3. candidate selection
TRANSCRIPT
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Contents ................................................................................................................ 2
Selection Criteria .................................................................................................. 3
Choosing your selection methods ...................................................................... 5
Agree Scoring and Decision Guidelines ............................................................. 8
Decision Guidelines ............................................................................................. 9
Reaching a total score ....................................................................................... 10
Weighting Criteria .............................................................................................. 10
University Appointing Bodies ............................................................................ 11
Longlisting ........................................................................................................... 11
Shortlisting .......................................................................................................... 11
Sending Invitations / Rejections ........................................................................ 11
Academic and Research References ................................................................ 11
Finalising Selection Arrangements ................................................................... 11
Conducting Selection Arrangements ................................................................ 11
Interviewing candidates with a disability ............................................................ 11
Using Behavioural Attributes ............................................................................. 11
Making a Selection Decision .............................................................................. 11
Candidate Expenses ........................................................................................... 11
Contents
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1. Selection Criteria
Selection criteria are the benchmark
against which all applicants for a vacancy
are judged. Their purpose is:
To enable selection panel
members to assess candidates
against consistent and objective
standards, increasing the likelihood
of an effective selection decision
being made
reducing the risk of discrimination,
and;
To provide a structure for short-
listing and other selection activities,
making them more focused and
organised.
Selection criteria should be based on the
skills, knowledge and experience required
for the job, as described in the Person
Profile section of the role profile. This
ensures that candidates will be measured
against the standards which have already
been identified as being required for
effective performance, enabling selection
panel members to select based on the
best fit with the role.
It also means that the Person Profile
(which is reproduced in the Further
Information document from the role
description) will accurately
communicate to potential applicants
how applications will be assessed.
Positive indicators should be
constructed for each criterion to assist
members of the Selection Panel to
make objective and consistent
assessments. Positive indicators are
examples of how a candidate would
demonstrate that they meet the required
standard. Indicators are not intended to
be an exhaustive or definitive list but a
tool to aid effective assessment.
Positive indicators are published for the
University's behavioural attributes;
these may assist you in developing
positive indicators for your selection
criteria.
Constantly monitors and
assesses progress.
Plans alternatives
and contingency
plans.
Knows the status of their own work
and any spare time or resources to do other work.
Identifies important activities
and milestones, establishing
importance and urgency.
Assesses new information and reorganises the
workload to meet new demands.
Examples of positive indicators for effective planning and organising skills might be:
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Reducing the risk of discrimination
Selection criteria must be measurable,
objective and defensible. They must not
be either directly or indirectly
discriminatory (unless an Occupational
Requirement is being applied). The
following types of criteria routinely arise in
relation to indirect discrimination claims
and should be avoided:
Length of service.
Willingness to work hours outside
the normal working day.
Preference for full-time as opposed
to part-time experience.
Acceptance of UK academic or
professional qualifications only.
Age restrictions.
Please see the Equality Law and
Recruitment section for further
information on occupational requirements
and discrimination.
Recording selection criteria It is important that you keep a record of the
selection criteria that you use in your
recruitment process. This will help ensure
that you can justify your decisions, explain
the process by which they were reached,
provide structured feedback to applicants
and respond to any claims of
discrimination.
The HR6 Selection Criteria template is
provided for you to capture your selection
criteria, positive indicators for your criteria,
whether they are essential or desirable, any
weighting given to the criteria and how they
will be assessed.
Departments / Institutions are welcome to
use an alternative form of the HR6,
however, it must be ensured that the
relevant information is captured.
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2. Choosing your selection methods
Once you have constructed the selection
criteria for your vacancy, you need to
decide which selection methods you will
be using to assess how far each
candidate meets these requirements.
Various selection methods exist and
they vary in the information that they
provide, their reliability in predicting
performance and how easy and
expensive it is to use them.
The Guide to Selection Methods
provides an overview of the most
common selection methods. Which ones
you should use will depend on the type
of position being filled and the selection
criteria being assessed.
Using more than one selection method
gives a more rounded assessment of
candidates and increases the likelihood
of an effective selection decision being
made. Some of the decisions you will
need to make are outlined overleaf. The
HR6 Selection Criteria template is
provided for you to record the methods
you will be using to assess each
selection criterion:
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Which criteria will be assessed at each stage and which
methods will be used?
How many stages there will be in the selection process?
Which methods enable the most effective assessment of a
selection criterion, e.g. not all criteria may be assessed
readily in a written application.
Will each part be a means to progressing to the next stage
(hurdle approach) or will all parts of the selection process be
used to determine which candidate is selected (whole picture
approach)?
How many criteria can be effectively assessed by one
selection method, e.g. assessing a relatively small number of
criteria initially can avoid the process becoming unwieldy.
