As part of their innovation lead project at the University of South Wales, Chris Sutton conducted research in partnership with CDPS into how the Welsh public sector can attract people to digital roles. 

The research aimed to help the Welsh public sector attract a diverse range of candidates to digital roles. This supports Welsh Government’s strategic targets to: 

  • create a workforce that has the digital skills, capability and confidence to excel in the workplace and in everyday life 
  • address the under-representation of disabled people and people from minority ethnic communities

 

This discover phase of the project was used to research:    

  • why people consider applying for a digital role in Wales  
  • how people view digital in the Welsh public sector  
  • how the Welsh public sector can create a more diverse workforce  

 

The research focused on 2 user groups. These were:  

  • people who have changed career into digital  
  • people who are disabled and/or from ethnic minority communities in employment in Wales 

 

In the delivery phase of the project, users were presented with concepts that tested key assumptions made about how the public sector can attract people to digital roles. These assumptions were: 

  • having all Welsh public sector digital jobs in one place will help people to find jobs  
  • a more inclusive application process will help people feel more supported to apply for roles  
  • rebranding digital will make the industry more understandable for people    

 

The user groups used to test these concepts were: 

  • people who changed career into a digital role 
  • people who are disabled and/or from ethnic minority communities in employment in Wales  
  • people who recruit digital practitioners in the Welsh public sector 

Show and tell

Chris delivered a show and tell, presenting the report on the research process and findings in more depth.  

Watch the recording:

Recommendations 

Based on the research findings, 3 recommendations have been made for the Welsh public sector. 

 

1. Assess role standardisation 

The research showed that people did not understand the terminology associated with digital roles and that job titles are inconsistent across the Welsh public sector.  

Standardising the names of these roles will help people inside and outside the Welsh public sector to understand what these roles are.   

 

2. Explore inclusive recruitment processes 

During interviews, participants explained how they did not feel comfortable declaring their disability or ethnicity. Participants liked applications with anonymity, proactive support offerings, and flexible application channels. 

Making the recruitment process more accessible will offer a more diverse candidate pool. 

 

3. Explore the meaning of digital 

Research participants explained how they wished they knew what digital meant sooner. Participants thought it would be more helpful to spend less time rebranding digital, and more time explaining the different components within it. 

Explaining to people the parts within digital should offer a clearer understanding than ‘digital’ as a whole.