Celebrating 10 years and looking ahead at the challenges of recruitment across the Skills sector

We are thrilled to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of S Knights Recruitment, an Employability and Skills specialist recruitment agency that has been at the forefront of the changing landscape of the Employability and Skills sector. Over the past decade, S Knights Recruitment has provided crucial recruitment services to the sector, particularly in light of significant funding changes and reforms.

As the sector undergoes significant changes and reforms, recruitment has become an increasingly complex challenge for providers. Funding changes, regulatory reforms, and shifts in teaching methods and technology require a diverse and dynamic workforce with the skills and expertise to navigate these changes successfully. This is where S Knights Recruitment, an Employability and Skills specialist recruitment agency, has played a pivotal role over the past 10 years.

Under the leadership of Sak Awan, the Director of S Knights Recruitment, the agency has developed a deep understanding of the sector. Sak Awan holds numerous Non-Exec Director roles, Board Director roles, and Advisor roles, which has enabled the agency to provide bespoke recruitment solutions that reflect the sector’s nuances and complexities. S Knights has supported Providers with recruitment strategies, workforce planning, along with contingent recruitment needs too.

“Reaching our 10-year anniversary is a milestone that I’m immensely proud of. It’s been an incredible journey, and I’m grateful to everyone who has supported us along the way – from our dedicated team to the many colleagues and friends we’ve made in the sector. Thank you for your unwavering support and trust in S Knights Recruitment.

As we look ahead, I know that there will be exciting opportunities and challenges that we’ll need to navigate together. But with the incredible talent and commitment of everyone in the sector, I’m confident that we’ll be able to overcome these challenges and continue to make a positive impact on people’s lives. Here’s to the next 10 years, and to working together to create a brighter future for all.”

Challenges we have supported providers overcome:

• Recruitment challenges when there are funding changes and regulatory reforms
• The need to diversify the workforce
• Attracting and retaining staff with the right experience and qualifications
• Adapting to new technologies and teaching methods
• Recruitment becoming even more complex in the face of new challenges and opportunities.
• Limited budgets for recruitment and training
• Competition for talent from other sectors and industries
• Limited availability of qualified candidates, particularly for specialized roles
• High turnover rates due to burnout, job dissatisfaction or better opportunities elsewhere

Having a recruitment strategy is crucial for providers looking to attract and retain the best possible staff. A recruitment strategy enables employers to plan, coordinate and execute their recruitment efforts effectively, ensuring that they are able to find and hire the most suitable candidates for their vacancies.

Here are some of the key cornerstones of an effective recruitment strategy:

• Creating a compelling narrative to your vacancy: Employers need to craft a narrative around their vacancy that will attract candidates and make them want to apply. This narrative should highlight the unique aspects of the role and the employer, and should speak to the aspirations and motivations of potential candidates.

• Communicating that narrative across different mediums: Once the narrative has been developed, it needs to be communicated effectively across a range of mediums, such as job boards, social media, recruitment fairs and events, and company websites. Effective communication of the narrative is critical to ensure that the right candidates are reached.

• Ensuring you are communicating it to the right audience: Identifying and targeting the right audience is key to successful recruitment. Employers need to think carefully about where their potential candidates are likely to be, and how they can best be reached.
• Sourcing, vetting and shortlisting candidates: Once candidates start to come in, employers need to have a structured and systematic approach to sourcing, vetting and shortlisting candidates. This includes creating job descriptions and person specifications, screening resumes and applications, conducting interviews, and carrying out reference and background checks.

• Nurturing that candidate journey: Recruitment is not just about finding the right candidate, it’s also about building relationships with potential candidates and ensuring they have a positive experience throughout the recruitment process. Employers need to keep candidates engaged, informed and motivated throughout the recruitment journey, ensuring that they are treated with respect and professionalism at all times.

• Headhunting from competitors: In addition to advertising vacancies publicly, employers may also need to take a more proactive approach to recruitment by targeting potential candidates who are currently employed by competitors. This can involve researching and identifying potential candidates, reaching out to them directly and pitching the benefits of working for the employer, and potentially offering competitive salaries and benefits to entice them to make a move.

By having a recruitment strategy that focuses on these cornerstones, employers can ensure that they are able to attract and retain the best possible staff for their organisation.