Introduction
In the dynamic world of healthcare, adapting swiftly to staffing needs is essential. Bank and bulk recruitment strategies are particularly crucial in this sector, especially for organisations like the NHS and large private care organisations. This blog delves into these recruitment strategies, their challenges and how working in collaboration with our care and NHS clients, we've developed a bulk recruitment feature to provide an innovative solution to the huge staffing demands in healthcare.
- What is bank and volume recruitment?
- The challenges of bank and bulk recruitment
- What are the solutions to volume and bank recruitment?
- Benefits for candidates in volume (bulk) recruitment
- The role of technology in optimising recruitment
- The future of healthcare recruitment
What is bank and volume recruitment?
Agency staff, commonly referred to as bank staff, are skilled healthcare workers who offer interim or short-duration support in various the UK care sector. They are equipped to bridge staffing gaps due to employee absences, heightened workload or other factors leading to staff shortages, including illness. Within the care sector, the term 'Bank Staff' usually applies to Registered Nurses (RGNs), Healthcare Assistants (HCAs), support personnel and other qualified healthcare experts capable of delivering care services.
Within the NHS, staff banks are generally very similar. Bank recruitment is normally managed by NHS Trusts (or third-party organisations), contracting healthcare professionals for temporary shifts in Trust hospitals.
Volume recruitment is the process of advertising and hiring multiple candidates for the same or similar positions, often across various locations. It's a strategy used to efficiently fill numerous positions, ensuring operational efficiency and consistency in patient care.
The challenges of bank and bulk recruitment
- Quick mobilisation and volume handling: The healthcare sector often requires at short notice staffing solutions (bank recruitment) and the ability to handle large volumes of hires (bulk/volume recruitment).
- Maintaining standards: Ensuring all staff, whether bank or volume hires, meet the necessary qualifications and compliance standards is critical to meet CQC standards, for patient safety and care quality.
- Efficient management: Coordinating a diverse pool of staff, each with different availabilities and skill sets, demands a streamlined management system.
What are the solutions to volume and bank recruitment?
Our ATS, constantly evolving and developing in partnership with our clients, addresses these challenges through:
- Talent pools: Applicant tracking systems like Jobtrain include talent pool functionality. They are a fantastic way to manage different pools (or banks) of quality and qualified candidates that can be easily contacted for future recruitment campaigns - especially where time to recruit is of the essence. It speeds up accessing a qualified pool of staff, ensuring a ready roster of qualified candidates.
- Bulk (volume) recruitment tool captures candidates' preferences at application stage. It's designed to support organisations managing volume recruitment campaigns. During the application process, candidates are presented with a pre-defined list of preferences and locations to choose from. For example, they may be applying for a care worker position and asked to indicate their first preference for location, such as Glasgow, followed by Edinburgh.
Recruiters can then use he information provided by candidates. This feature enables a more focused approach to shortlisting and arranging interviews, streamlining the entire recruitment cycle.
- Streamlined communication and scheduling: Advanced tools within the ATS facilitate effective communication and scheduling, crucial for efficient staff management.
Benefits for candidates in volume (bulk) recruitment
- Diverse and flexible opportunitie for an improved candidate experience: Candidates can access a variety of roles across different locations and specialisms, increasing their chances of finding positions that suit them the best.
- Fast and simple application process: With volume recruitment, candidates can apply to multiple positions simultaneously, saving both time and effort.
- Consistent communication: By using an ATS and all the other tools that come with it, such as automated communication, candidates receive regular updates and consistent communication throughout the process, enhancing their experience.
The role of technology in optimising recruitment
Incorporating technology like an ATS can transform an organisation's recruitment landscape and strategy. It not only makes the process more efficient but also ensures consistent quality and compliance in hiring.
Collaborative innovation with our clients
Collaboration with our multiple care and NHS clients, including the whole of NHS Scotland, has been pivotal in refining our ATS to meet healthcare recruitment's unique demands, such as our volume recruitment feature.
The future of healthcare recruitment
Looking ahead, the integration of sophisticated ATS solutions is set to play an increasingly vital role in both healthcare and NHS recruitment. By continuing to innovate and adapt, we are committed to supporting healthcare organisations in their mission to provide exceptional care.
Conclusion
Bank and volume recruitment are essential strategies in healthcare, addressing the sector's dynamic staffing needs. Our ATS, enhanced through our partnerships with care and NHS clients, offers a powerful solution to these challenges. By leveraging technology and fostering collaborative partnerships, we are proud to contribute to efficient and effective recruitment processes within the NHS and care sectors, ensuring that patient care is always supported by a qualified, compliant workforce.