Recruitment and Selection Framework and … and Selection Framework and Guidance for Managers...

Recruitment and Selection Framework and Guidance for Managers Policy Document

Recruitment and Selection Framework and Guidance for Managers

Document Control Document Title: Recruitment and Selection Framework and Guidance for Managers

Summary

Publication Date 8.4.2016

Related Legislation / Applicable Section of Legislation Relevant Employment Legislation

Related Policies, Strategies, Guideline Documents All are included

Replaces Previous Version

Joint Policy (Yes/No) No

Name of Partner(s) if joint NA

Policy Owner (Name/Position) Louise Griffiths, Senior HR Consultant

Policy Author (Name/Position) As above

Applies to All recruitment within the Council

Review of Strategy

Last Review Date 8.4.2016

Review undertaken by Susan Blundell

Next Review Date April 2017 or before

Document Approvals

This document has already been approved.

Name Title Date of Issue Version Number

rochdale.gov.uk 1


ROCHDALE BOROUGH COUNCIL RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION FRAMEWORK AND GUIDANCE FOR MANAGERS

CONTENTS

SECTION

1 POLICY Introduction

Aim of the Policy, Framework and Guidance Objectives

Mandatory Requirements – 12 Core Principles Responsibility for Implementation

2 BACKGROUND TO FRAMEWORK

3 THE RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION FRAMEWORK

Introduction Equality and Diversity

Framework – 12 Core Principles in detail

4 STAGES IN THE RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS

5 RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION GUIDANCE FOR MANAGERS Introduction

Aim of Guidance

Implementation of Guidance

6 ANALYSING THE VACANCY

7 THE SELECTION PANEL

8 JOB DESCRIPTION

9 PERSON SPECIFICATION

10 ADVERTISING THE POST

11 INFORMATION TO APPLICANTS

12 SHORTLISTING

13 REFERENCES

14 THE FINAL SELECTION

15 RECORD KEEPING

16 UNSUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES Feedback to unsuccessful candidates

Revised complaints procedure


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN RELATION TO THE RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

GUIDANCE

Recruitment to all vacant posts within the Council is undertaken through the Council’s e-

Recruitment system and the guidance for managers is provided on the Intranet and Council’s Policy Centre, click on the link below.

e-Recruitment Manager Short-listing and Recruitment Guide

Managers can also access through the HR intranet further guidance and supporting

documents including following:

Equality & Diversity Policy – No Matter Who

Information & Governance and Data Protection

Recruitment request form

Job Description and Person Specification templates


SECTION 1 RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION POLICY

Introduction

The Council’s policy for recruitment and selection is a key component within the Council’s overall equality framework. Recruitment and selection procedures can work to either positively

promote equality issues or to reinforce negative stereotypes and as such can potentially work

against the promotion of fairness and equality for all.

The revised framework approved by Members in October 2006 and the guidance outlined

within this document allows the Council’s processes to be modernised and updated. Those

provisions that have worked effectively in terms of the promotion of equality issues have been

retained and updated within a more modern framework that provides flexibility and is more

conducive to addressing the equality and diversity agenda of the future.

However, Selection Panels must be clear that with greater flexibility comes responsibility – recruiters must be able to justify the steps they take. Whilst the HR Service will be happy to

advise, Services are responsible for the day-to-day operation of recruitment and selection

practice and must operate in a reasonable, responsible but business focused manner.

Accordingly the changes have significant and positive implications for the promotion of fairness

and equality in recruitment and add to the Council’s commitments and achievements in this area.

The protocols contained in the document are not intended as fixed rules but as guidance

to assist selectors.

Aim of the Policy One of the aims of Rochdale Borough Council’s Corporate Plan i s to make the Borough a

p l a c e w h e r e p e o p l e w a n t t o l i v e , s t a y a n d w o r k . The Recruitment and Selection

Policy supports this aim by seeking to r e c r u i t suitably skilled, experienced and qualified staff

to deliver Council high quality services to the citizens of the borough.

The Policy is set out within a Framework of 12 Core Principles, supported by t h e Council’s e-

Recruitment Guidance for Managers and the additional training provided. Managers will also

need to ensure that where existing employees are “at risk” of redundancy or of losing employment on health grounds that the appropriate Council policies and procedures are followed to provide

redeployment opportunities wherever possible.

Objectives In recruiting and selecting employees, the objectives of the policy are to:

Ensure that the nature and type of job vacancy is established and funded, e.g. role to

be filled, duties, grade, number of hours, duration (permanent, fixed term, temporary,

casual)

Choose a method of recruitment and selection appropriate to the circumstances

Generate a pool of potentially suitable applicants

Fill vacancies within an optimum timescale, efficiently and with best use of resources


Ensure candidates are able to demonstrate their abilities and suitability for the role

Provide recruitment information that is clear, concise and appropriate to the job role

Appoint candidates most likely to be able to succeed in the role

Ensure recruiters are appropriately trained and provided with adequate advice and

guidance so as to be able to assess and manage the risks/benefits involved in making

recruitment decisions, and to

Adhere to both the letter and spirit of the law and Council policies framing recruitment

and selection, particularly in relation to equality and diversity and discrimination

Promote a positive image of the Council as an employer and service provider

Mandatory Requirements

12 Core Principles 1. The process must be appropriate and relevant to the Job concerned

2. The process must be objective and free from bias

3. All appointments must be made on Merit 4. The process must be inclusive

5. The process must be able to deliver the right person for the job

6. The process must be timely and cost effective

7. The process must be undertaken by competent people who are skilled and trained in

the procedures involved

8. The process must be able to demonstrate how all information relevant to the process

has been considered

9. The process must be open for all to see

10. The process must enable any applicant/potential applicant to raise issues regarding

the process if they wish to do so

11. The process must ensure that any vulnerable groups are appropriately protected

12. The process must ensure that positive references and pre-employment medical screening have been undertaken

In addition:

Selection panels must contain a minimum of two people, who must have attended

appropriate training or briefing in recruitment and selection

Recruiters must comply with employment legislative requirements and adhere to agreed

administrative procedures for the advertising, processing and monitoring of

recruitment and selection

A job description and person specification (or equivalent format) setting out the

purpose and key responsibilities of the job must be provided for each vacancy

The process must be capable of audit and appropriate written records and evidence

be available

All applicant progression through the process be monitored and evidenced

Responsibility for implementation

Services are responsible for the day-to-day operation of recruitment and selection practice

and must operate in a reasonable, responsible but business focused manner with the greater

flexibility afforded by the framework comes responsibility. Selection Panels must be clear that

recruiters must be able to justify the steps they take, whilst the HR Service will be happy to

advise.

Accordingly, line managers are responsible for implementing the policy with support and

advice from the HR Service who have responsibility for monitoring implementation across

Services, for developing and providing regular notes to highlight good practice, for

maintaining the Guidance and keeping the policy and procedures up to date.


Recruiting Managers are also reminded of the requirement to undertake recruitment in

accordance with the Council’s Constitution, Officer Procedure Rule and Scheme of Delegation.


SECTION 2 BACKGROUND TO THE FRAMEWORK

Background

The Council’s previous Policy of Practice contained many positive features that clearly need

to be retained as they have served the Council well and will do so in the future. The document

was however increasingly outdated in a number of respects. Some examples are set out below:

The Policy was prepared before the rise in IT based recruitment practices and did not

take account of the challenges and opportunities which arise from this medium

The Policy did not take account of the need to carry out different checking

procedures in respect of posts providing services to children and young people

The Policy did not take account of the developments that have occurred in relation to

recruitment processes and techniques e.g. the use of assessment centres and

competency based selection methods.

The Policy did not sufficiently reflect the growth in the “litigious society” with the result

that the complaints procedure which forms part of the Policy is becoming increasingly

unworkable

The current Policy attempted to enforce a rigorous consistent approach by means of a

set of detailed rules and procedures. This approach was totally appropriate when the

Council was first introducing a policy of this type. The “one size fits all” approach is

however increasingly untenable and is increasingly seen as preventing innovation,

modernisation and development in recruitment and selection, and even potentially

promotes unfairness by benefiting job applicants familiar with the operation of the

Policy.

It is vital that the Council has clear and effective policies for the recruitment and selection of the

staff that are employed to work within its services. It is also vital that these policies are

workable and are able to be administered by managers and supervisors who undertake

recruitment and selection on a daily basis. These procedures must also take account of the

expectations of people within the external job community and therefore encourages local

people to apply for jobs within the Council. As an organisation that currently recruits in the

region of 75% of its workforce locally the Council must operate processes that meet the needs of

local people.

The Council’s Organisational Development Strategy takes account of the need for change and

transformation across the workforce including improvement in recruitment practices and greater

recruitment opportunities for graduates and apprentices.

The introduction of an overall framework of core principles that must be applied in every Council

recruitment situation. The framework would operate on the basis that those responsible for

recruitment and selection decisions must ensure that these principles are reflected throughout all

stages of the recruitment and selection process and must be able to evidence this if required to

do so. The principles will therefore be mandatory and compliance with these will be an essential

requirement.

The identification of areas where greater flexibility can be applied. The objective will be to ensure

that whilst the principles of the core framework are met there can be flexibility to reflect the

needs of the particular job role. This will enshrine the principle that it is for instance totally

acceptable and rationale to apply different techniques and approaches when recruiting different

types of staff. For example different processes should be applied for the recruitment of a Senior

Manager from those that are effective in the recruitment of front-line staff.


The retention of the existing Policy of Practice but its status will be as guidance only and as a source

of reference in relation to areas of detail. The Policy contains many long- standing practices

that are tried and tested and to move away from these practices within a short timescale

would pose risks for the Council. The main requirements for change are to introduce greater

flexibility of practice and to modernise a number of specific procedures within the Policy.


SECTION 3 THE RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION FRAMEWORK – 12 CORE PRINCIPLES

Introduction Rochdale Borough Council considers the recruitment and selection of employees to be a key

management activity – to achieve its stated aim of having the right people in the right place at

the right time doing the right things.

There are many different ways of recruiting effectively – these will differ according to the type of

post being recruited to, the state of the job market for that particular post, the available talent

pool and individual Service priorities.

The Recruitment and Selection Framework of 12 Core Principles and the accompanying

Guidance Notes For Managers give managers increased flexibility and choices around how to

recruit to posts and provide guidance on a wider range of selection methods to suit different

circumstances without compromising fairness or the Council’s commitment to having a diverse

workforce.

Equality and Diversity The Council is committed to having a workforce that reflects the make-up of the communities we

serve, because we know that this will help inform and improve the quality of the services we

provide. The Council has demonstrated this commitment positively through its Inclusive

Workforce Strategy and by setting (and achieving) challenging targets to change the profile of

the workforce to become more representative. Each vacancy therefore provides the

opportunity for managers to make a difference.

Before recruiting to a vacancy, managers are advised to check their Service and Equality

Action Plans, including equality profiles and targets, consider how well the service is

progressing towards these, as these may help inform recruitment process choices.

