30 recruitment tactics to tackle the social worker recruitment crisis

Few challenges are as urgent and complex as that of the social worker recruitment crisis. The shortage of qualified and experienced social workers has created a pressing need for more innovative solutions to address the ever-growing demand for critical social services and expertise. Here are 30 recruitment tactics that your local authority can adopt to tackle the social worker recruitment crisis:

1. Attractive job postings: Create compelling job advertisements that highlight the benefits of working for the local authority at the top. Everyone always wants to know first, “what’s in it for me?”

2. Competitive salaries: Ensure that social worker salaries are competitive and reflective of their value. They should be at the top of the job advert.

3. Referral programs: Implement employee referral programs to encourage current staff to recommend potential candidates. 

4. Social media outreach: use social media platforms to reach out to potential candidates and showcase the work of social workers. 

5. Professional development: Emphasise opportunities for ongoing training and professional growth within the role.

6. Clear job descriptions: Provide concise but detailed job descriptions that outline responsibilities, expectations, and career progression. Don’t pad out with text, just stick to bullets if you can.

7. Engage with universities: Collaborate with local universities to connect with social work graduates and start networking with them as potential recruits.

8. Online job portals: Utilise job portals and websites to post vacancies and reach a wider audience.

9. Local job fairs: Attend and host job fairs in the community to connect with potential candidates. 

10. Targeted advertising: Invest in targeted online advertising to reach social workers looking for opportunities. If you would like coaching on how to set up a marketing funnel, sign up for one of our coaching sessions via our online shop

11. Networking events: Organise and attend networking events to build relationships with potential recruits.

12. Positive work environment: Promote a supportive and positive work environment that values employees.

13. Showcase success stories: Share stories of successful social workers in your authority to inspire new recruits.

 14. Flexible working options: Highlight flexible working arrangements and remote work opportunities.

 15. Transparent recruitment process: Ensure transparency in the recruitment process, from application to hiring.

16. Mentoring programs: Offer mentorship opportunities for new recruits to facilitate their transition.

 17. Public awareness campaigns: Run campaigns to educate the public about the essential role of social workers.

18. Feedback channels: Create feedback channels for candidates to provide input on the recruitment process.

19. Use of local media: Write feature articles based on stories of your staff - how they’ve helped people, different milestones they’ve passed, and so on. If possible, write them about some of your success stories. Submit them to local newspapers, radio stations, and magazines.

20. Effective onboarding: implement effective onboarding processes to help new hires integrate smoothly. This is an opportunity to gain some word-of-mouth advertising as your new recruit is likely still in contact with their old team.

21. Tailored training: Offer specialised training programs for social workers to enhance their skills.

22. Flexible hours: Can you offer social workers flexibility around school hours? Part-time between 9 and 3? Or time to clock off and back in to do the school run? This could help you access parents who may have left social work because of family commitments.

23. Retention bonuses: Consider retention bonuses for social workers who stay with the authority for extended periods. This can be very attractive.

24. Continual engagement: Keep candidates engaged throughout the recruitment process to maintain their interest and show them that you value them from the offset.

25. Diverse workforce: Promote a diverse and inclusive workforce that welcomes individuals from various backgrounds. Use inclusive language in your adverts, emphasise your commitment to diversity inclusion and collaborate with organisations, universities, and associations that focus on diversity and inclusion to tap into their networks and access a broader pool of candidates.

26. Talent pipelines: Build talent pipelines by nurturing relationships with potential recruits over time.

27. Streamlined certification: Simplify the certification process for overseas social workers interested in joining.

28. Social worker ambassadors: Appoint social worker ambassadors to represent the authority and engage with potential candidates. 

29. Emphasise impact: Highlight the meaningful impact social workers make on individuals and communities.

30. Community partnerships: Collaborate with local community organisations and charities to identify social work talent.

Creating a specific social worker recruitment strategy is essential in addressing the crisis. We have experience in increasing social worker applications and reducing the demand by agency workers. Get in touch if you are interested in one of our bespoke training courses for your team