Workforce Recruitment and Retention Advisor

12 months fixed term contract

Working arrangements:

Reading Borough Council is looking for a Workforce Recruitment and Retention Advisor to play a key role in helping us build and retain a high-performing workforce.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with experience in recruitment, HR, workforce planning, service improvement or project coordination who enjoys working collaboratively, building relationships and making things happen. You'll work at the heart of Children's Services, supporting recruitment, onboarding, retention initiatives and agency reduction activity to help ensure we have the right people in the right roles delivering the best outcomes for children and families

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

About the role

As Workforce Recruitment and Retention Advisor, you'll coordinate and support a wide range of workforce activities across Children's Services. Working closely with operational managers, Corporate Resourcing, HR and other stakeholders, you'll help deliver workforce plans, improve the candidate and employee experience, and support initiatives that strengthen workforce stability and reduce agency reliance.

You'll be responsible for monitoring workforce data, coordinating projects and maintaining momentum across a variety of recruitment and retention initiatives that directly contribute to service improvement.

What you'll do

• Support recruitment campaigns and attraction activities across Children's Services.
• Act as a key point of contact to help progress recruitment activity and resolve issues or delays.
• Coordinate recruitment events, careers fairs and outreach activities.
• Support the development of recruitment materials and promotional content.
• Provide candidates with a positive experience throughout the recruitment and onboarding journey.
• Coordinate onboarding and induction activity for new starters.
• Gather feedback from new employees and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Support the delivery of retention initiatives, stay interviews and workforce surveys.
• Monitor and coordinate agency reduction and conversion activities.
• Produce workforce reports covering recruitment, vacancies, turnover, onboarding and retention.
• Analyse workforce information to identify trends, risks and opportunities.
• Support workforce improvement projects and service development initiatives.
• Build effective relationships with managers, corporate services and external partners

About you

We're looking for an organised, proactive and solution-focused individual who enjoys working with people and using data and insight to drive improvement.

You will have:

• Experience in recruitment, HR administration, organisational development, workforce planning or service improvement activities.
• Experience supporting projects or programmes and coordinating actions to successful completion.
• Experience working with a wide range of stakeholders and building positive working relationships.
• Experience producing reports and analysing data to identify trends and themes.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Good analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Confidence using Microsoft Office and workforce, HR or recruitment systems.
• The ability to work independently whilst knowing when to escalate issues.
• A commitment to continuous improvement and excellent customer service.

Experience within Children's Services, social care or local government would be advantageous but is not essential.

You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.

Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:

Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do

Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential

Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way

Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed

Our offer

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax

To arrange a confidential discussion on this position please contact Corina.Crowley@reading.gov.uk

Closing Date: Sunday 1st November 2026
Interview Date: Thursday 19th November 2026
Interview Process: To be confirmed