By targeting marginalised groups in society, such as
long-term unemployed people and individuals with disabilities, employers can
both ease their resourcing difficulties and contribute to social regeneration.
Includes case studies of practice at South and East Belfast HSS
Trust, Royal Mail and Leeds Teaching
Hospital NHS Trust
.
|
LEARNING POINTS
The likelihood of being out of work increases with the number of
labour market disadvantages confronting an individual - such as living in
a region of high unemployment, being over 50 or having a physical
impairment.
By recruiting people from marginalised sections of society, such as
long-term unemployed people, individuals with disabilities, refugees and
homeless people, organisations can improve the diversity of their
workforces, build a future skills base and help fulfil their corporate
social responsibility agenda.
|
Tackling social exclusion is one of this
government's key objectives. In his very first speech as prime minister in June
1997, Tony Blair said that it was no coincidence that he had chosen to make his
inaugural speech from Aylesbury Estate in Southwark1. Blair's
opening remarks set out the new government's intention to address poverty and
create opportunities for people in the country's most deprived areas.
In the same year, the government set up the
Social Exclusion Unit, now part of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
(ODPM). Together with other parts of the ODPM, such as the Neighbourhood
Renewal Unit, the Social Exclusion Unit aims to "create prosperous, inclusive
and sustainable communities for the 21st century - places where people want to
live that promote opportunity and a better quality of life for all".
The root causes
The Unit argues that social exclusion is
"about more than income poverty"2. Social exclusion happens, it
says, "when people or places suffer from a series of problems, such as
unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime, ill health
and family breakdown. When such problems combine they can create a vicious
cycle."
Because of the complex and multi-dimensional
factors that can contribute to social exclusion, in 1997 the government put in
place a new agenda to tackle both the causes and consequences. The strategy
aims to improve social justice, strengthen communities and support long-term
economic growth.
The government has introduced a wide range of
public policy initiatives and specific projects to encourage a more inclusive
society. Reducing child poverty is a particular concern, but the strategy also
places a strong emphasis on countering the economic causes of social exclusion,
especially unemployment and low income.
A 2004 report by the Social Exclusion Unit3
found that the likelihood of being out of work increases with the number of
disadvantages experienced by an individual. For example, more than 50% of those
with three or more labour market disadvantages - such as being aged over 50 or
having low qualifications or skills - are not in employment, compared with just
3% of people without any of these characteristics.
The employment agenda
The above report argues that considerable
progress has been made in tackling the economic drivers of social exclusion,
with an increase in the employment rates of some vulnerable groups. But, it
concedes, there are still 4.5 million people of working age living in households
where no one is in work.
The UK may be experiencing record levels of
employment, but the high proportion of people who are economically inactive -
more than one in three adults - remains a key concern. In view of the
tremendous difficulties that some organisations are experiencing in attracting
and retaining staff, employers could benefit from taking a wider look at
society and broadening their reach to marginalised groups. This could include
long-term unemployed people, refugees, ex-service personnel, or individuals
with mental or physical disabilities.
For example, Tesco has an established
regeneration partnership programme that aims to recruit long-term unemployed
people in deprived areas. Over the past three years, 13 "partnership stores"
have been opened, and three more are expected to open this year. The programme
has created 3,000 jobs with more than 2,000 people completing the programme.
As Tesco's corporate
affairs manager Shaun Edgeley says: "As well as widening our potential labour
market, the strategy aims to build new business markets and support
communities. It is a new approach that recruits on aptitude rather than
qualifications. The job guarantee is fundamental to the success of these
schemes."
If new recruits successfully complete the
initial eight- to 10-week training course, they are guaranteed a job in one of
the stores. Retention rates on this scheme are double those of similar schemes
that only guarantee an interview at the end. Ongoing retention rates, once
staff are in post for workforces in these new outlets, are also double what
would be expected in a typical new store. Significant proportions of trainees
have been promoted by Tesco and are now being trained for first-line management
positions.
