For local government in particular, the issue is not simply about filling vacancies. It is about visibility, perception and building a sustainable pipeline of future talent. Recent collaboration between the Local Government Association (LGA), West Midlands Employers (WME) and WMJobs illustrates how a more integrated, value-led approach can begin to address this.
A recent episode of the PS I HEART You podcast brings these themes together, using a regional early careers pilot campaign as a lens to explore what is changing in candidate attraction and what more could be done.
Watch the podcast here:
A sector-wide visibility challenge
Local government continues to experience significant workforce pressures. Recruitment and retention challenges are well documented, particularly across key professional areas, but there is also a longer-term issue around awareness and perception.
Early careers are central to this. While many young people express a desire for roles that make a difference, there remains a gap in understanding about what local government careers involve, the range of roles available and how to access them.
The podcast discussion highlights that visibility, rather than opportunity, is often the barrier.
From campaign to collaboration
The early careers pilot campaign, led by the LGA and supported regionally by WME and WMJobs, was designed to address this gap directly.
Rather than relying on a single channel, the campaign combined activity across multiple touchpoints including digital content, careers events, school and university engagement and social media. The intention was not only to promote vacancies, but to build broader understanding of the sector.
A key feature of the approach was the use of real career stories. Lived experience, shared through video, events and broadcast content, helped to challenge assumptions and demonstrate progression routes in a more accessible way.
Importantly, assets created through the campaign were also shared with councils, allowing them to adapt and localise content to support their own recruitment activity. This extends value beyond a single campaign window and supports longer-term attraction efforts.
The role of sector job boards
This model also reflects a broader shift in how sector job boards are operating.
Traditionally positioned as advertising platforms, job boards are increasingly expected to contribute to employer brand, candidate engagement and talent pipeline development. In this context, WMJobs’ role within the campaign is notable.
As part of WME, WMJobs sits within a wider ecosystem that includes workforce insight, employer collaboration and sector knowledge. This creates opportunities to support not just vacancy promotion, but also wider attraction strategies.
The podcast discussion reflects this positioning, highlighting the importance of combining platform capability with content, partnerships and audience insight.
Challenging assumptions about local government careers
One of the consistent themes emerging from the campaign and the podcast is the disconnect between perception and reality.
Local government offers a wide variety of career paths, progression opportunities and development routes. However, these are not always clearly communicated or understood by potential candidates.
Campaign engagement suggests that when people are exposed to real examples of roles and career journeys, their perception shifts. There is particular interest in:
- The breadth of roles available, beyond traditional stereotypes
- Opportunities for progression and development
- Work-life balance and flexibility
- The ability to make a direct impact within local communities
These factors align closely with what many candidates, particularly those early in their careers, say they are looking for.
Content as a bridge between sector and candidate
The use of the podcast as part of this broader approach is also significant.
Audio and video content creates an accessible way to share authentic voices from within the sector. It allows current employees to describe their experiences in their own words, providing a level of relatability that traditional job descriptions often lack.
Alongside structured platforms such as WMJobs careers and advice hub, this type of content helps create a more complete and engaging candidate journey.
In this context, the PS I HEART You episode functions as both reflective content and an attraction tool. It connects campaign activity, workforce challenges and individual career stories into a single narrative that is easy to engage with.
For recruitment leaders, this highlights the growing importance of content-led attraction strategies alongside more traditional sourcing channels.
A broader shift in recruitment value
Taken together, the campaign and accompanying content suggest a shift in how value is defined within recruitment partnerships.
Rather than focusing solely on vacancy fulfilment, there is increasing emphasis on:
- Improving sector visibility
- Enhancing career desirability
- Providing reusable, scalable attraction assets
- Reaching candidates earlier in their decision-making journeys
This aligns with wider industry trends, where candidate experience, employer brand and multi-channel engagement are becoming critical components of effective attraction strategies.
Looking ahead
For local government, the challenge is ongoing. Raising awareness, particularly among early career audiences, requires sustained effort and collaboration across national, regional and local levels.
The recent pilot campaign provides one example of how this can be approached, combining national leadership with regional delivery and local application.
For job boards and recruitment partners, it also reinforces the opportunity to play a broader role. By integrating content, insight and partnerships into their offer, they can move beyond transactional activity and contribute more directly to long-term workforce sustainability.
The conversation in the PS I HEART You podcast offers a practical starting point for that discussion.
To explore live opportunities, career pathways and sector insight, visit the WMJobs careers site.
