Regional Recruitment Portal

The first portal, Surreyjobs.info was supported by the ODPM's Strategic Partnering Taskforce and was cited in the Government's Pay and Workforce Strategy.

The portal provides a single site where job seekers can access a range of vacancies across various organisations in a region. It is easier for the candidate and enables the employer to focus resources on selling the area or profession.

Whilst working collaboratively each organisation benefits from:

• A streamlined recruitment process and enhanced candidate satisfaction
• Huge cost savings through economies of scale
• A strong collective public sector / not for profit sector employer brand
• Sharing of talent across organisational boundaries via Talent Pools
• Coordinated action to address skills shortages
• Career paths defined within the sector as a whole
• Pay-per-hire option with performance guarantees for selected clients

Competing for an ever diminishing talent pool is a key challenge for public and not for profit organisations. Skills shortages tend to exist regionally, so when one organisation recruits somebody it is often at the expense of another.

Effort spent trying to promote your organisation over your neighbour exacerbates this situation. Such competition does not improve standards; it just means that organisations pay more in terms of salaries, perks and ,expensive press advertising strategies - the end result is less money for front line services and less choice, with the real risk that people will be promoted into jobs above their capabilities.

The biggest challenges are those faced by smaller organisations. For example, district councils already under huge financial pressures cannot compete with county councils in terms of salaries, increased advertising spend and economies of scale in procurement. Nor can they cannot offer such diverse career paths to prospective candidates.

At least not individually. However, by joining together, it is possible for employers both large and small to reverse the competitive dynamics that push up salaries and agency rates without increasing the supply or quality of candidates.

With JGP's unique Regional Recruitment Portal, collaboration not competition is the key to successful recruiting. Offering a far more efficient and cost-effective solution, it enables groups of organisations to work together on recruitment initiatives with massive benefits and savings.

The UK's first portal, Surreyjobs.info was supported by the ODPM's Strategic Partnering Taskforce and was cited in the Government's Pay and Workforce Strategy.

The portal provides a single site where prospective job seekers can go to look at a wide range of vacancies available across various organisations within a region. As well as being much easier for the potential candidate, it enables the employer to focus resources on selling the area or the profession rather than competing with its neighbour for an ever diminishing talent pool.

The portal can be combined with JGP's Talent Pool, which will enable employers to identify and pinpoint candidates that have been attracted to the site through individual or joint promotional initiatives and approach them with their own vacancies.

Management Functions designed to fit with your processes and provide a successful common platform for partner organsations:

• Post jobs instantly via simple self-service job uploading process
• Multiple attachment capability - unlimited documents can be attached to each vacancy, including full colour application packs
• Candidate CRM system to communicate with candidates at every stage of the recruitment process - from application through to shortlist and interview
• Application management - a complete audit trail of online applications to track where candidates are in the process - linked to candidate CRM and Management Information
• Recruiter activity audit trail measures the success of recruitment campaigns and monitors applications from minority or other groups
• Comprehensive Management Information on all aspects of the recruitment process
• Employer brochure pages
• Interoperable with leading ERP/HRIS systems

Candidates Tools help jobseekers search for jobs and manage the applications they make:

• Jobs-by-email - candidates register to receive jobs that match their preferences as they get posted on the site
• Quick and advanced search options
• Save jobs - vacancy details can be stored and revisited at any time
• 'Once-only' application form - saves up to an hour per application. Candidates' details are stored automatically when an application is submitted for the first time, so when applying for other jobs most sections are completed automatically
• Online requests for application packs
• Application history - candidates can save incomplete applications, complete them when it suits them and review applications before interviews
• Email closing date reminders sent for incomplete applications or jobs a candidate has saved to prevent them missing deadlines
• Send to a friend referrals
• Unsuccessful but talented candidates are encouraged to join a Talent Pool so that they can match their details to future roles
• Speculative candidates, keen to work for organisations in the region can register their interest
• Browsealoud speech enabled website for visually impaired jobseekers
• Fully accessible - AA/Priority 2 compliant conforming to DDA and recognised e-standards

Each organisation benefits individually from streamlining processes and reduced administration while operating collaboratively.

• Huge cost savings through economies of scale
• Common standards between employers enable shared reporting and Management Information
• Sharing of talent across organisational boundaries via Talent Pools
• An opportunity for coordinated action to address skills shortages
• Career paths are defined within the sector as a whole, not just within one organisation
• A far more modern recruitment process and enhanced candidate satisfaction
• Development of a strong collective public sector / not for profit sector employer brand - create a rich “hub” of content worthy of promotion
• Enhancement of individual employer brands through positive association with partners
• Capitalise on partners' advertising budgets and existing offline advertising spend through signposting
• Pay-per-hire option with performance guarantees for selected clients

There are 2 other case studies available for jobsgopublic, they have been collected together with all the case studies in the 'our customers' section of the site but you can link directly to them here:

1. Doncaster case study
2. Surrey Jobs