Recruitment Guide

Responsibilities

Everyone is expected to work in line with the process and principles set out in this guidance.

Recruiting managers will:

  • Use this guidance and advice from the Recruitment Team to apply effective methods in selecting the best person for the role
  • Consider individual needs and provide support and reasonable adjustments in line with equality legislation where applicable
  • Review new vacancies alongside workforce plans and service priorities
  • Consider the needs of colleagues to work flexibly and the potential for the vacancy to be used to support retention before beginning the recruitment process
  • Ensure all recruitment activities are planned thoroughly with clear timelines 
  • Follow agreed processes for job design, job matching and authorisation
  • Complete any training required to ensure they can be compassionate, consistent and unbiased in their role
  • Build a culture within their teams that supports open conversations with staff that are leaving to understand why, and use this feedback to learn and change where needed

 

The Recruitment Team will:

  • Support recruiting managers to ensure outcomes are reached in line with agreed timescales whenever possible
  • Provide administration for each stage of the recruitment process
  • Advise about the recruitment process to ensure it's comprehensive, effective and inclusive
  • Provide advice and guidance related to employment legislation and NHS Terms and Conditions
  • Seek support where necessary about issues that might impact the recruitment process, for example, finance, legal or occupational health
  • Equality, diversity and inclusion specialists will provide advice and guidance, and participate in processes to support recruiting managers as necessary or requested.
  • Candidates are expected to reply to all invites and information requests in a timely manner so that the process is completed efficiently.

 

How this guidance promotes a kind and caring culture

This guidance commits to recruiting people into roles in line with the principles set out in the NHS People Promise.

We know that supporting our candidates helps them showcase their skills and experience so we can understand what they can bring to the role.

This guidance framework therefore encourages recruiting managers to develop engaging recruitment processes and to ensure all candidates are treated with respect and care.

This includes giving feedback to candidates who request it so that they understand their development needs.

 

How do we know that this guidance treats people fairly?

In line with the NHS equality, diversity and inclusion improvement plan and public sector equality duties, whenever we write a guidance, we always do an Equality and Health Impact Assessment (EHIA) to ensure it treats everyone fairly and does not disadvantage or discriminate against anyone or any protected group. Our guidance also aims to encourage people from under-represented groups to apply for our roles.

We also review our policies regularly to see how we are doing, which includes listening to colleagues' views and reviewing information about how the guidance works in practice.

 

What to expect during the recruitment process as a candidate

As a candidate, it's important that you have the time, resources and space to fully participate. We want to support you in showing your skills, values and competencies at every stage of the recruitment process.

This guidance offers support or guidance so you can get the help you need.

 

Applying for a role

Usually, you will be asked to complete an application form via Trac to show you would like to be considered for a role. If it would help you to use an alternative method, you should speak to a member of the Recruitment Team to agree this.

Your application will provide the recruiting manager with information about how your skills and experience match the role.

Read the job description and person specification documents, which will be made available to you. These are important as they include information about the skills, knowledge, values and experience that are needed for the role. These documents will be used throughout the recruitment process to make decisions.

If you need help applying or understanding the documents, or if you have any questions or feedback, you should contact the recruiting manager or a member of the recruitment team.

They will talk to you about the support you might need and will answer your questions about the role or your application.

 

Guaranteed interviews

Within your application, you will be asked if:

  • You consider yourself to be disabled under the Disability Confident Scheme
  • You are a current member or veteran of the armed forces
  • You are a care leaver, have any experience of being in care, or of being within the care system
  • You are currently declared at risk within Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

If you have answered yes to any of these questions and you meet the essential criteria for a role, you will be selected to attend an interview or assessment.

You will be informed in writing if the information in your application does not show you meet the essential criteria. In this case, you will not be invited to attend an interview or assessment.

If you believe you meet the essential criteria, you should inform the member of the recruitment team or the recruiting manager who will respond to you as soon as possible.

 

Collecting information about you

As part of your application, you will be asked to provide information about your race, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, sex, gender, marital status, disability, caring responsibilities and age. These are known as protected characteristics.

You do not have to provide this if you do not wish to.

The information you provide is protected by law and will always be used in a way that complies with the law's guidelines. For further details about data protection, please use the link provided in appendix 1.

