Recruitment and
Selection
.
P r o c e d u r e
Contents:
Pre-Employment Checks for
Successful Candidates
17
Personnel Records
20
4
Withdrawing an Offer of
Employment
20
Performance Indicators
4
Feedback for Applicants
20
Recruitment and Selection
Training
4
Complaints
21
Equal Opportunities
4
Recruitment Records
21
Access to Information
21
Time Off for Interviews
21
Exit Interviews
22
Introduction
2
Responsibilities
2
Recruitment Analysis
3
Confidentiality
Covering the Vacancy by Means
Other than Recruitment
5
Redeployment
6
Create or Change a Post
6
Recruitment Checklist
7
Role Profile
7
Person Specification
7
Job Information Pack
9
Vacancy Advertising
10
Selection Methods
11
Short-listing Applications
12
Notifying Unsuccessful
Applicants
13
Invite Candidates to Interview
13
Planning for Interview
14
Conducting the Interview
14
Making a conditional offer of
employment
16
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Fife Council March 2015
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Introduction
In Fife Council, those involved in the recruitment and selection process are
responsible for adhering to the Council’s recruitment and selection policy and
procedures.
This procedure is designed to assist recruiting managers meet and adhere to
the guiding principles set out in the Council’s RS01 Recruitment and Selection
Policy.
Procedures relating to recruitment and selection processes can be found on
the Council’s intranet, under HR Direct and in the Recruitment tab.
Recruitment Portal
The Council’s recruitment is organised and processed through the
myjobscotland recruitment portal. The recruitment portal is used by other
Scottish local authorities and other public sector organisations across
Scotland.
To support a structured and systematic process, job applicants will require to
be registered with myjobscotland before they can make an application. In
normal recruitment circumstances, Curriculum Vitae (CVs) will not be
accepted in place of or in addition to the application form.
Recruiting managers using the myjobscotland recruitment portal for the first
time will need to contact The Council’s recruitment team by emailing
[email protected] to request that they be added as a user to
myjobscotland recruitment portal. First time managers must secure the
approval from their manager that they be added as a user to the recruitment
portal. Line manager approval should be forwarded to The Council’s
recruitment team with the request to be added as a user to the myjobscotland
recruitment portal.
Responsibilities
Recruiting manager
The Recruiting manager must ensure that the recruitment and selection
process is followed through correctly.
The Recruiting manager is responsible for:
•
Reviewing the need for the post
•
Preparing the timetable for recruitment
•
Assigning responsibility for tasks within the recruitment process
•
Selecting/establishing the Selection Panel and properly involving the
Selection Panel at the different stages in the process
•
Ensuring the accuracy of the Job Information Pack including the Job
Profile and Person Specification or Role Profile.
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•
Responding to enquiries and ensuring the correct information is
forwarded to e.g. The Council’s recruitment team.
•
Planning and arranging the recruitment and selection exercise
including short-listing, interviews and selection tests
•
Leading on the recruitment decision
•
Making the conditional offer of employment to the preferred
candidate(s)
•
Confirming the pre-employment documentation
•
Providing a start date and start details
•
Ensuring that induction is arranged.
The Council’s Recruitment Team
The Council’s recruitment team provides advice and support on good practice
relating to the Council’s recruitment and selection policy and procedures and
the myjobscotland recruitment portal.
Support includes assisting recruiting managers with the co-ordination of the
recruitment process including issuing communications to applicants at each
stage of the process based on the information supplied by both the manager
and the applicants.
The Council’s recruitment team can be contacted on telephone 03451
550088, internal Fife Council VOIP 2100 or email
[email protected]. Their postal address is, Fife Council, Finance &
Corporate Services, The Council’s recruitment team, Fife House, North
Street, Glenrothes, KY7 5LT.
Selection Panel
The Selection Panel has the responsibility for appointing the applicant who
best matches the person specification. Its composition depends on the level
of post being filled. The minimum number of members of the panel is two.
Panel members should be chosen on the basis of knowledge, skills and
experience and responsibilities appropriate to the post to be filled.
All members of the panel, who are decision makers in the appointment,
should be involved in the whole recruitment process including deciding the
method of recruitment, short-listing, selecting appropriate selection methods,
interviewing and decision making. If any member of the selection panel
perceives that there could be a potential conflict of interest they should
declare this to the recruiting manager.
Recruitment Analysis
It is essential that we document the recruitment exercise to ensure that we
can demonstrate that our recruitment and selection processes and
procedures are fair. Recruitment information could also form part of the
evidence if an unsuccessful applicant complains, makes a claim to an
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Employment Tribunal or requests information under either the Data Protection
Act or the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act.
Confidentiality
Job applications and related information must be treated confidentially. Only
those who are involved in the recruitment process should have access to the
job application forms and other recruitment information.
Performance Indicators
The Council uses performance management systems to improve
organisational results by actively managing Performance Indicators (PIs).
Working with Directorates, recruitment and selection performance measures
have been established and are reported and published quarterly.