How quickly you need to make an appointment?
If it is critical to have someone in post quickly, you may
need to have a shortened selection process.
(A less rigorous process could increase the risk of an
unsuitable candidate being appointed.
Whether any positive action provisions will be
incorporated into the decision making process?
This provision would be used if two of more candidates
are assessed as being equally suitable.
The Exceptions to Equality Law page of the Equality Law
and recruitment section provides further information on
this.
What type of role is being recruited to?
Senior positions often involve more selection stages and
larger numbers of assessors.
Who should be assessing the candidates at each stage?
You should pay particular attention to identifying and
meeting any particular appointment arrangements which
are required by Statutes and Ordinances. What resources are available?
For instance, considering the availability of people to be
involved in the process, venues and equipment.
How many applications are you likely to receive?
The more applications you expect, the more stages you may
want to use to reduce the number of applications in a
manageable way
This may mean using less resource intensive methods
initially, for example, conducting long-listing before short-
listing or telephone interviews before face-to-face interviews.
Considerations when choosing selection methods
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3. Agree Scoring and Decision Guidelines
Scoring systems determine how each
applicant's performance against the
selection criteria will be assessed and
decision rules determine how these
scores will be used to decide who will be
invited to proceed to the next stage of
the process.
The role of the assessor in the selection
process is to assess reported
experience, skills and behaviour (e.g.
from application forms or interviews) and
observed skills or behaviour (e.g. from
tests or simulations) according to the
selection criteria. Scoring systems are
commonly used as a systematic means
of indicating how well a candidate has
met a particular selection criterion. The
use of a structured scoring system can,
at first, appear complicated. However, it
can help simplify the process, as well as
making it more consistent and objective.
The scoring system should be agreed
before in advance of the selection
process and applied consistently. If you
choose to use your own scoring system,
please amend the HR10 Assessment
Record (the document which is
provided for assessors to record the
scores given to candidates) to reflect
this. A suggested scoring system for
you to use is provided below:
Does not meet the requirements / no evidence provided 0
Meets the requirements in some respects 1
Meets the requirements in most respects 2
Meets the requirements effectively 3
Exceeds requirements 4
At each stage in the process, applicants should be scored separately before a final mark
is discussed and agreed by the assessors/selection panel. This is to prevent unfair
biases from influencing decision-making.
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Decision Guidelines
It can be helpful to agree and record in advance decision guidelines about who will
proceed to the next stage of selection and who will be rejected. Having such
guidelines can help ensure objectivity, provide a structured framework to facilitate
decisions and retain focus on what a particular stage in the process is there to
achieve.
Examples of decision guidelines are:
‘X number of applicants with the highest total scores will be invited to proceed
the next stage of the process.’
‘Applicants who score 0 or 1 in more than two criteria will be eliminated from the
process.’
The guidelines agreed should reflect
what is required for the job. For
example, if acceptable performance is
required in all areas then the decision
guidelines should reflect this. If you have
categorised your criteria as essential or
desirable, your decision guidelines
should reflect this. That is, by basing
selection decisions on the scores given
for essential criteria except where you
need to use desirable criteria to
distinguish between candidates who
appear equally suitable for the position.
When planning how candidates will be
assessed, the Appointing Body can
consider whether or not it would be
appropriate to apply positive action
provisions if two or more candidates are
assessed as being equally suitable.
Certain conditions need to exist for
positive action measures to be used
and evidence needs to be gathered to
demonstrate that these exist. Therefore,
it is important that it is agreed well in
advance of the start of the selection
process whether positive action might
be taken, if required. Please see the
Exceptions to Equality Law pages of
the Equality Law and recruitment
section for further information.
The HR11 Selection Results Grid
provides you with a section for
recording your decision guidelines.
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Reaching a total score
You should agree in advance how you will reach a total score for your candidates so
that the process is as objective as possible.
Where a combination of selection methods is used and more than one score has been
assigned for each selection criterion, there are a number of ways in which scores can
be combined:
Average the scores given for the selection criterion to give a single score.
Assessors discuss the evidence for each rating of the selection criterion and
agree a single score.
Add all the scores allocated to a candidate together to create a single overall
score.
Whether you will add the scores together for the selection methods employed in a
particular stage of the process only or for the whole process so far will depend on
whether you decided to take a hurdle or whole picture approach when planning your
selection process (see the Overview page in the Choose selection methods section
for further information).
Weighting Criteria
Some specific criteria may not be of equal importance to the overall selection decision.
If this is the case, you may choose to prioritise certain criteria by weighting the scores
given to candidates for these requirements. A simple means of doing this is to allocate
percentages to each criterion so that the total comes to 100. An example is provided
in the table below of how such weightings can be used to multiply the initial score given
to a candidate to reach a weighted total score. You can read more about scoring in
the Agree scoring system and decision rules section.