The information will be used to understand who applies for roles and who is successful or not. Collecting this information aims to help us understand any problems or unfairness during recruitment. It will also be used to promote equality, reduce discrimination and take positive action to bring about change.

The personal information you provide will be kept confidential and will not be shared with those making decisions to appoint you to a role. If the recruiting manager needs to know information about your health or disability to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process, this would be discussed and agreed with you before the information is shared.

 

Getting support if you have a disability

As part of your application, you can confirm if you consider yourself to have a disability. If you do, a member of the recruitment team will use your application to understand if you are eligible for the Disability Confident Scheme. What this means for interview selection is explained on page 6 and a link to information about the Disability Confident Scheme is also provided in appendix 1. You won't be asked for details about your health or disability until after you are offered the role.

You will also have the option to ask for reasonable adjustments to support you in completing your application or during interviews and assessments. For example, you may be given additional time during an interview or assessment.

If you ask for reasonable adjustments or support, a member of the recruitment team or recruiting manager will contact you to discuss your needs. We'll handle these discussions privately and only share your information with your consent and when essential, such as when seeking advice from occupational health.

You will receive a response as soon as possible, and your request will be supported if reasonable.

 

Making decisions

The recruiting manager will choose at least 1 other person to support them in making decisions during the recruitment process. This is often known as a shortlisting panel or panel . Those involved will understand the role being recruited or have other specialist knowledge that will help them make good decisions. They should be objective and have the skills and knowledge to ensure they can take part in the process in a fair way.

When the job advertisement deadline has passed, personal information about you, including your protected characteristics, will be removed from your application form before being sent to the panel. The panel will review every application. They will score each application by reviewing it against criteria that are outlined in the job description and person specification.

You will normally need to meet all the essential criteria to be shortlisted.

The scores from all panel members will be used to agree who will be invited to the next stage of the process.

 

What to expect during interviews and assessments

If you are shortlisted for a role, you will be asked to attend an interview with the recruiting manager and panel to assess your skills and abilities. You might also be asked to complete a task or discuss agreed topics with a group, and you might meet other team members.

You will be told about any tasks or assessments before the day of the interview. You might be provided with detailed information about these beforehand. Sometimes this will be provided on the day. You'll always be given time to prepare if needed.

Sometimes interviews and assessments are held online. If so, you will be provided with the information you need to attend.

Make sure you have everything you need to take part, and let the recruiting manager or member of the recruitment team know if you need support or do not have the correct equipment.

There will normally be time set aside for you to ask any questions you have about the role, team or department. If you would like to discuss opportunities for development this is a good time to ask. You can also discuss flexible working. You can request to work flexibly from your first day. Links to more information about flexible working can be found in appendix 1.

 

Deciding who will be offered the role

During the interviews and assessments, every panel member will complete their own scoring using pre-agreed criteria to ensure fairness and consistency.

When all the interviews have been completed, the panel will discuss their scores and answers to agree who will be offered the job.

You will hear back from the recruiting manager or a nominated person, who will inform you of the decision.

 

Feedback

You can request feedback by contacting a member of the recruitment team or the recruiting manager if you would like to know more about why and how the decisions were made.

 

Being offered a role

When you are offered a role, we want it to be as quick and easy as possible for you to start. Often, if you already work in the NHS, information will be transferred to help with this process.

To begin with, you will be offered the job subject to the satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks.

 

Pre-employment checks

Pre-employment checks include:

  • verification of identity check, including photo ID
  • Right to work in the UK
  • Occupational health assessment
  • Employment history and references
  • Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, if required
  • Proof of professional registration and qualifications, if required
  • Fit and proper person requirement, if required

You can read more about pre-employment checks by using the link provided in appendix 1 .

You will be asked to complete the necessary checks for the role. The checks will be started by using either an electronic identity checking system or at a face-to-face appointment. It can take time to wait for responses to the checks.

To help us process your application faster, ensure you reply promptly to all requests, providing as much information as possible and speaking to referees to let them know that they will be contacted to give a reference.

A member of the recruitment team or your new manager may contact you to discuss any feedback or questions related to your pre-employment checks.

