Jobcentre Plus Workforce Planning Team - Winner of the Human Resource Award, sponsored by Locate in Birmingham

Jobcentre Plus has faced unprecedented challenges since October 2008 - maintaining services in the face of a savage and unexpected economic downturn, resulting in a rapid rise in customer needs. The Human Resources Directorate is nominated for responding with agility and pace to successfully deliver the huge recruitment demand arising from the recession.

In late 2008 the government responded to the onset of recession by asking Jobcentre Plus to create 6,000 new roles from November 2008 and as welfare measures increased, a further 10,000 more roles were sought. All roles were customer-facing; taking and processing benefit claims, finding people jobs, filling employers’ vacancies and advising people of the best routes back to work.

We had a collective responsibility to help other businesses in DWP and other government departments who were continuing to downsize as we recruited, so worked hard to absorb their people at pace, including CSA, the Land Registry and Revenue and Customs.

Accurate and responsive workforce planning, and management information to an unprecedented level of detail, proved critical to delivery of the recruitment challenge.

Jobcentre Plus headcount has increased by over 10,000 full time equivalents in customer-facing roles since November 2008. In June 2009 alone, headcount increased by over 2,500 and we remain on schedule to achieve the target of 82,000 by Sept 2009.

The innovative and co-ordinated approach which HR have taken to achieve these unprecedented levels of recruitment and training, at incredible pace and with strong professionalism, has allowed us to continue to meet and even exceed it’s organisational targets - when demand for its services is at the highest levels since we were created.

civil service awards, shortlist, Human Resources Award, Jobcentre plus, Human resources

Last updated 350 days ago by Kevin Sorkin