Agenda item

Mike Talbot, HR and OD Service Manager, introduced the scoping report for the first minor review of the municipal year, on the topic of 'Employee Induction and Retention.' Members were reminded that the topic was supported by the Committee at its meeting of 11 April 2017.

Mr Talbot highlighted key points from the report, and Members were informed that in the 2016/17 financial year, the Council's total employee turnover was 17.7%, with 503 staff leaving across the year. The employee headcount at the end of the year was 2840. However, voluntary turnover was 10.3% (293 resignations) whereas non-voluntary turnover was 7.4% (210 leavers), for the reasons as set out in the report (retirement, dismissal etc). It was expected that these turnover figures would remain broadly similar over the next 4-5 years.

Redundancy and efficiency was confirmed to be the most significant reason for non-voluntary leaving, with efficiency explained as the dismissal of a staff member unable to adapt to changing requirements of the role, rather than due to the removal of the role itself.

Members were informed that staff leaving was not always a negative, and that often this allowed the Council the opportunity to undertake staffing and efficiency reviews. In addition, the more staff that left voluntarily, the less staff would need to be asked to leave on a non-voluntary basis. It was highlighted that an ageing workforce could result in stagnation that could prove harmful, and a regular influx of new staff with fresh viewpoints and new ideas was healthy for an organisation.

Staff members were more likely to leave within their first year of service than at any other point, with 23.7% of leavers having less than one year of full service. Additional work was needed to understand why this was the case, though it was suggested that this may be due incorrectly describing the role or Council culture. The exit interview tool, available from July 2017, would provide additional data once live.

Regarding the induction process, the Council utilised an online e-learning system to manage staff induction packages. This was available for new permanent staff, agency workers, and managers. The induction process included a checklist to monitor the delivery of essential information and the completion of required activities. These included health and safety exercises, training policies including data protection, and a meeting with the Chief Executive. Higher graded officers were given a formal introduction to the Hillingdon Improvement Plan (HIP).

Due to the difficulty in recruiting and retaining permanent children and families social workers, an enhanced induction was introduced in the C&YPS directorate, which included a face-to-face meeting with the Director of Social Care and the Deputy Director of Children's Services.

The induction events were confirmed to be on a timed schedule, so it was highlighted that some new starters would need to wait longer than others for certain activities (such as meeting the Chief Executive.) In addition, Mr Talbot clarified that meetings held as part of the induction process were initially within teams/departments, before widening to include colleagues in other service areas.

Members sought clarity on whether the Council was sufficiently acting on ideas submitted by staff, and whether this could have had an impact on the number of staff leaving. Mr Talbot confirmed that all staff members were encouraged to submit ideas, often via 'money box' suggestions. All ideas would be considered, as it was recognised that innovation was the only way that the Council would be able to properly make the service changes that were required.

Lines of enquiry for the review ahead were proposed as set out in the report. Members agreed to the proposals, and suggested that, if possible, witnesses be sought that included a new starter within their first year of Council employment (3-6 months), an employee with a disability, and someone from the private sector who could provide a comparison to public sector inductions.

RESOLVED:  That the draft scoping report be noted.