Helping you find the right people for your business
From multi-national companies to the shop-owner on the corner, the Employer Services Branch operates a tailored recruitment service right across Northern Ireland.
A team of employer engagement staff can discuss your needs and tailor a level of service to meet your needs through a start to finish service. You will have a single point of contact throughout the entire process.
DfC support for strategic employers (large and public sector employers)
If you are a large or public sector employer within Northern Ireland, please contact Employer Services.
The Department for Communities offers a dedicated Client Executive account manager to Strategic (large or public sector) employers across Northern Ireland.
Client Executives will act as a single point of contact for these employers, seeking to understand their business, recruitment and retention needs. They will work with partner organisations to deliver a tailored package of support.
Support for small medium or micro sized employers
DfC’s network of 35 Jobs & Benefits offices throughout Northern Ireland offers a range of no cost services which are tailored to help you to find suitable employees. View contact emails for Employer Advisers in each office.
Assistance includes:
- a dedicated account manager who will act as lead for your organisation in advising and brokering the range of services available to you and your staff.
- consultation to understand your business model and recruitment needs, agreeing an end to end service (for example, promotion of vacancies, interview support including provision of facilities, application sifting and allocation of interview slots and notification to applicants)
- information, signposting and warm handovers to other Government programmes and services available to your organisation and staff.
- bespoke event planning and management (for example, job fairs, recruitment campaigns, information sessions).
- building organisation awareness – including site visits/familiarisation visits for staff and customers to raise awareness of your company and roles and responsibilities of current vacancies.
- job vacancy advertising and management – employers can register through https://www.jobapplyni.com with vacancies advertised throughout Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland via JobApplyNI.
DfC employer engagement staff will work with employers who wish to generate long-term positive impacts for local communities. Employers can assist through offering corporate social value by participating in any of the following:
- job shadowing opportunities
- work experience opportunities
- offering guaranteed interview schemes
- participation in mock Interviews with jobseekers
- ringfencing a portion of vacancies for jobseekers with identified barriers to employment
JobApplyNI.com video guide for employers
This video explains how employers can register and use JobApplyNI.com to manage and advertise job vacancies.
Employment and training programmes
Some subsidies are also available if you are willing to help unemployed people who are not 'job ready' by providing them with opportunities to train to your specifications in your working environment, through participation in a range of employment and training programmes such as Work Experience Programme, Apprenticeships and Training for Success. During this time you will have the benefit of assessing their abilities for permanent employment.
Disability Employment Support
DfC supports people with health conditions and disabilities. It provides a range of programmes to assist this group of customers obtain and retain suitable employment. They can also advise on what assistance is available. The Work Psychology Service provides a comprehensive information and assessment service to assist people with disabilities and employers.
DfC is committed to helping employers recruit and retain disabled employees. It provides a range of practical and financial help so you can find the right person for your vacancy or company.
Each Jobs & Benefits office provides a range of services to help you to find the right person for your vacancy, including people with disabilities, who have the abilities you need for your company.
Through the network of Work Coaches and the Work Psychology Services, a comprehensive information and assessment service is provided and can advise on the following:
- recruiting disabled people
- retaining employees who become disabled
- financial help to employ people with disabilities through the Job Introduction Scheme, Access to Work (NI) and Workable (NI)
- job / employee assessment and job / environment redesign
- equipment and ergonomics in the workplace
- accessibility of premises
- development of disability awareness
- development of good employment practices
Redundancies
Should a redundancy situation arise, DfC can help by planning, co-ordinating and delivering a support package tailored to your company’s needs. DfC can offer virtual and face to face support providing employees information and advice about matters such as CVs, job searching, claiming benefits, identifying transferable skills and training needs.