POLICY STATEMENT

The Council is committed to appointing the best person for the job based on their skills,

experience,ability to do the job and potential to develop with organisational changes

Statement from Recruitment, Retention and Replacement Strategy

Recruitment To recruit and retain a capable and talented workforce

who are committed to delivering excellent services to the community so that we become the outstanding employer within the Borough by:

Equipping managers with the tools to make the right appointment decisions by providing:

• A fair and consistent recruitment and selection framework

• Recruitment and selection training and professional HR advice

• Equal opportunities and diversity policies and training• Feedback on use of assessment tools

EQUALITIES

The process of selecting one candidate as opposed to another will

involve an act of discrimination

It is essential that the act of discrimination is fair, lawful and based on justifiable criteria

LEGAL FRAMEWORK

• Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and Amendment Regulations 2003

• Race Relations Act 1976 and Amendment Regulations 2003

• Disability Discrimination Act 1995

• Equal Pay Act 1974 and Amendment Regulations 2003

• Part-Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regs 2000

• Rehabilitation

• Asylum and Immigration Act 1996

• Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006

SECONDMENTS

• Designed to support and encourage staff wishing to develop• To fill temporary vacancies

• Recruitment ProcessEither:

• Restricted to Section or• Open recruitment within the Council

• Job Description• Review to meet needs of role and person specification

• Person Specification • Essential competencies• Competencies to be developed

SECONDMENTS - Continued -

• Application Form• Approval from Line Manager• Short listing & Interviewing• Support by ‘Home’ Manager• Support by ‘Host’ Manager• Conclusion of Secondment• Secondee – poor performance• Terms and Conditions• Salary – no change from applicants existing salary• Honorarium payment

ALTERNATIVES TO FILLING VACANCIES

- OPTIONS TO CONSIDER -

Reorganise•Re arrange tasks with existing team•Review job description of post•Consider terms and conditions and grades

Temporary Vacancies – Subject to Recruitment Approval•Secondments

•Acting Up Appointment•Temporary contracts•Agency placement

ACTING UP APPOINTMENTS

• Undertakes full duties of higher grade• Temporary appointment• Difference between acting up and secondment• Job Description – unchanged from main role• Person specification – unchanged from main role• Salary – Grade for job• Recruitment Process

• Restricted to Section• Open recruitment within the Council

ALTERNATIVES TO FILLING VACANCIES - OPTIONS TO CONSIDER -

Reorganise• Re arrange tasks with existing team• Review job description of post• Consider terms and conditions and grades Temporary Vacancies – Subject to Recruitment Approval• Secondments• Acting Up Appointment

• Agency placement

ALTERNATIVES TO FILLING VACANCIES - OPTIONS TO CONSIDER -

Reorganise• Re arrange tasks with existing team• Review job description of post• Consider terms and conditions and grades

Temporary Vacancies – Subject to Recruitment Approval

• Secondments• Acting Up Appointment• Agency placement

• Temporary contracts

FILLING VACANCIES

- OTHER OPTIONS TO CONSIDER – (continued)

Substantive Vacancies – Subject to Recruitment Approval

• Internal Recruitment

INTERNAL RECRUITMENT

• Opportunity for internal development, in line with Personal Development Plans (PDP), and approved by Departmental Director

• To be considered in conjunction with HR Business Manager and final approval by HR Director

• Final decision made on justifiable criteria

FILLING VACANCIES

- OTHER OPTIONS TO CONSIDER – (continued)

Substantive Vacancies – Subject to Recruitment Approval

• Internal Recruitment

• Redeployment

REDEPLOYMENT

• Registers maintained by HR Services• Employees subject to redundancy or termination of

employment for medical reasons or capability• Redeployment skills profile completed• If Knowledge, skills and ability matched to person

specification of posts to be advertised – details passed to manager

• Where suitable match – person interviewed • Selection based on ‘suitability’ for post, not ‘best person’• If suitable – commences 4 weeks minimum trial period• If trail period successful – person appointed to post• ‘Salary protection’ if new post only 1 grade lower

FILLING VACANCIES

- OTHER OPTIONS TO CONSIDER – (continued)