Selection Criterion Number
Score Weighting Total Score
1 4 40 160
2 3 20 60
3 4 20 80
4 2 10 20
5 3 10 30
Total 350
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An appointing body is the collective name for people responsible for making
selection decisions (including shortlisting) for a post or posts. An appointing body
must:
As far as possible, appointing bodies should not be made up of members from one
group (e.g. white males, people with a particular career track record). Appointing
bodies for Clinical School appointment will always be gender balanced.
Always comprise of
more than one person.
Include people with in-depth
knowledge of the different aspects
of the role to be performed.
Follow the same procedures
as a Selection Committee and
to the same standards.
Academic-Related Offices and Posts
Appointments to academic-related offices and posts should be made in accordance with either
the Statute or Ordinance establishing the office concerned, or with the Council and General
Board's Notice on appointing arrangements for certain academic-related offices.
Special Ordinance C (ii) under Statute C, I, 2, sets out general provisions for appointments.
Special regulations for University Officers can be found in Ordinances, Chapter XI.
Provisions for appointments in particular departments/institutions under the supervision of the
General Board can be found in Ordinances, Chapter IX
Ordinances, Chapter X contains provisions for appointments in certain institutions under the
supervision of the Council.
Appointing arrangements for Syndicates are found in Ordinances, Chapter I.
Ordinances, Chapter VIII contains provisions for the appointments of the Secretaries of the
Schools.
Professorships
Boards of Electors are responsible for elections to Professorships. The arrangements are
detailed in Special Ordinance C (vii) under Statute C, XI, 3.
4. University Selection Panels
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Other Academic Offices
Other academic officers are appointed by Selection Committees. The regulations governing these
appointments are set out in the relevant section of Statutes and Ordinances. Special Ordinance C
(x) under Statute C, I, 2, set out general provisions for appointments. Specific appointing
arrangements for particular offices are set out under separate chapters of Statute C, including:
University Lecturers and University Senior Lecturers - Special Ordinance C (x) 1-14
Readers - Ordinances, Chapter XI.
In addition:
Special regulations for University Officers can be found in Ordinances, Chapter XI.
Provisions for appointments in particular departments/institutions under the supervision of the
General Board can be found in Ordinances, Chapter IX.
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*Please note that an HR11 pre-filled with applicant names can be generated from the Web
Recruitment System.
Members of the Appointing Body should review applications and check them against
the essential selection criteria. Any candidates who fail to meet one or more of the
criteria should be rejected. For example, if it is essential for a role holder to have a
particular professional or technical qualification then any applicants without this
qualification should be rejected.
5. Longlisting
Appointing Body members should also be provided with copies of the:
Job Description, including the
Person Profile
HR7 Further Information
Document
Selection Criteria (as recorded on
the HR6 Selection Criteria template or other document).
The HR11 Selection Results
Grid (or similar document) for recording the
decisions made*
+ + +
Longlisting is a preliminary selection stage
that can be used to reduce an unwieldy list
of applicants by eliminating those who fail
to fulfil the essential criteria. A decision
whether or not to long-list prior to short-
listing is likely to depend mainly on the
number of applications received.
After the advertisement closing date, you
should provide copies of the applications
received to all members of the Appointing
Body. If you are using the Web
Recruitment System for your vacancy, you
can do this by:
Grant Appointing Body members
access to the vacancy in the system
and providing them with the short
instructions on how to use it.
Generating a PDF pack of applications
from the system that can be emailed to
Appointing Body members.
Printing the PDF pack of applications
from the system.
Please see the Web Recruitment User
Guide for full details.
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Please note: if members of the Appointing
Body are conducting long-listing as
applications are submitted rather than
reviewing all applications together, it is
particularly important that benchmarking of
scores is carried out before applicants are
notified of any decisions. This means that
Appointing Body members must review the
scores that they have allocated to each
applicant and the reasons why, then check
that they have been consistent in the way
that they have made their
assessments/decisions.
If you are using Web Recruitment, you
should ensure that the outcomes of
each selection stage are recorded by
changing the status/stage of applicants
within the system. For example, after
long-listing has been completed, you
should record which applicants have
been rejected and which have been
progressed to short-listing.
It is also possible to write notes and
upload documents as a means of
holding reasons for decisions in the
same place as other information from
the recruitment process.
In order to make the longlisting process as simple and efficient as possible, it
is not necessary to record detailed scores for applications against the
essential criteria. However, it is essential that you record the decision made
and a brief reason for the decision. For example, which essential criteria an
applicant has failed to meet.
