Recruitment initiatives introduced to the Coast

14 August 2012

Recruitment initiatives introduced to the Coast

A new careers website, faster processing of applications, a presence at a London-based recruitment expo and closer links with the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) are among initiatives to attract health professionals to roles in hospitals and the community on the West Coast.

New technology is being introduced that will allow much better and quicker engagement with prospective employees while giving the West Coast District Health Board (WCDHB) a very current database of people expressing an interest in working on the Coast. A new careers website is about to be launched, while a specialist Recruitment Centre has been established by the CDHB to provide both boards with expert advice and resourcing.

In other initiatives, settlement support is being revamped and expanded to help newcomers settle into their new job and community, and a recruitment campaign specifically focusing on the Coast and Canterbury will be taken to London, Ireland and Scotland in October.

David Meates, chief executive of both the CDHB and WCDHB, says the developments are proof of both boards’ determination to attract top staff to the Coast and keep them.

“The new recruitment technology is much more than just applying for a job online. It allows jobseekers to register their details so they can become part of our candidate pool and we can set up alerts to inform them of job opportunities as they arise.

“It also means we can more effectively track, manage and report on applications and general recruitment activity.”

The new careers website reflects what it is like to live and work on the Coast, he says.

“A great website is critical to any recruitment strategy, with organisations reporting that 55% of their filled vacancies can be attributed to their careers website. The website will go live in the next couple of weeks.”

A Recruitment Centre has been established to provide a specialist recruitment service to both boards.

“The centre manages all of the recruitment for the various areas of the health workforce such as medicine, nursing, and allied health services. One of the priorities of the Recruitment Centre is to speed up the whole process of advertising, interviewing and preparing contracts.”

Mr Meates says the recruitment team is looking to existing staff to help out with the settlement process and is planning to survey staff for their interests and hobbies with the idea of teaming them up with newcomers with similar interests.

In October, a recruitment consultant is travelling to London for the BMJ (British Medical Journal) health expo representing the South Island DHBs in a campaign to attract doctors. In the following weeks, the consultant will represent the West Coast and Canterbury DHBS specifically, targeting all health professions. The plan is to take the campaign to Scotland and Ireland also.

“Through all these initiatives we are determined to get health services on the Coast well populated with skilled staff who are supported and valued and will feel good about staying and committing to this community,” Mr Meates said.

ENDS

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