精东影视

精东影视鈥檚 sister publication Housing Today this week publishes its exclusive Good Employment Report.

The research project explores existing and emerging solutions that housing organisations are using to improve diversity and inclusion within their teams and address current and future skills shortages.

It focuses on practical actions rather than policy or鈥痬arket challenges, aiming to surface and share effective strategies.

The research took evidence from a cross-section of large and medium-sized housing organisations ensure variation in scale, workforce size and geographic reach, with each nominating a relevant leader to contribute.

Over the next three days 精东影视 will be publishing chapters of the report, with the full findings being launched at our Good Employer Guide Live conference in London on Thursday, 6 March.

Here is the first chapter: 

Chapter 1: Innovating in recruitment now

Changing hiring practices, expanding talent pools and rethinking how people enter the sector

Effective recruitment is essential for improving workforce diversity and addressing current and future skills gaps, particularly in the context of an ageing workforce. Expanding hiring strategies can help build a more inclusive talent pool while ensuring a sustainable pipeline of skilled workers to meet evolving industry demands. In practice, this requires identifying untapped talent pipelines and re-evaluating longstanding approaches to hiring and selection.

For larger, nationally operational organisations, widening recruitment beyond specific sites and enabling remote or regional hub-based working can help access a broader pool of candidates.

Some employers are also adopting an approach known as the Rooney rule, which typically involves committing to interview at least one candidate from an under-represented group in order to promote diversity in hiring. Practices such as including role profiles in job adverts, implementing guaranteed interview schemes for鈥痷nder-represented groups and anonymising shortlisting are increasingly becoming standard. Panel members shared further innovative approaches to enhance workforce diversity and鈥痳ecruitment鈥痚ffectiveness.

Beyond the trades 鈥� attracting students at鈥痑ll levels

Housebuilding has long been associated primarily with trade roles, meaning school outreach efforts have traditionally focused on students not planning to attend university 鈥� significantly narrowing the talent pipeline. Barratt Redrow鈥檚 nationwide schools outreach programme seeks to challenge this perception by鈥痚ngaging directly with students, parents and teachers to showcase the full breadth of careers in鈥痟ousebuilding, from planning and design to鈥痩eadership and project management. The initiative broadens awareness and encourages talent from all backgrounds to consider careers in鈥痶he sector.

The programme partners with over 1,200 schools and colleges across the UK, combining in-person and virtual engagement. Unlike traditional outreach, it ensures all students are鈥痠ncluded, whether they are considering apprenticeships, further education or professional careers.

Barratt Redrow鈥痙elivers ambassadorial outreach through school visits, career fairs and parent evenings

Run in partnership with the鈥疭chool Outreach Company and the Home Builders Federation (HBF), each of Barratt Redrow鈥檚 29 divisions works closely with four schools, with a particular focus on those with high proportions of pupils eligible for free school鈥痬eals (a measure of deprivation). Barratt Redrow鈥痙elivers ambassadorial outreach through school visits, career fairs and parent evenings, supported by the School Outreach Company, which provides resources, videos and curriculum materials to help shape understanding of industry opportunities among students, parents鈥痑nd teachers.

Now in its third year, the programme has reached 17,000 students in person and over 400,000 virtually, with ambitions to engage one million. The key aim is reaching out to places, and people, that the sector has not reached before. In doing so, it has also contributed to increasing apprenticeship applications from under-represented groups, which have grown from 5% to 38% at Barratt Redrow, suggesting that busting industry myths can help attract a鈥痬ore diverse future workforce.

Becoming an age-friendly employer

Inclusion strategies must address workers at all鈥痵tages of their careers, not just early talent. While many organisations focus on attracting apprentices and graduates, there is growing recognition of the value that older workers bring to the workplace. Over the past 12 to 18 months Paradigm Housing Group鈥檚 assistant director for鈥痯eople, Alexandra Hopkins, has made age inclusivity a priority at Paradigm. Working with Rest Less, an organisation that supports older workers, it has gained Age-friendly Employer accreditation.

A key focus has been helping individuals aged over 50 return to work, particularly those who have taken a career break or want more flexible working options. By actively recruiting older workers into administrative, customer service and part-time roles, Paradigm has opened new entry routes for experienced professionals, while also benefiting from the skills, knowledge and stability they bring.

