Beyond the Whitepaper: Modernise recruitment and promote the sector

 

By James Swaffield, Chief Executive of Paragon Skills.

Beyond the Whitepaper 

A deeper dive into the insights from our latest report 

Attracting young people into careers in adult social care is an increasingly urgent challenge. Our recent whitepaper, The adult social care challenge: Attracting young people into the workforce, explored how the sector can address workforce shortages by drawing more young people into care careers. 

Through a series of roundtables with sector leaders, six clear, actionable priorities emerged to help build a more sustainable workforce. In this blog series, I explore each of these in more detail. 

 

 

The second priority is clear: modernise recruitment and promote the sector  

Attracting the next generation of care professionals requires more than increasing visibility. Having explored the importance of positioning social care as a credible and aspirational career in the first blog, this second instalment focuses on the next step: modernising recruitment and sector promotion. 

To connect with younger audiences, providers need to move beyond traditional hiring methods and adopt approaches that reflect how young people discover opportunities, engage with employers and make career decisions. Without this shift, even the strongest career opportunities risk going unnoticed. 

 

“With declining birthrates and changing workforce dynamics, attracting and retaining young people in the care sector is increasingly important. As demand grows and fewer young people enter the workforce, recruitment challenges are rising.  

To address this, the sector must raise awareness, offer clear career pathways and provide strong training and support, positioning care as a rewarding long-term career.”   

– Laura Sunderland, Head of Recruitment, Porthaven 

 

Why traditional approaches are no longer enough 

Many care providers, and employers in general, continue to rely on familiar recruitment methods such as job boards, referrals and word of mouth. While these approaches still have value, they are no longer sufficient on their own to engage younger audiences. 

Today’s job market is fast-moving, competitive and digital-first. Young people are not just searching for jobs, they are consuming content, forming perceptions and making decisions based on what they see and experience online. 

To compete effectively, recruitment needs to evolve. 

 

Meeting young people where they are 

A key opportunity for care providers is to rethink how they engage with potential candidates. 

Young people increasingly discover employers, career opportunities and workplace culture through digital channels. As a result, organisations need recruitment strategies that extend beyond traditional job advertising and reflect how younger audiences research and evaluate career options. 

 

Care as a career with purpose 

Many young people are looking for careers that offer more than a pay cheque; they want work that has a meaningful impact. Adult social care is well placed to meet this expectation, offering the opportunity to make a genuine difference to people’s lives every day. 

By sharing authentic colleague stories and celebrating the positive outcomes care professionals help create, providers can highlight the purpose, fulfilment and value that come with a career in care. This not only helps attract individuals seeking meaningful work but also reinforces the pride felt by those already working across the sector. 

By taking a more audience-focused approach, providers can increase awareness of opportunities in adult social care, strengthen their employer brand and make the sector more accessible to the next generation of talent. 

 

 

Simplifying the recruitment journey 

Alongside promotion, the recruitment process itself must also evolve. 

Long, complex applications and slow response times can discourage younger candidates, who are used to more streamlined experiences. 

Providers should consider: 

• Simplifying application processes 

• Reducing time between stages 

• Maintaining clear and consistent communication throughout 

These changes may seem small, but they can make a significant difference in attracting and securing young talent. 

 

Creating real-world experiences 

While digital engagement is important, it should be supported by opportunities for young people to experience the sector first-hand. Open days, taster sessions and experiential recruitment events help potential candidates build a better understanding of care roles, challenge common misconceptions and see the impact of the profession for themselves. For many, this direct exposure can turn initial interest into genuine career consideration. 

 

Raising awareness of care careers 

Attracting the next generation of care professionals requires more than recruitment activity alone. Providers have an opportunity to raise awareness of adult social care as a rewarding and purposeful career choice, helping young people understand the breadth of opportunities available across the sector. 

 

By engaging with potential candidates earlier in their career journey, sharing authentic insights into working in care, and using the channels and formats that resonate with younger audiences, providers can make careers in care more visible and accessible. This approach can help broaden understanding of the sector, strengthen employer brands, and inspire more people to consider a future in care. 

 

A critical step in attracting the next generation 

Modernising recruitment is not just about improving hiring outcomes. It is about ensuring the sector remains visible, relevant and competitive in a changing labour market. 

When combined with a strong employer brand and clearer career pathways, it becomes a powerful tool for attracting the next generation into care. 

In the next blog, I will explore the third priority area, looking at how stronger pathways into care can help providers attract future talent and support long-term workforce growth.