Recruitment and Selection Framework The Framework consists of 12 Core Principles each of which must be satisfied in any

recruitment decision.

Principle 1 – The process must be appropriate and relevant to the Job concerned

All of the practices that are applied must relate to the role and nature of the job concerned. The

process should be as simple and clear as possible and must take account of any specific issues

such as for example the need to protect any vulnerable groups. The number of stages in the

process, the means of advertising medium and process for appointment must be in line with the

requirement and role of the job concerned.


Example 1

For Senior Management posts, e.g. Director and Assistant Director appointments, the Council

has previously engaged specialist recruitment consultants to assist in the various stages of the

selection process in conjunction with the Council’s own Officers. . Recruitment consultants are

able to access potentially suitable candidates through job search. . They may also have a

reputation as specialist recruitment consultants in the relevant sector and have

experience/sharing of good practice from private as well as public sector that might not

otherwise be accessible. These processes take time to construct and are necessary to ensure

the high calibre candidates and robust selection process.

Example 2

For front line posts which are hard to fill it is possible to operate a job “fair” approach which is

flexible and whereby those interested are invited to come to a job fair where they can learn

more about the opportunities on offer, be interviewed and receive an offer of employment all

within one visit or to use agencies such as Jobcentre Plus to recruit on behalf of the Council. This

approach can be very successfully a n d c a n r e s u l t i n more people being offered jobs

and more suitable applicants for posts. These processes are robust and effective, costs are

minimised and for candidates they can find out more about the job concerned directly from

talking to current postholders and if they are interested and suitable they can receive an

instant offer of employment. The chosen process must be demonstrably relevant to the job

concerned and those involved have had appropriate training/briefing.

Principle 2 – The process must be objective and free from bias

Processes must be evidence based and must be free from bias towards any one particular

section of the community or one particular individual. The only exception to this is where for

reasons of inclusivity there is a legitimate and genuine justification for a positive action initiative to

be undertaken to redress an imbalance of a particular kind within the workforce.

All processes must operate in a manner in which both the individual processes involved and the

outcome can be justified and where evidence can be produced if required to support the

decisions that have been taken. Accordingly a record must be kept of all parts of the process that

must be produced if requested.

Example 1

The manager responsible for the recruitment process must be able to demonstrate that the

content of the job, the method of advertising, the methods of selection and the treatment of

candidates during the process are free from bias of any kind. Accordingly any requirement

that would detract from applications from members of protected groups as defined under the

Equality Act 2010 will not be acceptable. The responsible officer must ensure that objectivity and

freedom from bias are central to the process of recruitment and must be able to produce

information which demonstrates how these requirements are met as and when asked to do so.


Principle 3 – All appointments must be made on Merit

All appointments must be made on merit following the application of the selected recruitment

process. It is not acceptable for appointments to be made on any other basis except that the

person who is offered a particular position is the best person for the job following the application

of the selection process. Merit would be assessed from performance at interview, responses to

questions, assessment tests and the scores used in the process. These processes should underpin

any recruitment exercise.

Accordingly the only reason for not appointing the candidate assessed as the top performer in

the selection process will be if for any reason there are unacceptable references, lack of

medical clearance or withdrawal of the candidate. These are examples for illustration only. The

point is however that all appointments to posts must be made on merit.

Principle 4 – The process must be inclusive

The process must be designed to be inclusive encouraging all those who may be able to

perform the duties of the post to apply. It is recognised that any poor processes can overly

specify the requirements of the job holder resulting in a job which is overly narrow and

restricted in its appeal with the result that the process can only be described as exclusive

rather than inclusive. Good inclusive processes will have positive examples of

advertising/promotion of the job opportunity and wherever possible be able to demonstrate

imaginative ways of attracting job applicants, have job criteria which are based on what is

needed to carry out the job effectively and no more and have timescales and selection

processes which test candidates properly but do not act as a deterrent to people who would

otherwise apply.

Example

It is necessary to give consideration to the type of job, the skills which are essential to perform this

role and then to design a process that will attract the most suitable candidate to apply.

It is acceptable to receive applications by various means. These include:

Electronically via e-recruitment and completion of the Council’s application form

By submitting a CV provided that this addresses the content of

the person specification (other than for posts subject to enhanced

safeguarding checks where a full job application form must be

completed).

The Council’s application form can be adapted to provide a variety of different types and

formats and for those posts subject to safeguarding checks the completed forms must comply

with these requirements.

Principle 5 - of the process must be able to deliver the right person for the job

This may seem an over simplistic point but it is essential that the process is able to deliver

effective decision making and crucially the ability to identify the candidate who would be

most suited to the job concerned. The process must be seen to deliver the right result and not just

provide an advantage to those who are able to demonstrate knowledge of the procedures

involved. This means that the process must be testing and relevant to the role and effort must be

made to ensure that it is designed to deliver the right result.


Example

This principle concerns not just the outcome but also the job content, the advertising process

and the selection process that is utilised. An overly complex process for a lower level job may

deter quality applicants from applying. A further point of regular and repeated criticism from job

applicants is that person specification requirements are too onerous and not relevant. The process

must therefore be designed to ensure that the job is likely to be attractive to the target

audience. This principle reinforces the points made within Principle 1.

Principle 6 -The process must be timely and cost effective

The process must be able to deliver recruitment and selection solutions in the minimum time

necessary to ensure that all other core principles are met. The process should ensure that only a

minimum number of separate stages and procedures are applied and that the time from a

vacancy occurring to the person taking up position is kept to the minimum that can be

achieved.

In addition to being timely however, the process must also be cost effective. It must ensure that

the most cost effective solutions are identified and utilised. While cost factors will always be an

issue these must not undermine or alter the application of a fair process or impede the degree of

a process that is appropriate to the nature of the job vacancy concerned.

Vacancies should also still consider At risk staff, but in principle as per the example given

below, temporary staff could be assimilated into a permanent position provided they had

been subject to a recruitment process, whether in house or external. This would also take

account of recent changes in legislation and the employment rights of many of these workers.

Example

One area of practice that needs to be utilised in the scheme will be the ability to assimilate a

temporary employee into a post that they have been covering which becomes or is vacant.

This would be subject to the temporary employee demonstrating that they can meet the

requirements of the job and also have worked for the Council for a minimum duration. In addition it is considered that this approach should only be applied where the temporary

employee has been subject to a normal recruitment process where opportunities are subject

to global advertisement. This approach can also facilitate succession planning as well as

opening up opportunity for local people to work for the Council.

Principle 7 - The process must be undertaken by competent people who are skilled and

trained in the procedures involved

This does not mean that all those involved in recruitment and selection processes need to be

experts in all the processes involved. Indeed it is accepted that recruitment and selection is a

service management responsibility. Service managers have many skills and qualities; they are

however not expected to be experts in recruitment and selection. They are however expected

to be competent to carry out the processes involved effectively and in accordance with the core

principles. Accordingly all recruitment panels must include at least one person who has received

recruitment and selection training. For candidates from other large organisations and/or who can

demonstrate that they have sufficient experience of recruitment and selection processes similar

to those operated within Rochdale BC there will be no need to receive additional training.


Principle 8 – The process must be able to demonstrate how all information relevant to the

process has been considered

The recruitment and selection process must be clear and open for all to see. It must be

possible to demonstrate how all parts of this process fit together and how all of the relevant

information has been considered as part of a particular recruitment decision. A record of the

process must be kept which demonstrates how all principles within the framework the process

that has been applied has met.

As an organisation Rochdale Council has been criticised regarding the time taken to recruit to

certain jobs. The time taken involves an assessment of the timescale from the resignation of the

current jobholder to the new appointee taking up post. A lengthy process leads to delays. The

managers should therefore ensure that: -

There is a clear strategy for filling a post

The strategy involves timescales

The process is clear and appropriate

A target date is set for the conclusion of all procedures and for the new appointee to

take up post

It must also be remembered that any new appointee does not become fully effective until

they have been undertaking the job for some time. Whilst professional views do vary it is clear

that this can take between 6-12 months from appointment. These issues need to be given

careful consideration.

A further factor of importance is that the Council does operate recruitment and retention

strategies that can be used in situations where recruitment and retention issues exist. This might be

a far better option than seeking to fill a hard to fill job. Advice should be sought from the HR

Service regarding any such issues.

A final point for consideration is that managers are encouraged to consider succession-

planning arrangements. however it is accepted that the existing policy of automatically

advertising every post externally can be varied where a succession planning process exists

which demonstrates the existence of a pool of skills within RBC which can be utilised and where

recruitment to a resulted lower level vacancy would create more career opportunity open to

local people. This does however need to be considered very carefully however to ensure that

in overall terms inclusivity is demonstrated. One relevant example might be by advertising any

resultant vacancy externally. Further information will be issued shortly regarding succession

planning for service managers.


Principle 9 – The process must be open for all to see

The recruitment and selection process, the standards involved and how decisions are to be made must be open for all to see. Selection panels must be able to show how processes have operated and be able to justify decisions in a straightforward but meaningful manner. This will

include providing feedback to candidates whenever this is requested. Details of the recruitment and selection process involved must be available for candidates as part of the job information that is provided.

Example

As a public organisation Rochdale Council must operate procedures that are transparent. This is part of the ethos of the organisation. It is also one of the outcomes of legislation such as the

Freedom of Information Act that provide greater rights and expectations of public openness

and access. Accordingly the Council’s Recruitment process must take account of these expectations of public openness and access.

In practice this means that information about the selection process should be available for all potential candidates to see. For example will there be a formal interview? Will there be tests? If so what type? When will the arrangements take place etc? Against this however it is important that parts of the process are not open to all. For example information regarding individual candidates should not be circulated to those not involved in the recruitment process and certainly not to other candidates. The Data Protection Act provides clear guidelines regarding the type of personal information that can be provided. The overall objective must be to have a process that is open for all to see but one that generates personal and individual confidentiality, as you would expect from a large public organisation.

Principle 10 – The process must enable any applicant/potential applicant to raise issues

regarding the process if they wish to do so Where a person is dissatisfied about the process they must have the right to raise issues about this. Similarly however, the Council has to have the ability to make decisions and to ensure that its needs are met. Accordingly there will be a right to seek redress but this will be appropriate to the Council’s need to make progress. It must also be the case that any issues that are raised will be considered on their merits. Some situations will require the application of future processes; others will be able to be resolved more informally without investigating procedures.

A revised Recruitment Complaints procedure was introduced to underpin the process.

Example

A simplified complaints process has been developed which enables candidates with genuine issues a clear right of redress. The process will however be proportionate to the issues involved. At present a significant proportion of time is involved in dealing with issues which are of a technical nature and which in overall terms have little or no bearing on the outcome of the recruitment process. Against this however the procedure must be able to ensure that services issues are addressed with an appropriate response.