This approach has also helped existing employees navigate flexible retirement, allowing them to gradually reduce hours, transition into different roles or make reasonable adjustments, rather than moving abruptly from full-time work鈥痶o full retirement. Normalising these conversations helps employees to feel more confident exploring phased retirement options, making workforce planning more sustainable.

The initiative has also had a positive effect on recruitment, as employees actively encourage friends and contacts who assumed they were too鈥痮ld to apply for roles. As Hopkins noted, organisations often discuss the challenges of an ageing workforce, but in practice older employees remain a valuable and often overlooked talent pool. With an age range spanning 21 to 77, her organisation is proving that inclusion must extend across all generations, not just entry-level鈥痶alent.

Rethinking eligibility requirements

Employers are increasingly recognising that skills, behaviours and aspirations often matter more than a candidate鈥檚 academic background. To avoid unnecessarily narrowing the talent pipeline, Barratt Redrow has re-evaluated how it defines eligibility for roles, shifting towards hiring for potential rather than predefined credentials and opening up new career pathways.

Andy George, the group head of talent management at Barratt Redrow, highlighted that鈥痟is company has removed the requirement for built environment degrees in its graduate programmes, instead considering candidates from a broad range of disciplines 鈥� including fashion and art 鈥� on the basis that technical skills can be taught on the job. This shift has reshaped perceptions of candidate suitability, encouraging a wider and more diverse applicant pool.

By rethinking eligibility requirements and moving beyond rigid qualification criteria, housebuilders are expanding access to careers, diversifying the workforce and ensuring that skilled, capable candidates are not overlooked simply because they do not fit traditional hiring鈥痭orms

This more flexible approach extends beyond graduates. Barratt Redrow 鈥檚 Armed Forces Programme has become a key talent pipeline for site management roles, despite initial hesitation from construction directors who struggled to map military qualifications onto industry standards. Over time, as the programme gained traction, attitudes shifted 鈥� and today ex-service members are highly valued within the company for their leadership, discipline and adaptability.

By rethinking eligibility requirements and moving beyond rigid qualification criteria, housebuilders are expanding access to careers, diversifying the workforce and ensuring that skilled, capable candidates are not overlooked simply because they do not fit traditional hiring鈥痭orms.

Recruiting from social housing communities

Among social housing providers, there is growing recognition that lived experience in social housing is a valuable skill 鈥� one that enhances service delivery and opens up a largely untapped talent pipeline. In Manchester, the 25-member Greater Manchester Housing Providers group has pledged that by 2034, 20% of its workforce will come from social renting households 鈥� a commitment known as the 20% Movement. Elaine Johnson, director of people at Great Places Housing Group, highlighted how this shift鈥痳eflects an acknowledgment that personal experience of social housing provides unique insight, empathy and understanding, making it鈥痑s valuable as traditional technical skills.

By broadening eligibility criteria, housing providers are reaching candidates who may not have previously considered careers in the sector, creating a more diverse and representative workforce. Some providers have trialled targeted recruitment initiatives to engage social housing tenants directly. Ruth Onions, HR business partner at WHG, described an initiative led by鈥痟er housing association after staff noticed a鈥痭umber of female tenants showing an interest in DIY.

The programme introduced participants to basic DIY and trade skills, empowering them to complete home maintenance tasks independently. This enthusiasm led to five apprenticeships being ring-fenced, but for several participants the transition to employment proved challenging. The key lesson was the need for stronger pre-employment support to ensure candidates were fully prepared for the workplace.

While employing tenants is not a quick fix and requires careful planning and investment, removing barriers to employment and proactively recruiting from social housing communities could help housing providers to expand their talent pipeline

Catrin Jones, chief people officer at Clarion Housing Group, reinforced this point, highlighting the role of Clarion Futures, the association鈥檚 dedicated charity focused on helping social housing tenants become work-ready. Successful initiatives, she noted, start by building foundational skills and confidence before progressing to formal employment opportunities.

While employing tenants is not a quick fix and requires careful planning and investment, removing barriers to employment and proactively recruiting from social housing communities could help housing providers to expand their talent pipeline while creating meaningful career pathways for individuals with first-hand experience of the sector.

