It is no secret that the Health and Social Care sector has been facing some recruitment challenges recently. It’s not just the public sector – whilst you may see staff shortages in the NHS hitting the headlines, the private sector has also been finding it difficult to recruit individuals to fill their available vacancies.
In July 2021, a report from WaveTrackR analysed recruitment trends from it’s job distribution software. Data showed that the health and nursing industry had the lowest average number of job applications per job against a range of other industries, including construction, banking and insurance, and education. Additionally the King’s Fund predicts that based on current trends within the NHS, there could be a shortage of approximately 250,000 healthcare staff by 2030.
Reasons for the difficulties faced in healthcare recruitment in the UK are likely to include reduced funding, job and culture dissatisfaction, the impacts of Brexit and new immigration systems, and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Data collected from Skills for Care published in October 2021 shows that from January to April 2019, 5.2% of new starters in Adult Social Care roles were from outside of the UK, compared to just 1.8% of new starters from January to April 2021.
The current shortage of staff may also create a cycle which presents another challenge in itself. Current staff are under higher pressure and may be overworked. As highlighted in the Royal College of Nursing Employment Survey published in October 2021, this has led to increased stress levels and burnout – 67.6% of those surveyed reported feeling under too much pressure at work. Consequently, this has resulted in many healthcare staff questioning their employment within healthcare (around 6 in 10 survey respondents), and employees taking extended breaks or leaving their roles altogether.
The recruitment challenges faced across the healthcare industry not only include attracting candidates to fill the vacancies, but also retaining current and new staff. Here at Northern Healthcare, our recruitment team have been working hard to help drive recruitment and retention throughout the organisation.
Natasha Wolstencroft, Recruitment Administrator at Northern Healthcare explains: “Myself and the recruitment team have been working hard to identify strategies to help boost recruitment. We have collaborated closely with the marketing department to advertise our roles across different platforms and increase our reach and publicity. We have also incorporated more flexibility into our recruitment processes, including offering Teams interviews for candidates who are unable to attend face to face, and offering more flexible shift patterns for candidates who are unable to commit to full time roles.”
Karen Boulger, Internal Recruitment Consultant adds: “In addition to this, the recruitment team have also been attending as many events as possible, including careers fairs and networking events. Last month we attended a networking event which allowed us to connect with other recruiters from across the industry, discuss best practice, share ideas and learn from each other. This was a really beneficial event, and we are hoping to attend more of these in future.”
Find out more about upcoming events our team will be attending.
We know how hard our team members work each day and so in addition to our recruitment team working on new ideas and strategies, Northern Healthcare also recently implemented a pay increase above the National Minimum Wage and the Real Living Wage for our front-line workers, to recognise the hard work and dedication of our teams. As of 1st March 2022, all our front-line employees now earn at least £10.00 per hour, regardless of age.
We have also focused on our culture, ensuring our team members feel safe, supported, and happy at work; implementing our new company values as chosen by our team members, and continuing our employee and resident surveys to gather insightful feedback to find out what we are doing well, and areas where we need to improve.
Telling the story of what it is like to work in the Health and Social Care sector is a great way to break down any barriers surrounding a career in the industry. Painting an honest picture of a role in Health and Social Care is a great way to boost recruitment across both the private and public sectors.
Yes, a career in Adult Health and Social Care can be challenging at times, but it can also be very rewarding and fulfilling.
For a more detailed insight into the role of a Mental Health Support Worker, read Maggie Davison’s story of her role at Helena’s House and how she supports our residents.
Worried that there are no opportunities to progress within Health and Social Care? Hayley Matthews, Service Manager at Hyde Park House tells us about her career progression with Northern Healthcare from Support Worker to Service Manager.
If you’re interested in a career in Adult Health and Social Care, why not check out our current vacancies?
We have both clinical and non-clinical roles available across the North West, Yorkshire, Cumbria, and the Midlands.
Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsplash.
