A couple of years ago, the picture across our frontline services was a difficult one. Vacancy rates sat at around 36%, our recruitment systems were creating obstacles for applicants, and our approach to recruitment marketing was not attracting the candidates we needed. For an organisation based in Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland whose people sit at the heart of everything we do, that position was unsustainable.
While we have made significant progress since then, this is not a story about having all the answers. The workforce challenges facing health and social care remain considerable. Rather, it is a story about how we responded, what we learned and how those lessons are helping us think differently about attracting and retaining talented people.
We knew our systems were working against us, so our HR team came together and worked in collaboration with our front line managers to design an in-house recruitment system that made applying for roles much simpler.
The first version began as a straightforward Microsoft Forms process. Continuous learning runs through everything the team does, and that culture drove the system forward quickly. Using tools such as Power Automate, Microsoft Approvals and Microsoft Bookings, the team built a process that allowed candidates to apply, be shortlisted and book interviews through a single in-house system. Feedback from and collaborativley working with frontline managers was fundamental to ensuring that the changes to the processes were successful.
The people involved were largely self-taught. They treated every challenge as an opportunity to improve the process, taking an iterative approach that proved vital to the project’s success. Looking back, what stands out most is not the technology itself but the mindset behind it: a willingness to learn, innovation and working collaboratively to find better ways of doing things.
Alongside the system work, we recognised that our recruitment marketing was not attracting candidates effectively. We engaged an external agency with significant expertise in this area. Through a collaborative partnership, we overhauled how we presented our roles and, importantly, how we presented Positive Futures as an employer.
These improvements contributed to a reduction in vacancy rates from 36% to 12%. While that represents real progress, recruitment remains challenging across the sector and sustaining that progress requires constant attention and adaptation.
We also worked collaboratively with managers to introduce values-based recruitment questions for our Support Worker and Senior Support Worker roles. Throughout the process, we gathered feedback directly from managers and refined our approach accordingly. The people closest to our services helped shape the process because they understood better than anyone the qualities needed to succeed.
Throughout the journey we collected candidate feedback, which proved invaluable. Some of that feedback was positive, while some highlighted areas where we needed to improve. Communication, timescales and candidate experience all emerged as themes. Listening to that feedback helped us refine our approach and provided the foundation for two important decisions.
The first was the creation of an in-house PR, Marketing and Communications team. The second was our investment in a dedicated Applicant Tracking System through SeeMeHired.
While both decisions were rooted in recruitment, they have implications far beyond recruitment alone.
Looking Ahead: Attracting Talent in a Challenging Environment
Despite the progress we’ve made, recruitment continues to be one of the most significant challenges facing the social care sector.
Many providers have benefited from international recruitment in recent years, but changes in immigration policies and visa requirements mean that route is becoming increasingly difficult. At the same time, organisations across health and social care continue to compete for talented people within a constrained labour market.
Perhaps the biggest challenge of all is one that cannot be ignored: pay.
Positive Futures has been clear in its aspiration to implement the Real Living Wage because we believe health and social care professionals deserve recognition for the skilled, complex and life-changing work they undertake every day. However, this ambition exists within a wider funding environment that remains under significant pressure. At a time when health and social care budgets in Northern Ireland continue to face considerable challenges, it is difficult to see substantial new resources becoming available in the short term.
Improving recruitment processes and employer branding can help, but they cannot solve every workforce challenge. Some issues require wider political, financial and societal solutions.
That said, organisations still have a responsibility to make themselves places where talented people want to work.
For Positive Futures, one of the most important lessons from our recruitment journey is that people are increasingly looking for more than a salary. They want purpose, development opportunities, strong leadership, flexibility, values and the chance to make a meaningful contribution.
We believe Positive Futures offers exactly that.
Whether someone joins us as a frontline colleague, a Behaviour Support specialist, a Service Manager, a member of our corporate teams or a future leader, they join an organisation that is driven by its values and committed to continuous improvement.
We also know that some of our future talent may not come from traditional social care backgrounds.
Across our organisation, colleagues bring experience from education, healthcare, hospitality, retail, industry, communications, technology and many other sectors. Many possess leadership skills, technical expertise and valuable life experience that translate exceptionally well into social care. Increasingly, we need to challenge assumptions about who belongs in our sector and recognise the significant contribution people can make when they bring fresh perspectives and transferable skills.
That is why employer branding and storytelling have become so important.
The creation of our PR, Marketing and Communications team was not simply about promoting vacancies. It was about sharing the story of Positive Futures. It was about helping people understand who we are, what we stand for and the impact our colleagues have every day.
Stories remain one of the most powerful ways of demonstrating the value of social care. They help potential candidates connect with our purpose in a way no job description can. They also help commissioners, partners and stakeholders understand the difference that skilled, committed colleagues make to the lives of the people we support.
Alongside this, our investment in SeeMeHired is helping us better understand how candidates engage with us, which recruitment approaches are most effective and where opportunities for improvement exist. The system has improved candidate experience, but it has also provided valuable insight that allows us to make more informed decisions.
This reflects a wider theme that is becoming increasingly important across Positive Futures in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Innovation is not simply about technology. It is about being willing to learn, adapt and use evidence to improve. The recruitment journey has demonstrated what can happen when colleagues embrace new ideas, use digital tools intelligently and focus relentlessly on continuous improvement.
The workforce challenges facing social care are far from over. However, I am encouraged by the progress we have made and by the culture that sits behind it. If we are to attract the next generation of talented professionals into our sector, whether from frontline practice, specialist disciplines, leadership roles or other industries, we must continue to innovate, continue to learn and continue to show why organisations like Positive Futures are places where people can build meaningful and rewarding careers.
This journey has shown us that while we cannot control every challenge, we can influence how we respond to them. For me, that is perhaps the most important lesson of all.
If you are looking for a career where you can make a genuine difference, develop your skills and be part of an organisation committed to continuous improvement, we’d love to hear from you. See our full list of vacancies on our careers page.