09/11/2023: Council's innovative recruitment recognised at national awards

Breckland Council has been recognised at a national awards scheme for its innovative approach to hiring new staff and ensuring they can quickly get involved in delivering quality local services so that our communities and businesses can thrive.

The district council was a finalist at the Local Government Chronicle's annual Workforce Awards, held last night (8 November).

The national awards recognised several revolutionary aspects in the ways Breckland Council recruits new staff and integrates them into the council.

This includes changes in recent years which have seen the council move towards recruiting staff whose values align with the organisation's focus on supporting local communities and businesses to thrive. To attract quality candidates from a wider area, the council has started offering interviews via video conferencing where necessary. Once successful candidates are recruited, they can now make use of a new dedicated website which helps to induct new staff into the council and make them aware of key focuses and priorities before their first day. New starters also receive a welcome pack full of resources to help them settle into their position quickly and learn about the council's approach and commitments so they can begin effectively contributing to local service delivery as quickly as possible.

Cllr Alison Webb, Executive Member for Customer & Corporate Services, commented: "We have been working hard to revolutionise our approach to recruitment to ensure that we are attracting the most talented staff into local government, which in turn helps us to provide the best possible services to our residents and businesses. I am incredibly proud to see Breckland being recognised on the national stage."