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6. Shortlisting
Shortlisting reduces the field of applicants
down to a manageable number for the next
stage of the selection process (normally
interviews). The number of applicants
taken forward following shortlisting may
depend on how many further stages of
assessment there are, but it would
normally be between 3 and 6. Having fewer
than 3 will reduce the likelihood of finding a
suitable candidate and having more than 6
can be resource-intensive.
Ideally, all selection panel members should
be involved in the shortlisting process.
However, if this is not possible, the
selection panel should agree who will
undertake the shortlisting, with no less than
two people should complete the shortlisting
process. Selection panel members should
have access to the same documentation as
detailed in the longlisting section of the
Recruitment Guidance and it should be the
same panel members to review each
application.
Process and Decision Making
Assessors are required to carry out
shortlisting objectively and consistently by
assessing each application against the
selection criteria. Shortlisting and
notification of the results to applicants
should, where possible, be completed
within two weeks of the advertisement
closing date.
Assess Behavioural Attributes
If you have chosen to include
behavioural attributes as selection
criteria, you will have retained the
behavioural attributes section in the
HR7 Further Information document for
your vacancy, instructing applicants to
provide specific examples from their
work, education or other experience
which show how they meet the
behavioural attribute requirements for
the role.
For each behavioural attribute being
assessed, shortlisting assessors will
need to review the level definition and
positive indicators and consider how
effectively an applicant has provided
evidence that they have previously
operated at the level required. In the
examples provided, it should be clear
to assessors what action the applicant
took personally and how this
contributed to the positive outcome
achieved.
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If the HR Division's templates for
recording shortlisting scores, decisions
and reasons are not used, it is important
that some other documentation captures
this information. Shortlisting records
should also show that the same agreed
selection criteria have been applied to all
candidates.
This will support decision making and
help ensure that decisions are justified,
explain the process by which they were
reached and respond to any claims of
discrimination. In addition, if the person
who is eventually offered the position
requires a Certificate of Sponsorship
(CoS), evidence of why they were the
best candidate will be required, along with
details of why applicants / candidates not
subject to immigration control were not
appointable (i.e. why they did not meet all
the essential criteria).
When using Web Recruitment, you
should ensure that the outcomes of
each selection stage are recorded by
changing the status / stage of
applicants within the system. For
example, after shortlisting has been
completed, you should record which
applicants have been rejected and
which will be invited to interview /
selection events.
It is also possible to write notes and
upload documents as a methods of
recording decision making information
in the same place as other information
from the recruitment process. Please
see the Web Recruitment User Guide
for full details.
Please note: if members of the selection panel are conducting shortlisting as
applications are submitted, rather than reviewing all applications together, it is
particularly important that a benchmarking process is carried out before applicants
are notified of any decisions. By reviewing the scores that have allocated to each
applicant, the panel can demonstrate there has been consistency in the process and
their assessments / decisions.
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Factors to use and not to use in decision making
Shortlisting decisions should be made solely on the basis of facts and evidence presented in
applications which are relevant to the selection criteria. Any prior knowledge of the applicant
that is not included in the submission should not be used in the decision making process.
If applications are invited using the CHRIS/5 Application for Employment form, any
additional documentation which is submitted by the applicant (e.g. CVs, covering letters)
should not be used in the shortlisting process. This ensures that applicants are being treated
fairly by having the same opportunity to provide relevant information.
Applicants must not be eliminated at short-list stage on the basis that they do not yet have
the right to work in the UK, this could amount to indirect discrimination on the grounds of
national origin.
Eligibility to work in the UK can be considered during the final stage of recruitment only. In
order to decide to reject a candidate purely on right to work grounds, it must be established
that that individual does not have the right to work and that no certificate of sponsorship
(CoS) will be available (e.g. because it is a non-PhD level role and there is another
candidate with the right to work who has met all of the essential criteria). Recruiters are
advised to keep a record of any decisions taken and the reasons why, along with details of
any investigations made into obtaining permission to work in the UK.
Making decisions based on applicants' length of experience could result in indirect age
discrimination. Care should be taken not to confuse chronological age with academic or
career achievement.
Applicants should not be rejected on the grounds of a protected characteristic. This could
amount to direct discrimination, unless you are applying an occupational requirement, a
positive action initiative or other exception to the law (see the Exceptions in Equality Law
pages for further information).
Generalised assumptions and stereotypes about applicants should be avoided.
You should take care to avoid taking into account any factors which could have a
disproportionate impact on people with a particular characteristic, unless this can be
objectively justified.
SHORTLISTING
PROTECTED CHARACTERISTICS
RIGHT TO WORK
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Shortlisted candidates should be invited to interview (and where applicable, other
selection events) and given the timetable for the selection programme. It is advised
that applicants are given at least one week’s notice of an interview, and should be
notified of any subsequent changes as soon as possible.
