In this episode of our podcast, we sit down with Nicola Hallworth-Rudd, Head of Public Sector UK at Michael Page, to delve into the intricate challenges and innovative solutions in public sector recruitment. Nicola brings her extensive experience to the table, discussing the complexities of various organizational structures like CA, UA, and MBC, and how they can be perplexing for those outside the sector.

Challenges Explored:

• The daunting message of austerity and financial constraints that make the public sector less appealing.
• Councils’ struggle to effectively communicate their mission and community support.
• The difficulty in attracting suitable talent for roles that are complex, broad, and high-pressure.
• The challenge of competing in a recruitment market dominated by the private sector’s deeper pockets and superior digital technology.
• The perception of councils being predominantly run by the white middle class, with website imagery reinforcing this view.
• Recruitment processes often prioritizing cost over quality, potentially overlooking candidates who could offer long-term savings.
• The issue of retention, with professionals leaving for less stressful, more flexible, and better-supported roles elsewhere.

Solutions Discussed:

• Brand Amplification: Nicola emphasizes the importance of showcasing your brand as a window to potential applicants. She suggests creating a website with diverse imagery, using pen portraits and videos from various organization levels, ensuring inclusive language, and telling the positive stories of local community support and complex project delivery. Michael Page’s digital marketing team can craft a bespoke microsite to encapsulate all these elements.
• Accessing Talent: Leveraging a recruitment agency’s expertise in the public sector is crucial for spreading your message. Nicola advises utilizing digital marketing tools, LinkedIn data mining, experienced researchers to explore new markets, and recruitment consultants to tap into personal networks for referrals.
• Diverse Talent Acquisition: At Michael Page, the journey begins internally by fostering a diverse workforce. Collaborating with external agencies for up-to-date advice, providing mandatory inclusive recruitment training, and having an Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Consulting Team are key steps. This team, with lived experience of protected characteristics, works with partner organizations, runs diversity groups, reviews recruitment processes, and participates in recruitment panels to ensure inclusivity.
• Streamlined Recruitment Processes: Nicola outlines the need for expedited and sales-focused recruitment processes, including only critical actions, setting clear timelines, discussing council benefits, using efficient vetting suppliers, and ensuring quick offer processes. Continuous communication and a smooth onboarding experience are also highlighted.

Join us as we uncover the nuances of public sector recruitment with Nicola Hallworth-Rudd and learn how to navigate its challenges with strategic solutions.