Ms M Smith

Student No: S19001830

Outline of Literature Review v1

Introduction
Barber (1998) defined recruitment as ‘those practices and activities
carried out by the organization with the primary purpose of
identifying and attracting potential employees’.
The focus of the research is two components of social care,
specifically, residential care services which includes care homes and
nursing homes. Then there is domiciliary care where small groups
and/ or individuals receive care and support provided in one’s own
home.
Research question
‘Challenge in recruiting and retaining Care workers in the Care
Sector in the UK.’
When reviewing the guidelines
In 2014, the adult social care recruitment and retention strategy set
out its main priorities which were to be to raise the profile of adult
social care and the career opportunities. To attract people with the
right skillsets and values to progress their career in this sector.
(Skills for Care, 2014).

However, Manthorpe, 2016, explained that we were battling an

uphill struggle against scandal after scandal in the care sector. The
negative perception of working in adult social care was because of
either undercover investigations or complaints from families which
resulted in well publicised dreadful situations unearthed in both care
homes as well as customer’s own home.
In 2016, Davidson and Polzins, outlined that staff turnover in the
social care sector was significantly higher than other sectors.
GOV.UK devotes much of the discussions concerning pay, leading
the national minimum wage and the London minimum wage which
were considered platforms to implement to address or redress the
staff turnover issue within the care and support sector. This has
resulted in my research question being based around what we can
do to attract and retain talent within the care sector please. And
then also the need to establish a critical review of existing views in
2020/ 21.
Barber, A. E. (1998). Recruiting Employees: Individual and Organizational Perspectives.
Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage.
5 ways to bridge the global health worker shortage | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
Ms M Smith

Student No: S19001830

Question:
Understand of the recruitment and retention challenges of critical
Care workers in the Care Sector.

This research proposal, as well as the initial findings, are a template

to completing my MBA dissertation in the field of human resource
management. the research is justified because the results of the
COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on people's choices. In
2020 and in 2021 where approximately 17% of the UK population
we out of work. The Social Care Sector was one of the few
industries seeking to employ staff with the right values to care for
other and yet at times the oil sector struggled to fill positions.
Therefore, the proposed resolutions could provide incredibly useful
insightful for this industry sector.

Brief Theoretical Literature

Theories and framework used to understand the challenges of
recruitment and retention of social care workers in the UK.
The attraction retention of healthcare professionals is widely
recognised as problematic in the UK to Social Care sector. There
have been a range of factors that have been well documented by
Gray and Birrell, 2013 which have affected organisation’s ability to
either recruit or retain social care workers. These have been
identified when interviewing Operations Managers in the Care sector
and include the nature of the work, the needs of the individuals,
Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. The pay afforded to individuals; the
high moral values expected of care staff; the significant regulations
that care staff must operate in and I reiterate, baseline pay.
Gray, A & Birrell, D, 2013, Transforming Adult Social Care, Bristol,
The Policy Press. Describes ‘social care’ as all aspects of paid social
care including social work.

Barber, A. E. (1998). Recruiting Employees: Individual and Organizational Perspectives.

Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage.
5 ways to bridge the global health worker shortage | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
Ms M Smith

Student No: S19001830

In 2003 Guest outlined a framework for analysing the HR function

put the recruitment and selection of staff at the heart of the
practical activities of HR practitioners.