Principle 11 – The process must ensure that any vulnerable groups are appropriately protected

Wherever it is appropriate in the light of the nature of the post concerned the process must be

able to demonstrate at all stages that all reasonable and proper steps have been taken to

protect vulnerable service users or groups from those who would clearly be unsuitable for

these roles. This means that the process for recruitment to a post which involves substantial

access to vulnerable adults and/or children and young people must ensure that appropriate

vetting is undertaken before the candidate commences work in the job concerned.


Example

The process must ensure the appropriate protection procedures are applied for posts that

deal with vulnerable groups. This involves ensuring that all safeguarding and screening checks

are concluded before those appointed take up post and/or have unsupervised access to the

groups concerned. A more detailed application forms is embedded with the e-Recruitment

system t o deal with applications for such posts. These application forms contain information

necessary to ensure compliance with the recommendations of various Government reports

and requirements.

Principle 12 – The process must ensure that positive references and pre employment medical

screening have been undertaken

Prior to any candidate being given an unconditional offer of employment the responsible

manager must have received a satisfactory reference and have received clearance of the

candidate through pre-employment medical screening procedures.

Example

Positive references must have been obtained and considered before unconditional offers of

employment are made.


SECTION 4 STAGES IN THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS

ANALYSE VACANCY

CONVENE PANEL

REVIEW JOB DESCRIPTION

AGREE PERSON SPECIFICATION

PREPARE & PLACE

ADVERTISEMENT (CHECK FOR “AT

RISK”)

SUPPLY INFORMATION TO

APPLICANTS

SHORTLIST TAKE UP REFERENCES AS

APPROPRIATE

SELECTION PROCESS, e.g.

OPEN DAY, INTERVIEW

MAKE APPOINTMENT

(subject to satisfactory references/clearances etc)

KEEP RECORD PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO

UNSUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES


SECTION 5

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION GUIDANCE FOR MANAGERS

This Framework & Guidance - Is Council Policy - Provides a Framework for all appointments - Is a guidance document

-

-

--

Why Have an R&S Policy? To ensure fairness and prevent discrimination To attract & appoint candidates capable of doing the job To deliver effective services It is a good management practice of a responsible employer

Aim Of The Policy: - To help all staff understand the recruitment

and selection process

- To be a practical flexible guide for recruiters

- To suggest options


SECTION 5 RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION GUIDANCE FOR MANAGERS

Introduction The Guidance has been divided into sections and there are additional appendices to provide

further detail on those sections.

The document provides guidance for all appointments in Council Services, except Teachers

and other school based staff appointments. A separate Guidance of Practice is available to

school governing bodies for such appointments.

Aim of Guidance

The aim of this Guidance is to help Rochdale Borough Council as it strives to become an

employer offering genuine equality of opportunity to people

looking for work, at the same time ensuring that it does not discriminate against any

section of society in its recruitment and selection practices.

The Equality Act 2010 outlines the requirements of an employer and the Council’s No Matter Who policy also provides additional guidance on the protected groups and these should be

considered in a fair manner without discriminating against any section of the community.

This Guidance of Practice aims to ensure that the Council offers genuine equality of

opportunity by defining good employment practices. It is hoped that a consistent approach

throughout the Council will lead to improved and more effective recruiting.

The Council is advised to recruit the appropriate people to meet its service needs by

appointing the best person for each job using equal opportunities practices.

In the past, the multi-racial nature of the local community has not been reflected in the

Council’s workforce.

A disproportionately large majority of Council employees have been white and, in middle and

senior management posts, women have been under-represented.

The number of people from ethnic minorities and the number of disabled people employed

by the Council has been much lower than the proportion of those groups in the community.

The Council is committed to continuing and improving policies aimed at ensuring that

everyone has an equal chance of obtaining employment and that barriers to fair

representation of all groups are removed where possible.

The procedures in these Guidance Notes are a vital part of the process of ensuring equality of

opportunity.

There are a number of reasons for making a formal declaration about Equality and Diversity

Policies and for having a set procedure for recruitment and selection:

Equal opportunity in employment is covered by the Equality Act 2010. Discrimination in

recruitment can leave the Council open to legal claims from a wide variety of people.


It is intended that these Guidance Notes will:

Help recruiters to understand the Council’s policy on Recruitment and Selection.

Provide practical guidance to recruiters to enable them to recruit in a fairer and more

systematic manner.

The proper use of the Guidance Notes should improve recruiting. More and more posts involve

dealing sensitively with different communities and client groups and, as a result, call for skills,

abilities and awareness of different cultures or other backgrounds. In the process of ending

discrimination, the Council will have to look afresh at the qualities and abilities that it wishes to

see in new recruits, based on a reflective job description translated into a person specification,

which should mean fairer recruitment.

The Guidance will also form the basis of the Council’s system for monitoring recruitment and

selection. It will be used as:

The basis of selection to be practised by officers and Members of the Council

The basis for scrutiny by officers and Members of the Council into individual recruitment

practices and into the general practices of service

The basis against which Recruitment and Selection complaints will be investigated

Implementation of the Guidance This Guidance will work effectively only if all Managers and staff responsible for recruitment, together with Members of the Council (when serving on selection panels for Director and Chief Executive recruitment) are fully aware of the policy, and the reasons for its introduction, and have the will and determination to put into practice.

Training will be provided for officers who will be involved in the administration of the Guidance. Whilst the majority of officers currently involved in the preparation and updating of Job Descriptions, Person Specifications and other elements in the Guidance have undergone training, there will be a need to continue with such training in the future.

All recruiting officers of the Council will have available advice and support from the HR Service. It is considered that implementation of this Guidance is the best safeguard against any case of discrimination.

It is important that this Guidance is to be used for ALL appointments in all Council Services. It should be followed in conjunction with any procedure set up by the HR Service or the employing service in respect of the particular type of employees being recruited.


Armed forces guaranteed interview scheme The Council has introduced the Armed Forces guarantee interview scheme for ex-armed

forces personnel applicants where they meet certain qualifying criteria.

The aim of this proposal is to deliver the council's commitment to further the 'Armed Forces

Community Covenant' to ensure that ex-armed forces personnel are not disadvantaged as a

result of their service.

How the scheme operates

If applicants have left the Armed Forces and apply for a job at the council, they will be

guaranteed an interview if they meet the following conditions:

The Armed Forces was their last long term employer. They can demonstrate that they have been job seeking for at least 6 months since leaving

the armed forces. A maximum of 2 years (24 months) has elapsed since they left the armed forces. They meet the essential criteria for the job.


SECTION 6 ANALYSING THE VACANCY

Take Stock and Plan - Consider whether the vacancy needs to be

filled in its present form

- Examine the nature and content of the duties - Check on current employment

policies

Make Sure That: - Approval is given for changes to Job Description or

grading where necessary - There is money to fund the appointment - Consideration is given to creating better

opportunities for disadvantaged groups


SECTION 6 ANALYSING THE VACANCY

Introduction

It is important that recruitment does not become a mechanical process. It is too easy to rush

through an advertisement, with the intention of ensuring that vacancy is filled without delay.

However, the occurrence of a vacancy provides the ideal opportunity to take stock and plan

ahead.

This is an ideal time to examine the nature and content of the duties of the job and to consider

whether the vacancy really needs to be filled in its present form e.g. have the duties of the

post changed, requiring amendments to the job description, the grade allocated to the job or

the number of hours to be worked.

The responsible Officer is advised to check with the HR Service on the current position

regarding the Council’s employment policies e.g. Are there existing employees at risk of

redundancy within the Service or what special initiatives could be undertaken to recruit

disabled people or people from the minority ethnic groups.

Exit Interviews Managers may find it helpful to use EXIT INTERVIEWS/LEAVERS QUESTIONNAIRES to review the

Job Description and Person Specification of a post. It is important to stress that it has been

agreed by the Council’s Leadership Team that the exit interview should ideally be undertaken

with every leaver, however, the outgoing occupant of the post is not compelled to

participate but should be given the opportunity to provide comment to either their line

manager or a representative from the HR Service.

As part of an established system of undertaking exit interviews/leavers questionnaires, as well

as discussions with the outgoing occupant to the post, where practicable such consideration

of the vacancy could include discussion with other workers in that section or sub-section,

supervisors and with service users who will be affected by any changes in the post, may also

prove helpful. It may also be appropriate to check the grading of the post with the HR Service

in line with the principles of “equal pay for equal value”.

“At Risk” Procedures The HR Service considers all requests for the advertising of vacant posts and each post is

screened with regard to those groups of staff known to be at risk, e.g. redundancy, ill

health/disability.

Unless the HR Service considers that the position should be restricted to those employees

identified as being at risk of redundancy or on grounds of ill-health, all posts would normally be

advertised both inside and outside the Council. However, see Guidance associated with

Principle 6 as to how this could be varied in certain circumstances to achieve a fair, but timely

and cost effective solution.

A further example might be in a situation where posts were time limited and linked to external

funding, so that time and costs taken to externally advertise a position would use up valuable

or limited project resources unnecessarily when experienced staff are available and/or acting

up, and were previously subject to a recruitment process.


Normal job vacancies would however not be subject to ring fencing or assimilation of staff.

These processes are associated with restructuring arrangements and will therefore not apply

unless the vacancy occurs as a direct result of a Service restructuring process.

Responsible Officer Duties The Officer responsible for the recruitment should make sure that:

(a) Any necessary approval for any change to job descriptions and/or approval for any

change to grading or Service structure has been obtained (eg via Service Consultative

Groups, Delegated Decision Making process)

(b) There is money in the Service budget to fund the appointment.

(c) There is the necessary Council approval to fill the post.

(d) Relevant consideration has been given to the possibility of changes in physical

location, etc. Supervision or job descriptions, creating better opportunities for

disadvantaged groups of prospective employees, e.g. redeployees (particularly on

health grounds), disabled people, women seeking to return to work after looking after

a family, members of the minority ethnic groups etc.

Job share All jobs are open to job share unless exemptions are granted under the procedure outlined in

the job share agreement or the job is included in the list of jobs exempt from the job share

scheme drawn up by each Service. The HR Service can advise of posts exempt from the

scheme.

Posts in Children & Family Centres Those responsible for recruitment to posts in children’s homes or children and family centres

should ensure that there is an agreed, up-to-date Statement of Purpose. Objectives for each

home should make clear the type and characteristics of the children in the home and the

objectives of the care and treatment programmes that the home is providing.

Use of Standing Order 53(2)(d) This particular Standing Order 53(2)(d) states:

“Where, within six months of the vacancy being filled, which had been publicly advertised, a

similar vacancy occurs in a post on the authorised establishment of the same Service, one of

the former applicants may be appointed by the person or body authorised by the Council to

make the appointment”.

The interpretation of Standing Order 53(2)(d) has been clarified and a post would be

considered ‘similar’ if it was the same/overlapping grade and had the same person

specification and job description and was within the same or similar service area, e.g. Benefits

Officer in another Team within the same employing Service.

