Rising to the challenge

Kate Headley

It is a people business

‘Kate Headley has had a significant impact on the perceptions and behaviours of major employers in both the public and private sector, and continues to make a invaluable contribution to our work. She has rightly earned a high profile as a leading authority on how to create and manage truly inclusive and disability confident recruitment processes.’

Susan Scott Parker OBE

CEO Employers Forum on Disability

 

Facing the future

Sharing some learning and experience

Being realistic about the challenges

Identifying the risks and barriers to change

Can the public sector rely on REC members?

It can if we work together and are prepared to make some changes

Idealist.... yet always practical

Finding local talent – M & S

Adding value – highest fee earner (and only female consultant) national recruitment agency

Head of Recruitment Advertising and Marketing Manchester City Council

Headhunter for 10 years – founder/director

Associate Director Veredus

7 years @ Clear – inspiring, educating and empowering

Clients and supporters

The Challenge

Budget cuts

Traditionally lead to....

The response

Spreadsheets

Taking precedent over

People

Best practice and diversity will be critical

Look at how you innovate

Explain the benefits of your services

Review recruitment assignments – is their a real need?

Support equality and diversity in the workplace

Demand management is key...its not about cost cutting....

Ian Sears OGC

Do we all agree that in the future

Every single job is going to count?

Jobs may look very different tomorrow from today

Public sector services need to innovate and transform

Efficiencies need to be achieved

Effectiveness needs to improve

New skills and experiences will be identified and sought after

Communities need to be understood and inclusive services attractive and accessible to everyone

Take stock and make a difference

Driving out cost without driving out diversity"The diversity audit has created a solid platform for change in

the way we recruit execs. It has helped to ensure that we focus our energies on having access to a diverse talent pool both from within RMG and externally…" On top of this we have made significant savings in both our cost and time to hire as a result"

Louise Cartwright Head of Resourcing RMG

Time for change – making a difference

Drivers – no room for error

Employers New talent, fresh

ideas Best person for the job Increasing diversity Reaching out to our

communities Reputation & the law Every penny counts

Recruiters Proactive development

of talent pools Harnessing diverse

talent Educating and

empowering clients Winning business –

supporting our public sector

Bringing in best practice – the challenges

Cost

Change and reform

Flooded candidate market

Under-resourced recruitment functions

Reactive recruitment strategies

Unskilled hiring managers

Process and policy

The risks

Cost of failure Repeating the process Vacant position Short term tenure Performance

management Temporary

placements can be costly

Impact on talent Temporary

appointments don’t feed the talent pool

Balancing talent with flexibility

Where are the new skills?

Process V practice

Bringing you hope

REC – Diversity Standard/Diversity Council

Employers Forums

Job Centre Plus

Internet - if in doubt Google it!

Networks/colleagues

Clearkit™

Lin Homer - MD UK Border Agency

 We believe that that there are real business benefits in proactively widening the pool for potential employees: the untapped potential is endless and many out of work disabled people could be real assets to organisations if only given the opportunity. 

I hope this tool kit encourages other employers to identify barriers and confidently remove them. This is the time to refresh what you are doing, learn from others and be prepared to think a little differently. Don’t be afraid to have a go – and good luck!

 

Guiding Principles

Be prepared to do things differently

Keep it simple

Be flexible

Be prepared to learn

Utilise the help and support that is available

Have a go and make some changes

Removing the fear

‘Ensuring you have a recruitment process that is engaging and accessible for disabled job seekers requires a little more skill and a lot more thought.’

Kate Headley

Croners Disability Newsletter, December 2009