Given the sweeping demographic changes taking
place in the UK - specifically, the falling birth rate and an ageing workforce
- the only sustainable resourcing strategy for UK organisations is one that
embraces untapped sources of talent.
As well as helping organisations to
demonstrate their commitment to the increasingly high-profile corporate social
responsibility agenda, such a strategy could also help them build a skills base
for the future. In the accompanying case studies, we talk to three employers
that are reaping the benefits of such an approach.
This article was written by Rachel Suff,
a freelance employment researcher and writer, rmsuff@dsl.pipex.com.
|
Case study 1: South and East Belfast HSS Trust relieves skills shortages
South and East
Belfast HSS Trust employs almost 4,000 people. Like many NHS trusts, the
organisation has experienced significant difficulties in recruiting some
groups of staff. There were particular problems in hiring to support roles,
such as care assistants and home support, and in filling administrative
posts.
"Traditional
advertising attracted few, and often no, applications," says Vivienne Walker,
HR director. "One part of the service therefore developed a new recruitment
strategy that targeted socially excluded groups, such as the unemployed and people
with disabilities. The programme for the unemployed aimed to recruit to
caring roles while the administrative programme was developed for disabled
people."
Participants were
expected to become "job ready" by learning and developing skills essential to
their potential role in the workplace. This included the ability to work
unassisted and as a team player.
"Building confidence
was one of the principal objectives," Walker explains. "Individual
competencies included delivering a consistent standard of customer care to
trust users, seeking new and innovative ways of working, and improving care
for clients." Team competencies focused on communication with other trainees
and workplace colleagues and taking a group approach to problem-solving.
Typical scenarios of
individual participants have been:
When "Kim"
joined the programme she had been unemployed for nine years. She was very
shy, lacked confidence and had difficulty in taking part in a group
discussion. She wanted to care for people but did not feel capable. She now
works as a support worker for clients with mental health difficulties who
live in their own homes in the community, contributes well to discussion,
acts as a mentor and is on a waiting list for an NVQ Level 2.
When "John"
joined the programme, he had been unemployed for five years. He said he could
not have completed an application form satisfactorily and did not know if a
caring role would suit him. He now works in the community as a support worker
for clients with mental health difficulties. He acts as a mentor, made
presentations to the last two groups, is starting an NVQ Level 2 and is
actively researching how to get a professional social work qualification.
According to Walker, the cost per programme
compares favourably with other recruitment avenues, such as press
advertising. The programme's initial objectives were exceeded, with a higher
proportion of its participants being successful at interview than were
candidates from open competitions. The turnover rate of people recruited
under the programme is 4%, compared with a trust average of 11%. The service
that ran the programme has reduced its employment agency costs for temporary
workers by 60%.
|
|
Case study 2: Royal Mail delivers diverse recruitment
The Royal Mail Group includes the well-known
post-handling and distribution brands Royal Mail, Post Office and Parcelforce
Worldwide. It employs around 200,000 people and its annual turnover is more
than £8 billion.
Over the past few years, Royal Mail has undergone
extensive restructuring in order to improve efficiency and service delivery.
Its new strategy is based on its people, with corporate social responsibility
(CSR) and diversity forming key strands. Resourcing is a priority for the
group - it recruits around 2,500 people every month. The organisation
experiences severe difficulty in attracting and retaining staff in some areas
of the country, particularly those where there is low unemployment.
Rethinking
resourcing
"We needed to re-evaluate our traditional
resourcing practices to meet the demand for new staff," says Martin Blake,
head of social responsibility. "This meant appealing to more diverse groups,
including those that are socially excluded from work such as 'hidden
homeless' and disabled people and ex-service personnel. There are sections of
society that represent a key source of untapped talent, and within these
groups there are people who have both the desire and ability to work."