Any Service seeking to proceed with an appointment through the application of Standing

Order 53(2)(d), which does not strictly meet the above criteria, would only be able to do so in

exceptional circumstances and with the prior agreement of the Head of HR.

Details of appointable but unsuccessful candidates can be saved and, providing the posts

are similar and grades the same/overlapping, appointable but unsuccessful candidates can

be treated as a “pool” for future posts to save on recruitment costs.

Alternatively, as already practiced in some Services, appointable candidates can be held on a

list and offered the next available equivalent post within the Service (even in a different


location or different hours) – particularly beneficial in areas of high turnover. In addition where

Services recruit to temporary or casual registers, provided the recruitment process is sufficiently

robust, was external and was of an equivalent standard, Services can make a business case to

the Head of HR and appointable candidates could be recruited to a temporary/casual

position and interviewed/appointed to a permanent position without having to re-submit an

application form.

Power to appoint senior officers In accordance with the Council’s Officer Procedure Rules the power to appoint Directors

and the Chief Execut ive is with Members of the Appointment Committee. All other

appointments are delegated to Head of Paid Service and nominated Officers of the Council.

Additional Information:

Exit Interview/Leavers’ Questionnaire

Delegated Decision Making Guidance and Form


SECTION 7

THE SELECTION PANEL

The Panel should: - Have at least 2 members - Ideally be balanced by gender and

race - Be involved throughout the

short-listing and interview process - Be appropriately trained/briefed in

Recruitment & Selection

Overall Responsibility: - Whoever chairs the panel has lead

responsibility for ensuring that the process is fair


SECTION 7 THE SELECTION PANEL

The Process A traditional paper-based sift of application forms and selection panel interview will

not be appropriate for every interview situation and recruiters are encouraged to

identify the most effective option appropriate to their recruitment situation, e.g.

An open day approach

A combination of the selection interview and use of tests or

assessment centre techniques Use of specialist agencies to manage part/all of the process for you or

to filter

candidates, e.g. Jobcentre Plus, recruitment consultants or

recruitment/supply agencies

2 or 3 stage processes to filter candidates, e.g. long listing

Continuous application/recruitment processes for work areas with a high

turnover and/or retaining details of appointable candidates on file to fill

the next available

vacancy

Whichever method you chose, you must ensure that the process is fair and

transparent, open to scrutiny and available evidence for audit purposes. The Chief

Executive and/or nominated representative(s) have the right to examine the records of

any recruitment process.

Overall

Responsibility In every recruitment and selection process, although all individuals involved have

the responsibility for making sure this Policy is followed, the Chair of the panel

has the lead responsibility. Therefore, at the beginning of the recruitment process, it

should be decided who is ultimately responsible and, where the selection interview is

used, who is going to lead/chair the panel. If there is any doubt about any part of this

Policy, a check can be made with staff in the HR Service.

Size and Composition of

the Panel Officers involved in the recruitment of employees at all levels have to ensure that the

Council’s recruitment process is fair, so that it does not contravene the relevant statutes

and regulations, such as the Equality Act 2010, and is in accordance with this

Framework. At the same time, they will have to observe other current Council policies,

which are subject to change to meet varying circumstances e.g. budget reductions.

They are also subject to an ever-increasing pressure to avoid making poor selections

given the emphasis on quality service provision and the need to operate in an

effective manner.

To cope with these complexities, it is recommended that those responsible for

recruitment could involve others in their service that can bring useful skills and

knowledge to several stages of the process, regardless of their status. The experience

and expertise of officers in the HR Service is also readily available. The panel could

normally contain the line manager for the post, his or her line manager and at least

one person independent from line management. However, in line with this framework,

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if appropriate panels can be made up of a minimum of two persons the HR Service

can advise.

When an officer who has participated in short-listing is unable to attend the interview,

ideally they could be postponed until a later date. Where this is not possible

because, say, the candidates have travelled from long distances, an officer from

the HR Service could be requested to attend the interview as a replacement.

If the post involves dealing directly with the public, it may be useful for the views of

representatives of the intended beneficiary communities to be taken into account. If

there are fieldworkers or others who deal directly with those sections of the

community, they might be consulted and included in the process and an early

stage, perhaps in identifying key skills or responsibilities, but it is not recommended

that observers are invited into the process as they could not have voting rights with

regard to that selection.

Similarly if an officer from the HR Service were involved in the selection process s/he

would ideally be involved both in short-listing and interview.

Assessment Centres

Where it is considered appropriate for the recruitment and selection process to

include an Assessment Centre the HR Service will lead on the development and

facilitating of the Assistant Centre in conjunction with the Recruitment Panel.

Stakeholder panels can be an important part of the Assessment Centre w i t h

representatives from another service or an outside body/partner organisation with

which the Council has close links and a representative is invited to participate in

the recruitment and selection arrangements for a particular post.

This may be appropriate in situations where the post concerned will have a close

working relationship with the organisation concerned and therefore, it is appropriate

for the external body to assist in the selection of the most appropriate person for

the job.

It may also be appropriate in certain circumstances for a representative of an

external body or representative of service users (e.g young peoples’ panel) to

participate in part of the recruitment process or as an observer, taking no part in the

final decision to select a particular candidate.

It is recognised, however, that this may not reflect the requirements of all situations

and it is, therefore, possible with the agreement of the relevant Chair of the

Recruitment Panel for a representative of an external body to participate as a full

panel member. The person concerned should be advised of the main principles of

the Council’s Framework and Guidance (where required an officer from the HR

Service could assist in this process). If it is likely that the representatives of an external

body will be invited to be involved in more than one appointment, they could be

trained on the Council’s processes. It is not acceptable for persons from external

organisations to participate in recruitment for Council posts on a regular basis

without undertaking appropriate training. In such situations, the HR Service can

assist in providing appropriate briefing sessions.

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It is important for selection panels dealing with such situations to remember that the

Council remains the employer and as such a Council Officer who is advised to ensure

compliance with the provisions of Council policy and practice could chair the

selection panel. Further advice can be obtained from the HR Service if required.

The Head of HR or nominated representative(s) has the right to take part in any stage

of the recruitment and selection processes and if they are not satisfied with any

aspect of the process they could suspend the proceedings.

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SECTION 8 JOB DESCRIPTION

Why Have a Job Description - It gives an overview of the role and the

key responsibilities - It helps to draw up a Person

Specification - It removes areas of confusion - It gives applicants/job holders a clear

idea of the job

Job Descriptions should - Contain information in a clear format - Include up-to-date information on duties

and responsibilities - Be filed as part of recruitment records

and for successful appointees, on their personal file

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SECTION 8 JOB DESCRIPTION

Why have a job description? Every job should have a job description or equivalent document, e.g. competency based job

outline that should describe in plain language the duties and responsibilities of the post.

If a job description already exists, it is recommended that this be reviewed before advertising

and when jobholders leave to ensure that it is accurate and up to date. Advice on preparing

job descriptions can be obtained from the HR Service.

The main benefits of a good job description are:

It helps you draw up a person specification; It removes areas of confusion within jobs; It gives the applicant and jobholder a clear idea of the job. It can help to form the basis of the employment contract

What is included in the Job Description? The standard template should be prepared and it is recommended that up-to-date

information on job content be obtained from any person vacating a post as part of an exit

interview process.

Job descriptions for all vacancies should be in a clear format. However, it isn’t practical or

appropriate to require a generic format for every job vacancy – some services are already

moving to competency based Job Descriptions, e.g. Adult Care, and we have had pilot

recruitment initiatives with Jobcentre Plus using simpler formats and job outlines. Flexibility is the

key, to suit the level and type of job, in line with the flexible approach, provided that the core

information is provided e.g.

Title of service, job title, grade, overview of the job/role, key responsibilities or a brief

concise description of the duties.

There is no need to be too prescriptive. As long as basic essential information is included,

flexibility can be exercised. Other information like reporting relationships and structure charts

can be provided separately or at a later date, e.g. to short-listed candidates.

For example, for posts in Children’s services, a job description should be prepared based on

the home’s statement of purpose as well as on the common elements of a Residential Child

Care Worker’s job.


Exit Interview/Leavers’ Questionnaire Job Description Template and Guidance for Completion


SECTION 9 PERSON SPECIFICATION

What is a Person Specification? - It sets out in clear and simple terms the skills,

knowledge, experience and qualifications required to carry out the job set out in the Job Description.

Essential Criteria - Essential criteria are the qualities candidates have to

have to do the job. - The Person Specification should

outline how these will be assessed - The number should be limited to minimum essential

for appointment (ideally not more than 12 – 18) and relevant to the grading of the post

Promote Equal Opportunities - Be less technocratic, more aware of cultural and other needs - State any qualification requirements for

checking

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SECTION 9 PERSON SPECIFICATION

Introduction

The Person Specification has considerable importance within the recruitment procedure and is

the most significant document in ensuring fair and open recruitment.

It is an attempt to set out, in clear and simple terms, the skills, knowledge, experience and

qualifications we require in a candidate, given the job description for the post. Care should be taken that all the requirements are strictly justifiable in terms of the job and not directly or

indirectly discriminatory.

Once written and included in the information provided to applicants, the Person Specification

or equivalent should be regarded as fixed and should not normally be amended during the

recruitment process. Therefore it is important to clearly identify the criteria so as not to

encounter any confusion or difficulty later on. If a problem is identified with the information

provided to candidates, it is recommended that advice be sought from the HR Service.

Unless there is a determined effort to obtain hard evidence about the abilities of a candidate

and then compare these with the needs of the job, there is a danger that a recruiter will

concentrate on such subjective matters as “what impression had this person made on me?” or

“how would s/he fit in with the other staff?”. The way to avoid such pitfalls is to produce a

good Person Specification.

Desirable Criteria

The revised policy recommends the avoidance of the use of the desirable criteria within

the person specification.

Careful consideration has been given to the use and recommended avoidance of desirable

criteria within the person specification. Desirable criteria were used to indicate elements that,

whilst being desirable elements of the job, were not essential for the performance of the duties

of the post. Desirable criteria were often utilised in situations where a large number of

applicants is received for a particular post and where it was necessary to reduce the number

of applicants to achieve a manageable shortlist. This is a clear and practical necessity in some

situations where in excess of 100 applicants are received.

There is however some evidence to suggest that selection panels may not always use the

desirable criteria in the most appropriate manner and that in some instances desirable criteria

have been used for short-listing, together with essential criteria. The effect of this is that

desirable criteria were being treated as an essential requirement of the job that is clearly not

appropriate. This practice cannot continue.

As Services will be aware information and advice is provided to job applicants on how to

complete the application form. This includes information on person specifications. There is

evidence to suggest that external applicants do not always fully understand the purpose and

use of desirable criteria. As a consequence, these may not be fully addressed within job

applications. Evidence further suggests that this issue may particularly disadvantage non-

Council employees and/or those disadvantaged in the job market already, e.g. disabled

people, members of the ethnic minority community.

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In the light of the above issues, the use of desirable criteria is no longer recommended.

