EFFECTIVE RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

Claire JacksonHR Development Consultant

Effective recruitment and selection

Recruitment and selection best practice will help:

Eliminate direct and indirect discrimination Comply with legislation and college policy Get the right person with the right skills for the

role Demonstrate transparency, fairness and

accountability

Direct Discrimination Takes place where a person or group of

people is treated less favourably than other people in the same or similar circumstances

For example where a man is offered a post rather than a woman and where the employer cannot clearly give evidence for the basis of the decision based on the job description and person specification

Indirect discrimination Takes place when a requirement or condition

has the effect of discriminating unfairly and unjustifiably between one group and another or one individual and another

This applies where the group or individual has protection under equality legislation

This currently covers race, gender and marriage, sexuality, disability and religion

Candidates with disabilities

Any candidate that has a physical, sensory or mental impairment that has a substantial long-term effect on their ability to carry out work

Reasonable adjustment may be to:• Hours, duties, work place, equipment and recruitment

procedures Long term usually refers to a condition that has had an

impact over one year such as MS, dyslexia etc – not short-term injuries

Always consult HR at an early stage in recruitment to check your approach

Job analysis

This involves the process you follow to draw up the job description and person specification (criteria)

It may involve discussion and interviews, analysis of the job conditions, awareness of future need and change, consideration of other peoples’ roles and the job market

It is a good stage to involve the team

Person specification Describes the minimum requirements a

person must meet to be able to do the job The desirable requirements that

candidates could meet They must be objective and relevant to

the needs of the job If unjustifiable criteria are used this might

lead to indirect unfair discrimination

Person specificationA person specification will contain the

following: Education/Qualifications Skills and abilities Proven competence - where possible specify

experience as specific behaviours/knowledge Knowledge Any other requirements (e.g. ability to work

shifts, willing to wear uniform etc)

Advertising Attract the best candidates from all

sections of the community Put off candidates who do not meet the

criteria HR should place all advertisements Consult your HR adviser for help - mention

if you may want to recruit from outside the EEA on the points system

Short-listing key points A disabled person should, wherever

possible, be considered for posts relative to the essential (minimum) selection criteria irrespective of the nature of their disability

Any applicant with a declared disability who appears to meet most of the essential (minimum) criteria outlined in the person specification should be short-listed for further consideration at interview

Short-listing key points - contd

Initial interviews can be used to finalise the short-list for a second interview

Use the HR template and always give feedback to unsuccessful applicants when asked

Read the HR guidelines on this important part of the procedure

Short-listing and the points system Please note that, in line with the government’s

Points Based Immigration System criteria, EEA candidates who meet the essential criteria must be short-listed in preference to non-EEA candidates even if the non-EEA candidate achieves a higher score

This also applies when making a final selection decision. For further guidance on employing a non-EEA staff member please contact your HR adviser

Administering tests and presentations College policy is to set job related tests such as

in-tray, written tests, presentations Candidates must be given advance notice of the

type of test to be set Make adjustments for candidates with a disability The conditions for taking tests must be controlled

and fair to all The assessment of tests must be considered in

advance and be linked to criteria

Using job related testsChoosing tests

Content must be relevant to post needs

Must not disadvantage external candidates

Must be at the right level of expertise

Must be administered fairly

Advantages of using job related tests

Candidates find them credible and get some indication of tasks

Increases reliability of selection procedure

Role of the chair Facilitate the interview and decision making

process Convene the planning meeting prior to the

interviews Ensure the panel are clear about their roles and

responsibilities during the interview Intervene where necessary to ensure all

candidates are treated fairly Actively manage the time and process

The 5 stages of an interview

1. Pre-planning meeting of panel2. Introductory phase 3. Core questions and probing on criteria4. Closure - candidates opportunity to ask

questions5. Completion - recording of the information

gained during the interviewFollowed by decision making after all candidates seen

Formulating questions

What is the evidence/behaviour you are looking for?

What aspect are you seeking evidence on? What would be a suitable open question to

ask all candidates (the core question)? See HR Guidance on question types and

examples

Formulating questionsFor each criteria of the person specification you

are testing you should consider the following:

What evidence are you looking for? What might be a good core question? What probing questions might be asked?

Note: Probing questions come from the answer given by the candidate to check detail. They can be pre-prepared if you are less experienced. Be sure to listen carefully to decide if you need to probe.

Question types

Open questions• How, what, when, where, who, why?

Probe questions• Can you give me more information about?• Why did you use that approach? • What else did you consider?• What was the result?

Question types to avoid

Leading• Did your application get turned down because

you had no other experience? Multiple

• Why did you apply for the grant and how did you approach it?

Closed questions• Did you apply for the right grant?

Hypothetical questions

These are situation based such as ‘what would you do if?’

They give less evidence than the more usual evidence based ‘how did you do it?’

They are more difficult to probe Can be useful in some situations for

example new situations for the candidate

Body language Use active listening – show you are paying

attention Use eye contact to show interest - soften this if

you are aware of discomfort Think of how your posture is encouraging rather

than discouraging Consider comfortable distances for the candidate

and panel Consider how your body language could help or

hinder a candidate.

Taking notes at the interview Take notes of the evidence on each

criteria These notes should be specific and

factual. Key facts rather than verbatim Do not just write an evaluation e.g. ‘good

answer’. This is too vague Allow time after the interview for additional

notes from memory

Decision making Agree your methodology for assessment, see

college template and guidance Assess how well each candidate meets the different

criteria then rate against these from the evidence Assess test results In the panel start discussions on selection decisions Aim to reach an unanimous decision Second interviews are a possibility

References

Beware of bias in references - poor references are rare

Useful for factual information - e.g. when worked for organisation, verifiable track record

Referees chosen by candidate may not be the most relevant

Use references to back up decision made for support staff, for academic and research staff use earlier in the process

Discuss any concerns with HR

Giving feedback to unsuccessful candidates Always respond to requests Agree a time to phone and prepare Review interview notes Give criteria and performance based constructive

feedback Point out good answers and delivery Give examples of where improvement could be

made End on a positive note

Managing induction and probation Prepare an induction plan - refer to interview outcomes

and induction checklist Consider appointing a buddy or mentor Carry out probation reviews - at a minimum at 3 and 6

months Mention any performance concerns at one month,

identify development needed and contact HR for advice Confirm appointment at 6 months (length of probation

varies for academic staff). See guidance at: www3.imperial.ac.uk/hr/procedures/recruitment/lecturers