The organisation is working with Stepstone Solutions, but prior to the implementation of the system the Borough relied on a paper-based recruitment process to handle an average of 200 applications it receives for each advertised position.
Using StepStone Solutions Talent Acquisition the Borough can now identify relevant candidates, reducing time to hire by 20 days. It will also enable the council to provide tailored feedback on each candidate - something that proved to be a lengthy challenge with the paper-based system.
It is hoped the system will significantly reduce advertising spend by using the candidate information, now stored online, to be more selective and targeted in the placement of adverts. Barking and Dagenham recently relocated to a new building and the implementation of StepStone Solutions Talent Acquisition has reduced the storage space previously required to support its paper-based recruitment activity.
The council completed the roll-out, from signing the contract to using it on a daily basis, in 14 weeks. Looking forward, the Borough plans to integrate the solution with its existing HR systems to further reduce administration and help improve the candidate experience.
Adrian Molloy, HR group manager recruitment, health and information said: "We needed a quick, seamless integration of our online recruitment system. We've already seen a rapid reduction in the levels of administration required and have had positive feedback from line managers in particular, who are now becoming more involved in recruitment processes at an earlier stage thanks to the instant access of the online solution. The ability to save applications in a 'talent pool' also means we have candidate insight readily accessible when looking to recruit for further positions."
