HR Excellence Awards 2009: Most Effective Recruitment and Retention - Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust

By HR magazine editorial Wednesday, 01 July 2009

As one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, employing 10,000 staff, Heart of England needed a slick and cost-effective recruitment process.

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In 2007 it found low levels of satisfaction among managers responsible for hiring staff, but a radical overhaul has now lowered the recruitment period to 10 weeks - a 50% reduction - and both managers and job applicants are said to be more satisfied with the process.

The organisation created a resource support team, comprising existing managers, to oversee the pre-employment process, and each candidate is now given a named contact.

There has been a 58% reduction in job vacancies and less use of temporary carers, both of which have improved patient care and saved the trust £1.4 million in recruitment costs.

Judges' comments

The judges viewed Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust to be an organisation proud of its service delivery. They felt the results were particularly impressive - especially the £1.4 million saving for the public purse. One judge said: "Great performance. Great key performance indicators. A really positive strategy. It has done a good job."

FINALIST - Centrica Centrica recruitment insourcing