The reported performance indicators are:
1. Time to make job advert live (Recruitment Team Action)
2. Time to shortlist applicants (Directorate Action)
3. Time from interview to manager checks complete (Directorate Action)
4. Time to send conditional offer of employment (Recruitment Team
Action)
5. Time from conditional offer of employment to all checks complete
(Directorate/Recruitment Team Action).
Recruitment and Selection Training
Those involved in the recruitment and selection process should have received
training on the portal, processes and standards. Every recruitment panel
should have at least one interviewer who has been trained. Recruiting
managers are responsible for ensuring they attend training where this is
provided.
The corporate training course is available and can be accessed through the
Council’s CLMS and a basic Recruitment & Selection unit is also available on
“E-learning” which can be accessed via the Council’s intranet.
Equal Opportunities
Fife Council is serious about eliminating unfair discrimination and promoting
diversity and equal opportunities. We are committed to providing employment
opportunities on a fair and equal basis and creating a working environment for
all employees that is safe, accessible, free from harassment or discrimination
and which values and respects each individual’s identities and cultures. It is
against Council policy, and illegal, to discriminate against an applicant
because of race or ethnicity, gender (including considering, undergoing or
having completed gender reassignment), sexual orientation, age, religion or
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belief, disability, or Trade Union affiliation. In some circumstances it is also
illegal to discriminate against those with spent criminal convictions.
The Council participates in the national Positive about Disabled People
guaranteed job interview scheme often referred to as the Double Tick
Scheme or Initiative. Reasonable adjustment must be considered on a case
by case basis.
Equal Opportunities Monitoring
Fife Council is committed to providing equality of opportunity in employment
and in our recruitment and selection practices. We will gather and use equal
opportunities data, such as information on gender, ethnic origin and disability,
to give us a profile of our workforce and to make sure that our policies and
procedures do not unlawfully discriminate.
We ask all applicants to help us by volunteering to complete the equal
opportunities monitoring information as part of their job application. The
information provided by applicants is treated as confidential and is not passed
to the recruiting manager.
Our policy document EO01 Equality of Opportunity Policy provides more
information on our commitment to equality.
Information on translating and interpreting information can be obtained from
the Council’s Equalities team on VOIP 442814 or 03451 555555, ext 442814
or email: [email protected]
Covering the Vacancy by Means Other than Recruitment
Before creating a new job or when a job becomes vacant, managers must
carefully consider how it will be filled or if it needs to be filled at all. A job
becoming vacant is an opportunity to review the job requirements and the
duties attached to it. Where a manager wants to significantly change the
duties of a job this must be discussed in advance with their HR Business
Partner.
It may be appropriate for the manager to fill the gap by secondment, acting up
or redistribution of the work. For information, refer to TE12 Secondment
Guidelines and TC01 Fife Council Single Status Terms and Conditions (Page
9 Higher Duties Allowance). In the case of secondment or acting up, using the
myjobscotland recruitment portal may not be necessary provided that the
manager has satisfied themself that they have been made aware of all the
employees who may be interested in the vacancy. Managers must exercise
caution when filling a job without wider advertising as there could be a
potential conflict with equality of opportunity.
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Redeployment
Prior to advertisement, all vacancies will be assessed on their suitability for
employees on redeployment. Refer to MC63 Redeployment – A Guide for
Employees
Create or Change a Post
Establishment Change Form
If the job has not been evaluated previously, or the job does not have an
approved Role Profile on the Council’s intranet, FISH, the recruiting manager
must consult the job evaluation section on the Council’s intranet, FISH and
follow the guidelines. The financial implications will be assessed by Finance
before authorisation by the relevant Head of Service.
To get a new job approved, or a significant change to an existing job
approved, a new Role Profile must be developed. To create a Role Profile,
recruiting managers can review the following documentation:
CC33 Role Profile Guidelines
CC37 Role Profile HR How To Guide
CC34 Role Profile Evaluation Template
CC38 Role Profile No Evaluation Template
On contacting your HR Business Partner, they will arrange for the post to be
evaluated and graded. Once your RS60 Establishment Change Form has
been confirmed the recruiting manager would be required to seek
authorisation from Finance and Corporate Services, and their Head of Service
before the recruitment process can commence.
RS60 Establishment Change Form must be completed and sent to your HR
Business Partner along with the new Role Profile. The recruiting manager
should allow ample time for the various parties to complete this process. The
Establishment Change Process Flow Chart available on the Council’s intranet
outlines who is involved, when, and how long it will take them to complete
their part of the process.
Approval to Advertise
Job adverts must not be sent to the Council’s The Council’s recruitment team
until all the signatures giving authorisation are obtained. Form RR79
Recruitment Portal Advertising Request Form must be completed. This is an
e-form which can be found in the Do It On-line section of the Council’s
intranet.
The recruiting manager should contact their Head of Service regarding their
vacancy and arrangements for advertising approval. When the vacancy is
approved by the Directorate Management, form RR79 Recruitment Portal
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Advertising Request Form should be completed and submitted to the
Council’s recruitment team. The Council’s recruitment team aim to make the
vacancy live on the recruitment portal within five working days of receipt of the
form.
