JGP News

North East Lincolnshire Council has removed the need for paper-based recruitment for 100 administrative posts every year. The council has transformed the way it recruits over 100 administrative personnel each year using a dedicated ‘talent pool’ accessible through its own website.

The new talent pool process was designed and implemented by human resource services and talent management provider, JGP. The streamlined process, in which candidates submit an assessment of their own skills online, has also helped the authority do away with cumbersome recruitment forms and reduce system overheads in line with the government’s efficiency agenda.

The new talent pool is easy to use and can be accessed at www.nelincs.gov.uk/jobscareers/The+Admin+Talent+Pool.htm

Candidates register their interest by answering competency-based questions around six key skill areas including administration, IT and literacy. Qualifying candidates are given a second stage practical test at an assessment centre which is held every two months. Successful applicants are then put forward for suitable posts as they arise across the council. This rolling process contrasts with the existing system, where a lengthy recruitment process was triggered for every individual administration vacancy.

Councillor Keith Brookes, Portfolio Holder for performance efficiency and resources, said: “We’ve simplified the recruitment process by asking candidates to rate their own suitability for a job with an easy-to-use online questionnaire. “As well as providing a practical test for successful candidates, we provide information and ideas on training courses to applicants who don’t get selected first time. We are helping them and helping ourselves build a pool of talent across our locality.”

The online approach has proved very popular as Laura Bennett, acting human resources team manager, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the response. The beginning of March was the first deadline; we had 230 applications in two months.”

The council decided to overhaul the recruitment process as they were concerned by the time and cost of existing recruitment cycles. The council and JGP’s consultants worked together to create a system aiming to deliver a ten-day recruitment cycle. The teams devised a web-based questionnaire which captures data in the council’s candidate database.

Andrew Wilkinson, head of strategic support at JGP, said: “The focus on the candidate has led to much more efficient processes being built. “When departments have vacancies, the HR department simply searches a database and provides suitable candidates to recruiting managers for them to conduct best-fit interviews.

“These new application processes greatly reduce the length and cost of the recruitment processes and comply with best practice. “The council is one of the biggest employers in the county. It’s now harnessing the power of the Internet to attract, and select suitable candidates more cost-effectively than ever before.”

What is a Recruitment Portal?

A recruitment portal is a section of an organisation’s website which allows job applications to be made securely with all applications and communications details retained for the candidate’s use. The portal can be hosted on the organisation’s own computer network or a third party provider’s computing platform.

To find out more information please go to our website or phone 020 7923 5610 and speak with one of our account managers today