For the purposes of this research dissertation, I intend to use the

framework of the resource-based theory which looks at an inside out
approach rather than an outside in approach to organisations.
Paauwe and Boselie explained that the approach starts by knowing the
effectiveness in the organisation’s performance. So, in essence the
resource-based model effect takes into consideration that assets that
organisations have including astute resource which are assets and are
critical to the success of the performance of the organisation and the
organisation’s ability to effective to be competitive edge. Barney (1991)
Resources based theory provides the linkages between skills, knowledge,
and abilities that the companies resources bring and the competitiveness
of the companies in the market. So, it is critical that the company must
make effective use of the companies’ resources and competencies that
they have. Sisson and Storey 2000 suggest that ‘such an approach to
understanding strategy means that managers play an important role in
identifying and fully utilising and fully utilising the skills as well as
ensuring that such assets remain centre stage.’
In 2017 the Harvard Business Review identified that there were recruiting
and retention challenges in the NHS. They suggested that if the
dependence on contingent workers reduced, then this would save
approximately £936 million a year in agency and additional spend.
When the focus is shifted to the Healthcare sector, then we are
faced with a similar issue. The retention of staff so that we have a
stable and consistent workforce caring for clients is paramount. In
my initial research we were able to identify that during 2019
vacancies topped 300,000 unfilled permanent post in UK.
When initially research small charities, the appointing managers
would advise me that the qualities required for the roles are difficult
to find. In all aspects of their role, the staff put the clients first and
must be able to develop the Client’s trust. This level of compassion
is visible in all vocational work and it is about experiencing events
through the eyes of the clients.

Barber, A. E. (1998). Recruiting Employees: Individual and Organizational Perspectives.

Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage.
5 ways to bridge the global health worker shortage | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
Ms M Smith

Student No: S19001830

In my organisation, we support the elderly clients as well as assist

young clients with complex needs to live a full life a possible in the
community. So, it is important to recruit, retain and continually
train staff quality staff. Our staff know the clients by name and have
adopted clients as best way they can. The staff have a significant
amount of pride in the work they provide to the clients. This was
supported by The 4Rs The Open Doors of Recruitment &
Retention in Social Care; scottishcare.org; 2019/11 who suggest
that ‘front line workers and stakeholders across the health and
social care landscape to ... Throughout
2017, recruitment and retention challenges intensified for care ...’

The significant challenge facing this sector is the inability to retain

the workforce which is very regulated, and they are not rewarded
well for their role.
1. Problem definition from the wider background
The challenge, as outlined above is mainly the difficulty we have in
retain the staff. The low remuneration the staff receive has meant
that most of the staff are some of the poorest paid. When we reflect
on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Mintzbergs’ theories, the staff
employed in this sector are continually balancing their commitment
to their clients with the need to keep a roof over their heads and
food on the table. When I initially reviewed this further, staff
receive either National Minimum wage or London minimum wage.
Also, we have an aging workforce passionately supporting the
elderly ‘young at hearts’ as well as people from a remarkably
diverse community who have complex visible or those with less
visible impairments.
The post COVID – 19 pandemics has added another dimension to an
existing up-hill struggle which is to build and maintain a stable
workforce in the care sector for the future. Therefore, I propose
that this would be such a beneficial research for my organisation.
These challenges are also faced by healthcare organisation across
UK. ‘Such issues present challenges to the recruitment, training,
and retention of HCWs … Difficulties in recruiting HCWs in Ireland,
Scotland have been identified as being a result of having to
compete with other … (2004).’

So much has been done to challenge and eliminate bullying in the

workplace. Culture and diversity of the workforce

Barber, A. E. (1998). Recruiting Employees: Individual and Organizational Perspectives.

Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage.
5 ways to bridge the global health worker shortage | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
Ms M Smith

Student No: S19001830

At the same time, health care facilities are having trouble

in recruiting and retaining. Before COVID and as we have exited the EU,
these roles have become increasingly perceived as important in
addressing the existing challenges. So, it would be important to identify
the determines that need to be implemented to attract and retain the
workforce in the post COVID new norm.

2. Research Methodology
I propose to carry out qualitative analysis into the above area which will
be challenging to complete interviews with participants and conducting a
detailed review of the transcripts. Therefore, I need to ask open questions
with free lowing text boxes so that I can analysis it to pinpoint and
discuss key themes that impact staff retention.

