The Health Service Executive
Challenge
The Health Boards of Ireland, now the Health Service Executive, having previously recruited as separate organisations, came together as one employer in 2002. The challenge was to establish the Health Boards as a single employer of choice, in part by demonstrating the progressive nature of the health sector. The challenge was also to reduce media expenditure whilst meeting hiring needs across a wide range of sites and services. The challenge was further extended in early 2005 as the Health Boards became one organisation, the Health Service Executive.
Solution
TMP worked on a solution that involved several cost effective media working together to attract quality candidates that would translate into hires for the Health Boards. Firstly, TMP developed an employer brand to launch the Health Boards as a single employer in the health sector. The strong message centred around the fact that the Health Boards were now working together to provide not only better services to the community, but better career opportunities within the health sector.
The new creative was launched across all national and local press, directing all traffic to a bespoke website developed by TMP. The new website www.careersinhealthcare.ie allowed jobseekers search for a position by location, grade or board and also provided information on the Health Boards. All press advertising directed applicants to the site and also directed candidates with no web access to a free phone number that detailed informal enquiries and application details for all posts advertised. The site was rebranded in early 2005 to reflect the new organisation, the HSE. TMP worked with the HSE to fully update the site by adding an apply online feature for candidates, a back-up server to catch applications which may have been rejected by their own servers, a dedicated Nursing section and a home page which would allow banners to highlight the most prevalent positions at any one time.
TMP offered the Health Boards access to www.tmpservice.com where they could access all expenditure reports, detailed free phone line reports and media information compiled and uploaded by TMP, thus allowing them instant access to up to date and pertinent data.
TMP also implemented a digital advertising system for the Health Boards, a product called ESend. ESend allowed the Health Boards send weekly advertising copy, see all adverts developed by TMP and indicate changes to be made and adverts approved online. With such a diverse client base across the Boards, this facilitated greater ease of access for the Boards to TMP's advertising services. TMP also helped the Health Boards implement a tracking system, which recorded where all applicants and eventual hires first saw their position advertised.
Results
The launch of the new brand of the Health Boards was extremely successful, with the Health Boards becoming well recognised as one employer, and an employer of choice, within the health sector. One testament to this is the constantly growing number of visitors to both www.careersinhealthcare.ie and the free phone line. In 2005 alone, the website received an average of 850 visits a day and has become the first stop for healthcare positions in Ireland for both nationals and non-nationals alike.
TMP developed a strong partnership relationship with the Health Boards, with ESend and tmpservice.com allowing the Boards easy access to important information. The overall result was a huge success with a hugely significant reduction in advertising expenditure. The tracking system facilitated a redistribution of traditional media spend, which allowed TMP and the Health Boards achieve a greater return on investment in terms of quality candidates and successful hires, while reducing overall media spend.