Digital role assessments replace CVs

Traditional CV-based recruitment can disadvantage young job seekers, particularly apprentices who may have limited work experience to showcase. Recognising this challenge, Catherine Hawkett, group future skills manager at Berkeley Group, introduced a CV-free approach for apprentice recruitment, later expanding it to graduate roles. Instead of relying on CVs, candidates now complete interactive digital role assessments via the Thrive Map platform, which provides a realistic preview of鈥痑鈥痙ay in the life of a Berkeley trainee.

The assessment is fully bespoke, embedding role-specific tasks, images and scenarios to engage candidates while evaluating their skills and suitability. Tasks include spotting differences in floor plans to assess attention to detail and listening to a voicemail from a manager to determine the next course of action. Unlike generic numerical or verbal reasoning tests, this approach allows candidates to learn about the role and the company while being assessed.

To further reduce bias and improve fairness, Berkeley has also implemented anonymised scoring and structured interviews with set questions and evaluation criteria 

Feedback from the participants has been overwhelmingly positive, with many appreciating the insight into the role before progressing further in the application process. Thrive Map also supports self-selection, allowing applicants to withdraw their application mid-assessment if鈥痶hey feel that the role is not the right fit. While鈥痩ong-term retention data is still being gathered, early indications suggest that higher apprenticeships have seen the greatest benefit from this approach.

To further reduce bias and improve fairness, Berkeley has also implemented anonymised scoring and structured interviews with set questions and evaluation criteria. This has helped eliminate informal referrals, ensuring that鈥痑ll applicants progress based solely on merit. The approach appears to be increasing diversity, particularly in graduate recruitment, with more female candidates progressing and a noticeable shift in demographic representation.

By removing reliance on CVs, incorporating immersive digital assessments and anonymising selection processes, Berkeley is widening access to opportunities, ensuring that recruitment is fair, skills-based and better aligned with role requirements.

Bringing roles to life for job seekers

Effective recruitment is not just about listing job鈥痳oles 鈥� it is about telling compelling stories that connect with job seekers on an emotional level. Employers are increasingly using authentic narratives, personal testimonials and social media storytelling to showcase careers in a way鈥痶hat resonates with young people and prospective鈥痟ires.

To reach younger audiences, employers must meet them where they are 鈥� on digital platforms. Catherine Hawkett of Berkeley Group recognised that traditional job descriptions fail to engage Gen Z candidates, who are far more likely to consume content through social media than through job boards. In鈥痳esponse, Berkeley launched a TikTok recruitment campaign, run鈥痓y鈥痑pprenticeship influencer Holly Hobbs, featuring bite-sized videos explaining what roles鈥痠nvolve, the expected pay and benefits, and likely鈥痗areer progression. The campaign was a success, with鈥�10% of applications coming directly from TikTok engagement.

Storytelling is also playing a key role in embedding organisational values and attracting talent. Catrin Jones highlighted how Clarion Housing Group has incorporated employee narratives into its recruitment and culture-building efforts. Through roadshows and video testimonials, employees share their personal experiences 鈥� why they love their jobs, how they support each other and the impact they make.

鈥淚t鈥檚 so much more compelling to hear it from the people doing the job than for us to simply say, 鈥業t鈥檚 a great job.鈥� Hearing their stories 鈥� how they feel like family, how they make a difference 鈥� has really helped in our recruitment campaigns,鈥� she鈥痚xplained.

Beyond making roles more attractive, honest storytelling helps manage expectations. In a competitive job market, purpose-driven storytelling is also becoming essential 鈥� especially when recruiting for roles that compete with high-paying private sector jobs. Clarion, having adopted Microsoft鈥檚 Evergreen platform, found itself competing for sought-after developers who could command top salaries elsewhere. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had to try to really sell ourselves as not just that you come and do some development work, but this is our purpose,鈥� explained Catrin Jones. 鈥淭his is how we impact people鈥檚 lives on a daily basis. And you can be part of really making that a鈥痵uccess. I think what we鈥檙e seeing is the new generation is looking for meaning and purpose in鈥痶heir jobs, which is really helping us.鈥