A 2002 pilot programme run by Royal Mail and
Business in the Community (BitC) - a long-established CSR charity - in south
London successfully recruited eight homeless people. Although the retention
rate for this group was positive, the pilot also showed that it was important
that the strategic partners provided ongoing support for both the new
recruits and their line managers for the first six months of employment.
Royal Mail has therefore tailored its recruitment
approach to meet the needs of those taken on from socially excluded groups,
with an extended induction programme to help new employees acclimatise to the
work environment.
Strategic
partnerships
Socially excluded groups in society are, by their
very nature, not an accessible audience to reach. The organisation knew that
traditional recruitment channels would not be effective and it has therefore
formed new, strategic partnerships with a range of voluntary organisations
that already have links in the community. As well as the BitC initiative
called Business Action on Homelessness (BAOH), Royal Mail has forged
relationships with the Employers' Forum on Disability, Mencap, Remploy, the
Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR), the Shaw Trust
and Shelter.
The partnership with BAOH was established in 2004,
and the charity matches homeless people with Royal Mail vacancies, ensuring
that all candidates are "fit for purpose" and have undergone a thorough
background check. When putting people forward for a post, the charity takes
on board the qualities and experience of the individual and the job criteria.
For example, ex-service personnel could be suitable for a driver or postal
delivery worker position, whereas someone with learning difficulties may need
less demanding and diverse duties.
"Helping socially excluded people into employment
is a common objective of all these groups and they have provided us and the
new recruits with very helpful advice and support," Blake says. "This means
that we can manage the process in a responsible and effective way."
Diverse
projects
Royal Mail has a range of different employment
initiatives under way with its partner organisations. They span the UK - for
example, at the time of researching this article, the Nottingham area was
just about to embark on a pilot scheme with Mencap called "Work Right".
Mencap sources potential recruits with learning disabilities to work
alongside a "buddy" who helps them get used to a working routine. The
organisation is also working with the Refugee Council to open up employment
opportunities for both refugees and asylum seekers in London.
Another project, this time with Remploy, involves
recruiting a pool of five people with physical disabilities. Again, an
outreach worker is provided by the charity to work alongside the new
recruits. Yet another initiative, developed with Enable - Mencap's sister
organisation in Scotland - provides support, coaching and employment
experience for long-term homeless people.
Another fledging project involves working with the
Ministry of Defence and Project Compass, a partnership initiative providing
employment-focused programmes for homeless ex-service personnel. Working with
BitC and UK companies such as KPMG and HSBC, the aim of the project is to
help people from this marginalised group back into sustained employment. "Around
24,000 people leave the armed forces every year," Blake says. "Some of these
are institutionalised and tend to become homeless, so we try and engage them
in a resettlement programme before the homeless cycle starts. A significant
proportion of existing homeless people also have a service background."
Business
considerations
The projects under way so far at Royal Mail - and
there are several more in the pipeline - have all been successful. Blake's
key advice for organisations considering a similar resourcing strategy is to
provide adequate outreach help: "Ultimately, we are recruiting some very
vulnerable and fragile individuals and they must have the ongoing support
that they need, such as buddying and mentoring that is provided as part of
Royal Mail's ongoing volunteering programme."
Blake
perceives a number of benefits arising from Royal Mail's socially inclusive
recruitment strategy. "The links we have made with voluntary organisations
are valuable ones," he says. "Employing people who are socially excluded
improves the diversity of the organisation. It shows that we are a caring and
responsible employer, and the skills of existing staff are being developed as
they coach and mentor new recruits. Ultimately, we are building a workforce
for the future."
|
|
Case study 3: Employability at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
By developing a strategy that aims to attract
marginalised groups into NHS careers, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is
meeting both its corporate social responsibility objectives and easing its
resourcing difficulties. "As the second largest employer in Leeds, we work
with other major employers within the West Yorkshire Employer Coalition to
direct resources into the areas of highest deprivation as part of our social
regeneration strategy," says Maxine Morris, head of HR for recruitment and
diversity.
