What would make you consider working in NHS admin right now?

[Helpmethinkofasolution]

I have never known things as bad as this. Job getting no applicants, successful applicants regularly turning down jobs and then us having to go back to the start in terms of recruitment.
When I started in 2018 I remember there were 200 applicants for most band 4 jobs. Where are those people now and what is going to attract people to apply again?

Is it post Covid wariness of the NHS? Is it that we used to be flexible but now WFH jobs are even more flexible? Is it that the private sector is paying more? To my (possibly un- observant) eye, it doesn't seem like there are loads of admin jobs out there offering much more money. Unless it's that there is less responsibility with these private sector admin roles.

We used to get a good stream of working mums (generally) who would appreciate an interesting and flexible job with good sick pay, annual leave and ok pension but they are no longer applying.
This won't be used in any recruitment campaign, I'm just genuinely interested (and bloody worried that I'll be doing six peoples jobs forever!)

[WhatNoRaisins]

Also the application process takes too long. I've seen plenty of candidates who are offered jobs then fucked about for months waiting for a start date only to take up another job that they have been offered.

I get that this part is out of your hands though as are the crap adverts.

[TheYearOfSmallThings]

My band 5 admin job is now graded as a 3 (was typically a 4)

Oh yes! I forgot to add that senior management and HR are constantly looking for ways to unsettle good teams by restructuring and downgrading their jobs. Then everyone leaves or gets signed off sick, and then they spend huge amounts on agency staff for a department no same starter would touch with a barge pole.

[PiffleWiffleWoozle]

Remote school hours only and no admin experience required

[Questionaboutjoboffer]

As others have said, it’s the pay - 22 to 25K is very little.

I hear so much about bullying in the NHS - that would put me off as well.

[NRogers]

Is it WFH? I'd be very interested in any WFH admin roles. Especially in the NHS.

[Lds1]

Our local trusts have very few band 5 admin roles, I'll be at the top of band 4 soon, so at that point I'll probably need to look elsewhere

[Friendship101]

I’m an NHS nurse looking to get out of nursing from burn out at under 40. In fancying an admin job but in my trust admin jobs are band 2, then you can apply for band 3, then band 4. Also IT systems are horrendous. Friends working for private companies get decent pay rises yet the NHS consistently don’t. I’ve decided against any move within the NHS.

[OwlBee]

I currently work in the NHS (band 6 AHP). We have had massive issues in our department. Lots of people have left (various reasons) and we can’t recruit band 5/6s. I think our main problem is inflexibility which comes from our band 8 and those above him.
I want to leave the NHS. Mainly due to:
Low staff morale
Patients being frustrated/complaining (understandably!)
Wards being chaotic and understaffed
No WFH (my job would allow it)
Either £25/month for parking or having to walk 15 minutes on top of commute.

[RewildingAmbridge]

I work in the justice sector, we have exactly the same OP , we pay our admin even less 18k, and our practitioners are on 22-25 unless they become senior pracs (second degree required)
We can't recruit for love nor money yet get lumped in as civil service fat cats with Truss saying she'd cut out wages outside of London!

[JoJoJoyner]

Things that put me off:
Emphasis on having NHS experience, so assuming it isn't worth applying without it.
Requirement to work at different sites
Paying to park when wage is so low

[Worried234]

I work in NHS admin, as a band 4 office coordinator. The pay isn't enough for how much work I have to do. There is some flexibility, we can WFH etc. But the role I do needs to be rebanded IMO.

[swimmingincustard]

I used to regularly look for jobs like you described and would still like to work in the NHS but, I currently work for the local authority and they have become extremely flexible with work patterns etc.

I now work term time only and won't leave until my children are older as no one else seems to offer that option.

[Antsinmypantsneedtodance]

As others have said slow application process. Make aure you shortlist quickly and offer the job asap. I know NHS HR processes are atupidly slow, but you can be as efficient as possible in them. The NHS application process is also awful, lengthy and a pain to fill out!

Is there potential for flexibility in the role? Is it full time, could you consider part time or a job share? I know most mums don't want full time. Also consider whether home working for some of the week would work? I have an NHS fully remote job and I know of several other NHS employees who are looking for the same, or at least want a percentage of their week at home. The idea of sitting in an over crowded hot office is no longer appealing to many! And they'll look elsewhere.

I'd also consider if the role is interesting. Maybe reword the advert to ensure it's appealing.

If its a part time parent friendly job, share it when its advertised on local fb pages especially parenting ones (or get someone else to). Alot of people don't know to look on NHS jobs for jobs as stupid as that sounds. Or don't realise there are admin roles about.

[Ontomatopea]

@Helpmethinkofasolution

@Doormatnomore 22k to 25k. There's increments so you have to wait three years to get a pay increase. Which is shit.

That would put me right off. I want a payrise each year if I'm good at my job and I don't want shit colleagues rewarded just becuase they have been there 3 years.

