“A Partnership not just a service”. How Aspris is making waves in Care and Education recruitment with Jobtrain

Education

Aspris is a formidable player in the care and education sectors, boasting a workforce of approximately 3,500 employees. The organisation has been our client since February 2022 and the partnership has been nothing short of transformative.

To gain deeper insights into this collaboration, we sat down with Adam O’Shea, Talent Acquisition Manager, and Stuart Creswick, People Services Operations Manager at Aspris. Both were keen to share their experiences and the impact that our Applicant Tracking System (ATS) has had on their recruitment processes.

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Implementation objectives

Aspris had a comprehensive list of objectives they aimed to achieve through their partnership with us:

Review and improve processes to make them as efficient, engaging and effective as possible.
Implement template job posts, communications and applicant statuses to ensure recruitment processes are consistent.
Use approval functionality to automate vacancy authorisation.
Use the self-service interview booking function to expedite interview arrangements.
Implement online onboarding, offer packs and referencing to minimise administrative tasks.
Utilise automated emails and online onboarding to accelerate the offer process.

Each objective was carefully crafted to address specific challenges in their recruitment process, particularly those unique to the care and education sectors.

Here’s what Adam and Stuart said:

Achieving consistency and efficiency in hiring

The impact of Jobtrain’s ATS on our recruitment process has been transformative. The system’s flexibility is its standout feature, allowing us to make real-time decisions. It’s invaluable in the care and education sectors, where our needs can change at a moment’s notice.

Without incurring additional costs, we’ve also been able to customise our own application forms, a non-negotiable in our industry. These forms need to be comprehensive, yet user-friendly, a balance that’s difficult to strike. With Jobtrain, we’ve managed to do just that, making the application process more accessible and user-friendly for our candidates, who range from tech-savvy to not so much.

The Jobtrain ATS isn’t just a recruitment tool; it’s an extension of our organisational culture.

We have a large Hiring Manager population – over 150 – and the ATS has empowered them to take a more active role in recruitment. Many of our Hiring Managers, who are Registered Managers of homes, have found it straightforward to adapt to using Jobtrain, regardless of their technical background. This has led to increased ownership and accountability across the business, making the entire recruitment process more efficient and consistent.

The manager dashboard is a particular favourite among our hiring managers. Its simplicity and clarity allow for a snapshot view of the recruitment process, something our previous system lacked. This has been a game-changer in terms of process consistency and compliance, allowing us to standardise communications and applicant statuses effectively.

How to build good Hiring Manager partnerships

Improving candidate engagement

Another area where Jobtrain’s ATS has truly shined is candidate engagement. The system has allowed us to overhaul the candidate experience, layout and feel of our application forms, making them accessible for everyone. This is a significant win, especially considering the varying levels of tech-savviness among our candidates, like support workers.

But the real game-changer has been the ability to use media in our job adverts. We’ve started incorporating videos and images into every job advert. It’s not just eye-candy; it’s a strategic move to make our Employer Value Proposition (EVP) more tangible to potential candidates. The multimedia elements have not only made the adverts more engaging, but they have also helped us attract a higher calibre of candidates.

Day-in-the-life videos

We’ve even started using day-in-the-life and real-life video examples of people who work for us in these adverts. Quick testimonials from colleagues, expressing their working journey with us, have been particularly effective, especially so for us in the care and education sector. These testimonials address common pain points and questions that candidates might have, providing them with the answers they need even before they apply.

Here’s an example of one Aspris’ employee testimonials:

Our experience with Jobtrain’s Onboarding Hub

Onboarding and compliance is critical for us in the care and education sectors. What we’ve found is that Jobtrain really understands onboarding – much more than other ATS providers do.

The Onboarding hub has been a revelation. It’s not just a digital space; it’s an entire experience that has significantly reduced the number of daily questions from candidates. It’s allowed our HR team to focus on other crucial tasks and candidate relationships, improving overall efficiency.

The Onboarding hub also supports our safeguarding measures, a critical aspect in the care and education sectors. It gives us the flexibility to update content quickly in line with changing legislation and guidelines, without incurring additional costs or requiring external support. This is a significant advantage, given the ever-changing landscape of safeguarding measures in our sector.

For candidates, the Onboarding hub has been described by as “crystal clear” and “full of useful information” which is a testament to its effectiveness. It’s been particularly beneficial in reducing the number of daily questions we receive from candidates.

Addressing the challenges of hiring in Care and Education

Our experience with Jobtrain has been overwhelmingly positive. The flexibility and ease-of-use of their ATS are standout features. It’s not just a recruitment tool; it’s a partnership. We’re able to provide constructive feedback and we’re listened to. This is crucial for us, especially given the unique challenges of hiring in the care and education sectors.

With education recruitment especially, we’ve found the Welcome Hub especially useful. We release it to candidates at the beginning of onboarding and it’s helped us arm candidates with useful first day information. It keeps them warm and engaged before their first day, which for teachers can often be weeks (or months) after they’ve completed onboarding and compliance checks.

We’ve also appreciated the system’s reporting functionality. The real value lies in its integration with the rest of the ATS, allowing us to collate data at every stage of the recruitment process. This has been invaluable in improving accountability and making credible, data-driven decisions.

The support we receive from Jobtrain

The level of support we’ve received from Jobtrain has been second to none. The Support team are not just responsive; they’re proactive. They’re warm, positive and incredibly quick to respond to any queries or issues we’ve had.

Our relationship with our Continuous Improvement Consultant (CIC), Jamie, has been particularly noteworthy. It’s this level of support that makes us feel like we’re in a partnership rather than just another client.

About Jobtrain

Jobtrain’s ATS is designed to meet the unique challenges of the care and education sectors. It offers a range of features that have helped us streamline our recruitment process, from vacancy authorisation to onboarding and compliance.

About Aspris

Aspris specialises in children’s educational and healthcare services, operating in both the UK and the Middle East. The organisation offers a range of services including specialist education, residential care and mental health support. They focus on person-centred care, aiming to transform lives and help individuals fulfil their potential.

Interested to learn more about Aspris and their expertise?

Watch back a webinar we co-hosted with The Firm and Rebecca Phillips, Director of People Operations from Aspris. Rebecca shared her experience in a fascinating discussion that looked at the barriers to attracting top talent for Care organisations – and how to overcome them. Read a summary or watch a recording of the webinar here.