Case Study: Diversifying the Permanent Talent Pipeline for the College of Policing

About The Client

The College of Policing serves as the professional body for the police service in England and Wales, aiming to establish standards, share knowledge, and enhance the development of police officers and staff. Its mission is to promote consistency, professionalism, and leadership throughout policing.

The Challenge

Adecco aimed to address several challenges faced by the client. The primary objective was to diversify the talent pipeline while successfully recruiting for traditionally challenging roles. The client had encountered difficulties in attracting candidates from diverse backgrounds through their usual recruitment methods. Our task was to expand their outreach efforts to attract a more diverse pool of applicants.

The client also lacked visibility into the range of candidates applying or progressing through the recruitment process and struggled with maintaining candidate engagement during lengthy onboarding periods due to the levels of security clearance required.

Our Solution

Our solution aimed to expand the advertising reach to attract a wider range of candidates and keep them engaged throughout the process.

Our Adecco team achieved this through several steps:

Weekly Review Meetings – Upon initial engagement, we established a structured approach by initiating weekly review meetings. These meetings served as a platform to discuss various aspects, including roles, onboarding procedures, the pipeline of new positions, as well as any challenges or issues encountered.

When presented with a new vacancy, we arranged a briefing call with the hiring manager to gain a comprehensive understanding of the role and recruitment process. During this call, we collaboratively agreed upon a recruitment timeline to ensure alignment and efficiency in the process.

Wider Advertising Channels and Candidate Screening – The vacancy was then advertised through a variety of external channels, as well as Civil Service Jobs, to attract a diverse pool of candidates. Subsequently, all applicants underwent thorough review and screening to assess their suitability for the position, and candidates were invited to provide basic diversity information, such as ethnicity, gender, disability status, and any reasonable adjustments required.

Anonymised Shortlist Presentation and Interview Facilitation – Following the screening process, an anonymised shortlist of suitable candidates, accompanied by diversity information, was compiled and presented to the client. We then facilitated the interview process based on the client’s preferences, ensuring diversity statistics were provided for all candidates selected for interview, thereby promoting inclusivity and transparency in the selection process.

Maintaining Candidate Communication – Throughout the offer and full onboarding process, we maintained regular communication with the candidates. This was particularly crucial during the lengthy security vetting process, ensuring candidates remained engaged and informed. By adopting this approach, we ensured transparency, inclusivity, and efficiency in the recruitment process.

“Adecco’s approach has helped us achieve tangible improvements in the diversity of both candidates and appointees to roles, alongside enhanced visibility of diversity breakdowns at each stage of the process, which altogether contributed to a more inclusive recruitment process. The Adecco team has really understood our needs and always ensured consistent support and communication throughout our campaigns.”

— Lucy Stewart-Winters, Senior Business Partner Diversity, Equality & Inclusion People and OD

Key Results

• Adecco successfully placed 25 candidates across various seniority levels and departments, including finance and procurement, communications, project management, business administration, and HR.
• The campaign brought about various productivity benefits, including time savings, reduced effort, prompt responses to needs, and a commitment to success.
• The partnership demonstrated Adecco’s relevant industry knowledge, stability for the foreseeable future, and alignment with the client’s culture and values.
• As a result of the project’s initial success, the client confirmed they would continue to work with Adecco on the same basis in the new financial year.

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We are ready for any challenge, with the proven ability to scale up and down and change course as needed.

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