Recruitment Checklist
There are many stages in the recruitment and selection process and it is
fundamental that the recruiting manager can provide evidence that each
stage has been completed. The RR50 Recruitment Checklist must be
completed for every recruitment exercise. The checklist includes mandatory
information that is required to comply with legislation, policy and procedures,
and must be completed in full.
The RR50 Recruitment Checklist is held in the recruitment file. Completed
checklists may be scrutinised by internal audit and external regulatory bodies
when they carry out inspections of the Council’s recruitment or personnel
files. The Council’s recruitment team will complete the checklist when they are
co-ordinating the recruitment exercise.
Job or Role Profile
The Job or Role Profile helps to ensure there is no doubt or ambiguity about
the requirements of the job. A good Job Profile should include; the main
purpose of the job, the main tasks and responsibilities and the scope of the
job. The length and complexity of the Job or Role Profile will vary depending
on the post but a straightforward outline is important for every job to:
•
Provide the basis for preparing the Person Specification;
•
Provide the basis for establishing the correct grade/salary for the job;
•
Enable prospective applicants to assess themselves for the job;
•
Provide a benchmark for assessing each applicant and;
•
Enable the recruitment of the best applicant for the job.
It is the manager’s responsibility to ensure the Job or Role Profile is up to
date taking account of the job family requirements. Refer to RS71 Job
Information Pack for the Job Profile template.
Person Specification
The Person Specification should be developed after the Job or Role Profile.
The requirements identified in the Person Specification will help with the
preparation of the recruitment advert. It is a tool to help select the applicants
for interview and the interviewee to be appointed.
A Person Specification is an assessment of the key skills, knowledge,
attainment and attitude required to perform the job using objective criteria and
how this will be assessed and scored fairly. The applicant’s application, the
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interview, psychometric tests, work sample, group exercises or in-tray
exercises can all contribute to the assessment of the applicant.
The Person Specification must be justifiable, quantifiable and measureable
and of direct relevance to the job as it is documented in the Job Profile. A well
written Person Specification will minimise subjectivity during recruitment and
selection and assists to avoid subconscious bias and unjustifiable
requirements.
The Council’s Person Specification format distinguishes between Essential
and Desirable criteria. The Essential criteria should describe the minimum
requirements to carry out the job effectively and safely.
The Person Specification must not contain any unjustifiable requirements to
avoid the possibility of discrimination. For example, the Person Specification
must not request a set time length of experience (e.g. 10 years) but should
describe the experience wanted.
The minimum educational qualifications should be stated in the Essential
Criteria along with the words ‘or equivalent’. Consideration must take account
of qualifications achieved down the years e.g. Scottish O Grades, Standard
Grades, National Course, Highers and of qualifications obtained in the
different UK countries e.g. GCSE, A Levels or overseas. Consideration must
also be given to what equivalents would be e.g. a pass at Standard Grade
General level. Serious consideration must also be given to the qualification
being requested for general type posts e.g. does a clerical assistant need to
have Standard Grades in Maths and Science. Whatever criteria is inserted in
the advert and Person Specification is what the recruiting manager must
shortlist against.
If in doubt reference should be made to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications
Framework (SCQF) or the Office of Qualifications and Exam Regulations.
Concise statements should be used to describe the requirements of the
applicant’s experience. For example, ‘ability to use Microsoft Word to produce
complex reports and letters for mail merge’, ‘ability to lead and motivate
teams, ‘ability to manually handle heavy stock and equipment’. These types
of statement can be measured against the applicant’s evidence.
There will be circumstances where driving is intrinsic to the job e.g. driving a
Council vehicle as part of the main function of the job e.g. refuse vehicle
operative. In other situations the actual need is for the employee to travel as
opposed to being able to drive. Where driving is a core function of the job, the
question to be asked on the Job Specification is, “Do you hold a current
driving licence?” Licence Classes should be stated. Should an applicant not
hold a current driving licence and the requested Classes, they should not be
shortlisted as they do not meet the Essential Criteria. Where a driving licence
is definitely required to be able to carry out a function that is intrinsic to the
work, the manager must keep a written note of their reasons for this
requirement.
A standard health related statement is in the essential criteria in the Person
Specification for every Council post. Additional criteria can be added if
applicable to a specific post, however managers must ensure that they do not
breach equality legislation.
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Refer to RS71 Job Information Pack for the Person Specification template.
Job Information Pack
The recruiting manager is responsible for ensuring the quality and accuracy of
information and presentation of the RS71 Job Information Pack. Its purpose is
to provide information to encourage suitably qualified and experienced people
to apply for jobs. It should contain relevant and accurate information,
presented in an attractive, easily understood way and should be easily
accessible to applicants, promoting a positive image of the Council as an
employer and Fife as a place to live and work.
To achieve this, the Council has the following procedure:
•
All Fife Council vacancies are placed on the recruitment portal.