A
sound strategy
The trust's approach is based on sound empirical
evidence. The research shows that, even if people have been unemployed for a
long time, they are not readily prepared to travel far to a job. The
organisation therefore aims to target socially excluded groups who are local
to their prospective place of work. "This theory has definitely played out -
and our strategy has paid off," says Morris. "If we hire people close to
home, they are far more likely to stay with us and we have 100% retention
rates in some areas."
Since 2000, the trust's education liaison and
employability managers have been working independently to draw various groups
of people back into employment, but it was only in the past year that they
were drawn together into one overarching strategy - "Schools and Colleges and
Employability". It is targeted primarily at providing work experience and
mentoring for teenagers living in areas of high unemployment, while widening
access to pre-employment training and jobs for long-term unemployed people,
individuals with disabilities and those receiving incapacity benefit. So far
under the initiative, around 500 local people have been recruited into NHS
jobs.
The roles that are open to recruitment in this way
reflect the trust's resourcing needs. The ward housekeeper scheme, for
example, offers a job guarantee if a participant successfully completes the
10-week pre-employment training programme. There are other programmes for
clerical and administrative staff and healthcare assistants.
"The strategy is not merely intended to recruit to
entry-level jobs," Morris says. "Under the new NHS skills and knowledge framework,
there are skills escalators to help people progress to NVQ Level 2 and
beyond. We are currently working on a transition module for people recruited
to a clerical role to be able to train as a medical secretary, for example."
Stepping
stone
The 10-week pre-employment programme attended by
all potential recruits is considered a vital stepping stone to preparing them
for employment. "Bearing in mind that people may have been unemployed for a
long time, we use this opportunity to iron out any difficulties and get them
on track for working life," Morris says.
The programme provides support for practical
issues such as travel to work and childcare arrangements. Benefits advisers
also give advice on how participants' employment status will affect benefits
and other allowances. Every effort is made to closely match any work
placements with the actual shift patterns that the individual will be
contracted to work, to give them a realistic preview of the job.
"A condition of graduating from the programme is that
the individual is able to work reliably to the schedule," Morris explains.
"We have built up support for these programmes by providing good, reliable
recruits for departments, and the success of what we are doing ultimately
rests on getting people up to standard so that they can make a meaningful
contribution. We need to supply good role models via this recruitment route
to gain the buy-in of other managers and colleagues."
Partners
in the community
It is the strong relationships that Leeds Teaching
Hospitals has forged with other organisations and bodies in the locality that
has enabled the project to realise the scale and success that it has.
Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency that is responsible for
sustainable economic development and regeneration in the Yorkshire and Humber
area, was inspired by what the trust had already achieved and saw the
potential for setting up a wider coalition of Yorkshire employers to develop
similar social exclusion projects.
The other organisations that partner with the
trust in implementing its social exclusion and recruitment strategy include
Jobcentre Plus, Mencap, Remploy and the Shaw Trust. Leeds City Council is
also a key partner, providing training opportunities and seconding one of its
employees to the trust as manager of its Employability strategy.
A
new level
The trust is fulfilling its social responsibility
agenda with the work it has achieved so far with local communities, but it is
also one step further in meeting its recruitment shortfall. "We have secured
our place in the community but there needs to be a balance between meeting
the organisation's needs and those of the areas we serve," Morris says. "Now
that we have the infrastructure in place, we can start to plan for the longer
term and become more sophisticated about the programmes we run, to ensure
that we are combating skills shortages."
The
trust is also broadening the range of groups it targets, for example, by
appealing to those receiving incapacity benefit, people with disabilities and
refugees. "Our occupational health emphasis is on a positive approach to
employment and making adjustments to enable people to work, rather than
looking first at the barriers to their participation. We wear the badge of
the Two Ticks Symbol with pride," Morris adds.
|
