Tips for digital transformation in recruitment: doing more with less

- Understanding the public sector recruitment landscape
- Top tips for recruitment transformation
- Real-world results from Jobtrain clients
- Key strategies for successful digital transformation
- Conclusion

In the demanding environments many organisations operate in, many, like public sector organisations, are under increasing pressure to provide outstanding service while managing ever-tightening budgets and shifting workforce expectations. For senior leadership, this calls for a strategic reassessment of recruitment processes. Embracing digital transformation is no longer a choice – it's a necessity.

This blog explores the recruitment landscape for public sector organisations and how digital transformation can get them moving in the right direction. Drawing insights from the experiences of St Helens Borough Council and the Isle of Man Government, it presents top tips for successful recruitment transformation and highlights how Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) like Jobtrain can support this transition.

Understanding the public sector recruitment landscape

Public sector organisations face unique challenges:

• Skills shortages: Critical roles, such as in social care and planning, are difficult to fill. A report by Comensura revealed that 83% of councils believe a lack of skilled workers is undermining their ability to deliver essential services, affecting areas like social services and education.

• Budget constraints: Limited budgets restrict traditional recruitment avenues, forcing trade-offs between cost and quality.

• Changing candidate expectations: Candidates increasingly demand seamless, digital-first experiences when exploring job opportunities.

• Inefficiencies of traditional methods: Lengthy recruitment cycles often result in prolonged vacancies (the dreaded "empty chairs") and over-reliance on expensive agency staff.

To address these issues, a shift toward digital recruitment solutions is essential.

Top tips for recruitment transformation

🔧 Embrace digital transformation

More than just adopting technology, digital transformation is about reimagining the entire hiring process. When our client St Helens Borough Council moved away from manual, paper-based recruitment by implementing the Jobtrain ATS, they streamlined operations across departments like Ground Maintenance, Supported Living, Catering and Finance. 

An ATS like Jobtrain automates admin tasks, reduces time-to-hire, and frees up HR teams for strategic work.

📊 Use data to make informed decisions

When recruitment is brought online, access to real-time data is just one of the benefits so organisations can easily:

• Access a wealth of real-time data and key metrics like time-to-hire to improve efficiencies

• By having real-time data at your fingertips, identify and address bottlenecks quickly 

• Continuously refine recruitment strategies

When we interviewed our client, St Helens Borough Council, whilst they were implementing Jobtrain, their Systems and Analytics Manager was understandably excited about the reporting capabilities of bringing recruitment online:

“I’m most excited about all the data and reporting and just what Jobtrain is going to bring. It’s really going to change the game for us here at St Helens Council.”

- Jenny Swift, Systems and Analytics Manager,
St Helens Borough Council

🚀 Prioritise user and candidate experience

A mobile-first, accessible Applicant Tracking System (ATS) significantly enhances application rates. With over 70% of candidates using mobile devices for job searches and applications (Candidata™), it is crucial to select an ATS that offers a user-friendly, customisable and branded candidate experience. Features such as Onboarding and Welcome Hub portals, along with integrated social media tools, are essential to elevate the candidate journey.

💳 Promote inclusive recruitment

Creating an inclusive recruitment experience starts with accessibility. When application processes are designed to be usable by everyone - including people with visual, auditory, cognitive or motor impairments - employers open their doors to a much wider talent pool. It’s about ensuring fairness, removing barriers and treating every candidate with respect.

Accreditation by organisations such as the Shaw Trust adds credibility, offering reassurance that a platform has been independently tested by people with a range of disabilities. Their rigorous assessment process, which includes detailed testing against recognised accessibility standards, helps ensure that systems genuinely support inclusive hiring. Tools like screen reader compatibility, flexible navigation and customisable accessibility toolbars also make a difference in helping individuals apply with confidence. Prioritising accessibility supports diversity, reflects an organisation’s values and helps build stronger, more representative teams.

🙌 Start small, think big

Transformation doesn’t have to be immediate or overwhelming. St Helens Borough Council demonstrated this by initially identifying and focusing on specific areas within their processes that needed attention first. This strategic approach allowed them to gradually scale improvements across other departments, ensuring that each change was sustainable and aligned with their long-term goals.

By taking incremental steps, they've been able to enhance their recruitment efficiency and also ensure that the transformation was deeply embedded within the organisation for a more resilient framework.

🏛️ Learn from peer organisations

The Isle of Man Government offers a strong example of how strategic partnerships and technology can drive recruitment transformation. As the island’s largest employer, with over 11,000 staff across a wide range of sectors, they needed a recruitment system that could handle diverse requirements while delivering a consistently strong candidate experience. By modernising their recruitment processes and digitising previously manual tasks - such as DBS checks - they have significantly reduced admin and turnaround times, freeing teams to focus more on candidate support and relationship building.

Their introduction of a two-stage application process also helped to simplify the candidate journey, leading to a 100% satisfaction rate among applicants. The Isle of Man Government’s approach shows how thoughtful implementation of digital tools, combined with a focus on continuous improvement and collaboration, can make public sector recruitment more efficient, inclusive and candidate-friendly.

👥 Encourage collaboration throughout implementation

If your organisation decides to transition recruitment processes online through digital transformation, it's important to remember that success often hinges on engaging key stakeholders early. This involves identifying and involving individuals and groups who have a vested interest in the recruitment process, such as HR teams, department heads, and IT specialists, from the very beginning. St Helens Council showcased this approach by actively involving its People team and other essential stakeholders right from the start of their digital transformation journey.

By doing so, they ensured that all parties were aligned with the objectives and understood the benefits of the new system. Furthermore, they implemented a comprehensive training programme that included tailored in-person workshops. This approach aimed to boost user confidence and get everyone on board, making sure all users felt at ease with the new technology and processes. This helped ensure a smoother transition and set the stage for successful outcomes.

Listen to what St Helens Borough Council said when we spoke to them during the implementation process of Jobtrain:

Real-world results from Jobtrain clients

Clients across a variety of sectors report significant improvements:

• Reduced time to hire data: NHS Property Services told us they saw "a major reduction in time-to-hire. It now takes on average 31 days to fill a role."

• Reliance on agencies slashed: Bellrock Group reported a 75% reduction in agency fees since using Jobtrain.

• Fast DBS checks: The Isle of Man Government’s DBS checks used to average 38 days. Since using Jobtrain that's now 10 days.

As well as the cold hard facts above, hiring manager engagement also improves through using tools like JT Mobile to give managers Jobtrain access to review and progress candidates while they're on-the-go. With greater access to tools like a customisable careers site (without the reliance on expensive marketing agencies), employer branding becomes far easier and adaptable too to showcase culture and values, improving talent attraction and retention.

Key strategies for successful digital transformation

To maximise the benefits of recruitment transformation:

• Define clear objectives: Know what you're aiming to achieve (e.g., faster hires, improved diversity, etc). A good ATS provider will provide consultation to help guide you on best practice.

• Engage stakeholders early: Secure buy-in from hiring managers and HR teams.

• Invest time in training and support: Ensure users understand and use the system effectively.

• Use the data: Use insights to track performance and optimise processes. Jobtrain is unique in the industry in providing our clients access to a Talent Intelligence unit of data expertise.

• Promote inclusivity: Build accessible, appealing processes for diverse candidates.

Conclusion

Digital transformation is not just about technology - it’s about creating a more efficient, inclusive, and strategic recruitment process. With the right tools and strategies, public sector organisations can overcome recruitment challenges and build a resilient workforce.

If you're ready to transform your recruitment process, we're here to support you every step of the way.