•
The Job Information Pack must be attached to the vacancy and be
available in an accessible electronic format i.e. Microsoft Word,
suitable for downloading and printing by applicants.
•
Additional information may also be included, provided it is relevant to
the post and is suitable for printer friendly electronic format.
•
The style and format of all job information should be consistent, to
provide quality and good presentation. Arial size 12 is the standard
font.
•
Recruiting managers should refer to RS71 Job Information Pack and
modify it accordingly for their vacancy. A new Job Information Pack
template can be downloaded from the Council’s intranet for each new
job to be advertised, or by contacting the Council’s recruitment team.
Each template should be saved using the Job Title and date.
•
All Job Information Packs must contain the standard range of
information, listed below.
Front Cover Information Sheet.
The information box on the front cover of RS71 Job Information Pack should
be completed for your vacancy.
Job or Role Profile
You will need to include the up to date Profile.
Person Specification
If you have a Job Profile, as opposed to a Role Profile, you will need to
include the up to date Person Specification.
Directorate/Service Information
You will need to include the short information statement about the
Directorate/Service to allow all applicants to identify with the aims and values.
The information should complement the job description, terms and conditions
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and information on Fife and Fife Council by summarising information on
where the vacancy falls within the structure. Most applicants will appreciate a
snapshot, though there is a case for providing more detail for senior
management positions. The following is a guide:
• Introduction – describing the overall role the Directorate/Service
provides to the people of Fife.
• Activities – a brief description of what the Directorate/Service does
and the specific issues it covers.
• Aims - a brief description of what the Directorate/Service aims to
deliver for the people of Fife.
• Resources - this can be a broad description of locations, facilities,
finances, staffing, transportation, machinery etc.
• Organisation chart - this should show the general overall structure
and should not identify names, grades etc.
Terms and Conditions of Employment
The text in this section is set by Human Resources.
•
The Council’s recruitment team will insert the appropriate terms and
conditions to the employee group e.g. Single Status, Teachers, Chief
Officers.
The text in this and following sections is set by Human Resources. The
Council’s recruitment team will include these sections when advertising a job.
How to Apply
This section gives applicants summary information about our recruitment and
selection process, how to apply and about support that we offer to make the
process accessible.
Pre-employment Checks
This section gives applications general information on the pre-employment
checks that will be undertaken at interview and post interview stages.
Working in Fife Council
This section gives applicants information about working with Fife Council.
Living and Working in Fife
This section gives a short information statement about Fife, the place.
Vacancy Advertising
The job advert should be based on the Job Profile and Person Specification
or Role Profile.
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Recruiting managers must give careful consideration to the wording of job
adverts so that job opportunities are not restricted unjustifiably to certain
individuals or groups by the inclusion of unjustifiable requirements. Recruiting
managers should refer to guidance RS21 How to Write a Recruitment Advert.
When setting their interview date, the recruiting managers must take account
of the time that is required to publish a job advert on the recruitment portal.
Posts can be advertised on the portal for a minimum of four days and up to a
maximum of 30 days.
Internal Only Adverts
Vacancies advertised for ‘internal applicants only’ allow applications from
temporary and permanent Fife Council employees, casual workers and
agency workers currently working in Fife Council. This does not include
external consultants and others who are not classified as agency workers
under the Agency Workers Regulations.
Applications are also allowed from clients currently registered as participating
in an employability programme delivered by Fife Council or an associated
‘Opportunities Fife’ partner organisation. A list of these is available on the
Council’s intranet. Only clients who are registered as ‘live’ on one of the
current programmes are eligible to apply for internal vacancies.
Individuals who are employees of ‘Opportunities Fife’ partner organisations
will not be considered as internal applicants.
In exceptional circumstances e.g. redeployment or managing change exercise
vacancies, may be restricted to ring-fenced employees.
External Adverts
If, after advertising a post internally, the response is unsatisfactory, the
recruiting manager can make a request for the post to be re-advertised
externally on the recruitment portal. The manager will need to complete and
send RR72 External Recruitment Advertising Request Form to the Council’s
recruitment team. Managers should refer to guidance RS21 How to Write a
Recruitment Advert and RS22 How to Request an External Recruitment
Advert.
Where the manager requests that a post be advertised externally using
advertising sources where costs are involved, the manager must prepare a
business case which includes the rationale for selected external media and
includes a full timetable from advertising to interview date, including potential
employee start date.
Selection Methods
Interviews
The interview will be one of the main opportunities to assess whether an
applicant for a job meets the requirements identified in the person
specification. A consistent approach to interviewing must be applied.
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Interviews should be carried out by a minimum of two people. For Team
Manager level the minimum number of interviewers is three. Appointments at
Chief Officer level must be made in line with the Scheme of Delegation. The
same participants should be involved throughout.
In advance of the interviews the Selection Panel should prepare and
document the interview questions which give candidates the opportunity to
demonstrate that they meet key aspects of the criteria in the Person
Specification.