5. Bibliography List the books and Articles

Attracting, recruiting and retaining nurses and care workers
working in care homes: the need for a nuanced
understanding informed by evidence and theory: R Devi, C
Goodman, S Dalkin, A Bate, J Wright… - Age and …, 2021 -
academic.oup.com

Data on the migration of healthcare workers sources, uses,

and challenges: K Diallo - Bulletin of the World Health
Organization, 2004 - SciELO Public Health.

Battle on the home care front: perceptions of home care

workers of factors influencing staff retention in Northern
Ireland: G Fleming, BJ Taylor - Health & Social Care in the
Community, 2007 - Wiley Online Library

Recruitment and retention of a diverse
workforce: Challenges and opportunities: VL Myers, JL
Dreachslin; Journal of Healthcare management, 2007 -
search.proquest.com
The intensive care unit work environment:
Current challenges and recommendations for the future: M
Alameddine, KN Dainty, R Deber, WJB Sibbald - Journal of
critical care, 2009 - Elsevier

Barber, A. E. (1998). Recruiting Employees: Individual and Organizational Perspectives.

Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage.
5 ways to bridge the global health worker shortage | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
Ms M Smith

Student No: S19001830

Recent findings on frontline long-term care workers: A

research synthesis 1999–2003 L Harris-Kojetin, D Lipson, J
Fielding… - Washington, DC: US …, 2004 - aspe.hhs.gov

Meeting the patient partnership agenda: the challenge for

health care workers S Staniszewska, E West - 2004 -
academic.oup.com

Recruitment and retention secrets of success report;

www.skillsforcare.org.uk › Recruitment-and-retention › Secrets-of-
success; File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat; Davina Figgett of Skills
for Care.

Factors that affect the recruitment and retention of domiciliary care ...

www.mmu.ac.uk › media › business-school › decent-work-and-
productivity
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat; 17 Mar 2016 

Recruitment and retention; www.skillsforcare.org.uk

Recruitment and retention in adult social care services

www.kcl.ac.uk › scwru › pubs › reports › recruitment-and-retention-report
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat

Stemming the tide: retaining the social care workforce: The Health

Foundation › stemming-the-tide-retaining-the-social-care-workforce: 30
Apr 2019 

Recruitment and Retention issues in the Adult Social Care Workforce –

October 2017.
Closing the gap: Key areas for action on the health and care workforce
www.kingsfund.org.uk › closing-the-gap-health-care-workforce-full-
report.
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat

What does Brexit mean for the UK social care workforce; PubMed Central

(PMC) › pmc › articles › PMC7379185; @U.S. National Library of
Medicine - Bethesda MD

Barber, A. E. (1998). Recruiting Employees: Individual and Organizational Perspectives.

Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage.
5 ways to bridge the global health worker shortage | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
Ms M Smith

Student No: S19001830

Problems with recruitment and retention Care workers: building the future

social care workforce - SCIE; Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE);
Future of care.
2 Nov 2016

Main Archive - Workforce Recruitment & Retention; 8 Feb 2018;

www.uhi.ac.uk;

Fair care: A workforce strategy for social care; www.ippr.org; fair-care-a-

workforce-strategy-November 2018

The challenges of recruiting and retaining workers in the sector is

inextricably linked to ... struggling to recruit and retain the workers that it
needs to meet rapidly.

Fixing the Recruiting and Retention Problems in Britain's NHS; Harvard

Business Review › fixing-the-recruiting-and-retention-problems-in-
Britains-NHS; 16 Aug 2017 

The 4Rs The Open Doors of Recruitment & Retention in Social Care;

scottishcare.org; 2019/11

Social care recruitment and retention – the sector speaks | Health ...

blogs.kcl.ac.uk; social-care-recruitment-and-retention-the-sector-speaks
21 Feb 2018. 

Barber, A. E. (1998). Recruiting Employees: Individual and Organizational Perspectives.

Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage.
5 ways to bridge the global health worker shortage | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)