 

Declaring a conviction

If you have been convicted of a criminal offence, sometimes the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 allows you to regard the conviction as spent and to answer the question as though the offence had never happened.

If you are applying for a role that is eligible for a DBS Check, you will be asked to complete this check as part of the pre-employment check. Depending on the level of check requested, you may need to disclose spent convictions and cautions. The DBS filtering guidance provides information about this. The job description and person specification will state what level of check you will be asked to apply for.

If you need help to apply or to understand the pre-employment checks, including the documents involved, contact a member of the recruitment team.

 

Sponsoring you to work in the UK

If you do not already have the right to work in the UK, you will need to be sponsored to work under the skilled worker visa route set out by the UK immigration system. As part of the skilled worker route, certain roles in the NHS are eligible for the health and care visa, which has a lower application fee and is exempt from the immigration health surcharge.

However, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship, therefore a member of the recruitment team will check:

  • The role is on the list of eligible occupations for a skilled worker visa or health and care visa
  • Your pay meets the minimum salary requirements for sponsorship
  • You are eligible to be sponsored
  • If there are any other route-specific requirements

They will liaise with you to check the sponsorship requirements are met. If they are, they will complete the sponsorship process to enable you to apply for your visa.

You can check the likelihood of obtaining a visa for the role you are applying for on the GOV.UK website.

 

Flexible working

If you would like to request flexible working and haven't discussed this during the recruitment process, speak to your new manager as soon as possible, as this might be possible from your first day. This will ensure there is time for options to be explored.

Appendix 1 provides links to a flexible working toolkit for individuals. Your new line manager or a trade union representative can provide advice and support about flexible working and how to request it.

 

Reasonable adjustments for your new role

During your pre-employment check, you should outline and discuss your health, and any disability and reasonable adjustments with occupational health. Doing this will ensure they provide the right advice to your manager to help them support you in your new role.

If you need reasonable adjustments for your new role, your new manager will meet with you to discuss how these will be provided.

You might already have reasonable adjustments in place in a previous role; you should discuss these as they could be

transferable. If you have a reasonable adjustment passport documenting the adjustments that have worked well for you, you can give this to your manager to help them understand and get the right advice.

If you are worried or need advice about reasonable adjustments, speak to a member of the recruitment team, occupational health, or a trade union representative.

 

Receiving a contract

Once the pre-employment checks have been completed, a member of the recruitment team will contact you to confirm that you are ready to arrange a start date with your new manager.

Once a start date is agreed, you will receive a contract of employment if you are to be employed on a permanent or fixed term contract. If you will be joining the staff bank, you will receive a bank or worker agreement. This document will confirm that you will agree, as and when, with the organisation the hours or shifts you will work.

Check the contract to ensure the details are correct, and speak to a member of the recruitment team or your new manager if you have any questions or something isn't right.

If you are moving from another NHS organisation or have previous roles in the NHS, you should speak to a member of the recruitment team to get advice about the elements of your contract that will continue in your new employment.

The NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook provides full information in Section 12: Reckonable Service. 

 

Preparing to start your new role

Your new manager will contact you to welcome you to the team. They will arrange for you to attend induction training, meet new colleagues and receive information about your new role.

If you have worked in the NHS before and are transferring to a new organisation, you may be able to transfer your mandatory training and employment records. Speak to a member of the recruitment team for information about this.

You will need to attend corporate induction, which will include important training. Your new manager will also arrange training about your department and role.

To ensure you are ready to start your new role, you will receive essential items, including your new starter paperwork and an identification badge. You will also be given access to the systems you need to start your new role.

If you are a bank worker, you will attend a corporate and role-specific induction and onboarding when you first join the bank (if you have not already completed these) or from time to time as required. You will also have ongoing and regular clinical supervision where applicable.

 

Resolving concerns

If you are unhappy about any part of the recruitment process, you should contact a member of the recruitment team. You might also wish to contact a trade union representative or a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian to get help and advice.

A member of the recruitment team will arrange to discuss your concerns in more depth.

 

Appendix 1: Further help and guidance

NHS Employers

 

Fit and Proper Persons test (NHS England)

 

Values based recruitment

 

International recruitment

 

Reasonable adjustments

 

Further guidance for managers

 

Flexible working

 

Other useful guidance