Fife Council adopts a behavioural framework approach to the recruitment and
selection of employees. Managers should refer to guidance OD12 How We
Work Matters Framework and RS32 How We Work Matters Interview Guide.
It may not be possible to assess candidates’ applications against all the
Person Specification criteria statements on the basis of the evidence provided
on the application. The panel members should decide which key criteria will
be assessed as part of the short-listing process. The selected criteria in the
Person Specification should then be analysed and a decision taken as to how
the evidence will be collected.
The same core questions should be used for every interview conducted for
the post. Different supplementary questions can be asked to probe
candidates further and satisfy information gaps. Questions should not be
asked that relate to any of the protected characteristics.
Additional Assessment Techniques
The interview can be complemented by carefully selected techniques which
may include presentations, psychometric assessments, group exercises, case
studies or in-tray exercises. Where testing is to take place it must be based
on appropriateness to the post and be properly evaluated.
The decision as to what selection methods should be used is normally the
responsibility of the selection panel.
Where Selection Panel Members are considering using psychometric tests
the recruiting manager should contact the Council’s recruitment team for
advice. For guidance on psychometric testing refer to RS27 Psychometric
Testing Procedure.
Short-listing Applications
The Council’s recruitment team will notify the recruiting manager when the
advert for their vacancy closes.
Selection Panel Members must take care when short-listing to ensure that
they are fair to applicants, lessen the possibility of inviting unsuitable
applicants to interview and reduce the scope for potentially costly claims of
discrimination.
Selection Panel Members should familiarise themselves with the criteria in the
Person Specification. Individually, recruitment panel members should
compare each applicant to the essential criteria and score each applicant as a
means to decide whether the applicant should be short-listed. Recruitment
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panel members should then compare their lists and scores to achieve
consensus. A short-listing template should be used to help managers with the
short-listing exercise. Managers should refer to RR51 Recruitment Shortlisting Template.
If too many applicants meet the Essential criteria the applications should be
assessed against the Desirable criteria.
Applicants who apply under the Positive about Disabled People guaranteed
job interview scheme often known as ‘double tick’ must be offered an
interview where they meet the Essential criteria in the Job Specification.
Recruiting managers are responsible for ensuring that any applicants who
have applied under the ‘double tick’ initiative (identified by a 999 total score
on the myjobscotland recruitment portal), and meet the essential criteria for
the post, are invited to interview. Refer to EO11 Equality of Opportunity Guidance for Managers for further information.
Candidates should be given a minimum of five days’ notice of their intended
interview. Recruiting managers must be mindful that adequate notice has
been given to candidates. More notice should be given where candidates
have been asked to prepare a presentation or undertake tests prior to their
interview.
For those candidates who require to travel long distances to attend their
interview, managers should carefully consider alternative options such as web
or video conferencing as an alternative to candidates travelling to the
interview.
Invite Candidates to Interview
The recruiting manager should schedule the interview using the “interview
scheduler tab” within the recruitment portal. Recruiting managers then select
candidates for interview and an email is sent to these candidates to selfselect interview times via the recruitment portal.
Relevant forms will be attached to candidates and will include a selfdeclaration form RR57 Criminal Convictions Declaration Form - Non PVG or
RR58 Criminal Convictions Declaration Form - PVG and RR56 Immigration,
Asylum & Nationality Act information leaflet.
Notifying Unsuccessful Applicants
After the recruiting manager has invited shortlisted candidates to interview
they will inform the unsuccessful applicants by sending an email from the
portal. This will include the manager’s contact name, email address and
telephone number should any of the applicants require feedback.
The recruiting manager is responsible for providing feedback to candidates at
every stage of the selection process and must ensure that they have recorded
their notes carefully to help give feedback.
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Planning for Interview
Prior to the interviews, the recruiting manager should check their interview
schedule on the recruitment portal to confirm which candidates have selected
which time slots and download their interview schedule. Recruiting managers
should note that candidates can book their interview slot up to the time of the
interview.
Pre-employment Documentation
Robust pre-employment checks must be carried out for all candidates invited
to interview and before a preferred candidate is allowed to commence work.
It is the responsibility of the recruiting manager to check pre-employment
documentation, normally at the interview, and arrange for photocopies of the
originals to be taken. Recruiting managers should use RR61 Recruiting
Manager Interview Checklist to record the candidate’s documentation.
The recruiting manager must sign and date each of the photocopies as
evidence that the original document has been seen. Where the recruiting
manager is unable to photocopy the documentation at the interview, they
should advise the candidates accordingly and inform them that they will have
to provide their original documentation should they be the preferred
candidate.
Documentation includes:
•
eligibility to work in the UK
•
qualifications, as required for the post
•
professional registration, if appropriate for the post
•
proof of identity for Disclosure Scotland application (if appropriate)
•
Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme Record (where the
candidate has an existing PVG)
•
Driving licence, if it is an essential criteria for the post
RR55 Confirmation of Identity Form must be completed for every candidate
and signed and dated by the recruiting manager.
Recruiting managers should contact the Council’s recruitment team for advice
should they have any concerns or queries.