The HR13 Invite to Interview Letter Template can be used to invite candidates to the
selection process. It includes instructions and information for the candidates and can
be sent either as a letter or as an email. Candidates are requested to:
7. Sending Invitations / Rejections
Bring evidence of their right/permission to work in the UK with them to interview. The
types of evidence required are set out in List A and List B and should be sent with the
invite to interview letter.
Bring original copies of certificates/documents for any qualifications or professional
registrations specified as being required for the role. This is particularly important
where a Certificate of Sponsorship may be required as UK Visas and Immigration
requirements specify that required qualifications must be checked. Institutions should
satisfy themselves that qualifications are genuine and take copies. Misrepresentations
of qualifications will exclude a candidate from further consideration.
Let you know if they require any reasonable adjustments to the interview process to
ensure that they can give of your best during the meeting.
Where appropriate, complete any preparatory work in relation to the assessment
process. This may include the creation of a presentation or undertake some
preparatory reading in advance of a selection exercise to be conducted on the day.
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Sending Rejections
When the shortlisting process has been completed, it is recommended that you advise
all unsuccessful applicants that their applications will not be taken forward. Applicants
will have often invested a significant amount of time in making their application and it
is considered courteous to confirm the outcome of the application.
As a general approach, due to the high volume of applications normally received for
vacancies, it is University practice not to offer feedback to applicants rejected at this
stage. However, there may be instances where it is deemed appropriate to provide
feedback at this stage, such as an internal applicant who is seeking a new career
development opportunity. If it is deemed appropriate, further guidance on providing
feedback is available as a “How To: Provide Feedback” document.
Rejection emails can be
generated and sent using
the Web Recruitment
System (or the system
can be used to produce
rejection letters). Please
see the Web Recruitment
User Guide for further
details.
Institutions not using the
Web Recruitment System
to manage a vacancy may
use the HR12 Rejection
Letter template for
informing applicants that
they have been
unsuccessful, either as a
letter or email.
The minimum requirement
(but not recommended)
alternative, recruiters may
choose to include a
statement in the HR7
Further Information
document advising that only
successful applicants will be
contacted by a certain date.
Key Considerations with regard to Rejections
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Reasonable Adjustments
Providing written
instructions in an
accessible format.
Allowing a
disabled person
extra time to
complete the test.
Allowing a
disabled applicant
to take an oral
test in writing or a
written test orally.
Permitting a
disabled person
the assistance of
a reader or scribe.
Where a candidate has declared they
have a disability, you are required by law
to make necessary reasonable
adjustments to the selection process to
remove barriers that non-disabled people
would not face. In addition, where it is fair
and reasonable to do so, you should
adapt your selection arrangements to
enable anyone who is suitably qualified to
attend for selection.
You should ensure that you include full
details of any additional selection
activities are included within the
invitation to interview to help them
prepare. For example, if the candidates
are expected to make a presentation,
you should outline the subject, duration
and audience and give them an
opportunity to discuss any audio-visual
or IT aids they may require.
It is particularly important that candidates with a disability have sufficient information
about the selection process so that they know whether they need to discuss
reasonable adjustments with you. Examples of adjustments that might be required
for selection tests include:
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References for academic and research appointments should normally be requested
when an applicant is invited to interview (subject to an applicant giving their
permission in their application) so that they are available to the selection panel when
making its selection decision. It is normal practice for references to form part of the
selection process for academic and research appointments because:
It is not recommended that references are requested for all applicants at the start of
the process because this is time-consuming and unnecessary work for those
requesting the references, the selection panel reviewing them and for referees.
There should be sufficient information in applications to determine which applicants
to invite for interview, which can later be supplemented by references.
Two or three references should normally be requested for research and academic
appointments. A consistent number should be requested for all applicants for a
particular vacancy and at least one should normally be from an external referee (i.e.
outside of the University).
In the case where an academic staff member has already worked for the University,
there must always be a written statement from the Head of Institution as well as two
additional references, one of which would normally be expected to be from a person
outside the University. More information can be found in the Referencing section
of the Recruitment Guidance.
8. Academic and Research References
Information provided by academic referees often gives context to research
achievements and acts as a peer review.
In such circumstances, referees tend to take the process of writing a reference
more seriously than when a recipient is anonymous to them.
In addition, such references are thought to be more reliable than standard
work-related references because the referees and some of the selection panel
are likely to work in the same field and be known to one another.
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Designing Effective Interview Questions
Follow a logical sequence. Make it clear why the question is
being asked e.g. This role will involve introducing a number of
significant changes to the department. Please can you tell us
about a time when you have introduced a change successfully
and how you did this?’
