They have a pragmatic approach to using Drupal and LocalGov Drupal to solve client challenges, and have a reputation for dependable delivery and excellent outcomes for those organisations.
Rohallion are Drupal to the core. As well as contributing code back to the project, they support the community around it too. Founder, Duncan Davidson, has been chair of Drupal Scotland since 2011, and founded and manages the DrupalCamp Scotland conference.
Rohallion's work with Oxfordshire County Council
In March 2023, Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) embarked on a quest to revamp their digital recruitment efforts across the council, seeking proposals from Drupal developers. We were delighted to work with them on the project, building the site using the LocalGov Drupal microsites platform.
OCC oversees a diverse range of services, including social care for both adults and children, highway maintenance, libraries, and fire & rescue, employing approximately 5,000 staff members.
The primary objective was to establish a new OCC careers microsite for the following reasons:
- There was a lack of a dedicated online space for potential candidates to explore OCC as an employer.
- Service areas within the council lacked consistency in their self-promotion, with insufficient emphasis on OCC's overall benefits and values.
- An online resource was missing to narrate the story of OCC as an exceptional workplace, featuring testimonials from current staff members.
- This site represented a pilot project as part of the broader Digital Presence program undertaken by the council.
Ammba Digital and OCC researched various design and development options to address constraints associated with the existing service delivery website.
They were particularly interested in exploring innovative ways of working and opted for Drupal to facilitate seamless integration with the council's website infrastructure in the future.
Given the tight development timeline of just 12 days, it was decided to collaborate with an external agency, as OCC's in-house team was already fully occupied with routine tasks and other pilot projects.
The Solution
The project began with Ammba Digital and OCC analyzing recruitment sites such as Google Careers and Slack, drawing inspiration from their vibrant designs, modern aesthetics, and friendly, informal tone.
A clear wish list guided the project, encompassing:
- A visually engaging, mobile-friendly design to spotlight current OCC employees.
- Bite-sized content modules.
- Adherence to the latest web content accessibility guidelines.
- An SEO strategy based on comprehensive keyword research.
- Functionality to adapt, expand, and continuously enhance the site.
We were chosen as the development partner to lead the site build.
Collaborating closely with OCC's in-house designer, we translated page designs into reality using LocalGov Drupal, a platform new to Ammba Digital and OCC. Marker.io was pivotal facilitating real-time reviews and testing, which was crucial given the project's demanding schedule.
We gave special attention to several areas during the project:
Accessibility: The site needed to surpass industry accessibility standards, prompting discussions between the team and OCC's designer on aspects like screen reader navigation, hover-over states, and interactive elements to ensure flawless accessibility.
SEO Strategy: Unlike the previous site, the revamped site embraced a robust SEO strategy, incorporating unique meta titles and descriptions based on a provided keyword list to enhance findability.
Future-proofing: Since its launch in May 2023, the site has already undergone some content updates, with more planned for the near future. It currently receives an RSS data feed with job listings, and OCC aims to further manipulate this data. Training for the digital content team is on the horizon as the site transitions to a core part of OCC's daily operations. New pages highlighting OCC roles in different sectors are being added to promote and measure targeted recruitment campaigns.
Technology Used
The site currently resides on a subdomain of the main OCC website, with visitor data tracked via GA4. Google Search Console is active, and UTMs will be utilized to monitor dedicated recruitment campaigns shortly. These Google Analytics insights will help identify successes and areas for improvement in upcoming campaigns.
As the site continues to evolve, the introduction of more sector-specific pages is expected to yield several advantages, including:
- Reduction in candidate inquiries to HR, saving both time and money.
- Enhanced online visibility.
- Further enhancing OCC's reputation as an employer of choice.