Conducting the Interview
The interview should be structured. It is normally the recruiting manager's
responsibility to direct the interview.
The process must give all candidates an equal chance to provide evidence of
their match to the role.
The selection panel should share the questioning to allow all members
adequate time to make notes on the RR53 Interview Question Scoring Matrix.
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Selection Panel members should note evidence of the candidate’s ability to
match each attribute. Panel members should complete each candidate’s
Selection Record Form before commencing the next interview.
At all times the recruiting manager should ensure that the Council is
represented in a way that promotes good employment practice and service
delivery.
Scoring Candidates
During interview, each of the Selection Panel should complete RR53
Interview Question Scoring Matrix. The information from this form should be
combined at the end and entered into the recruitment portal by the recruiting
manager. This form will assist interviewers to assess the candidate’s
evidence against the criteria in the Person Specification or Flexible Role
Profile to determine which of the candidates is the best match to the criteria.
Interviewers should form their own opinion at the end of each interview. After
all the interviews have taken place the Selection Panel should try to reach a
collective decision by discussion on the basis of the evidence presented by
each candidate.
Reaching a Decision
When all interviews and selection testing of all candidates has been
completed the recruiting manager should initiate the decision making process.
The aim of this process is to assess, based on the evidence provided, which
of the candidates is the best match to the criteria in the Person Specification
or Flexible Role Profile. Where more than one candidate meets all the
essential criteria the selection panel should consider the candidates who best
match to the Desirable criteria in the Person Specification. Thereafter the
recruiting manager should record the selection decision.
If no candidate meets the job criteria the post should not be filled at this
stage. If no suitable candidate is identified, the recruiting manager must
contact the Council’s recruitment team to advise of the situation.
Terms and Conditions on Appointment
During interview it is important that the recruiting manager explains the terms
and conditions and discusses the salary of the post with the candidate. The
terms and conditions should be contained within the RS71 Job Information
Pack for the post. Candidates need to be able to decide whether they wish to
continue with their application based on the level of salary that will be offered.
Care should be taken when discussing salary at interview as anything offered
may be contractually binding and difficult to withdraw from at a later date.
Successful candidates will normally be appointed at the scale minimum.
However where the job can be regarded as a promotion, candidates can be
placed on the scale at a point that will result in a salary increase in line with
Single Status Terms and Conditions (Single Status jobs) or National
Conditions of Service (other jobs).
Managers can exercise discretion and offer a higher starting salary in
exceptional circumstances e.g. market forces, securing the best candidate.
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This should only be done in consultation with the relevant budget holder and
advice sought from the Council’s recruitment team to avoid potential equal
pay claims. Confirmation of the agreement and details of those involved
should be sent to the Council’s recruitment team.
Making a conditional offer of employment
The Selection Panel should identify the suitable candidate. As long as the
recruiting manager has fully satisfied themselves that the candidate is entitled
to work in the UK, the recruiting manager can make a verbal conditional offer
of employment to the preferred candidate. The recruiting manager should
outline the conditional offer by confirming the salary, the temporary
arrangement or permanency of the post and advise of any outstanding preemployment checks e.g. references, employee health screening, PVG as
appropriate, etc.
Where the preferred candidate is from outwith the European Union (see
RS20 Employing Overseas Workers Procedure), the recruiting manager must
contact The Council’s recruitment team for advice prior to making a
conditional offer of employment.
When the preferred candidate verbally accepts the offer of employment the
recruiting manager must confirm the successful candidate’s details by email
to the Council’s recruitment team at [email protected]. The
recruiting manager should complete RR62 Successful Candidate Information
Form, providing a proposed start date for the successful candidate, place of
work and salary placement. The proposed start date should be based on an
indicator of the employment checks to be undertaken and the candidate’s
notice period. No candidate should commence in work until the preemployment checks have been confirmed as satisfactory.
The recruiting manager must then undertake the following actions: RR61
Recruiting Manager Interview Checklist should be used as a guide and to
check off the actions.
a) Send all recruitment paperwork for the successful candidate only,
including RR61 Recruiting Manager Interview Checklist, the signed
RR55 Confirmation of Identity Form to [email protected]. If
you do not have a scanning facility, copies of the relevant
documentation must be sent to the Council’s recruitment team, Fife
House, North Street, Glenrothes, KY7 5LT.
b) RR57 Criminal Convictions Declaration Form - Non PVG or RR58
Criminal Convictions Declaration Form - PVG sent to successful
candidate.
c) Provide full contact details should candidates ask for further
information or feedback.
On receipt of the recruiting manager’s RR62 Successful Candidate
Information Form and accompanying pre-employment information, the
Council’s recruitment team will aim, within four working days, to issue the
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conditional offer of employment and request any outstanding employment
checks from the preferred candidate. It is the manager’s responsibility to
ensure that they send the pre-employment information immediately to the
Council’s recruitment team.
Pre-Employment Checks for Successful Candidates
Satisfactory pre-employment checks must be carried out for all successful
candidates prior to commencing work.
