Finding the right fit for a company is difficult enough; the recruitment process can be expensive and lengthy, and still the person that looks perfect on paper and performs well in the interview room may prove to be less than suitable once they begin their duties. For local authority recruitment, where a very specific skill-set and knowledge base may be required, finding the ideal candidate can be even more of a minefield.
Whether you’re on the recruitment or the job seeker side, approaching an agency that specialises in local authority recruitment is not only going to ensure the best candidate, but negotiate the best salary and benefits for the applicant. For positions where the successful applicant requires specific certification or qualifications, an agency can take the legwork out of checking not only references, but following up documentation with examining bodies and awarding organisations if necessary.
From the point of view of the applicant, using an agency for your next move within the local authority sector ensures you have access not only to positions that may have been advertised internally, but also to other departments, where your skill-set may enable you to cross-train into a different position. If your desired position is more general – for example, secretarial, administrative, HR, or accountancy – you will have a wider range of departmental employers open to you than you would if you waited in your current position for promotion to fall into your lap. More specialised fields will have the reassurance that they are working with a recruiter who actually understands their requirements.
Finding the right people first time is also pretty essential for those they are recruited to work with – local authority employees aren’t just pen-pushers; they are refuse collectors, town planners, customer service advisers in council service departments, public health officers and those working with the vulnerable and elderly keep a borough running not just smoothly, but prevent it from falling into total chaos. In short, efficient local authority recruitment stops the rubbish piling up in the streets.
Although following a career path in this sector may feel slightly narrow one to take, consider that every town in the UK still runs on this pre-mediaeval model of local management. Wherever a local authority worker might move throughout their life, their skills are easily transferred at the same level to local government elsewhere.