Minutes:
As requested at the last meeting, Hollie Walmsley circulated survey questions to Senior Management Team / Directors regarding recruitment and staff retention issues. The questions were as follows:
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1. In the last 12 months have any of your services experienced difficulties with recruitment? |
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2. If YES which services? |
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3. Are there any specific positions/roles which have been more difficult to fill? |
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4. Have difficulties with recruitment impacted your services abilities to deliver their objectives? If YES Please provide detail. |
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5. What have you done to overcome these difficulties? |
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6. Are there any identified skills gaps in your services? |
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7. If YES, please provide detail. |
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8. What are your short term (0-6 months) plans to overcome these gaps? |
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9. What are your medium to long term plans? |
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10. In the last 12 months have any of your services experienced difficulties due to turnover? |
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11. Have difficulties with turnover impacted your services abilities to deliver their objectives? If YES Please provide detail. |
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12. If YES which services? |
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13. What have you done to ensure that turnover is effectively managed? |
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Hollie Walmsley gave a presentation on the survey responses received. The responses reflected issues and trends already identified during the course of the study, but they also detailed what measures had been taken to address and hopefully resolve those issues.
Some examples were:
- Finance – issues had been resolved by the implementation of a longer term strategy including the creation of ‘career grade’ posts.
- Use of consultants for planning policy;
- ICT – using external partners / consultancy where appropriate;
- ICT – career progression – as individual skills develop, salary and expectation increase. So the more basic level tasks are delegated to another person (e.g. at entry level) or are automated through use of technology
- Director of Communities – re-examined their approach to graduate positions, in terms of career progression
Hollie explained that sometimes using a consultant was better value for money, for instance where recruitment costs are high and the post is required less than five days a week. In such instances, the monies would be re-allocated from the staffing budget to another budget.
In some circumstances, outsourcing is more appropriate (having a “bank” of agency staff). The most important thing is to ensure that whatever approach is used, it demonstrates best value for money.
Hollie stressed it was important to acknowledge that in some sectors, such as building control and ICT, there would be a higher turnover of staff due to the attraction of better pay in the private sector. In addition, ICT had an extra level of competitiveness due to the fact the industry can recruit internationally as often roles can be performed remotely. One option would be to become a sponsored employer and so recruit non UK residents. It was also noted that as yet not all the vacancies had been filled following the ICT restructure. Arising from the discussion, Hollie clarified that all staff who attend late/evening meetings outside the flexi time bandwidth are entitled to time off in lieu.
Hollie summarised that the issues cited in the survey were being addressed as part of shorter or longer term plans (such as in the examples given) and/or as part of a new recruitment strategy.
Resolved – That the responses be noted.