Design questions that: Avoid questions that:
These could include, for example, questions about childcare
arrangements, living arrangements, and plans to get married or have
children. It would not be a defence at Employment Tribunal to say that
all candidates were asked the same question as interviewers may view
a woman with three children differently from a man with three children.
Explore the quality of their past experiences and what they
have learned from them e.g. ‘In your last role, how did you
evaluate and improve the effectiveness of the courses you
taught?’
Lead candidates to give the answer that you want e.g. ‘Would
you say you are well-organised?’ The answer is a foregone
conclusion. X
Ask for information about unspent criminal convictions unless
the type of role is one which requires these to be declared
(e.g. working with children and vulnerable adults). X
Are clear, simple and succinct—multiple questions should be
avoided as candidates can find it hard to remember
everything they need to cover and become confused.
Are likely to elicit a full response from candidates by including
phrases such as ‘please explain’, ‘describe’, ‘give an example of
a time when’.
Are hypothetical—candidates may not be able to imagine the
situation in its real context or may just give the answer that
they think is expected.
Relate to protected characteristics (see the Equality law and
recruitment section) which may lead to unlawful discrimination.
Follow a logical sequence.
Ask for evidence that the candidate has demonstrated the
knowledge, skills or attributes required in a previous
role/environment e.g. ‘Please give an example of a time when
you have negotiated successfully with a supplier and how you
went about this’.
Only internal candidates will be able to answer to good effect
or questions which aren’t relevant to the requirements of the
job, this is likely to reduce the quality of responses.
X
X
X
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9. Finalising Selection Arrangements
A clear schedule of activities for the
selection event should be agreed well in
advance and provided to selection panel
members and staff providing
administrative and logistical support. The
HR15 Selection Process Schedule is
provided for you to use for this purpose.
This document can be used to capture
which candidates will be undertaking
selection events at which times, as well
as any arrangements that have been
made for the candidates, or to support the
operation of the activities. This can assist
support staff in ensuring that the planning
and operation of the selection event is as
professional and smooth as possible. The
schedule of activities for the Appointing
Body can also be recorded in this
document so that members are clear
about which candidates they are seeing
when, how long they have to see and
score each candidate, when they will
have a break and so on.
It is important that the time required for
each activity is carefully considered and
planned into the schedule. For example, it
should normally take between forty-five
minutes and an hour to hold an interview
and then around fifteen minutes for the
Appointing Body to score the candidate.
If possible, candidates should be given
an opportunity to find out more about the
institution during the selection event. For
example, through:
Informal discussions with other staff
members.
Guided tours.
Reading material about the institution.
Information on special research
projects, if appropriate.
Information provided to students, if
appropriate.
This will help give candidates a realistic
impression and assist them in
considering whether the institution would
be somewhere they would like to work.
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Arrangements should be made for:
Candidates to be given full instructions for any selection activity which they
are to undertake and provided with the materials needed to do this (e.g.
pens, paper, laptop, flipchart stand, clock).
Any reasonable
adjustments requested by
candidates with a disability
to be put in place.
Candidates to be met
upon arrival and
reminded of the selection
activities and timings.
Appropriate venues (e.g. in
terms of size, noise level,
lighting, temperature) to be
booked for holding
selection activities
Candidates to be
collected and escorted to
and from each activity.
Candidates to have
water available to them
during activities.
Candidates' original documents
which provide evidence of right
to work in the UK and any
required qualifications /
professional registrations to be
checked, photocopied & verified.
Care must be taken to treat
internal and external
candidates in the same way
to avoid disadvantaging
either group.
If the selection schedule includes
a semi-social event (such as lunch
or dinner with other applicants), its
purpose should be to introduce
candidates to the University and
should not be treated as part of
the selection process.
Applicants should be invited
to specify any specific
dietary requirements they
have (e.g. vegetarian,
vegan, non-alcoholic drinks
or requirements associated
with their religious beliefs).
Other considerations should be given to the following, where appropriate:
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During the planning section of your process, you should have decided which
selection methods you are using to assess each candidate's performance against
the selection criteria for the vacancy.
This section provides detailed guidance on holding interviews, which are a standard
element of University selection processes, and making overall selection decisions.
Further details of other selection methods that can be used in addition to interviews
can be found in Candidate Attraction, Selection Methods and Criteria.
10. Conducting Selection Arrangements
Prepare to Interview
Interviews are a two-way process; candidates are assessing the
University, the institution and role as much as they are being assessed.
The University's public image is at stake so it is important that
interviews are carefully planned to give a positive and professional
impression to candidates.
