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CHAPTER 3: AWARENESS OF RAS SERVICES
3.1 This chapter looks at the ways in which RAS is marketed and the means through which customers initially find out about it. It also describes the levels of awareness of RAS among key target groups.
How did RAS customers find out about the service?
3.2 RAS is marketed in several ways, some of which are undertaken by RAS staff themselves and others by the International Projects Division within the Scottish Government which is responsible for the promotion of Scotland's international image. In terms of RAS itself, much of the marketing is done through presentations or stalls at fairs or events aimed at employers, students, graduates and workers. Their activities are undertaken both in the UK and, less often, abroad. In terms of work done in the context of the International Projects Division, RAS has a presence on www.scotlandistheplace.com (a website that was designed, as part of the Fresh Talent Initiative, to encourage people to come to Scotland). It is also promoted by marketing staff in a range of other materials designed to promote Scotland more generally.
3.3 As Figure 3.1 below shows, the most common way for customers to have heard about RAS initially was via the internet, with 30% having found it through another website on the internet (including a website search) and 27% having found it on the Scottish Executive website. The other most common ways were through a news article on TV/newspaper/magazine/radio (10%), someone at a university or college (9%), through a friend or family member (7%) or at a fair/exhibition (7%).
Figure 3.1: Ways in which customers first heard about RAS
Q How did you first hear about the Relocation Advisory Service?
Base: RAS customers Wave 1 (512), 23rd May - 7th July 2006 and Wave 2 (396), 15th January - 23rd February 2007
Source: Ipsos MORI
3.4 Qualitative interviews with RAS customers, key partners and RAS staff highlighted some issues regarding RAS's web presence. Relating to a wider confusion about where RAS sits in relation to the Fresh Talent Initiative and www.scotlandistheplace.com, which was apparent throughout the evaluation, the fact that RAS has a small section on www.scotlandistheplace.com was seen as a problem. There were frequent mentions of people having problems finding the website and, due to the naming of the website, being unsure if they had found the website we were asking about - was there a separate one which they had not found?
They are also responsible for the website but I don't think it is properly named and I think it is difficult to find. I think that is an issue it is called Fresh Talent and it's, I think, Scotland is the Place is that what it was called?
( RAS key partner)
I presumed the Scotland is the Place website was intended to sort of serve this purpose and it does in a way, but I don't know, I think you do get quite a bit of information on that website but I think that could be partly improved and one improvement could be that the Advisory Service gets a bit more prominence so you can still see the clear link between them and the Scottish Executive and Scotland is the Place, people would get a better idea or a clear idea of the service, what to expect from them
( RAS key partner)
I don't think they are easy to find.
Interviewer: How would you let people find out about them if it was up to you?
Maybe access a website because I found them through the Scotland is the Place.
Interviewer: So if they had a separate one?
Yes or is there a website which I couldn't find I am not sure?
( RAS customer)
… one of my first questions to most people is have you had a look at our website? A few people say what website is that? Although I do think that people can sometimes get confused.
Interviewer: It's not called the Relocation Advisory website.
Exactly and a lot of people will phone up and ask about, do you deal with Fresh Talent? They don't put it all together because the Relocation Advisory Service we don't promote ourselves as that.
( RAS staff member)
3.5 Although the evaluation did not specifically explore views on the name 'Relocation Advisory Service', the above comments and further points raised by a RAS member of staff (see below) suggest that the name is confusing and meaningless to people - not least because RAS staff do not always market themselves as RAS as they feel that the name is confusing. It seems that the RAS might benefit from thinking about changing its name to something more meaningful.
Even when we do events and when I do written things for press releases and different things for these events, we always refer to ourselves as Scottish Government Fresh Talent, actually. I don't know why that is, but people seem to know what that is, whereas the Relocation Advisory Service I think they thought what does that mean? Nobody is going to know what that means.
… So every time I'm signing us up for an event I think, will I call it the Relocation Advisory Service or will that just confuse things. There's that fear if we have at the top of our stand Relocation Advisory Service that no one will come and talk to us, because all the international students who are at these graduate events recognise Fresh Talent.
( RAS staff member)
Are key target groups aware of the services provided by RAS?
3.6 While it is not possible to measure directly levels of awareness among its main user group, people looking to relocate to or remain in Scotland (this would have required a very large scale international survey which was beyond the scope of the evaluation), we conducted a survey among other target groups: Scottish businesses; recruitment agencies; and international student advisors and careers advisors within colleges and universities.
3.7 The survey demonstrated that awareness of the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme ( FT: WISS) and RAS is much higher among those in the academic sector than among those responsible for recruitment within Scottish businesses or recruitment agencies. As Figure 3.2 below shows, 39% of international student advisors and careers advisors knew FT: WISSvery well, 42% knew a fair amount about it, 15% knew just a little about it, 3% had heard of it but knew nothing about it and just 1% had never heard of it. In contrast, of the staff in businesses and recruitment agencies, just 1% knew it very well, 2% knew a fair amount about it, 10% knew just a little about it, 15% had heard of it but knew nothing about it and almost three-quarters (73%) had never heard of it. Further, businesses who said they were greatly affected by skills shortages were even less likely than average to have heard of the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme (83%).
Figure 3.2: Awareness of FT: WISS among associated bodies
Q How much, if anything, would you say you know about the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme? Would you say you…
Source: Ipsos MORI
3.8 RAS itself was less well known than FT: WISS as a whole. However, a similar pattern emerged: levels of familiarity were much higher among international student advisors and careers advisors than among staff working in businesses and recruitment agencies. Among the former, 13% knew it very well, 21% knew a fair amount about it, 25% knew just a little about it, 18% had heard of it but knew nothing about it and 24% had never heard of it. Very few of the respondents working in businesses and recruitment agencies knew anything about RAS: 4% knew just a little about it, 14% had heard of it but knew nothing about it and 82% had never heard of it (Figure 3.3).
