PCD Adopts Trac System to Enhance Recruitment Experience

The Primary Care Doncaster (PCD) HR Team is excited to announce that we’ve recently invested in the Trac Recruitment System! Trac is used nationally by NHS Trusts and Primary Care Federations and we’re happy to now be part of this network too!

Recruitment is a busy part of our HR function, particularly as PCD is growing at a rapid rate – we’ve had a 79% increase in our workforce since January 2022! Therefore, we decided it was time to invest in a recruitment system to help us continue to provide an excellent recruitment experience for our managers and candidates. This new system encompasses the recruitment process from start to finish, from vacancy approval stages all the way to start dates for new recruits.

The adverts are still posted on NHS Jobs and are now also posted on Health Jobs UK, with all candidates being directed from these platforms to submit an application via Trac. You’ll still find our vacancies posted on PCD’s website and social media too. The application form is much more user-friendly via Trac than the NHS Jobs version (I can speak from personal experience on this) and overall provides a much smoother application experience for all. Candidates will also be able to self-manage booking appointments and interviews with us, allowing more flexibility and avoiding having to contact us directly to make these arrangements.

We now complete shortlisting and interview processes using the system, everything is automated and electronic – saving us all from having to download and complete a paper process anymore!

All the pre-employment checks that we are required to complete for any new starters are processed via Trac, using a colour-coded system to highlight each stage of the process. Candidates and managers can keep track (excuse the pun!) of their progress by logging into their accounts to see what’s still outstanding before they can get started in their new role, something that we think will be a real game-changer in enhancing the recruitment process with PCD! Everything is automated, so Trac will send reminders via email and text if there’s an employment check or piece of information that we’re waiting for.

We’ve been using Trac for just over a month now and we’re already starting to see the benefits! Recently we’ve advertised some roles for our Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and have received 10 – 20 applications so far (one even got a total of 34!!), whereas previously, we may have only received one or two per role. We’re really looking forward to seeing how Trac will continue to benefit PCD, our PCNs, and our candidates and I can safely say the HR Team can’t wait to see the back of using recruitment spreadsheets!