Selection Panels
Guidance on the recruitment of academic officers by Appointments
Committee can be found in the Summary of the process section of this
guidance, or you can contact your HR Schools Team / Clinical School
Recruitment Team.
The role of the Chair
The Chair of the Appointing Body is accountable for ensuring that the
necessary preparations have been made for the interview. The HR16
Chair's Interview Checklist provides a reminder of the key activities,
ensuring that:
Questions have been developed based on the selection criteria.
Other Appointing Body members know which questions they are
asking and in what order.
The scoring system and decision rules have been confirmed.
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Conduct Interviews
The Chair of the Appointing Body plays an important role during
interviews. They are particularly responsible for:
Ensuring that the necessary preparations have been made.
Welcoming the candidate and ensuring they know what to expect.
Guiding the structure of the interview.
Ensuring that the interview is conducted fairly and strictly on the
basis of objective selection criteria.
Guidance for interviewers is available on how to conduct interviews
effectively. It supplements and supports the information provided in the
HR16 Chair's Interview Checklist.
The amount of time available to hold each interview should have already been
planned in the HR15 Selection Process Schedule. It is important that a realistic
number of questions is chosen to cover in this period and that how long will be
spent on each question is planned so that you do not run out of time. For
competency based questions, 4/5 minutes per question is reasonable.
Candidates invited to attend the selection process for a vacancy should be
asked to bring original copies of certificates / documents for any qualifications
or professional registrations required for the role. Arrangements should be
made for a member of the department / institution to check, photocopy and
verify the original certificates/documents presented by the candidates.
When another panel member is asking the questions, members of the
Appointing Body should take detailed notes of the candidate's responses. This
will assist panel members to make objective selection decisions by referring to
the record when assessing the candidate’s performance and can help justify
decisions made and respond to claims of discrimination. The HR17 Assessor
Notes template is available to use for making notes.
Other Considerations
Time
Qualifications
Notes
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Interviewing candidates with a disability
In most cases, it is anticipated that
candidates with a disability will have
discussed any reasonable adjustments to
the process that they require in advance and
that these will have been put in place.
However, if a person with a disability arrives
for interview and their disability was not
known about in advance, there is still a duty
to make reasonable adjustments to the
process (although the extent of the duty
might be less than if you had known or ought
to have known about the disability).Where
candidates have a disability, you should
explore whether there are any measures
which the University could take to assist
them to perform the duties of the post
effectively.
Using Behavioural Attributes
The section of an interview dedicated to
behavioural attributes should focus on
eliciting examples of occasions when the
candidate has employed the attributes with
successful outcomes. The aim is to gather
evidence which demonstrates effectively and
convincingly that the applicant has operated
at the required level in the past.
Competency-based interviewing has become
widespread and is generally believed to be
more effective than many other approaches.
It is based on the principle that past
behaviour can be used as a predictor of
future behaviour and performance.
In addition, it is argued that it is harder to
make up answers to behavioural
questions than hypothetical questions
because of the need to give believable
answers to probing questions.
Behavioural questions often involve
wording such as ‘Please can you give
us an example of a time when you
have…’ followed by a description of an
aspect of the relevant behavioural
attribute. If you are using the behavioural
attributes in your interview process,
sample questions for each attribute and
level are available from Recruitment
Administration for you to use. Please
contact the Resourcing or Clinical School
Recruitment Team for more information.
When asking behavioural questions, it is
often necessary to seek supplementary
information through probing questions
e.g. ‘What did you personally do?’,
‘Tell me more about what happened as
an outcome of your actions’.
When assessing an example provided by
an applicant in an interview, it is strongly
recommended that the interviewers use
the ‘STAR’ method. An effective example
will explain how the required behavioural
standards have been demonstrated in a
previous situation by covering the
following:
S: Situation
T: Task
A: Action
R: Result
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11. Making a Selection Decision
Scoring
Applicants must be assessed objectively
against the selection criteria which have
been agreed in advance. Judgements must
be based on evidence gathered during the
interview. The interview comments against
each criterion must reflect the evidence
presented, such as examples of past
performance, relevant skills, experience and
attitudes.
To ensure fairness and objectivity, it is
recommended that selection panel members
work individually to allocate provisional
scores for each candidate in the first
instance, using the scoring system agreed in
advance. Areas of disagreement should then
be discussed and final scores agreed. More
detailed guidance on scoring interviews can
be found in the Guidance for Interviewers
document.
Provisional and final scores for candidates,
along with reasons for the scores allocated,
should be recorded. The HR10 Assessment
Record and HR11 Selection Results Grid
are provided for this purpose.
The final selection of the preferred candidate
can only be made after all the selection
activities are complete. The appointing body
should review the performance of all the
candidates throughout the whole selection
programme and the decision must be the
collective judgement of all the selectors.
