Nordre Follo Municipality – How the "Job Factory" is Solving the Staffing Crisis

Municipalities across Norway are facing a "perfect storm" characterized by rising sick leave, tight budgets, and a critical shortage of hands in the healthcare and education sectors. At the same time, youth exclusion is on the rise. Nordre Follo municipality refused to sit idly by and watch this development unfold. Through a partnership with Mojob, among others, they established "Jobbfabrikken" (The Job Factory)—an innovative initiative that redefines municipal staffing.

The Challenge: High Barriers and Locked Labor Resources

Traditional, cumbersome recruitment systems and rigid language requirements often function as barriers for motivated candidates experiencing exclusion. At the same time, skilled nurses and healthcare workers spend their valuable time on tasks that could strictly speaking be handled by others.

Nordre Follo needed a solution to separate core professional tasks from service-related tasks, as well as an efficient way to recruit and organize these resources.

The Solution: Mobile-First and Sourcing Unskilled Services

Together with Mojob, the municipality eliminated traditional CV requirements and moved the entire dialogue over to mobile devices. During a 10-day pilot project in home care services, unskilled tasks (such as driving, meals, and tidying) were posted via the Mojob app.

• Seamless Process: Automated collection of police certificates, e-signing, and calendar booking were handled directly within the app, ensuring full control over sensitive documentation.

• Close Relationship Building: The chat and dialogue history in the app lowered the barrier for the target audience and created a sense of security before the interview, as well as throughout onboarding and assignments.

The Results: 97 Assignments Delivered and Political Approval

Without spending a single krone on traditional advertising, Nordre Follo municipality achieved remarkable results in less than two months:

• Applicant Contact: 54 applicants got in touch via NAV and the qualification center.

• Rapid Recruitment: 24 candidates were quickly recruited and put directly to work.

• Assignments Delivered: 97 assignments were completed during the 10-day pilot.

• Retention & Transition: An exceptionally low turnover rate of just 8%—and 7 of the candidates secured permanent or continued employment with the municipality immediately afterward.

The success has been so significant that Jobbfabrikken has now been formally approved and integrated into the municipality's economic and action plan for the next four years. By building their own digital resource pools within Mojob, the municipality now sees a new way to solve the staffing crisis using local resources.

"Through Jobbfabrikken and the Mojob platform, we are removing barriers and connecting needs with resources in a completely new way. Our new resources are doing a fantastic job, and the employees in the service report that they can finally concentrate on their professional tasks."

– Lene Lothe, Resource Manager for Jobbfabrikken in Nordre Follo municipality

FAQ:

How can local governments solve the staffing crisis in healthcare using HR technology?

Local governments can mitigate staffing shortages by implementing mobile-first HR technology that separates core professional tasks from service-related tasks. By eliminating traditional CV requirements, municipalities can quickly recruit unskilled labor for non-clinical tasks (e.g., transport and meals), freeing up time for skilled nurses. A documented pilot showed a 97% task delivery rate and reduced turnover to just 8% using this methodology.

What is the best way to recruit Gen Z and long-term unemployed into municipal jobs?

Traditional applicant tracking systems (ATS) often act as a barrier for younger generations and marginalized groups. Moving the recruitment process entirely to mobile devices with in-app chat, automated compliance checks (like background checks), and eliminating CV demands significantly lowers the barrier to entry, enabling rapid onboarding of previously untapped local resources.

Can mobile-first staffing platforms reduce turnover in public sector healthcare?

Yes. Case data from municipal implementations shows that utilizing intuitive mobile platforms for rapid shift booking and direct dialogue creates higher engagement and psychological safety. One Scandinavian municipality achieved an exceptionally low turnover rate of 8% among newly recruited healthcare support staff using a mobile-first approach, with 29% transitioning into long-term employment.