Advice can be sought from the HR Service on alternative ways of reducing a pool of

potential candidates to a manageable size e.g. use of “long-listing”, pre-interview tests, group

interviews.

Essential Criteria All criteria listed should be essential for the postholders to have. Essential means that the

postholder must possess those attributes to carry out the job effectively. These factors will be

scrutinised should any investigation into the recruitment process be required and so must be

readily justifiable.

The inclusion of arbitrary and unnecessary qualifications requirements can exclude a whole

range of otherwise suitable candidates. They are not, in most cases, a useful guide to the

ability of an applicant to do a job that involves local or cultural links. It is important to

remember that qualifications often demonstrate the receipt of training rather than the

possession of skills or abilities.

Where qualification requirements are appropriate, care needs to be exercised in distinguishing

between what is essential and what would be “nice to have”. Whilst for certain posts there is

an essential qualification requirement, the tendency in the past has been to spread this

requirement well down the staff structure. For the majority of posts the qualifications and/or

knowledge requirements can be tested as part of the recruitment process or could be

obtained within a reasonable timescale or cost effectively post appointment and are, in fact,

often merely “desirable”.

In the light of information outlined within the job description, attributes, which are minimum

requirements of the job, can be entered on the template. Care should be taken that essential

attributes can be justified as being ‘essential’. The panel could decide which attributes are

going to be assessed at the short-listing stage from the application forms and which are going

to be assessed at the interview or prior to/instead of at interview, e.g. through assessment

centres, psychometric testing or other practical tests. At each stage, all the candidates should

meet all those attributes required before being allowed to progress to the next stage. (A ‘How

Identified’ column is detailed on the Person Specification template to help the applicants and

selection panel for this purpose – if an equivalent format to the Person specification and Job

Description is used, candidates should be able to clearly see how various attributes or

competences will be measured).

It should be borne in mind that if there are too few attributes listed as essential criteria it is

possible that an unmanageable number of applicants could be short-listed and other means

of reducing the number can be considered. However, if essential criteria have not been

included on the person specification these should not be added or introduced to the

selection process at a later date.

There are 3 categories shown on the Council’s standard template for the person specification.

These are:

1 Qualifications and Experience.

2 Skills and Knowledge.

3 Special Working Conditions.

34


Requirement to promote equal opportunities The focus of many Council jobs is changing; an increasing number of posts call for skills, which

assist in dealing sensitively and sensibly with community groups – skills that require candidates

to be more aware of cross-cultural and other, needs. Accordingly, for jobs of this nature it is

important that the responsible Officers when preparing Person Specifications take account of

this and consider ways of including a relevant range of experience of cultures, bi-lingual skills

or knowledge of disability issues e.g. access, as appropriate.

As part of the Council’s Inclusive Workforce Strategy to encourage a more representative

workforce, it is Council policy that unnecessarily restrictive criteria that operate as barriers to

those disadvantaged in the job market should be removed from person specifications,

accordingly,

Posts up to SCP 13 - no previous work experience required.

Posts up to SCP 25 - no previous local government experience required.

Age Discrimination The Equality Act 2010 has an impact on every area of the employment relationship including

recruitment, terms and conditions and dismissal, including retirement. One of the purposes of

the Equality Act is to reinforce the general framework for equal treatment on the grounds of

age in vocational training, employment and occupation.

It is unlawful to discriminate against applicants by age. This means that it will only be possible

to require experience of a certain length if this can be objectively justified and if age may

genuinely be a relevant factor for certain aspects of employment. There are also some

additional specific exceptions to this general principle e.g. genuine occupational

requirement, positive action, National Minimum Wage. Great care will need to be taken in the

drafting of both Person Specifications and job advertisements.

Asking for a certain type or length of experience or even a particular qualification may

amount to indirect age discrimination. You should therefore consider whether it is genuinely

necessary for an applicant to have the specified experience or qualification to do the job to a

satisfactory level.

For example, are there other qualifications of an equivalent level? Or are there other ways of

assessing particular skills or abilities, e.g. psychometric tests, situational interviews, etc.

How much and what sort of experience is relevant? Asking for 10 years’ experience might be

very difficult to justify if one of the applicants has 9 years’ experience, particularly if what is

really wanted is actually a demonstration of a certain level of technical competence

combined with people management skills, which could be gained over a shorter period. It

could also indirectly discriminate against a younger applicant due to their youth preventing

them from competing for a higher-level role requiring a minimum number of years’ experience.

Asking for a maximum or minimum number of years post qualification experience could also

be discriminatory and generalisations equating length of experience with levels of skills are not

likely to justify indirect age discrimination

Another example of a practice, which might give rise to claims of indirect discrimination, is

where employers require applicants to have graduated in the last 5 years. This may have an

35


adverse impact on older applicants who will be more likely to have graduated more than 5

years age, but it will be open to an employer to objectively justify its practices.

You will also need to consider carefully the language and imagery used in recruitment

advertisements and associated literature in order to avoid the perception of an intention to

discriminate, unless this can be justified. ACAS suggest avoiding language such as ‘mature’,

‘young’ and ‘energetic’. Other phrases such as ‘enthusiastic’, ‘flexible’, ‘in touch with latest

thinking’, ‘gravitas’ and ‘boardroom presence’ also have potential to stereotype and imply

preferences for a particular age group.

Age limits in adverts and requirements in person specifications, as with service related benefits,

have potential to also discriminate against women who are more likely to have an interrupted

career history for child care reasons and may therefore take longer to achieve particular

qualifications or levels of experience.

In addition to the information relating to the Equality Act 2010, you can also seek advice from

the HR Service if you are at unsure as to whether a criterion or the wording to be used in an

advertisement may discriminate.

Summary A written Person Specification or equivalent should ideally be produced for every

vacancy, whether it is to be filled internally or externally.

Any existing written Person Specification should be examined and revised as necessary

The Person Specification should be based on the job description and NOT include any

qualifications, experience, etc, not required for the effective performance of the job.

It should be a clear, precise description of all the qualifications, experience, skills and

physical and mental attributes required.

It should list clearly all the ESSENTIAL qualifications, experience and attributes, which a

candidate must have.

The physical attributes should only appear and be measured when crucial to the job,

and care taken not to exclude disabled people.

A copy of the Person Specification should be filed in the recruitment records.

The Person Specification should not require a candidate to be of a particular age,

gender, ethnic origin nor exclude them or other applicants on grounds of disability,

religion, faith or sexual orientation or because of a criminal record, unless for example:

Age – there is a clear objective justification because of the circumstances of the

job, which is identified in the Person Specification, e.g. age at which a person is able to

work on licensed premises

Sex – unless specifying one sex is allowed for the particular job under Genuine Occupational Qualification of the Equality Act. Ethnic Origin – unless specifying a particular origin is allowed under Genuine

Occupational Qualification of the Equality Act.

The Person Specification should also not specify that the candidate should have

particular home circumstances (e.g. no children or living in a certain place)

If any of the above is judged to be a requirement of the successful candidate, it is

recommended that the condition be written into the Person Specification.


Person Specification Template

Genuine Occupational Qualification Exemptions

36


SECTION 10 ADVERTISING THE POST

Aim of Recruitment Advertising - To attract applications from people who have

the qualities in the Person Specification

Internal or External Advertising - In accordance with the employment

policies of the Council

Ensure That The Advertisement: - Follows Council’s “House Style” - Does not make Council liable to a claim under employment

or discrimination legislation/regulation

- Is cost effective, e.g. max 100 words - Clearly relates to the Person Specification - Includes sufficient information - Is written in plain, easily-understandable language - Is placed in appropriate media - States whether the post is temporary or funded from

sources which could affect its future

36


SECTION 10

ADVERTISING THE POST

All posts must be established and funded posts before they can be advertised

Introduction The main aim of a recruitment advertisement is to attract applications from the target group,

ie: those people who have the qualities set out in the person specification. Secondary aims

are to promote Rochdale Borough as an interesting and attractive place to work and to project

the residents of the Borough an image of efficiency, effectiveness and economy.

A properly drafted and carefully placed advertisement will generally draw a response from

the target group and ONLY FROM THEM. The Responsible Officer (who would chair the Panel)

should, therefore, take time when preparing an advertisement to consider its impact on the

would-be applicant. It should ideally be worded in such a way that it helps potential

applicants to decide whether they can do the job and, therefore, whether they should apply

for it.

Internal and External Advertising In the earlier stages of selection, the responsible officer is advised to ensure that the choice

between internal and external advertising is properly made in accordance with the

employment policies of the Council (see Principle 6).

It is Council policy for all recruitment advertising to be placed through the e-recruitment system

and website. Specialist posts can be advertised through the appropriate external media where

this can be justified.

It is vital to take a balanced approach to recruitment, which recognises the legitimate

expectations of both existing and would-be employees (i.e. the workforce and the

community).

Once the existence of a vacancy has been established, the responsible Officer should

submit the advert to the HR Service w h o w i l l u n d e r t a k e a check that

there are no “at risk” Council employees (employees who are at risk of being

displaced from their job) who might be interested in, and suitable for the vacancy. In

such a case, the provisions of the current Council policies are to be observed. If there are no “at risk” candidates the vacancy should be advertised both internally

and externally unless special circumstances apply, see the 12 Core Principles for further

guidance. For example, Standing Order 53.2.d says “Where, within six months of the

filling of a vacancy, which had been publicly advertised, a similar vacancy occurs in

the same Service, in which case, one of the former applicants may be appointed by

the authorised body.” Other special circumstances include where vacancies are to be filled from existing

staff in a restructuring or where particular financial restrictions apply.

37


Preparation and Placement of Advertisements Ensuring fairness is, however, the responsibility of management. There are not usually enough

jobs for everyone who wants to work for the Council so it is important that accurate job

descriptions, person specifications and advertisements prompt applicants only from those with

suitable qualifications and experience.

If the job involves unsocial hours it is best to make that clear as soon as possible (either in the

advertisement or in the information sent out with applications forms) to avoid attracting

applications from people unsocial hours would exclude.

Similarly, any special working conditions should also be included in information to applicants

so that applications are received only from people prepared and able to meet them.

However, it would be discriminatory to assume that some groups of people (e.g. disabled

people, those with young children or people from ethnic minority background) would have

more trouble fulfilling their commitments than people from other sections of the community.

It is particularly recommended that advertisements are written in such a way that their overall

image makes them attractive to candidates, regardless of age, sex, sexuality, marital status,

ethnic background, disability, religion or creed.

When choosing external media and preparing advertisements, recruiters need to remember

the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy “No Matter Who”, the Council’s Inclusive workforce

Strategy and the need to reach disadvantaged groups. They should not be afraid of

experimentation and should consider, amongst other outlets, advertisement in minority ethnic

newspapers, placement within Community Centres, possible newsletters to organisations for

the disabled people, etc.