The method for combining the scores
from each selection activity and whether
any positive action provisions might be
employed (where two or more
candidates are assessed as being
equally suitable) should have been
agreed in advance. Further guidance on
this is available in the Agree scoring
system and decision rules sub-section.
Recruiters should be aware that
problems have been encountered in
obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship in
cases where the individual has been
selected using criteria which were not
specified within the job advert.
After selection activities have been
completed and a decision has been
made, you should record which
applicants have been rejected and which
will be made an offer of employment.
It is also possible to write notes and
upload documents as a means of
holding reasons for decisions in the
same place as other information from the
recruitment process. Please see the
Web Recruitment User Guide for full
details.
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Considering the right to work
Eligibility to work in the UK can be
considered during this final stage of
recruitment only. In order to decide to
reject a candidate purely on right to work
grounds, it must be established that they
do not have the right to work and that a
Skilled Worker Visa will not be available
(e.g. because the role does not meet the
minimum skill/salary threshold).
This cannot be done in the earlier stages
because:
It is not a foregone conclusion that
those with the right to work will be
successful in all the intermediate
stages in the recruitment process.
This could amount to indirect
discrimination on the grounds of
national origin.
Recruiters are advised to keep a record
of any decisions taken and the reasons
why, along with details of any
investigations made into obtaining
permission to work in the UK.
Re-employment of retired staff
Whether or not you are able to make
an offer of employment to a member of
staff who has retired will depend on the
pension that they are receiving and
how long ago they retired. Please see
Other policies and procedures section
of the University's Retirement Policy.
30
When assessing candidates, it is easy to
make judgements based on instant,
subjective impressions although this has
the potential to create unfairness in the
process, poor selection decisions and
unlawful discrimination. Candidates should
not have been asked any questions
relating to protected characteristics.
However, it may be that a candidate has
volunteered such information (e.g. relating
to pregnancy or disability). In such cases,
the information provided must not be taken
into account in scoring and decision
making.
The most important means of ensuring fair,
objective selection decisions is to ensure
that candidates are scored against the
agreed selection criteria on the basis of
relevant evidence only. However, it can
also be helpful for members of appointing
bodies to be self-aware and to understand
the potential for bias in their assessments.
A wide variety of studies have shown
common issues with assessing candidates,
particularly during interviews. These were
highlighted effectively by Anderson and
Shackleton (1993) and are summarised in
the table below:
Avoiding stereotyping and discrimination
Anderson and Shackleton (1993)
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Assessor asks questions designed to
confirm initial impressions of a candidate
Stereotyping Effect
Assessor assumes that a candidate will
have particular characteristics they are a
member of a particular group
Halo and Horns Effect
Assessor rates a candidate as ‘good’ or ‘bad’
across the board based on initial impression
Contrast Effect
Assessor allows the experience of
interviewing one candidate to affect how
they interview candidates seen later
Similar-to-me Effect
Assessor gives preference to a candidate that
they perceive as being similar to themselves
Personal Liking Effect
Assessor is influence by whether
they like a candidate or not
Primacy / Recency Effect
Assessor puts too much emphasis on
information provided by the candidate early
in or at the end of the interview.
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12. Candidate Expenses
Candidates may be reimbursed by the
University for reasonable expenses
associated with attending interviews,
subject to the limits on allowances for
mileage and subsistence approved by the
Finance Committee. This information is
circulated annually to Heads of
Departments, Chairs and Secretaries of
Faculty Boards. To prevent delays,
Departments, Faculties and other
institutions are requested to reimburse
candidates.
In respect of academic and academic-
related offices, a contribution to travelling
expenses from central funds is only
available in cases where an institution can
demonstrate that it is unable to cover the
costs from funds at its disposal (so not in
institutions operating with large devolved
budgets, i.e. within the Schools, the UAS
and the larger, non-School institutions;
UCS, CUDO, ICE, the Fitzwilliam Museum,
and the University Library and its
dependants). Any contribution will be
limited to a maximum of three or four
candidates (one of whom may be from
overseas) and one journey to and from
Cambridge.
Any claim for reimbursement by a non-
recurrent grant should be addressed to the
Resource Management Committee section
at The Old Schools and must be
accompanied by a covering letter or e-mail
to Faisal Moolla
([email protected]) stating
the following:
The vacancy to which the interview
expenses relate.
The number of candidates who were
called for interview.
The date of the Appointing Body or
selection panel meeting.
The total costs and the level of
contribution required.
That no other funds are available for
this purpose.
As the majority of candidates for assistant
staff posts are recruited locally, institutions
are expected to meet reasonable travelling
expenses from within their own budgets.
Travel Expenses Claim Form