London’s Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Hospital Trust is launching a recruitment
campaign targeting local people.
Tim Higginson, director of personnel, told Personnel Today that over the
next few weeks posters will appear at local bus stops highlighting vacancies at
all levels and reminding people the hospital is only a bus ride away. Adverts
will also run on local radio and appear in community papers.
Through the campaign the trust hopes to attract people wanting to return to
practice, as well as staff for non-specific roles.
Higginson said fostering links with the community is important and the trust
already runs mentoring programmes at schools and encourages staff to take up
school governor roles and voluntary positions in the area.
"We aim to be seen as the local employer of choice," he said.
Higginson said the trust is also trying to streamline its recruitment process
after it recently lost a candidate to another hospital by half an hour because
it was still chasing references. "We are trying to get slicker and smarter
at the basics," he said.
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Higginson is worried that efforts to improve recruitment and retention at
the trust could be undermined by the £5-a-day congestion charge being
introduced for car drivers during peak hours from next year.
He said the charges will also create additional costs for suppliers who will
pass them on to the trust. The trust has raisedits concerns to the GLA, said Higginson
