Abstract
Occupational therapy managers engage in fierce continuing staff recruitment competition, knowing that the outcome influences both patient care and contractual obligations. Professional experience suggests that many such individuals receive little or no formal training to complete this process. An extensive literature review found no research on recruitment advertising among British occupational therapists.
This study explored the factors attracting newly qualified occupational therapists to job advertisements and identified the timing of their initial search. It also investigated the success of various methods of advertising, in terms of their cost-effectiveness, efficiency and effectiveness. The data were gathered using two postal questionnaires, sent to a random sample of 200 occupational therapy managers and 200 of their most newly qualified staff.
The results showed that most recruitment advertisements addressed applicants' practical concerns, but were less than comprehensive. Recruitment activity was greatest between February and July, with the British Journal of Occupational Therapy proving the most popular vehicle. The findings suggested that well-timed, well-placed and well-targeted advertisements could save all much time and effort. By increasing the number of successful appointments, they could also reduce costs. The study concluded that managers seemed largely aware of when and where to advertise, but could focus their advertisements more closely on the needs of potential applicants.
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