The Challenges
During our consultation process, it became clear that the main challenge was the time-consuming hiring process. Enfield Council simply did not have the bandwidth to review applications, give individual feedback, shortlist, telephone screen, and arrange interviews with Line Managers for such a large number of applicants.
In addition to the lack of time, they also faced the huge cost of employing a lot of expensive specialist contractors. Not finding the right recruitment partner would have led to a huge delay in securing the new talent for this crucial project. Enfield Council would have also been forced to spend more on hiring temporary contractors and ultimately the whole project would have been jeopardised.
The Solution
After not seeing any success filling these roles internally, Enfield Council chose to partner exclusively with Understanding Recruitment NFP. Our custom solution included our specialist team taking control of the whole hiring process, working closely with both HR and Line Managers and creating a bespoke co-branded marketing campaign targeting relevant talent pools.
We met with the Council every week and dug deep to find out what their vision for the project was and what was keeping them up at night. During these catch-ups, we also discussed, addressed and solved any issues throughout the project.
To help Enfield Council fulfil their objective of having a diverse workforce we provided them with diversity reports for both the Council and the broader sector. Additionally, we implemented a blind recruitment solution, which entailed the removal of any identifying information from candidates' CVs and applications, helping the hiring team to assess individuals based solely on their skills and experience, thereby mitigating the influence of factors that may otherwise introduce bias into the decision-making process.
By shortlisting seven candidates per vacancy and carrying out the 1st and 2nd stage video interviews we freed up time for HR and the Hiring Managers. We then put forward the top three candidates for each role for the Hiring Managers at Enfield Council to interview in 45-minute face-to-face interviews before they choose the most suitable candidate. We also took on all the admin, phoned references and dealt with all the paperwork, meaning the Council's HR team only had to send out offer letters and contracts.
Results
We're proud to say that the project has been delivered with a 100% success rate and that Enfield Council plans to strengthen the partnership with Understanding Recruitment NFP over the coming years.
To date, we've successfully placed over 50 professionals within data, digital and tech including positions such as Business Analysts, Network Engineers & Managers, Infrastructure Engineers, Information Governance, SharePoint Developers, IT Security Managers, Solutions Architects, System Admins, IT Contract & Project Managers, as well as Test Analysts.
Conclusion
Enfield Council's collaboration with Understanding Recruitment NFP resulted in a 100% success rate in filling vital IT positions, ensuring the timely delivery of their transformative IT project. With over 50 professionals placed, the partnership is set to thrive, exemplifying successful public sector IT transformation.
