The event brought together employers, workforce specialists and business support organisations to explore one of the most significant challenges facing businesses today: attracting, developing and retaining the talent needed to achieve long-term success. Through a series of expert presentations and discussions, attendees gained valuable insight into the current labour market landscape, emerging workforce trends and the practical steps organisations can take to strengthen their workforce. Expert insights were provided by Judy Gibbs (Worcestershire County Council), Kate Bennett (HR Hero), Nicky Beecham (Department for Work and Pensions) and Ben Mannion (Hewett Recruitment), with the event expertly hosted by Darren Schrouder from Worcestershire Growth Hub.
A recurring theme throughout the morning was the need for organisations to rethink traditional approaches to recruitment and retention. Speakers encouraged employers to review job specifications carefully and challenge whether every requirement is genuinely necessary, helping to widen access to talent and reduce the risk of overlooking strong candidates. In an increasingly competitive labour market, organisations were encouraged to focus not only on existing skills and experience, but also on a candidate's potential, attitude and willingness to learn.
The sessions also highlighted the growing importance of transparency and authenticity in attracting new employees. Clear communication around flexible working arrangements, organisational culture, values and purpose helps prospective candidates determine whether an organisation is the right fit for them, while allowing employers to attract people whose aspirations and values align with their own.
Employee wellbeing and the overall employee experience were identified as equally important factors in successful recruitment and retention strategies. Speakers emphasised the need for organisations to demonstrate a genuine commitment to employee wellbeing, communicate the full value of their benefits package, and provide effective support throughout the onboarding process to help new starters integrate successfully and remain engaged over the longer term.
Alongside these people-focused themes, attendees were encouraged to make greater use of internal and external HR data to better understand workforce performance, identify emerging challenges and support informed decision-making. The discussion reinforced the value of taking a proactive, evidence-based approach to workforce development rather than simply reacting to immediate recruitment pressures.
These themes provided a strong context for introducing the enhanced portal, which has been developed to help businesses move from understanding workforce challenges to taking practical action.
The launch of the enhanced Worcestershire Workforce Support Portal was a key feature of the event. The portal is a free resource developed by GC Insight to help businesses across the county assess their workforce priorities, access practical guidance and connect with relevant support.
The portal has been designed to provide flexible, practical help to employers at every stage of their workforce development journey. Users can access a range of self-assessment tools, resources, guidance and support covering:
What makes the portal particularly valuable is its flexibility. Rather than prescribing a single pathway, businesses can access the support most relevant to their immediate priorities, whether that is recruitment, retention, skills development, organisational resilience or workforce planning.
The platform combines practical diagnostic tools, curated guidance, best-practice resources and direct links to additional support available through Worcestershire's business support ecosystem. By helping businesses assess their current position, identify opportunities for improvement and access targeted support, the portal provides a practical route for turning many of the event's key messages into action.
The event also demonstrated how well-designed digital platforms can help local authorities and business support organisations provide scalable, consistent and practical workforce support across a region. The enhanced portal shows how digital tools can turn policy ambitions into accessible support for employers, while also generating valuable insight into workforce challenges and development needs across the local economy.
GC Insight congratulates Worcestershire Growth Hub and Worcestershire County Council on a successful launch and on creating a valuable resource that will help Worcestershire businesses strengthen, develop and future-proof their workforce.
If you are a Worcestershire business looking to strengthen your workforce planning, recruitment, skills development or employee wellbeing, you can explore the platform here: Worcestershire Workforce Support Portal
