Case study
PrimeReach Care is a government funded, acute health care service to around 500,000 people in its local region. Located across multiple, geographically dispersed sites, it employs over 15,000 people in a wide variety of professional and ancillary roles and maintains a variety of important partnerships with dozens of other organisations.
PrimeReach Care has faced very substantial challenges in recent years. Some, like the covid pandemic were exceptional, but thankfully quite short-lived. Others, such as a fast-aging population and the emergence of some chronic skills shortages in key areas, are longer term in nature, but equally concerning in terms of their potential impact on PrimeReach Care’s capacity to provide the highest standards of healthcare. Skills shortages in some specialist areas are becoming increasingly
severe. PrimeReach Care has plugged gaps by recruiting overseas but is finding it hard to retain these recruits for longer periods of time.
During 2024, employee voice activities highlighted that groups of staff were dissatisfied about pay and conditions within the organisation. This has now abated due to significant government-funded pay rises, but discontent among staff in respect of terms and conditions continues to simmer. Staff retention is a particular current challenge, as is absence. A higher percentage of PrimeReach Care’s employees are currently taking extended periods of sick leave than has ever been the case before, and in over 50% of these cases poor mental health comprises at least one of the causes. Senior managers at PrimeReach Care have recently attended a briefing given by ministers and officials, at which some very clear messages were communicated regarding the next five years. The most important concerned funding. Put simply, health care services like PrimeReach Care should plan for very tight, ongoing financial settlements in the next five years. They should not expect above- inflation increases in their regular operating budgets, which include pay for staff. Any additional funds that become available will be focused specifically on priorities such as bringing waiting lists and waiting times down. Capital budgets will also be very constrained, reducing the availability of funds for new buildings and equipment. Repair bills will have to be met out of current expenditure. Substantial efficiency improvements and increased productivity are both needed and expected.
Senior Managers have asked the People Department to provide recommendations about appropriate future actions at PrimeReach Care in some key areas. You work in a generalist, mid-level People management role on PrimeReach Care’s main site but are considered to be someone who is appropriate for promotion into a more senior role on completion of your studies. The People Director has asked you to provide answers to the following questions that will provide insight into some of the major challenges facing PrimeReach Care and help to inform the recommendations.
Social media is currently undergoing massive changes. First, AI is the main shaper of the content creation and marketing strategy on most social media platforms. Secondly, the platforms with most attention are those that markets short videos. This makes TikTok one of the most important and most visited sites on the social media platforms. Third, because video based social media platforms attract most of the attention, they are including hiring and safety features. Therefore, the three ways means that the any company that wishes to build its brand on social media and recruit on those platforms, they must understand those three things to boost its reputation, speed up the process of hiring, and improve overall retention.
Current developments that matter
AI for content and hiring
New ai tools are emerging with each day. Using this technology, the company can use it to craft new messages for the target audiences, suggest job descriptions, and use LinkedIn ai assited tools for employer branding and recruiter features to speed the process of using ai for content creation. With these tools, it takes less time to publish targeted employer messages.
Short video as default
Today, people prefer shorter videos on social media sites such as Instagram and TikTok. These formats provide content that is authentic and more targeted towards the right demographics. The targeted demographics in this case are younger people who use TikTok and Instagram daily. On average, the user of social media with short videos spends at least 4 hours daily, making it an ideal platform to targets with short from videos daily.
Platform trust and verification
The modern video sharing platforms undergo massive changes on monthly basis due to the introduction of new technologies and sharing algorithms. They are all targeted towards the changing user preferences. Therefore, these shifts in content reach and user expectations required the employers to invest in methods that are resilient.
How social media affects employer reputation and attraction
Faster brand building
It is easier to build brands using social media apps. This is especially the case with short video social media apps. When a short video gains traction, it is easier to engage others and build a brand (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, 2018). Thus, using short videos allows brands to engage with users on live Q and A sessions. It allows the users or brand managers influence perceptions before formal recruitment can start.
Wider reach for hard-to-fill roles
Use platform targeting to reach professionals abroad. Tailored content, run in relevant languages, will highlight relocation support, clinical pathways, and credential recognition. You will reach clinicians who view your service as a realistic option for short- and long-term careers.
Stronger evidence of employer practices
Social proof matters. Employee testimony videos, microcase studies of career progression, and day-in-the-life posts show what working for your organisation looks like. These posts reduce uncertainty for overseas recruits who lack local networks.
Better candidate screening and engagement
Social activity gives signals about candidate fit. Professional platforms reveal endorsements, publications, and group participation. With social messaging, it easier to engage with potential employees and conduct follow up.
Risks to manage
social media engagement with potential employees increases the risk of misinformation and reputation damage, which can ruin the reputation of the company. This is especially true when a single message goes viral and it engages with millions of employees.
Legal and ethical risks
this arises because companies are under ethical obligation to conduct the process of recruiting employees internationally in a manner that is ethical (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, 2018). Therefore, for the employees, there is a need to avoid wording that implies inappropriate inducement of staff from low-resource countries.
Privacy and data security
Recruitment workflows that use third party apps must protect candidate data. Audit vendors and limit personal data passed across platforms.
Practical steps for PrimeReach Care
Define a clear employer brand
Create a short statement defining your employer promise. Focus on career pathways, clinical support, wellbeing, and relocation assistance. Publish this on your careers page and pin it on professional profiles.
Create role-led short video content
Produce short clips for each hard-to-fill role. Include:
- Day-to-day tasks.
- Typical shift patterns.
- Learning opportunities.
- Testimonials from recent overseas recruits. Use captions and simple subtitles for international audiences.
Use LinkedIn strategically
Set up a verified company page and publish Life tab content. Use LinkedIn’s AI features to draft role descriptions and employer content quickly.
Build a pre-arrival engagement funnel
the organization should offer potential candidates an offer for a structured pre-arrival program. Include online induction, language support, and a peer mentor. Use closed social groups or messaging apps to maintain contact from offer to arrival. This reduces dropouts and builds loyalty.
Leverage employee ambassadors
Select clinical staff who will post about work life. Provide simple content guidelines and a small incentive for sustained participation. Authentic posts from peer’s influence candidate decisions more than polished ads.
Run ethical international partnerships
Form MOUs with accredited training institutions in source countries. Offer mutual benefits such as training links and return pathways. Document compliance with international recruitment codes.
Experiment with short campaigns and measure
Run time-limited campaigns for specific roles. Use A B testing for headlines, video length, and calls to action. Track applications, hires, cost per hire, and retention at three and twelve months.
- Metrics to use Reach and impressions for role posts.
- Click-through rate to your careers page.
- Application conversion rate.
- Time from first contact to hire.
- Retention at three and twelve months for overseas recruits.
- Sentiment analysis of public comments.
Implementation priorities for the next 12 months
- Verify company pages on LinkedIn and other priority platforms. The Verge
- Produce role-led short videos for top five hard-to-fill posts.
- Launch a pre-arrival online induction and buddy program.
- Pilot two targeted paid campaigns in priority source countries.
- Start MOUs with one accredited overseas training institution.
