Revolutionising UK Council Recruitment with our Applicant Tracking System

Public Sector and Government

Revolutionising UK Council Recruitment with our Applicant Tracking System

Efficiency, Innovation and Seamless Recruitment for UK Councils.

In the realm of UK Council recruitment, time is of the essence. Local government organisations face unique challenges in managing their hiring processes while providing an impeccable experience for candidates. Here at Jobtrain, we are the trusted partner for a number of local councils and our cutting-edge Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is transforming the landscape of UK Council recruitment, making it more efficient and candidate-friendly.

A decade of collaboration

The Borough Council King’s Lynn and West Norfolk embarked on their journey with us in 2013. With a small HR and recruitment team and the need to streamline applications and the interview process for hiring managers, they found a reliable partner in us at Jobtrain. Over the years, our partnership has evolved and strengthened, driven by collaboration, innovation and the pursuit of efficiency.

Stephanie Allison, Personnel Officer, and Mandy Harris, Admin Assistant, recently sat down and shared their insights with us, affirming the enduring partnership between their Council and Jobtrain.

Stephanie highlighted: “It’s a partnership – hence why we’re still here 10 years down the line!”

Our collaboration involves active idea-sharing and we’re always ready to listen and incorporate suggestions.

From paper processes to digital revolution

Back in 2013, the Council was grappling with paper-based recruitment processes. Applications had to be manually printed and processed, which was time-consuming, resource-intensive and costly with the volume of printing required. With the increasing volume of applications, this approach was fast becoming unsustainable. The Council’s partnership with us marked a significant turning point.

Mandy Harris noted: “Before Jobtrain we would have to print off all applications and any additional documents. Thanks to our partnership with Jobtrain, everything is digital so its both quicker and easier to process.”

The transition to digital not only saved time and money but also streamlined their entire recruitment process.

Solving the small HR team dilemma

Dealing with a high number of applications was a big hurdle for the Council’s small recruitment team of just two people. The process of sorting through applications and sending them to hiring managers ate up a lot of time. Our applicant tracking system offered a custom solution that was tailored to their needs.

Stephanie explained: “We’re a small recruitment team so we need an efficient system. Jobtrain’s ATS not only streamlined our application process, but we’ve also introduced a candidate self-service calendar that allows candidates to book their own interview. It’s significantly reduced the team’s workload.”

The power of self-service interview calendar

Our Self-Service Interview Calendar functionality was a game-changer for the Council. Candidates can now schedule their own interviews online, in real-time. This feature empowers candidates and eliminates the need for manual scheduling. Candidates receive email confirmations and have the flexibility to reschedule or cancel interviews, massively reducing no-shows and admin queries.

Mandy shared: “We love it! It’s very easy to work with. The candidates can go in and book their own interviews with us, taking out a lot of obstacles. We’re getting fewer no-shows because candidates can log in and cancel interviews themselves if they have a problem with it. They can also rebook to a new time if they can’t make the original date and time. It’s a win-win all round.”

As well as the obvious efficiency gains, it has also improved the overall candidate experience for the Council.

In Stephanie’s words: “With this new process candidates are coming back to us quickly to confirm their interview, enabling the team to give managers their interview paperwork quickly and allowing the managers more time to prepare for interviews.

“We’ve also saved hiring managers from unnecessary prep too. In the old process, they might have prepared for interviews with 10 candidates but only 4 show up. The new process has removed this risk.”

“It’s also given our small recruitment team that bit more time to focus on other crucial tasks.”

Long-term trust and satisfaction

What has kept the relationship so successful?

The answer is simple: Jobtrain delivers. The system works seamlessly for both the Council and candidates, making it unnecessary to explore other options.

Stephanie emphasised: “It does what it should do! It works for both us and the candidates.”

The Council’s long-term commitment to Jobtrain is a testament to the effectiveness of our ATS, our service and the value it brings to their recruitment process.

Jobtrain’s standout features?

When asked about standout features, both Stephanie and Mandy pointed to the ease of use, especially the mobile experience for candidates where they can apply for jobs and book an appointment on the go. The ability to create unlimited job and advert templates for consistency in communications and processes was another highlight.

The Council’s journey is ongoing, with imminent plans to implement our onboarding and online referencing features in the coming weeks. They anticipate faster onboarding of new hires, reduced candidate drop-off and a seamless onboarding process, all while going digital and reducing costs associated with printed materials.

Continuing the journey

In closing, Stephanie confirmed that Jobtrain really works for the Council and its candidates recruitment journey and she says they are looking forward to developing the product further to make the Council’s recruitment and appointment process as efficient as possible.

At Jobtrain, we pride ourselves on transparency, support and continuous improvement and exceeding the Council’s expectations. Our commitment to helping not only our clients but also their candidates sets us apart.

About Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk

Employing more than 550 people, the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk is among the seven district Councils in Norfolk. It provides services to roughly 150,000 residents in the western part of Norfolk.

The recruitment team also support Alive West Norfolk, the Council’s wholly-owned Local Authority Leisure Company.