BUSINESS SUPPORT THROUGH JOBCENTRE PLUS

Your local Jobcentre Plus (JCP) isn’t just for job seekers; there is a range of no-fee business services employers can tap into, too!

The Liverpool City Region’s Jobcentre Plus offices offer a dedicated service for employers, including recruitment advice, support with hiring, and guidance on best practice when recruiting. They connect businesses directly to a pipeline of staff through various initiatives. 

For businesses keen to become more inclusive and mindful employers, Jobcentre Plus can provide detailed guidance on making the workplace more appealing and accessible for people with disabilities or health conditions.

Partnering with Jobcentre Plus for your recruitment strategy can speed up the hiring process. This is thanks to their targeted candidate-matching facility, which gives you access to trained, motivated, and/or screened job seekers. 

Here are some of the challenges businesses face when it comes to recruitment that Jobcentre Plus can help with:

Short on time to recruit

It’s a catch-22. You’re so busy that you desperately need more staff. But you’re too busy to find the time to go through the recruitment process. Jobcentre Plus can help! They will publicise the role on your behalf and assist with drafting person specifications and job descriptions. You can also ask the JCP team to screen applications, saving you even more time.

JCP can also help with the interview process. After sifting candidates to ensure they meet essential criteria, if you prefer a shorter list, you can ask JCP to conduct your initial interviews. Your local JCP may also be able to offer you a room to conduct interviews.

Can’t afford a recruitment agency

JCPs employ recruitment advisors who serve as dedicated liaisons. They spend time understanding your business, its staffing needs and any hiring challenges you face. They can offer a range of recruitment services to help fill your vacancies, including job fairs and recruitment events. The advisors can also do community outreach on your behalf to raise awareness of your vacancies and access ‘hidden job seekers’.

Need to be more inclusive

JCP is your port of call for hiring or accommodating staff with disabilities or health conditions, or from underrepresented sectors of the community. They can advise on reasonable adjustments and help you fine-tune your workplace via the Disability Confident scheme. All of this comes with guidance about fair hiring policies and inclusive recruitment practices.

There’s a skills shortage

There doesn’t seem to be anyone out there in the jobs market with the skills you need. This is where the Jobcentre Plus sector-based work academy programme (SWAP) can help. A SWAP is typically a pre-employment skills course aligned to the specific requirements of your vacancies, along with a two-week work trial. Jobcentre Plus will arrange for a small number of participants to do the SWAP, in effect acquiring the skills you are looking for. Whilst you are expected to interview the participants, there is no obligation to offer anyone a job. But the likelihood is you will recruit one or more people, as they will all have completed the training and developed the necessary skills for the job.

Pre-employment trials

There is a way to give someone a short trial to see if they are suited for a job before you actually hire them. But there are rules you need to follow to do this legally and ensure that the candidate can continue to receive any benefits they’re on. Jobcentre Plus will talk you through what’s involved in a work trial. JCP will oversee the process, and a work trial typically lasts around 5 days.

Missing out on Government initiatives

Your local JCP can explain how different government initiatives that support recruitment and training work, such as apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps, and SWAPs. 

Next steps

1. Fill in the JCP online contact form; JCP will use your postcode to connect you to your local resource
2. Create an account to advertise your job vacancies
3. Find out more about work trials and SWAPS
4. If you are an employer with 250 or more employees, you can reach the strategic relationship team at [email protected]. Request the services of this team if you are expanding, opening a new business site or are recruiting across multiple locations.