barrier. The apprenticeship runs as a social inclusion program which means that young people do not need qualifications to apply, and there is direct guidance and support in place.

Because of links with Glasgow City Council, City Building has good connections with high schools in Glasgow and can have input at career days and school assemblies. They discussed that some school staff may not see apprenticeships as a good option for all students, but it’s important to push back and discuss how apprenticeships can lead to successful careers and further education opportunities. Trying to engage with primary schools as well as secondary schools is also a part of the program.

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Apex Hotels - Apex Hotels operate ten luxury hotels in some of UK's most popular cities including London, Bath, Edinburgh, Dundee & Glasgow.

Apex hotels discussed similarities between their sector and social care sectors, as they have a staff turnover that sits at approximately 40-45%. Their aim was to change the wider world’s perspective on hospitality and show all the wide range of training and career opportunities available – making it a career of choice

The representative discussed the simple application process: creating an account online and submitting a CV (which can be done in less than two minutes). This was then followed up with an interview (or assessment centre) and work trials or for more senior posts, a second interview with a presentation.

The hospitality business is a customer facing business so Apex finds it much more useful to meet candidates in person rather than screen thousands of CV’s. Apex used to pre-select candidates for Assessment centres, however now they invite all applicants without screening CVs.

Apex also have 56 Apprenticeships in the business and reported that these have really helped to attract school leavers into the industry. The hotels have in-house assessors rather than external assessors. Apex offers apprenticeships at S5 and S6 levels for two lessons per week as a pre-apprenticeship, to let younger people gain experience of workforce and understand expectations (professionalism, being on time etc).

As the majority of staff are front of house and are customer facing, they have no access to computers or staff intranet which was a hindrance to staff engagement. An app was developed to improve communication with staff and has been viewed as successful, as it promotes the benefits available to staff.

Ideas and innovationsAcross the three workshops, participants representing a range of providers in the Voluntary Sector worked together to develop ideas to improve the recruitment process based on inspiration from other sectors. Below, key ideas are arranged thematically to reflect the work done by these groups. A more detailed overview of these ideas is available LINK

Streamlining/improving the application process for candidatesA key theme that emerged was making the application process more simple, person-centred and candidate-driven. Complexity and time delays meant losing candidates to other employers. The first step was to make sure job descriptions are to the point, realistic and values-based. The groups discussed shifting from collecting excessive information to seek only the information that is needed and focus on competencies, human qualities and values.Ideas for improvement included:

○ Quick online applications (with condensed, easy to use form)○ Modelling applications and/or assessment processes around values (linking with the New

National Standards for Health and Social Care)○ Application via mobile app○ Accepting CVs

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○ Accept video statements○ Instant response to candidates that are interested and guidance/support in terms of the

role, sector and process

The groups also discussed broadening communication methods for better engagement and more rapid responses eg. text messages and developing managers to have teams available and ready to shortlist flexibly to reduce timelines for onboarding. Barriers to this approach that the groups identified included the resource implication of making applications accessible through mobile technology and the need to adhere to safer recruitment practice. A shift towards candidate-driven recruitment practice, away from public sector processes driven to reduce/exclude applicants was seen as a culture change that needed wider sector buy-in.

Promoting ourselves as organisations of choiceOften, new staff and potential recruits are not fully aware of all aspects of the job. We may be losing the opportunity to hire people who are interested in the role because it matches their values rather than their qualifications and experiences. The groups discussed the need to promote the sector and the opportunities available in social care. For each organisation, this means undertaking role mapping to identify internal progression opportunities as well as articulate the full reward package of the role which may include:

● travel allowances● cycle to work schemes● generous pension contributions● good leave● positive workplace cultures● refer a friend programmes● excellent training and learning opportunities

However, a key cornerstone of group discussion was that for many, the draw of social care should be centred on values, human qualities and the connections between staff and service users, focusing on how supporting people to reach their outcomes can be a really fulfilling and meaningful experience. A suggested tagline of “Change lives, including your own” summarised the need to highlight the sector’s wider contribution to society in addition to the personal impact for the worker.

