Case Studies

Finding Niche Skills in Housing | Newport City Homes

Their challenge

We hear you: some roles are tougher than others, right? As recruitment specialists in social housing, we understand the challenges housing associations face when recruiting for very niche skills. And procurement is just one of them.

When Newport City Homes asked for our help, they had been through the mill trying to recruit for a Senior Procurement Advisor role. They were up against a number of challenges:

  • A low response rate to online adverts
  • Struggling to attract candidates with the right skill, values and experience
  • Difficulty competing with private-sector salaries

The impact of the delayed turnaround led to…

  • Added pressure on Anna (their sole recruitment guru), and the HR team
  • Increased pressure and workload on the procurement team and management
  • Delays in starting and completing time-sensitive projects

After putting lots of time, resources, sweat and tears into their recruitment campaign, Newport City Homes recognised the need to pull in external help to track down the perfect employee. That’s when we were called in to do it #TheMoxieWay.

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Meet Anna

"They work especially with social housing, third sector and charity providers. They understand a hard sell isn't gonna work for us (...) they really are a values-led recruitment agency looking to make a difference for people." - Anna Griffin, Recruitment Officer.

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Why Moxie?

14 years of experience combined of dedicating our time and effort to uniting housing associations and charities with the very best talent. We’ve made it our 9-5, so you can get back to doing what you love!

We search, you hire. We actively search for your perfect fit within our extensive network and talent pool. Active or passive job seekers, transferable and niche skills, we know where to find them! A one-stop-housing shop.

Your recruitment rock. We know competing with other industries isn’t easy. Our friendly customer-focused approach allows us to put you forward as the employer of choice, whilst spreading the word of the countless benefits a career in social housing offers. Matching great jobs with good people, that’s our motto!

"Great service from truly socially driven people that took the time to get to know us, and with whom we've established a successful, friendly partnering relationship." - Anna Griffin, Recruitment Officer.

The 4-step Moxie process

1. First, we listened.

Our role-briefing is the first step in our consultative, thorough approach. Before jumping in, we sat down with Anna over a brew to learn about their specific needs, challenges and benefits they offer as an employer.

2. An epic recruitment strategy.

Once we had the lowdown on Newport City Homes and the senior procurement role, we designed a tailored recruitment plan, to position the opportunity in the best way possible. That involved:

  • Advertising the role across LinkedIn, Twitter, CV Library, Total Jobs, Indeed, and of course, our website. We leave to stone unturned!
  • Engaging with contacts in our ever-growing active talent pool, who we knew would fit the bill.
  • Proactively searching for passive and non-active candidates, in and outside our network.

3. A carefully crafted shortlist.

After analysing the market, we presented a curated candidate shortlist. In the words of Anna: "(...) Moxie sent over seven candidates and they were all suitable for interviewing. It was the volume and also the quality that was great, something we definitely couldn't find ourselves (...) the fit of candidate culture also has been really, really spot-on!".

4. Post-placement care and onboarding

We take away the stress of pre-employment checks. Sit back and let Moxie take care of the fiddly bits for you!

Employee onboarding is often the make-or-break of any new hire. So even after the placement was signed, sealed and delivered, we remained at their sides, ensuring all parties were happy and settling in well! We’ll find any excuse for a good old natter, really...

Job seeking can be a lonely experience, so we make it our mission to be on hand for our candidates every step of the way:

  • offering employability advice
  • helping prepare for interviews
  • providing encouragement and constructive feedback

We’re here to be an extension of your (already) incredible recruitment team. A peek into what working with you feels like!

"The candidates were so well informed and prepared before the interview (...) we've also had that great feedback from candidates that Moxie had been this great service for them as well."- Anna Griffin, Recruitment Officer.

"They gave me so much knowledge on the association and the benefits I'd be getting as an employee...even small insights like projects they knew I'd be involved in." - Gary Snoad Jones, appointed Senior Procurement Advisor.

Photo of Gary Snoad-Jones Senior Procurement Advisor

Meet Gary

"It mostly was the human element (...) from initial talks all the way through to now, I still have conversations with the guys at Moxie on how I'm doing, how we're all coping with the lockdown...they've even invited me to meetings and webinars they think I'd benefit from. Their ethos really is do good, and good things will happen!" - Gary Snoad-Jones, Senior Procurement Advisor.

The happily ever after...

  • Pressure relief for the whole team and their projects to get back on track
  • Ensured job satisfaction through an outstanding candidate experience
  • A two-week turnaround from our first chat until an accepted offer by their perfect-fit
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Struggling with a tough-to-fill role?

Our inboxes and phone lines are always open. Find out more about how we can help you find candidates with niche housing skills.

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Don't just take our word for it. See for yourself!

You can download this case study here:

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