[NeverDropYourMooncup]

@Helpmethinkofasolution

@Doormatnomore 22k to 25k. There's increments so you have to wait three years to get a pay increase. Which is shit.

I was working as a band 4 in 2004 for 21.5. It's nearly 20 years later and they're expecting people to live on £1800 a month takehome? That's not enough to cover the rent on a one bed and the council tax, never mind the electric, gas, bus fares or food.



Mind you, it's probably progress that you're actually advertising it as a band 4. For the last ten years, all I've seen are what were band 4 jobs (complete with zero progression because 'if we wanted somebody that was looking to move on, we'd have taken a graduate trainee and no, you can't have flexible working because we don't do that for admin') being advertised as band 2/3.

[Ontomatopea]

@WhatNoRaisins

Also the application process takes too long. I've seen plenty of candidates who are offered jobs then fucked about for months waiting for a start date only to take up another job that they have been offered.

I get that this part is out of your hands though as are the crap adverts.

Yup, no one is going to hang around if something the same or better or maybe even slightly worse comes up quicker.

[Ontomatopea]

@fernz

The main putting me off any public sector job is how complicated and impersonal the application process appears compared to any other sector. I have a Masters degree and couldn't work out what any of the job roles even involved and what exactly was required due to the jargon-filled job adverts. There's very little sense of how transferable skills would help; for example I may not have direct experience of governance from other roles but as a reasonably intelligent person could learn...

I also have the impression NHS workers are always overworked and there are none of the more "fun" perks there may be in the private sector and morale is low.

I looked at some NHS roles in my local area and the hours also seemed very inflexible with fixed start times, and the location isn't that good either in my area (London but it's not near a station so would need to take a bus and always find them unreliable).

Oh yes and this the adverts are always written so if you're outside the NHS you wouldn't have a clue

[Helpmethinkofasolution]

It's hard to offer WFH as we need to actually be in a hospital. The amount of time I actually need to go to the ward to sort out the IT so that a patient can attend a meeting with a clinician is about three or four times a week. I also think you should be there to support the nursing team who have to be there.
Completely understand why this is off putting for people who want flexibility though.

[SaltandPeppasHere]

It’s the money. I applied for an admin job in the NHS a couple of years ago and was successful, however I was offered another job (still admin but in a different sector) a couple of days later and took that one. The pay was only fractionally better, but I wouldn’t have to pay for parking, wouldn’t have to work weekends and had much more stable, family friendly hours.

[JanglyBeads]

Same problem in our school too, post- Covid. We used to be a sought-after employer, including having parents queueing up to apply. No more.

[PinkPair]

@Helpmethinkofasolution Is there any way you can override the generic advert?
We advertised a (clinical) post recently with the generic advert and got no applicants. Manager got involved with writing the advert for re-advertisement and got applicants and successfully recruited.

The issues with the generic adverts needs fed back to HR.

But loads of sectors are struggling for staff at the moment. Some regions have more job vacancies than people looking for work. We're in for a rough few years with all the skills shortages we have and not enough people to take on the roles

[JustALittleHelpPlease]

I'm band 4. I manage 3 teams totalling 16 staff. I travel 3 days per week. We expect so so much from our band 2 admin that I am now struggling to motivate them - because I think it is absolutely out of order. I am burnt out, jaded, undervalued. I earn less than 25k at the top of my band (although this pay "rise" will tip me slightly over).

I work 37.5 over 4 days. This week I am covering vacancies across my sites due to staff sickness so I will be working Sunday and my day off to keep up with my own role, we don't have overtime authorised.

Reading this thread as I travel to cover yet another day has made me want to cry. I desperately want out but need the pension as I have no provision from the years my children were young. I could move to civil service where I would earn more with no management responsibility but my confidence and self esteem is so low I look at job adverts and convince myself they wouldn't want me.

If anyone asked me should they apply for an admin job in the NHS I would say absolutely not, no-one should be putting up with this.

[BarbedButterfly]

I actually work in NHS administration but am fed up. I don't get paid nearly enough for what they expect. We had an admin team of 4 and the others left and I did the job of 4 people for 8 months. My pay is very low and I manage a team of 4. The only reason I am still there is my ability to wfh.

Our parking permits are closed now and there is a wait of 4 years. You can't even pay to park and we cannot recruit

[WhatNoRaisins]

The problem with the limited parking is it essentially means you can only recruit people who are either in walking distance or on live on the right bus route. It's inevitably going to be limiting.

[howshouldibehave]

@Helpmethinkofasolution

It's hard to offer WFH as we need to actually be in a hospital. The amount of time I actually need to go to the ward to sort out the IT so that a patient can attend a meeting with a clinician is about three or four times a week. I also think you should be there to support the nursing team who have to be there.
Completely understand why this is off putting for people who want flexibility though.

You describe the advertised jobs as being flexible for working mums; how so?