In addition, the groups discussed the value in improving an organisation’s public perception by engaging and learning from Glassdoor reviews. The groups also discussed using video testimonials from employees and people who access support to talk about the impact and value of working in care. To give a more realistic overview of the experience of working in care, groups suggested sharing staff diaries that reflect a week in the life. A shift in advertising roles and improving the image of the sector was discussed as being a sector-wide approach with shared learning needed to help inform what works.

Promoting a career in careThe group discussed the need to create a career pathway from the first job advert, shifting applicant perceptions from a job to career. The groups discussed key steps to achieving this, including:

● Creating a list of competencies that span across the organisation and every role within it● Developing internal and external communications to highlight potential pathways and using

personal stories from staff about their own journeys● Dedicated time in supervision and appraisal to discuss career progression ● a wide range of kinds of services and specialisms to pursue● Investment in training, particularly as a bonus for retention ● Involve managers, team leaders, HR, training teams and all staff in the process

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However, the group also discussed that not all staff want to progress from their post and some smaller organisations may not be able to offer these same opportunities.

Engaging with younger peopleEngagement with younger people was a key theme across all workshops. Groups discussed a need to engage more with younger people given the demographics of the current social care workforce. Speakers from different sectors were able to highlight a variety of approaches that could be relevant to the sector including:

● Apprenticeships● Engaging with schools or Skills Development Scotland - school career days/talks, recruitment

fairs, student placements● Engagement with universities● Selling roles to young people as the beginning of a career● Gender awareness in speaking with young people and challenging gender segregating concepts

in boys and young men● Employee engagement and mentoring continuing in post● Exploring shorter term work trials - 1 day hire, 1 week hire● Building a culture of pride/family legacy in working in the sector that runs through families similar

to the building trade (‘my dad was a plumber, my brother’s a plumber and I want to be a plumber’)

One group proposed a short pilot exploring NC and HNC student placements in social care. Each organisation involved could engage with students at the start of their college career, supporting 2-3 students and offering a two year placement opportunity within their organisation once they qualify. Candidates for placements included students in social care, nursing and psychology. Incentives for students to be involved could also include funding for books. This pilot would need to include key stakeholders such as Skills Development Scotland, Joint University Bodies and the College Development Network, and would need to take into consideration what qualifications enable SSSC Registration.

However, the groups also discussed the wider challenges of running apprenticeships as well as more informal work trials or work placements, particularly in regards to regulation. One group discussed that small-scale pilots to understand the cost, impact and feasibility with input from regulators may inform future practice.

Assessment centresGroups discussed learning from other sectors by utilising assessment centres to reduce staff turnover by recruiting the right people, and looking beyond application forms. Groups proposed a model of assessment centre that was values based, engaging with candidates as holistic beings and could include:

● Interaction with supported people● Focusing on the role itself and matching applicants with roles● Inviting candidates and supported people to take part in fun/interactive sessions● Involving existing staff to talk about their experience● Reducing the focus on interviews● Focus on attitudes and qualities a person brings● Promoting the work and impact of the sector

However, there was recognition that assessment centres require enough applicants to run efficiently. Equally, some applicants may not be comfortable with group assessments. Inclusive assessment centres

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also require buy in from existing staff, managers and people accessing support and would need to meet safer recruitment practices. Ideas around open assessment centres (no shortlisting) were also discussed.

Developing managers as ambassadorsThe role of managers as ambassadors was discussed as vital to successful onboarding. The gap from interview/assessment to starting was acknowledged as a significant issue when competing against out of sector employers. One group discussed the importance of managers knowing not just their own service, but their wider organisation and what opportunities and benefits are available. Recruitment is not just an HR function and the group discussed the need for specific development for managers on recruitment to make sure staff are well engaged through the process. It was suggested that personal contact was made intermittently through on-boarding and into the first period of employment.

One group developed the idea of having managers work through the recruitment process as if they were applicants to identify what works and what they would do differently. This experience could be used to redesign the recruitment process.

