Council acts to retain staff

Initiatives to retain and recruit staff to counter a rise in employee turnover are being undertaken by St Albans City and District Council.

Turnover – the amount of staff leaving each year - has increased over the past two years from 6.9% of the workforce to 13.1% in 2014/15. It is now back to pre-recession levels.

The rise is in line with the national average across all sectors.

An update on management priorities to deal with the issue was given to a meeting of the Council’s Cabinet on Thursday 19 November.

To retain and recruit staff, the Council is focusing on departments with turnover in key technical and professional posts such as Planning and Council housing.

Vacancies will be more widely advertised using social media and professional networks.

Flexible working arrangements are to be highlighted as this works well for local people.

The approach to pay is to be reviewed with supplements being considered for jobs that are difficult to fill.

Career pathways are to be developed further to help retain staff along with opportunities for promotion and training.

Councillor Alec Campbell, Portfolio Holder for Resources for St Albans City and District Council, said: “We want to support and develop our staff and be an employer of choice.

“We are taking a number of important initiatives to help us retain and recruit staff as well as improving our appeal to young people. We want the Council to continue to be a place where people have a fulfilling and rewarding career.”

Other issues facing the Council are a workforce age profile out of step with the wider population and the level of staff absences due to stress or poor mental health.

The Council’s workforce contains a higher proportion of over-45s than the community as a whole.

To help alter the age profile, new generations of workers are being targeted with apprenticeships, graduate placements and paid internships.

All managers are getting mental health awareness training in response to the rise in absences due to those issues.  The training gives managers a better understanding of the issues and the support that might help staff.

Papers from the Cabinet meeting are available here: https://stalbans.moderngov.co.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CId=117&Year=0

Councillor contact:

Cllr Alec Campbell, Portfolio Holder for Resources, St Albans City and District Council. 

Tel: 01727 760750 Email: Cllr.A.Campbell@stalbans.gov.uk

Contact for the media:

John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer, St Albans City District Council

Tel: 01727 296130 

E-mail: john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk