Improving the on-boarding process for new starters using the Applicant Dashboard

North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust is a medium sized acute trust with over 6,000 staff based across 3 primary locations. The organisation has always been keen to develop its use of ESR and achieve maximum benefits for the organisation and their employees wherever possible. 

David De Lisle, ESR Systems Manager and chair of the East of England Self Service/HR & Recruitment SIG talked to us recently about their use of the Applicant Dashboard.

The applicant dashboard has been a game changer for our Trust. It has revolutionised the on-boarding process for all of our new starters, enabling them to access resources and information the moment they are given access by the Recruitment Team at the conditional offer stage. Before the applicant dashboard, there was a noticeable gap in communication with an applicant between the conditional offer stage, to when they started their employment at the Trust.

The applicant dashboard has bridged this gap and allowed us as a Trust, to communicate more information to our new starters in a much more efficient manner.

Using the standard portlets that are available, applicants are able to access and update any outstanding e-Learning, personal information, emergency contact and equality and diversity details. The dashboard encourages the applicant to complete this information before they start. 

Visibility of the data that we hold for each applicant enables them to take more direct ownership of their own data and what is inputted against their record.

The dashboard is also incredibly customisable. We have been able to create a more localised version of the dashboard, built for our Trust via the videos, forms and information that we have added. Some of the portlets that we have created include:

• Contact details for the wider HR team.
• Trust information – car parking forms/childcare vouchers, working for our Trust, FAQs.
• Covid-19 Risk Assessment Form – applicants are able to let us know, before they start if they are at risk/shielding, giving us (the employer) time to plan for what might impact on their role within the Trust. We are able to set up homeworking etc. before they officially begin work in the Trust.
• Online IT Training – the ability for all new applicants to access and complete IT training instead of coming into the Trust and having a face-to-face session.
• Video message – welcoming new applicants to our Trust.

The Applicant Dashboard has really transformed our on-boarding process and it has the added bonus that it looks really good. I would encourage all organisations out there who may be considering using the Applicant Dashboard to look at its potential and to make contact with your regional ESR Team about implementing it within your own organisation.