When the pre-employment checks are satisfactorily completed, the Council’s
recruitment team will email the recruiting manager to confirm the new start
details provided earlier by the manager. Following confirmation, an
unconditional offer of employment will be issued to the successful candidate.
Unsatisfactory Pre-Employment Checks
If the pre-employment checks are unsatisfactory the Council’s recruitment
team will notify the recruiting manager and request that a risk assessment be
carried out. Once complete, the recruiting manager must email the Council’s
recruitment team to confirm whether or not to proceed with the appointment
process. If an offer is to be withdrawn, following a discussion with the
recruiting manager, the candidate must be notified in writing by the recruiting
manager. The written communication will be issued by the recruiting
manager. Following this the recruitment paperwork will be returned to the
recruiting manager and must be held for a period of six months after the
interview.
Eligibility to Work in the UK
It is a criminal offence to employ someone who is not entitled to work in the
UK. Each candidate must be asked to produce appropriate documentation to
confirm that he or she is legally permitted to work in the UK, as listed in the
Immigration Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 leaflet.
Managers must check and retain copies of the documents required to confirm
eligibility to work in the UK. Refer to RR55 Confirmation of Identity and
Document Check Form. This information is also provided to candidates in the
Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 leaflet.
Some of the documents required for this purpose may also be used to
confirm identity as required to apply for Protection of Vulnerable Groups
(PVG) Scheme Membership or an Enhanced/Standard/Basic Disclosure
Certificate.
For further information on recruiting and sponsoring a migrant worker refer to
RS20 Employing Overseas Workers Procedure and the Immigration Asylum
and Nationality Act 2006.
References
References should be requested after the interview for the preferred
candidate only. It is illegal to ask about health or sickness absence before the
interview.
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For further information on references refer to RS57 Job References
Requesting and Providing Guidelines.
Evidence of Qualifications and Professional Memberships
Where a particular educational or professional qualification (or equivalent)
and membership is required for the job, or where there is a minimum standard
of education expected for the job this must be reflected in the Job Profile or
Role Profile. The recruiting manager should ask the successful candidate to
provide the original documents for inspection. These should then be copied
and forwarded to the Council’s recruitment team.
If no certificate can be provided, the candidate is responsible for obtaining a
copy from the relevant awarding institution or examination body.
It is the responsibility of the recruiting manager to verify with the SQA, or
relevant body, qualifications that are presented as equivalent.
Managers can carry out a check, with the relevant awarding institution or
examination body, if it is suspected that the certificate is not original, is
forged, or has been tampered with. Managers must keep a record of this
check.
Registration with a Regulatory Body
Where it states in the Job Information Pack that a candidate is required to be
registered with a regulatory body such as the SSSC or the GTCS, this must
be verified with the regulatory body as appropriate and a copy of the
candidate’s registration certificate or number kept. In case of dispute or if
there is reason to doubt that the claimed registration is genuine, clarification
should be sought from the regulatory body.
Driving Licence
Where a Driving Licence, Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC)
and/or Driver Qualification Card (DQC) is specified on the Person
Specification, the candidates will also need to provide evidence that they are
legally allowed to undertake the driving duties of the post on an on going
basis or of the number of hours of periodic training undertaken since issue of
the CPC or DQC. Managers must keep a record of this check.
Criminal Convictions
The recruiting manager will open the preferred candidate’s RR57 Criminal
Conviction Declaration form and assess the information provided and its
relevance to the post.
Criminal convictions will be considered in relation to the job a person is
applying for and will bar a person from a job only where the conviction is
relevant to the job. Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (2009 Order)
someone who has been convicted may, with certain exceptions, be
rehabilitated and allowed to treat the conviction as if it had never occurred.
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For further information refer to RS02 PVG Scheme and Disclosures Policy,
RS12 PVG Scheme and Disclosures Procedure and RS19 Overseas Criminal
Record Checks Procedure.
Disclosure Scotland Checks
Some posts will require additional criminal record checks in line with
legislation and regulatory requirements. These checks are undertaken
through Disclosure Scotland.
For further information on Disclosure Scotland including checking for the
Protection of Vulnerable Groups Scheme refer to RS02 PVG Scheme and
Disclosures Policy and RS12 PVG Scheme and Disclosures Procedure.
Protection of Vulnerable Groups Scheme (PVG)
The successful candidate for any position that involves regulated work with
children, protected adults, or both, must hold PVG membership for work with
the relevant group(s). For information on Disclosure Scotland including
checking for the Protection of Vulnerable Groups Scheme refer to RS02 PVG
Scheme and Disclosures Policy and RS12 PVG Scheme and Disclosures
Procedure.
Overseas Criminal Record Checks
Disclosure Scotland is not able to check the criminal history system of
candidates from countries outwith the UK. It is the successful candidate’s
responsible for obtaining an overseas police check where they have:
a) spent three months or more (in a single period) in an overseas country
within the last five years;
b) moved to the UK within the last 10 years having previously lived
abroad for most of their adult life.