Substantive Vacancies – Subject to Recruitment Approval

• Internal Recruitment• Redeployment

• NVQ Trainee Appointment

NVQ TRAINEES

• Trainees appointed to gain NVQ Business and Administration at level 2

• Work in various positions for 6 month placements until NVQ obtained

• Once NVQ level 2 obtained – placed on register for appointment

• NVQ Trainees considered after redeployees but before open advertisement

• Interviewed for Level3/4posts

• If suitable - appointed

THE RECRUITMENT PACK - See handouts -

• Recruitment Check List

• Recruitment Pack – Contents• Letter from Head of Service / Director• Information about Slough• Information on Directorate• Information on Section / Team (Optional)• Job Description• Person Specification• Main Conditions of Service• Response Details• Advert

JOB DESCRIPTION FORMAT

• Change from listing main duties to listing main accountabilities.• Main accountabilities specify required outputs, not tasks

E.g Accountability focused:

To provide full administration support to the ……….. Section

Task focused:

To undertake filing, stationary ordering, telephone answering, typing and other administration functions for the ……….Section.

Details of tasks, linked to accountabilities, identified by manager in initial PDPs, and regularly updated in 1 to 1s, based on Section operational plans.

:

PERSON SPECIFICATION - Format -

• Competencies listed under following headings:• Experience• Knowledge• Skills / Abilities• Qualifications

• Competencies included in appraisal:Customer focused Development

Relationships Personal effectiveness

Expertise Communication skills

Managerial Health & Safety

Equalities Finance• Essential (E) Desirables (D)

PERSON SPECIFICATION - Format - continued -

• √√ - Two ticks symbol

• Column to show method of assessment at final selection assessment process:

• Application (A)• Interview (I)• Test (T)

• More than one method can be used for each competence

ASSESMENT TESTING

• Advice on most appropriate test to assess competencies required for post available from Organisational Development Team

• Tests include:• Aptitude test• Presentations• Written case studies• Psychometric test.

• Psychometric testing covers:• Verbal reasoning• Numerical reasoning• Management development

ASSESSMENT TESTING - Continued -

• Decision re psychometric testing:• Manager on advice from HR Services Officer and Organisational

Development• Possibility of service charge

• Arrangements:• Local arrangements other than psychometric testing• Psychometric testing - HR Services link with OD re number of

posts requiring testing in the same week – set date for all testing and published in recruitment pack

• Psychometric test follow up:• Feed back available from OD• For appointed applicant results forms part of PDP

SHORTLISTING PROCESS

• See copy of Shortlisting Proforma in Handouts• Date will be set in Week 1 when recruitment pack

completed• Initial short listing completed by panel members

independently• Assess and complete entry against individual applications• New style shortlisting forms

3 = meets all criteria2 = meets most criteria1 = meets some criteria0 = does not meet criteria / no evidence supplied

• Only used evidence provided on form – do not make assumptions

• Look for transferable skills• Look for evidence – not just statements

SHORTLISTING - Continued

• Panel come together for group final decision• Selection placed in order• Not all people meeting competency have to be interview, just

top number decided for interview• If large number meet criteria, weight criteria and reassess• Persons with disabilities who meet essential competencies will

be interviewed ( √√ two ticks symbol)

INTERVIEW PROCESS - OBSERVERS

• Role of Observers• May be present to assist with technical, professional or senior

management roles or as tenants representative• Can ask questions• Can make observations on applicants to panel members • Final decision made by panel members

INTERVIEW PROCESS

• Assessment of each person specification competency as indicated in person specification (I – interview T – test A – application)

• Questions agreed by panel prior to interview – model answer identified

• Individual assessment• Interview Proforma Forms – see handouts:

0 = Does not meet criteria / no evidence supplied1 = Meets some criteria2 = Meets most criteria3 = Meets All criteria

INTERVIEWS - AIM

To obtain information from the applicant as to how their knowledge, skills and experience best match the identified competencies for the post, and how they would perform to meet the required competencies.

From information obtained from all candidates interviewed decide who is suitable for appointment, and place in order of priority for appointment

EQUALITIES

The process of selecting one candidate as opposed to another will involve an act of discrimination

Essential that act of discrimination is fair, lawful and based on justifiable criteria

PERSON SPECIFICATION - Format -

• Competencies listed under following headings:• Experience

• Knowledge

• Skills / Abilities

• Qualifications

• Competencies included in appraisal:Customer focused Development

Relationships Personal effectiveness

Expertise Communication skills

Managerial Health & Safety

Equalities Finance

• Essential (E) Desirables (D)

• Use Behaviour based questions to obtain evidence of how candidate meets the competencies