Values based recruitmentAttracting and selecting candidates based on values was a key theme in workshop one. One group discussed the importance of preparing accurate, values-based job descriptions, focusing on human qualities and very short person specifications including 2-3 essential criteria only. The group agreed that once applications are received, they should be processed quickly and candidates should be engaged quickly making them feel valued. Hiring managers can conduct telephone interviews to gather the additional information needed to assess suitability for post. This call can also be a way to start ongoing engagement with candidates, and text messaging can also be useful.

The group suggested a review of the assessment process to break it down to see what we really need to assess including: values, competencies, experience and skills. Reducing the unnecessary volume, formality and assessment of skills or knowledge that may not be immediately required was largely agreed as desirable. The focus on a values based approach should also flow through the induction process, using welcome cards, buddy or mentoring programmes and online groups for induction periods to maintain good quality engagement.

Workshop 3: Background checking, vetting and barringThe group worked together to develop a journey map that outlined steps on the onboarding process, correlating background checking, vetting and barring processes and then identified what employers and candidates found challenging or positive about the process. The group also outlined the resource impact on organisations and other knock on effects. The group chose to focus on the following key background checking, vetting and barring processes: candidate applying for the role, PVG membership, overseas background checking, vetting checks, reference checks, SSSC registration and 3-year PVG updates.

Following on from this mapping exercise, the group identified two key pressure points in the background checking, vetting and barring process they wanted to focus on in the workshop: job application forms and reference checks.

The completed journey map can be found LINK

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Job ApplicationsThe group discussion centred around the design and use of application forms as a means to decide if a candidate was right for the role. Some providers described their current application forms as long, overly-complex and creating a barrier to applicants. In a world where most engagement is online, candidates are used to quicker, more streamlined processes. The group discussed what information was really needed on at application point and whether forms could be stripped down to core competencies and contact information, with other candidate information being collected more effectively at different stages of the application process. A minority felt that the application form was a reasonable test of writing skills and evidence of commitment to the job/process, and for some roles good report writing was a high priority.

However, there were risks to these suggested changes and questions as to whether it would fit with the current safer recruitment guidance, which sets expectations for the content and structure of application forms.

Agreed Action: The Recruitment Working Group will assemble a working group to explore this in more detail and liaise with the Care Inspectorate around this.

Reference ChecksThe group also identified that reference checks posed an issue in the background checking, vetting and barring process: both in that they caused delays to recruitment but also in that the culture of recruitment has changed and many references received were insufficient - containing only dates of service, with no details of values or performance. Some references came back from HR departments rather than line managers and many were never returned or took lots of follow up and months to arrive. Discussion identified that the core aim of collecting this information is simply to answer the question: Is this person suitable to work with vulnerable people?

The group also discussed the value of creating a shared reference template to standardise the information collected and facilitate better information sharing between organisations. Although recommendations of candidates from previous employers from a similar role is helpful and creates further confidence in the recruit, these are less common.

Agreed Action: The Recruitment Working Group will establish a Short Life Working Group on this topic. It became clear from this discussion that regulatory and supporting agencies needed to be involved within the working group.

Actions and next stepsThese three workshops provided a valuable space for members of the Voluntary Sector to find learning and inspiration from other sectors and develop ideas for change.

However, groups were also realistic about the constraints they faced in implementing change: from demands of their current workload, to financial, technological, regulator and cultural barriers to development. Ultimately, the groups felt that there was continued purpose in working as a collaborative; pooling resources and learning, rather than attempting to test new ways of working in silos.

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The next steps from this project are to share the report and recordings of the workshops with the voluntary sector and stakeholders to help continue shape and further stimulate change in improving, modernising and developing recruitment practice.

The Recruitment Working Group is seeking to extend its membership to lead on further work exploring: joint cross-sector recruitment branding, joint candidate ‘entry point and simplifying the sector language/information used in recruitment processes.

The resources from the Recruitment Working Group will be made available in the sector and are recommended to be used to consider current practice by organisations and HR teams. Responses to the materials and concepts presented in this report are very welcome, as are notes of any change organisations have made. Feedback can be sent to the recruitment working group by email at alison.christie@CCPScotland.org

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the representatives from the Voluntary Sector who attended these workshops and our guest contributors for their contribution to this process.

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