Advice and guidance for officers responsible for filling vacancies is available from the HR

Service on wording and placement of all recruitment advertising. They help ensure that

advertisements, both internal and external:

Follow the Council’s “house style” (the inclusions of the logo, the Equality and Diversity

Statement and other essential details);

Do not make the Council potentially liable to a claim under employment or

discriminationlegislation/regulations;

Are cost-effective;

Are clearly related to the person specification and do not ask for experience,

qualifications or abilities which are not in that specification;

Include sufficient information on salaries, hours of duty, etc;

Indicate that job-share applications are welcome (unless an agreed exempted post);

Are written in plain, easily-understandable language;

Are placed in the media most likely to attract a wide range of suitable applicants with

the ability to do the job (of particular importance for the higher graded vacancies).

Include reference to the employment prospects of the post where it is temporary or is

funded from sources, which could affect its long-term future.

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Stating Timescales for Recruitment Processes

It is recommended that recruitment adverts contain a clear statement of the timescale in

which the short-listing and interviews will take place and that a clear timetable is set out by

arranging the dates for short-listing and interviewing with other panel members before the

adverts are placed. This can save time on the overall timescale for filling a vacancy as well as

ensuring candidates can make significant dates in the timetable. If for some unavoidable

reason, there is a slippage in this timetable, all the candidates could then be kept properly

informed.


Delegated Decision Making Guidance and Form

39


SECTION 11 INFORMATION TO APPLICANTS

Written Information - Job Description - Person Specification - Any other useful information - Whether appointment is permanent or not

- Timetable for recruitment process

Informal Contact: - If provided, all applicants be given the same

information e.g. from the same person and/or from a prepared brief if from more than one person

- Ideally information should not be given by a member of the selection panel

Visits to Workplace - Can be arranged, provided all candidates are given

the same opportunity - May be better organised following short- listing to

avoid disruption of services - Should form part of the selection process for posts

in children’s homes

Statement of Timescale for Recruitment Process:

- Advert could ideally include a statement of the timescale in which short-listing and interviews will take place

39


SECTION 11 INFORMATION TO APPLICANTS

CVs versus Council Application Forms CVs can be accepted instead of completed application forms, but it will be the candidate’s responsibility to ensure that their CV addresses the requirements of the Person Specification,

provides examples. The application form/advertisement advise that CVs are acceptable.

The application form for those where a full job history is required for safeguarding

requirements however, provided both CV and application form enable the Panel to assess

whether candidates meet essential experience or post qualification experience

requirements, then it is not essential for the format of both to be exactly the same. The

application form has also been amended to request 2 references again in line with Bishard and

Warner recommendations for posts working with children.

Applicants still have to give examples of how they meet the essential criteria; even by CV,

examples are still required as to how person specifications are met. The standard for both CV

and application form have the same requirement, regardless of whether a CV or application

form is submitted – both must enable the Panel to judge whether those attributes to be tested

on application are met or not.

Written Information It is recommended that candidates be given as much written information as possible when

they apply for a post. Applicants should be given the job description and person specification

or equivalent, together with any other useful information relating to the service. In that way, it is

possible to ensure that all potential applicants are treated equally. Applicants for senior posts

could be sent a recruitment pack containing service structure, employment conditions and

local information about the Borough/Service

Candidates should be informed if the job for which they are applying is temporary or is funded

from sources, which could affect its long-term future. In those cases, candidates should be

clearly notified whether the appointment is for the duration of funding or will be a permanent

post.

Informal Contact In circumstances where applicants are invited to contact a named officer for informal

discussions, it is recommended that that person(s) have attended a Recruitment and Selection

Briefing and have a brief prepared of the matters s/he intends to cover with callers. This

prevents any one applicant gaining an unfair advantage by being supplied with different

information. That brief should be filed on the recruitment records.

Informal contacts are therefore permissible but make sure they do their homework and are

willing and available to speak to potential applicants. If more than one contact is provided,

Services should ensure that the information provided to candidates is consistent.

If offered, the facility for informal contact should be available to all applicants and great care

should be taken to restrict discussions to the prepared brief only or other care taken to ensure

that existing staff are able to give all candidates the same level of information. Ideally the

named person should not be involved subsequently in short-listing or serve as a member of the

selection panel, although it is recognised that this will not be practicable in all instances

particularly for senior or specialist appointments or difficult-to-fill posts.

40


Candidates should be informed if written exercises or other tests are to be used in the selection

process prior to the interview (although the details of the exercises to be utilised need not be

given at this stage).

Visits to the Workplace These are common practice in some Service areas, and in some cases a requirement, e.g.

Children’s Services.

It is recommended however, that any workplace visits are incorporated with, and form part of,

the interviewing stage of selection and be available to all candidates selected for

appointment. Information about interaction on visits should be gathered systematically and

used for selection purposes.

Statements of Timescale for Recruitment Process It is recommended that recruitment adverts contain a clear statement of the timescale in

which the short-listing and interviews will take place. The responsible officer should set up a

clear timetable by arranging the dates for short-listing and interviewing with other panel

members before the adverts are placed. If for some unavoidable reason, there is a slippage in

this timetable, all the candidates could be properly informed.


Application Form 1 – for General Use

Application Form 2 – for posts requiring safeguarding checks

Application Pack – Employment information sent to applicants

41


SECTION 12 SHORT-

LISTING

Recommended Short-listing DOs: - Judge applications against Person Specifications - Draw up the shortlist systematically

Recommended Short-listing DON’Ts : - Do not exclude candidates on grounds of age, sexuality,

marital status, disability, religion, creed, race or sex except on grounds of GOQs

- Do not exclude candidates on the grounds of assumptions

Short-listing Procedure - Use essential criteria to shortlist - Shortlisting criteria codes (numbers) should be used to

monitor, record and give reasons for rejecting applications

- File all original material in recruitment records

Re-advertisement: - If no suitable candidates apply, consider re-advertising - Review the content of the advert, media used, methods of

recruitment and other relevant factors

43


SECTION 12 SHORT-LISTING

Short-listing Dos All those involved in short-listing could meet to agree on the process to be used and to ensure

there is a common understanding of what is meant by the terms used in the person

specification and how the required attributes are to be assessed.

The selection panel could draw up their shortlists systematically, assessing the attributes of the

candidates methodically against the person specification, rather than sifting through casually

and “getting an impression”. Consistency could be a vital part of the whole exercise.

When drawing up the shortlist, selection panels a r e advised to judge applicants only

against the person specification used in the advertisement process. On no account should

new standards, qualifications or experience be introduced at this stage of the proceedings.

Revised Job Application Forms

Disabled job applicants

Revised Council job application forms were introduced on 1 April 2007 (one for all posts

requiring safeguarding clearance and one for all other posts). The statement from

applicants as to whether they are disabled and may require adjustments for interview will

no longer be

on the front of the form and has been moved to the monitoring sheet as it was thought

to deter applicants with a disability.

Panels will therefore need to take note of the information supplied by the HR Service with

completed application forms to confirm which candidates may be disabled so as to

ensure those meeting the essential criteria are short listed and so that panels can ask

whether any adjustments will be necessary for them to attend for interview/assessment.

This information should be sought in the letter inviting candidates to interview or by

telephone – the HR Service will advise on the process.

Dismissal information

The revised application form also asks for information as to whether an applicant has

been dismissed from any employment and on what grounds. Panels are advised to note

the reason given and to seek advice from the HR Service as to the implications/relevance

for employment with the Council, e.g. dismissal on grounds of medical incapacity may

have no implications if the applicant were now fit for employment of this nature, whereas

dismissal on grounds of gross misconduct would be of significant concern.

Short-listing Don’ts

Recruiters are advised to be aware of their own personal preferences and potential bias, the

e-recruitment system will ‘hide’ personal details from the recruitment panel for the purposes of shortlisting. When the personal details are provided to the recruitment panel it is important that

recruiters consider the following:

Do not assume that younger women would be likely to leave to have children. In

fact, decision made on this basis would make the Council liable to claims under the

Equality Act, since the right of women to work and have children is established in law

and in the maternity leave and job-sharing schemes of the Council.

44


Do not assume that the candidate lives too far away. Since selectors will not know

whether the candidate is planning to move house, or may be able to make travel

arrangements, this would not be a valid reason for rejection.

In addition, the selection panel is advised not to exclude a candidate from any short-

list on the grounds of:

(a) His or her age, sex, sexuality, sexual orientation, marital status, ethnic

background, disability, religion or creed except on any grounds outlined in the

person specification under GOQ-s for race and sex. In those circumstances,

the disqualification and the reasons for it would have been written into the

person specification.

(b) Assumptions about the physical or mental qualities of able-bodied or disabled

men and women (such as “a disabled person could not do this job” or “only a

man/women can do this kind of work”). (c) A prison or any other sentence which has expired, except in those jobs where

the conditions relating to Rehabilitation of Offenders or Protection of

Children/Vulnerable Adults legislation applies. (Particular attention is drawn to

posts subject to vetting through safeguarding and pre-employment checks ,

e.g. all staff employed to work in schools, majority of Child and Adult Care

posts).

(d) The fact that the applicant lives outside the Borough (except in circumstances

where the determination of the Council or the matter of funding indicates

otherwise).

For short-listing purposes, only the Person Specification should be used as the selection criteria.

The panel could discuss and reach a common understanding of the criteria against which

short-listing is to be undertaken. A matrix could be used listing all essential attributes. A tick (

could be used for assessing each attribute. For instance, if eight essential attributes have to be

)

assessed, each panel member will be checking through the application forms by using ( ) for

each essential attribute.

If any candidate does not meet all essential attributes identified for short-listing, s/he should

not be short-listed.

Care should be taken that each panel member is checking independently of the others. Only

when this task has been fully completed should panel members then agree the finalised

shortlist.

If there are too many candidates meeting all the essential criteria and the shortlist is becoming

unmanageable, a pre-shortlist (long list) could be drawn up and some intermediate process

used to reduce the list to a manageable size, e.g. to invite all long listed candidates to a

preliminary interview or assessment process with either a cut-off point or “pass” score for

candidates to progress to the next stage. The process could then be repeated to draw a new

shortlist based on the preliminary results from the long list.

45


Short-listing Procedure There are many ways of a selecting shortlist so it is vital for the panel to agree on a method,

e.g. matrix scoring or individual assessing sheet, before starting the short-listing process.

Ideally at least 3 candidates should be short-listed and interviewed but in exceptional

circumstances and hard-to-fill posts, if there is only one suitable candidate who is short-listed

and interviewed and found to be suitable for the position that person may be appointed.

In instances of reorganisation and where assimilation and ring fencing apply, the Service

should seek advice and guidance from the HR Service. Similarly advice should also be sought

regarding consideration of displaced employees who may be at risk of redundancy.

All original material used in creating a short-list should be filed in the recruitment records. These

records are to be retained for a minimum of 6 months (linking to the potential timescales for a

complaint to be lodged with an Employment Tribunal).