If necessary, they may need to provide a translated check from the
country/countries involved at their expense.
For further information refer to RS19 Overseas Criminal Record Checks
Procedure.
Pre-Employment Health Screening
In accordance with the Equality Act 2010, the pre-employment heath
questionnaire will be sent to the successful candidate only.
RS61 Pre-employment Health Screening Procedure ensures that potential
employees are able to do the job without risk to themselves or others while
providing equal access to employment.
There are different processes for health screening depending on the type of
job being recruited for. Managers must read and comply with the instructions.
If the procedures are not followed correctly there is a risk that Equality or
Health and Safety laws will be broken. A manager may be personally liable if
an injury or illness is caused by a failure to do health screening properly.
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The successful candidate must complete the RR65 Pre-employment Fit for
Work Declaration Form. Some candidates, depending on the role or the
answers given to the declaration or questionnaire may be invited to a medical
examination. A Certificate of Fitness will be issued by the Council’s
Occupational Health provider and this will be shared with the manager.
For further information refer to RS61 Pre-employment Health Screening
Procedure.
Personnel Records
In some instances, employees have been re-employed following a
redundancy exercise. Employees who have accepted redundancy from Fife
Council may have limits placed on them in terms of re-employment with Fife
Council. Reference should be made to ER01 Early Retirement Policy and
ER11 Early and Flexible Retirement Guidelines.
If the successful candidate has worked for the Council before, the recruiting
manager should make arrangements to obtain the personnel record and have
it checked against the application form and other information obtained.
Discrepancies should be investigated.
Withdrawing an Offer of Employment
In Fife Council, offers of employment are made subject to certain conditions
being fulfilled in the form of pre-employment checks. An offer of employment
cannot be confirmed if any of the conditions are outstanding unless we
decided to waive that condition.
Where a conditional offer of employment has to be withdrawn the recruiting
manager should contact the candidate to set out the position, the cause or
reason why the job offer is being withdrawn. The recruiting manager must
follow up the conversation in writing.
Once an unconditional offer of employment has been accepted any
withdrawal of the job offer will be a breach of contract, giving the candidate
the potential right to seek damages. In some cases, damages are equivalent
to the contractual notice period that the candidate would have been entitled to
had they started work.
Feedback for Applicants
Feedback can help applicants identify areas where they can improve their
suitability in the future. It may also reassure the applicant that the recruiting
manager’s decision was fair. The purpose of the feedback is not to debate the
recruitment decision made.
Where a recruiting manager is asked for feedback, they should take time to
carefully consider the key points and ensure that these are related to the Job
Profile and the Person Specification or Role Profile.
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Complaints
There is a two-stage complaint process. Complaints about recruitment should
be investigated and responded to within 20 days at each stage. Complaints
will be handled in the same way for internal and external applicants.
During Stage 1, recruitment complaints should normally be responded to by
the recruiting manager in the first instance but this would depend on the
nature of the complaint. At Stage 2, applicants who remain dissatisfied can
complain to the Head of Human Resources who will arrange for the matter to
be investigated and a final response to be sent.
Further information on the Council’s complaints procedures and processes
are available on the Council’s intranet.
For further information contact the HR Direct Helpline [email protected]
or telephone VOIP 2000.
Recruitment Records
All recruitment and selection records must be held for a period of six months
after the interview; thereafter the records for the unsuccessful applicants
should be confidentially destroyed. Should there be any criminal conviction
forms these should be shredded unopened after the completion of the
recruitment and selection exercise.
For the recruitment records of the successful candidates, refer to CC55
Guidance on Contents of Personnel Files.
Access to Information
The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act (FOI) gives anyone the right to
request information about any processes, including the recruitment process,
within Fife Council. Although information which may identify individuals cannot
be provided certain summaries of information can be. If an FOI request is
received regarding any aspect of the recruitment process contact should be
made with the Council’s Information Management Team immediately for
guidance.
The Data Protection Act (DPA) applies to personal data. The Act allows
people to find out what personal information is held by organisations about
them by making a Subject Access Request (SAR). Persons who wish to make
an SAR to Fife Council will need to provide evidence of their identity. If an
SAR is received contact should be made with the Council’s Information
Management Team immediately for guidance.
Time Off for Interviews
Fife Council employees are allowed paid time off to attend interviews for jobs
within the Council. Employees are not allowed paid time off to attend
interviews with any other organisation. The NHS, the Civil Service, the
Scottish Government, the Fire Service, the Police (including civilian posts)
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and other local authorities are external organisations. Employees should use
annual leave or flexi-leave to attend interviews with these or other external
organisations.
Employees who are working notice of redundancy are allowed reasonable
time off with pay to attend interviews regardless of whether the job is internal
or external (see MC01 Managing Change Policy).
Exit Interviews
The Council recognises the importance of examining why employees choose
to leave. Our way of doing this is by conducting exit interviews.
See RS15 Exit Interview Procedure.
Produced by Fife Council Human Resources
11 March 2015: Issue Number 21
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