Figure 3.3: Awareness of RAS among associated bodies
Q How much, if anything, would you say you know about the Relocation Advisory Service (or RAS)? Would you say you…
Source: Ipsos MORI
3.9 RAS customers and key partners also alluded to the fact that employers know little about FT: WISS. It was acknowledged that more resources would be required in order to publicise the scheme to employers.
They should have a publicity thing and the employers and the promotion of it…I am sure there are many employers who don't know anything the Scottish Executive Initiative about the Fresh Talent. When you go to the employers and say I am a Fresh Talent and they say so what! So that is a grey area.
( RAS Customer)
… but the huge need which we discussed with them [ RAS] yesterday is more and more and more marketing to employers, informing employers who might be interested in taking somebody on who is a WISS visa holder. We speak regularly to employers. Because we are obviously keen to encourage the employers to think about recruiting our many, many international students. Very, very rarely have they any awareness of it whatsoever and we know it is not for the want of trying on the part of Relocation Advisory Service because [named member of RAS staff] was employed until recently and that was her main task, but maybe there need to be more people engaged in that kind of thing.
( RAS key partner)
3.10 While there did still seem to be some resource issues with just one full-time and one part-time member of staff working in this area, there had been an increased effort to form links with businesses in years 2 and 3 of RAS. This includes sending out quarterly newsletters to businesses and improved information for businesses on the website.
3.11 There was repeated suggestion from both customers and key partners that, as well as employers, there are many people who may be interested in moving to Scotland who are not aware that Scotland is encouraging people to relocate to the country. It was felt that if Scotland is looking for people to relocate to the country then there should be significantly more marketing of this fact and of RAS.
I don't think people know about this…I was just in the office with a friend of mine he has the Fresh Talent as well just as in my case. He is from Zimbabwe and I told him I was going for an interview with Relocation Advisory Service and he has never heard about them… So I don't think lots of people know about them. Even though he is applying for the Highly Skilled Migrant visa he is aware of so many things but he did not hear of them. They need to promote themselves a bit more I think.
( RAS Customer)
I think maybe advertise more or something because I hadn't actually known Scotland wanted people to move there. People talk more about moving to London so I just think it needs more advertisement.
( RAS Customer)
I was in Newcastle University giving a talk and I met over 500 students …and many of them probably would have been interested certainly attending and doing PhDs and MScs at some of the Scottish Universities and you would have actually got some real skills ... they need to really market themselves. I am sure they are, but I thought gosh a lot of these students might not be able to settle in a place like Newcastle would be in stronger position and could really help the economy and the demographics if they were based in Scotland. And it is probably because they didn't know before they came to this country. So I do feel there is a role and a lot of work to do.
( RAS key partner)
3.12 The effects of the lack of awareness of FT: WISS and RAS among employers are two-fold. First, employers are potentially put off pursuing applications from migrants because they have a perception that obtaining a work permit is too difficult. This is crucial in the reputation of the scheme and of Scotland as a place to work in general; if FT: WISS graduates and other foreign workers are returning to their home country having been unable to find a suitable job, word of mouth will spread and fewer students and workers will be attracted. Second, most employers are not proactively looking to fill skills shortages by recruiting from abroad. If employers who are experiencing skills shortages were aware of the help and support provided by RAS the thought of recruiting from abroad might seem more appealing. RAS should therefore increase the marketing of:
- the help and support available in recruiting migrant workers
- the help available from RAS in submitting applications for work permits, visas etc.
- the benefits of employing migrant workers (using, for example, case studies and any available research evidence)
3.13 Additionally RAS should also improve the marketing of FT: WISS to employers. It might also want to encourage FT: WISS graduates to direct potential employers to www.scotlandistheplace.com. In which case, the website could be amended to include a section upfront, providing 'key facts on FT: WISS for employers'.
3.14 Finally, as discussed in Chapter 2 above, if RAS were to target specific groups sectors where there are skill shortages, it would be easier to measure awareness among relevant employers and subsequently to target marketing among these key groups.
Summary and implications
3.15 Most customers find out about RAS through the internet
There is some confusion among customers about the role of RAS and how it fits with other aspects of the Fresh Talent Initiative
3.16 The role of RAS and how it fits in with the "Fresh Talent Initiative", the "Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme" and "Scotlandistheplace.com" should be clarified. Currently RAS is difficult to find on the website. The fact that RAS staff do not always refer to themselves as RAS in their marketing, because they feel that "Fresh Talent" or "Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme" will be more effective, must add to this lack of clarity. RAS should secure a stronger web presence either by having a separate website or a more obvious link/advert on the homepage ofwww.scotlandistheplace.com.
3.17 There is also a strong argument for RAS changing its name to something more meaningful and being consistent in using this new name in all marketing.
3.18 Awareness of FT: WISS and RAS is much higher in the academic sector than among Scottish businesses or recruitment agencies
3.19 RAS should therefore increase the marketing of:
- the help and support available in recruiting migrant workers
- the help available from RAS in submitting applications for work permits, visas etc.
- the benefits of employing migrant workers (using, for example, case studies and any available research evidence) .
3.20 Additionally RAS should also improve the marketing of FT: WISS to employers. It might also want to encourage FT: WISS graduates to direct potential employers towww.scotlandistheplace.com. In which case, the website could be amended to include a section upfront, providing 'key facts on FT: WISS for employers'.
3.21 Finally, as discussed in Chapter 2 above, if RAS were to target specific groups sectors where there are skill shortages, it would be easier to measure awareness among relevant employers and subsequently to target marketing among these key groups.
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