Re-advertisements In the event of there being no suitable candidate, the level of the selection criteria should not

be lowered to enable existing candidates to qualify. Therefore it will be necessary to re-

advertise the vacancy. In such a case, before re-advertisement, it may be appropriate to

review the quality of the advert, media used, methods of recruitment and selection and other

factors concerning the post, e.g. grade and person specification etc.

Additional Information: Shortlisting Template

Application Form 1 – for General Use

Application Form 2 – for posts requiring safeguarding clearance

Application Pack – Employment information for candidates

46


SECTION 13 REFERENCES

Where possible, take up references, including sickness absence history, for all shortlisted candidates before interview if you can

Information should be shared with all the panel after interviews/selection

Panel Members should not also act as a Referee for a short-listed candidate other than where the internal candidate is from the same Service /Section and managers are involved in the process

47


Two written references should be sought for each candidate, one of which should be the most

recent employer, school or university/college. Written references should be sought on the

basis that referees have the job description and person specification and are encouraged to

comment frankly on short-listed candidates’ strengths and weaknesses in relation to those two

documents. Where necessary, officers responsible for recruitment could explore any doubtful

aspects of references by telephone with a current or past employer. A reference template is

provided as an example; this may be adapted or changed to suit the recruitment situation.

Employment history on application forms should be considered carefully, any gaps or

concerns about “reasons for leaving” can be asked of former employers, even if they are not

named as a referee by the candidate. It is recommended that if a candidate has previously

been employed by the Council, school, associate or partner of the Council, e.g. Housing

Association, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, the reason given for leaving is checked with the

previous employing service, and if this is found to be different from that stated or which

involves dismissal, that advice is sought from The HR Service.

Appointment to Posts Other Than Children’s Homes Written references should be taken up for all short-listed candidates where possible (including

internal candidates) and information shared with the panel following the recruitment interviews

and decision making process.

Consideration could also be given to the status of the referees with regard to whether the

person is a current employer or a personal referee. In this respect the contents of any

employer reference will be particularly important.

Under no circumstances should those who have been asked to act as referees for any

candidate take part in the recruitment process except when the internal candidate is from

the same Service/Section and managers are involved in the recruitment process. Other than

for posts subject to safeguarding checks which require two references.,

Any offer of appointment should not be made until the receipt of written references and

satisfactory clearances (i.e. medical, criminal record bureau clearances). Accordingly, any

provisional offer made should be conditional on receipt of satisfactory references.

Referees for all the short-listed candidates, internal as well as external applicants except those

who have asked for no contact to be made at this stage, should be taken up where agreed

by the recruitment panel.

The reference request letter should be sent as soon as the shortlist has been finalised. A

prepared addressed envelope should be sent for the reply.

If the references for all the short-listed candidates have been received the panel may decide

to examine the references prior to the interviews. However, if the references for all the short-

listed candidates have not been received, it is advised not to look at the references until all

the interviews have been completed.

Referees are under no obligation to supply references in response to our request, but it is

recommended that no firm offer is made until at least one satisfactory reference, (where the

48


applicant has been in employment this could ideally be from a current or most recent

employer) is received. In this connection the onus is on the applicants to ensure that their

referee provides a reference.

The selection panel are advised to take care not to attach too much ‘weighting’ to the

references alone. The real selection criteria are normally test/assessment scores, presentations,

interview performance and scoring based on these. References are a final check.

This Council has an Open Reference Policy, i.e. all employees can have access to references

written by officers of this Council. This policy shall also apply to references received from

outside the Council except in circumstances where a referee specifically requires that the

reference be treated in confidence.

Withdrawal of appointment offer due to unsatisfactory references/clearances or

sickness absence history

The offer of appointment can be withdrawn if poor/unsatisfactory references are received

including in relation to poor attendance records, or for example in relation to a

safeguarding screening check or unsatisfactory medical clearance from the occupational

health service. However, because of potential legal implications, services are strongly

advised to consult The HR Service before taking this action.

A Service may wish to re-consider a provisional offer of appointment in the light of the

information provided and/or medical advice, in which case officers from The HR Service will be

able to advise on how best to proceed.

Appointments to Children’s Homes

An applicant’s present employer should always be approached for a

written reference and applicants should be informed that the Authority

can approach any previous employer (or line manager) about the

candidate’s character and performance before interview.

For appointments to Children’s Homes, applicants who are not

prepared for references to be sought prior to interview should not be

considered unless there are exceptional circumstances (defined by

the chairperson of the selection panel)

Additional information:

Reference Template

49


Panel to agree questions to be asked along with the use of objective ways of measuring ability

All applicants should be asked the same questions. If further information is required, supplementary questions may be asked

SECTION 14

THE FINAL SELECTION

Measure the qualities, experience and abilities of all shortlisted candidates against the Person Specification

Record the reason for rejection on each application form

File all documents used in final selection with recruitment documents

Check qualifications if listed as essential in the Person Specification

Offer subject to satisfactory references and medical clearance

Carry out safeguarding checks for all appointments to post with substantial access to children /vulnerable adults before final offer of appointment

50


SECTION 14 THE FINAL SELECTION

Introduction

The aim of the final selection process is to measure the qualities, experience and abilities of all

the short-listed candidates against the person specification and to make a choice on that

basis alone.

The process is undertaken on the basic assumption that all the short-listed candidates have

the potential to do the job – or they should not be there! The aim is to give each of the

interviewees a chance to show what they know or what they can do (but beware of personal

bias and assumptions affecting judgement).

The final selection is not just a test of the candidates. It is equally a test of the ability of the

interviewing panel to listen, probe, and assess – above all to be objective and fair.

The panel members are advised to meet in advance of the interviews to set the

questions/tests/written exercises or presentation exercises. Where the candidates are

expected to do a presentation, they could be given a topic/issue in advance on which the

presentation is to be made.

The whole selection panel are advised to be present during such a presentation. This exercise

could be marked giving appropriate weighting within the selection process. Where the

Assessment Centre is used, staff from the HR Service and at least one member of the selection

panel could be involved.

It is recommended that interview questions are agreed in advance. If it is not possible to get

the panel together a few days before the interview, the best practice would be to meet

before the start of the interview and set the questions which should be directly related to the

contents of the Person Specification and Job Description.

Panel members are advised to agree on the model answers and the scoring system so that

they have a mutual understanding of the questions and are able to score consistently.

A typical score could be 0-10 for each question. The panel could also agree in advance on

the minimum appointable score. Normally this would be between 50% and 75% of the total

possible score from each panel member.

Apart from scoring independently of others during the interview or immediately after seeing

each candidate, each panel member may wish make their own notes that could be retained

for future reference.

At the Interview At the beginning of the interview, it is recommended that the chairperson of the panel

welcome the candidate and explain the interview procedure e.g. scoring and note taking. It

should be indicated that the interview is in line with the Council’s Recruitment and Selection

Policy Framework and Guidance of Good Practice and that candidates can ask questions at

the end of the interview. Candidates should also be informed when the decision is likely to be


made and when they can expect to be contacted. They could also be informed that if they

are unsuccessful, they can contact the chairperson for feedback on their performance.

All the candidates should be asked the same set of core questions based on the person

specification or equivalent, e.g. competencies. However, supplementary questions to these

can be asked in order to clarify or draw out the response from the candidate, or to probe

information supplied/obtained during any part of the recruitment process, e.g. supplied by the

candidate themselves on application or during the process, through test/assessment centre

results etc. It this way, each candidate may have a number of specific additional questions

asked of them that are evaluated separately from the core questions asked of all candidates.

A set of core questions which are relevant to the job and person specification should

be asked of all candidates

Selectors can ask supplementary questions related to the answers a candidate gives

at interview, and to probe or clarify responses, or to reframe questions if a candidate

appears not to have understood

Selectors are also encouraged to look at the application form and ask questions about

the statements in there to verify candidates past relevant experience and skills (or any

gaps), the level or depth of this experience if they have any doubts

To bring out/question something a candidate has put on their application form but has

not referred to in responses at interview or which is not borne out by any assessment or

test results

To question or probe something suggested by assessment or test results e.g.

psychometric test results such as how a person might deal with conflict.

In this way, it is reasonable to ask all candidates a core set of questions and each one a

number of individual questions related to the information they have provided or the

recruitment process has gathered about the candidate, as well as being able to refer to what a

candidate has put in their application. Each candidate should be asked as many or as few

supplementary questions as necessary; they don’t all have to be asked the same number.

Whilst scoring on this part, a maximum score should be agreed for the core questions. The

candidate specific questions should not be given a numeric score, because they may each

have been asked a different number of questions and some may have been for clarification

only, instead Panel members should make a comment on the answer as to whether they are

satisfied or dissatisfied with the response given, and the Panel should discuss these comments

during their deliberations to decide if any unsatisfactory responses materially affect the

appointment or not.

If the selection process includes using Assessment Centre tests, guidance and advice is

available from The HR Service e.g. Psychometric or personality profiling and other testing.

Use of Notes If candidates request to refer to written notes or any written material whilst answering the

interview questions (not the presentation exercises), it is recommended that they are informed

by the chair of the panel that note reading or reference to other material other than their

application form is not allowed. (However, where the candidate has an impairment, e.g.

candidates with a disability, it is recommended that this can be allowed).


Recommended Selection Do’s The final selection process should ideally be an objective measure of the candidates’ qualities. It should deal with all the candidates equally and deal only with their ability to carry

out the job. The process should, therefore, give all candidates an equal chance to show

whether they have the relevant attributes, experience, etc.

If, for example, one candidate has formal work experience whilst another has similar but less

formal experience, the aim of the final selection is to evaluate the different forms of

experience by relating it to the needs of the job. Formal experience could not be assumed to

be superior.

It is recommended that candidates, particularly those interviewed for management positions,

are tested on equality and diversity matters. However, selectors are advised to be clear that

they are testing a candidate’s willingness and ability to implement a policy and not their

approval of it. All successful candidates should be able to indicate an awareness and

understanding of equality and diversity matters in order to meet Council objectives in these

areas.

If candidates are being interviewed for internal promotion ideally an officer from outside the

immediate senior management group could be involved from another part of the relevant

Directorate.

If a short-listed candidate is unable to attend an interview because of pre-booked holidays or

sudden illness, it is recommended that every effort is made to interview such a candidate on

an alternative date, providing the delay is not more than two weeks, subject to the needs of

the service and other than in very exceptional circumstances.

If a panel member knows a particular candidate personally or socially outside work, it is

recommended that the friendship is declared in accordance with the relevant Codes of

Conduct before the interview. Either the selector should withdraw from the panel or, if this is

impractical, an officer from The HR Service or another Service could be invited to attend the

interview.

Each member of the selection panel should make their own notes, undertake scoring and

record any other comments during the short-listing and interview process in legible

handwriting for future reference. All documents used in the final selection process are to be

filed in the recruitment record. The reasons for rejecting each candidate should also be

recorded and filed with other documents. A monitoring form with categories of reasons for

rejection/selection is provided for the panel to complete and this information is subsequently

input to the Council’s recruitment monitoring system. Panels may also keep additional notes

on scoring sheets and use these to provide feedback to candidates if requested.

