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Ofcom: A true partnership, developing innovative and new ways of attracting talent

The Challenge

Ofcom, the UK’s Communications and Digital Infrastructure Regulator, appointed Omni as its RPO partner in 2020, with the task of working with its internal resourcing function to substantially increase permanent headcount, alongside a need to compliantly manage its growing contingent workforce.  

At the heart of Ofcom’s growth objectives was the delivery of the Governments Online Safety Bill introduced in the House of Commons in March 2022, and required recruitment of ‘world-first’ niche skillsets within technology and compliance to deliver against new online regulatory responsibilities. These roles gave us several hurdles related to skills identification and candidate engagement.  

The Solution

Fundamental to the jointly developed TA strategy was not only sourcing these skills in a timely manner, but to ensure that they delivered against Ofcom’s EDI commitments which was seen as a key measure of organisational success. Aligned to the Government’s levelling up agenda, Ofcom committed to developing a new tech centre in Manchester, the largest technology hub outside of London, where competition for skills is strong.  

At the outset of the partnership, we conducted a Resourcing Effectiveness Assessment, benchmarking existing processes against best practice and worked with their internal team to identify a roadmap of improvements that would underpin this strategy over time.  As a result of our partnership, over the last four years, the TA strategy has contributed significantly to Ofcom’s ability to regulate the online environment. 

Partnership Successes

We never stop enhancing our service and each year we conduct an updated REA, allowing us to agree objectives aligned to Ofcom’s strategic objectives. During the last year we:

Increased Diversity

Increased Ethnic hires from 24% to 28% .

Reduced Time to Hire

Time to hire reduced by 44% - down to just 47 days on average.

Reduced Costs

11% reduction in reliance on agencies (and subsequent savings on agency fees)

Grew Female Leadership

Increased senior female hires from 33% to 46%. ​

Reached Disabled Candidates

Developed a relationships with Evenbreak and created a neurodiverse candidate pack, in order to attract disabled candidates.

The Results

Employer Brand

Mobilising Ofcom’s revised employer brand with a clear social purpose (i.e., protecting the vulnerable online) whilst being committed to inclusivity and innovation.

Talent Attraction

Building powerful campaigns that differentiated Ofcom to other organisations looking to hire similar skills resulting in over 900 hires.

Wider the talent pool

Achievement of Ofcom’s "out of London" strategy and contribution to the Manchester hub, which is recognised as the biggest tech-hub outside of London.

EDI

Increased representation of ethnically diverse at job offer from 9% to 28%.

Cost Savings

11% reduction in reliance on agencies (with substantial savings on agency fees).

Feedback

Overall feedback ratings achieved for hiring managers is now 9.2 and candidates scoring the recruitment journey 9.7.

What our clients say

Ofcom
“What sets Omni apart is their commitment to building a true partnership, developing innovative ways of attracting talent and their understanding of our evolving business needs and culture and the impact this has on our people.”
Chief People Officer, Ofcom
clients-shape

Accolades

This high-profile achievement is something we are incredibly proud of, as our involvement contributed to the King giving Royal Ascent to the Online Safety Act, heralding a new era of internet safety and choice by placing world-first legal duties on social media platforms. Testimony to our approach is the ongoing feedback and relationship we have with Ofcom. Our partnership has now been extended for a further two years.

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