Recruitment team's work to reduce time to shortlist interviewees recognised with national award win
UHDB's Recruitment team has been highlighted as one of the country's top performers for the time taken to shortlist potential candidates for interview at a national event.
The team was one of only three from 220 trusts in the UK to be awarded with the TRAC Benchmarking Award for Time to Shortlist earlier this month, with interview shortlisting taking an average of just 3.4 days for more than 450 vacancies in quarter two this year (July - September 2023).
The Recruitment team has implemented a number of changes to the shortlisting process to help make it more efficient for both recruiting managers and applicants and are delighted to have seen everyone's hard work come to fruition.
Pippa Gardiner, Head of Recruitment at UHDB, said: "There are so many people involved in the recruitment process, so it was a really nice surprise to see this hard work recognised on a national level. To be singled out as a high performer against so many other trusts across the country shows the importance and impact of the work we're doing, so we're delighted to have received this award.
"Applying for a job and waiting if you've been called for an interview can be a nerve-racking time, and it is also challenging for our recruiting teams to manage applications on top of their day-to-day responsibilities. As a team, we realised that we could improve the shortlisting process for all involved, so started by breaking the whole recruitment journey down into sections, introducing a performance target to bring our entire recruitment process down from 53 days to 37 days [from closing date of application to successful candidates being offered a position].
"It has been hard work but to have met this target is great, but to see the difference it's made to everyone is even better."
A series of changes throughout the recruitment pathway has helped the team to reduce their average time to shortlist from 5.1 days in quarter four in 2022 (January - March) to the current 3.4 days.
Sandeep Chohan, Deputy Head of Recruitment at UHDB, explained: "The team is always looking for innovative ways to provide everyone with a smoother and more efficient service, and these things have been really positively received from candidates and recruiting managers which is amazing to hear.
"We have put further efficiencies into place for our candidates in the last year by introducing an electronic system for completing all relevant paperwork in one succinct platform, which saves time on sending over files via email or post, and allows all of this data to be instantly stored in our systems, giving our colleagues faster access to the information they need - while also creating a better user experience for those applying for roles at UHDB.
"In June we also rolled out a new phone system and script which allows us to more effectively handle calls into the team, and this has significantly increased the number of queries we're now able to respond to in a day."
Amanda Rawlings, Chief People Officer at UHDB, congratulated the team for its efforts, adding: "We know that the hiring process can be challenging, both for those recruiting to posts and those applying for roles at our Trust, and this is a great example of how we are improving this journey to ensure our teams, both present and future, are as well supported as possible.
"To be recognised as one of the highest performing trusts in the country for our time to shortlist is a brilliant achievement, and is a testament to the hard work our of Recruitment team as well as our recruiting managers across the organisation."