If a qualification/driving licence is listed as an essential requirement in the person specification,

all the short-listed candidates should be asked to bring with them the proof of their

qualifications/licence. No offer should be made without checking the relevant documents.

Recommended Selection Don’ts Candidates should not be asked about age, sex, religion/faith, sexual orientation, family

commitments, ethnicity, disability or creed, unless these are strictly relevant to the job. If such

information is to be obtained because of its relevance, it is recommended that all candidates

are asked for this information. Selectors may, for example ask candidates in general terms

whether they can fulfil the special conditions of the job (e.g. working unsocial or irregular hours)

but they are advised not to ask specific questions about personal and family commitments.


It is not recommended that candidates are at any stage of the selection process be

interviewed by one interviewer alone. Any assessment centre or tests could however be

moderated by one person, but during open days, longlisting interviews and other interviews, it is

recommended that at least two people are involved.

If a candidate outside the selection process approaches any panel member by telephone or

personal contact, they are advised to only use the conversation for the giving of information

and that this is not evaluated or regarded as part of the selection process. It is recommended

that details of such a contact is documented and filed in the recruitment records.

Assessment Centre and Psychometric Tests It is strongly recommended that selection panels use objective ways of measuring the abilities

of the candidates, such as Assessment Centre exercises and work tests rather than relying on

interview alone. These tests and exercises are usually designed to be free of gender and

culture bias. The HR Service can advise on the relevance and suitability of these tests for

different circumstances.

The Assessment Panel for these exercises would normally need to involve officers trained in the

use of such tests and, in the case of psychometric tests, qualified to do so.

An assessment centre typically consists of a range of tests and exercises relevant to the job

and is used as a diagnostic process to assess the suitability of candidates for the position

concerned. This is only one possible part of the process and does not normally take the place

of the interview which is undertaken at a later stage. Assessment centres or testing can also be

used to supplement shortlisting processes to screen or reduce “longlists” to more manageable

sizes and the environment can often be less formal for candidates than more formal interview

processes.

Competency based selection methods Competency based selection methods are part of the approach which can be used in an

assessment centre. The name assessment centre is a collection term used to describe all such

activities. A competency based approach would tend to have a number of job specific

exercises and possibly less focus on the primary importance of the formal interview within the

process. These are both complimentary techniques which are increasingly used in selection

today for jobs at all levels including within RBC.

Safeguarding Screening Checks/References/Medical Clearance Safeguarding and screening background checks are to be carried out for all appointments

to posts with substantial access to children or vulnerable adults. The final offer of

appointment should not be made or appointment confirmed until such checks are completed.

However in certain circumstances Heads of Service may consider a conditional appointment if

the individual can be closely supervised. Advice should be sought from The HR Service.

If a provisional offer of appointment is made subject to safeguarding checks and other

clearances, e.g. references and medical clearance, the successful candidate should be

advised not to resign their current post prior to completion of all checking processes. The

confirming offer should be only made following satisfactory completion of all checks.

It is recommended that there is no unsupervised access to children before the completion of

all checks, e.g. safeguarding checks, Central Government lists, Service of Health’s Consultancy

Service, the Children’s Barred List, verification of birth certificates and educational/professional

qualifications. In case of a name change, it is advised that original documentation, e.g. birth


certificate, is checked along with the new name verification, e.g. marriage certificate, name

change by deed poll.

Making an Appointment After or during the interviews the panel members are advised to complete their scoring and

notes. Having seen all the candidates, the panel are advised to discuss the performance of

each interviewee, referring to their notes and scorings. Ideally, a consensus will be reached

by using a process of eliminating and agreeing on the best candidate. If a consensus is not

possible, a majority decision could be taken based on the panel’s scorings.

During the interview process and between seeing the candidates, the panel are advised not

to discuss the performance of individual candidates. This is normally better to take place after

seeing all the candidates so as not to pre-judge candidates before objectively considering all

the information about them and when the panel members have scored for all the candidates.

Following scorings, the panel could eliminate those all those everyone has scored as “not

appointable” and focus discussions on the top three scores from each panel member’s individual scores.

If there are significant differences on scorings between the panel members in relation to a

particular candidate, the panel are advised to explore the reasons for difference and see if a

consensus could be reached on one or more candidates. The preferred candidate can then

be made an ‘intention to appoint’ offer.

The model wording (see below) is provided as guidance for the Panel to use while contacting

the successful candidate. It should be remembered that at this stage the post is not being

offered but you are conveying your intention to appoint. This is to accommodate any

outstanding matters such as medical clearance (where appropriate) and the provisions of the

Council’s Recruitment Complaints Procedure.

If a recruitment complaint is received before the provisional offer of employment if confirmed, it

is recommended that advice is sought from The HR Service and that the letter of

appointment confirming the offer is withheld pending consideration of the complaint. The

successful candidate should be informed about the situation and possible delay due to

investigation.

Appointable but unsuccessful candidates As stated earlier within the Guidance, details of appointable but unsuccessful candidates can

be retained and they can be considered for other vacancies to save on recruitment costs

providing the posts are similar and grades are the same or overlapping.

Appointable but unsuccessful candidates can therefore be treated as a “pool” for future

posts to save on recruitment. Alternatively, as already practiced in some services,

appointable candidates can be held on a list and offered the next available equivalent post

within the Service (even in a different location or different hours) – particularly beneficial in

areas of high turnover. In addition where Services recruit to temporary or casual registers,

provided the recruitment process is sufficiently robust, was external and was of an equivalent

standard, Services can make a business case to the Head of The HR Service and appointable

candidates could be recruited to a temporary/casual position and interviewed/appointed to a

permanent position without having to re-submit an application form.


Additional Information: Interview format Assessment Centres, Psychometric Testing and Competency Based Approaches

Safeguarding checks Approval form for appointment prior to screening and clearance

received

Revised Complaints Procedure

Retain recruitment records for a minimum of 12 months from the date of interview.


SECTION 15 RECORD KEEPING

In every recruitment and selection process, including promotion, the

Responsible Officer is required to keep for a minimum period of 6 months from

the date of interviews, containing:

(a) the Job Description

(b) the Person Specification

(c) copies of the recruitment advertisement(s)

(d) a copy of any brief informal discussion

(e) all application forms (including a copy of that of the

successful applicant)

(f) a timetable of the recruitment and interviewing processes

(g) copies of questions and answers for each candidate

(h) notes or assessments made by selectors, particularly those

which relate to the reasons for selection (if desired, these

can be placed in sealed envelopes by the selectors and

opened, with their permission if required)

(i) any correspondence with candidates and their referees

(j) the name of the Chairperson and the panel members

The Chief Executive and/or nominated representative(s) will have the right to examine the records of any recruitment process.

All records of interviews and the outcome of any tests or safeguarding screening check are confidential and should be

treated accordingly.


SECTION 16 FEEDBACK TO UNSUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES

Inform the interviewees about the outcome as soon as possible preferably by telephone Inform unsuccessful shortlisted candidates why they were unsuccessful

Inform candidates about the Authority’s Recruitment Complaints Procedure 2007 and their right to raise a complaint if they feel they have been unfairly treated


SECTION 16 FEEDBACK TO UNSUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES

Introduction The Council aims to take all reasonable steps to ensure that best recruitment and selection practice is

achieved and maintained in all instances. The overriding principle and indeed legal requirement is on

all occasions to appoint the best person for the job.

An unsuccessful applicant will invariably be disappointed at their lack of success and may question the

outcome. This is a natural reaction. Members of any recruitment panel should be available and able to

provide unsuccessful applicants with feedback on their applications.

It is recommended that all short-listed candidates are informed about the outcome of the interview as

soon as possible. If requested they should be informed why they were unsuccessful. Any candidate

who asks for it should be given that information in writing.

In the first instance, an unsuccessful applicant should be directed to seek verbal or written feedback

from the Chair of the Recruitment Panel as to why their application was unsuccessful or why they were

unsuccessful at interview.

The Chair or nominated member of the Recruitment Panel should respond to the complainant as soon as

practicable. The response should normally be in writing unless the complaint is of a minor nature when an

oral response may be given. The matter may be satisfactorily resolved once an unsuccessful applicant

has been given meaningful feedback about their application or interview performance.

If dissatisfied with that response, a job applicant who has a substantive and genuine complaint may

pursue that complaint by use of the Council’s formal Recruitment Complaints procedure by writing to the

Head of The HR Service.

Use of this procedure does not preclude the rights of any individual to seek legal or trade union

advice and to pursue their complaint through an Employment Tribunal and an assurance is given that

anyone who makes a complaint or supports a complainant in any way in the pursuit of the complaint will

not be victimised, discriminated against or otherwise treated less favourably or unfairly in relation to a future

job application.

The procedure is intended to cover all aspects of the recruitment and selection process including

those relating to advertising, documentation, short listing, assessment/testing, interview and selection.

As soon as the panel members or the senior officer/s within the relevant service become aware of

any complaint, they are advised to consult The HR Service and suspend all further recruitment steps if

practicable. Equally, if the complaint is sent direct to the Head of The HR Service, he will refer the

complaint to an officer for consideration and the Service will be informed.

There are occasions, hopefully rare, where there may have been an obvious unintentional error, e.g.

administrative error or a candidate who with hindsight or on further consideration did meet the

shortlisting criteria, in which case you are advised to seek advice from The HR Service and to see if there

is some remedy that can be agreed.


Confidentiality Certain information will not be made available to complainants, e.g. personal information relating to

other applicants.

A record of all recruitment complaints and the action taken will be maintained and monitored by The HR

Service and reported to Elected Members on a regular basis.


Review of complaints procedure April 2007

The Recruitment Complaints procedure has been reviewed and amended so that investigations do not

take too long to investigate and hold up the appointment process. Experience has shown that the

majority of complaints raise issues of technical and procedural detail and rarely highlight issues involving

more serious abuse of rights.

The revisions to the procedure are focus upon :-

greater expectation for feedback before going into a formal procedure

the formal procedure to involve paper based assessment of whether any prima-facie case of

abuse of rights exist. Technical and procedural issues will be given lesser priority and will be

undertaken as an assessment of the issues rather than by means of an investigative procedure.

This will be paper based and will not involve interviewing any of the parties.

where there is a concern that there may have been a potential abuse of applicants rights a full

investigation will be undertaken.

removal of the 5 waiting days before confirmation of appointment, on the basis that the complaints procedure should focus on the minority of circumstances where issues are highlighted rather than to hold up the majority of appointments that are straightforward.

Additional Information: Recruitment Complaints Procedure

Reviewed March 2016


Rochdale Borough Council

Number One Riverside

Smith Street

Rochdale OL16 1YH

rochdale.gov.uk

01706 647474

[email protected]

Recruitment and Selection Framework and … and Selection Framework and Guidance for Managers...

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