Council recruitment issues still a risk

WORKFORCE shortages could still hit vital public services across Dumfries and Galloway, council chiefs have admitted.

Officers at the local authority have warned that recruiting and retaining staff in this rural region remains one of its most significant risks.

A report going before the council’s audit, risk and scrutiny committee next Thursday sets out the scale of the workforce planning risk facing the local authority, which employs around 6500 people to deliver essential public services across one of Scotland’s largest and most rural regions.

The report is frank about the difficulties the council faces, explaining that “without the appropriate staff in place, the council will be unable to deliver on the council plan, key priorities and projects”.

It also underlined that the risk “may affect the delivery of council services and potentially impact on compliance with statutory duties.”

The consequences of getting it wrong, the document warns, could include a failure to deliver statutory services in full, projects not completed on time, missed opportunities to bid for additional funding, and a damaging cycle in which staff shortages place additional stress on the remaining workforce, driving further departures.

The council identifies a range of external factors making recruitment particularly difficult here compared to more urban local authorities.

These include the cost of housing, travel times from centres of population, the relative attractiveness of the region as a place to live, and the increasing shift toward agile and remote working across wider society.

To tackle the problem, the council has developed a refreshed People Strategy covering 2026-31 to set out ambitions around employee wellbeing, development, engagement, and building “a positive one team culture.”

A “grow your own” approach to recruitment is also being developed, with work experience, apprenticeships, and trainee roles through to development opportunities for existing employees.

Other measures being explored include a “Freedom to Roam” talent development project to improve internal career pathways, greater use of apprenticeships, collaborative working on recruitment initiatives, and marketing Dumfries and Galloway Council as an employer of choice.

Virtual interviewing, employment fairs, relocation packages, and incentivisation schemes are already being used to widen the pool of candidates for vacancies.

Flexible and part-time working policies are also cited as important factors in both attracting new staff and keeping existing employees.