Recruitment and Selection policy

1. PURPOSE
   
   a) The Recruitment and Selection policy and procedures are designed to provide guidance in order to ensure the organisation recruits the right person for the job in a manner that is systematic, objective, consistent, provides equality of opportunity and fair participation and observes best practice.
   
   b) Recruiting the right person is essential in order to ensure the effectiveness of the workforce, reduce turnover, increase individual job satisfaction and enable effective team working.
2. PRINCIPLES
   
   a) Bournemouth CVS is committed to ensuring that all those involved in recruitment will have skills and expertise in recruitment selection.
   
   b) The recruitment and selection processes will follow the stages outlined in the Bournemouth CVS guidance notes.
   
   c) The criteria for short-listing and selection will be identified at the job design stage and will be consistently applied to all candidates.
   
   d) The criteria and the process will take account of good equality practice and reflect the equal opportunities policy.
   
   e) Any new posts or redesigned posts will be open to consultation with all affected staff and the appropriate employee representatives.
   
   f) Existing staff meeting the criteria, will be free to apply for vacancies and new posts. However, this will also be balanced with consideration of the diversity of the workforce and whether particular groups are under-represented within the organisation.
   
   g) Accurate records of the recruitment process will be maintained, including reasons for the decision to select or not select at each stage. Feedback will be made available to candidates on request.
   
   h) Equal Opportunities Monitoring Forms will be used for equality monitoring purposes, kept separate to the application form.
   
   i) At all stages of the selection process (interviewing, assessment and selection) at least three people will be involved (the line manager plus one or more others chosen for their knowledge of the area of work and/or their recruitment and selection skills). For more senior posts more people may be involved in the selection process.
   
   j) Selection Activities will be used to supplement the interview process and ensure a good skills match with requirements of the job.
   
   k) Where recruitment agencies are used to fill vacant posts, the agency will be given a copy of this policy and asked to explain how they will ensure their practice is compliant with these principles.

GUIDANCE NOTES FOR RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESSES

The process of recruitment and selection must be seen, as a continuous process from the application form and assessment training needs through to the exit interview. The aim of this document is to provide a fair process and eliminate discrimination, thereby offering equality of opportunity for all prospective candidates. Therefore this policy will review all key areas and the processes used by Bournemouth CVS.

1. Advertising: All posts will be openly advertised. The mailing lists of the Local Authorities and the Job Centre will be used, as well as other statutory and voluntary bodies. In addition, local or national newspapers may be used. Positive action will be used when appropriate, i.e. when there is a need to recruit for work within a specific community or when there is under-representation within the team. The advertisement will include job details plus an equality logo. Jargon will be avoided whenever possible, or explained as appropriate. Positive action wording will be used to encourage applicants from backgrounds under-represented in the project when appropriate.
2. Application Form: The standard application form will be used for all vacancies and the use of CV’s from applicants discouraged. If applicants send in their CV these should not be referred to in the recruitment process.
   
   The application form will use a monitoring form and the confidentiality of these details must be stressed to candidates. When sending out application forms, as much information should be sent to applicants as possible. This will include Job Description and Person Specification, reports written by the previous job holder or a copy of the annual report, description of work area and equality pledge.
3. The Selection Procedure: Upon receiving the application forms, the monitoring slips should be separated from the applications and stored separately and confidentially. They should be analysed at each stage of the selection process to review the profiles of applicants and the eventual successful candidate.
4. Short Listing: A Short Listing form will be drawn up using the criteria from the Person Specification. The criteria will be analysed to decide which criteria can only be judged at interview (e.g. interpersonal skills) and which can be judged from the application form in Short Listing.
   
   Using this form a panel should short-list; minimum 2 people, and then add up the scores awarded. The aim of the short-listing is to identify those who meet the essential criteria and decide which questions have to be included at interview in order to assess that particular essential criterion.
   
   Each person short-listing should add any notes to their short-listing forms about the application forms so that clear feedback can be offered to candidates. The scoring must be agreed before the short-listing begins to ensure a consistent approach by the panel. Only if there is a consistency can the scores be added together.
   
   An appropriate scoring system is:
   
   1 = Poor
   4 = Average
   7 = Good
   10 = Excellent
   
   This ensures that there is a clear spread of scores.
5. References: These are usually taken before the interview but it is good practice for only the Chair of the interview panel to have read them. This is to ensure that any comments in the references do not influence or bias the panel. One member of the panel must have read them in case there are any supplementary questions to ask at the interview.
6. Invitation to Interview: Upon inviting candidates to interview details should be given to them in a written letter about the timing and structure of the interview, details of the panel members, information about any expenses available to them and any additional informational that may be needed. If the candidates are required to do a presentation or test, as many details must be given in advance as possible. Candidates should also be invited to identify any access needs that they may have. Encouragement and support must be given in this.
7. Interview: The interview should be a positive and comfortable experience for the candidates. The use of intimidating interview styles does not gain anything in the interview and the panel should prepare in advance how they are going to work and set their candidates at ease. The panel should aim to get the best out of each candidate. The aim of the interview is to identify the person who best meets the criteria for the post and not the person who is most liked by the panel. A range of opportunities must be given for the candidates to demonstrate their abilities, attitudes, knowledge and skills in relation to the Job Description and Person Specification. Panel members must declare any knowledge of the applicants. The panel should consist of at least 3 members. If possible the panel should be balanced in terms of gender, race or any other characteristic relevant to the post.
   
   A set structure should be used thus making it important to keep to time and so avoid any unnecessary delays. Candidates should be given the opportunity to gain as much information about the post before the interview. This might be through meeting the present jobholder or by a presentation about the post. A tour of the working environment is also useful.
   
   The interview questions must be agreed in advance and the panel must work together to ensure that the questions are put to all candidates in the same way. Follow-up questions are useful when they are related to the job and probing the candidate further of their suitability to a particular criteria. All questions should be open in order to give candidates full opportunities to present their knowledge. Candidates should speak for at least 80% of the time with opportunities for them to ask questions at the end of the interview.
   
   Panel members should have received training on Recruitment and Selection processes. It should be remembered that an interview is a two way process and the candidate has to gain enough information about the post and environment in order to make the right decision for them. Sufficient time must be given to all candidates.
8. Decision-Making: A scoring system must be used and specific details taken by the entire panel. Notes should be made of what the candidates actually said and the impact of this on the panel member. If none of the candidates meet the essential criteria, or there is a lack of consensus within the panel, a decision should be made as to whether to re-advertise or re-interview. Another option is to offer to train up the most successful candidate to meet the required level of competence. If re-advertising, a decision must be made as to whether the previous applicants can reapply.
9. Letter Offering Appointment: Appointment letters should be easily read and understood, and sent out to successful candidates as soon as possible. The criteria for the post must be clear, i.e. whether the post is dependant on references or a medical. Often training needs can be identified at interview but these can be forgotten when the individual is in post so the details of the successful candidate should be linked into the probationary period. All candidates should be offered feedback and this should be done in detail and confidentially. All notes relating to the selection process should be kept confidentially for a year.
10. Exit Interview: When an employee hands in their notice, an exit interview will be held with the supervisor. This will determine the key reasons for the employee leaving and will provide an opportunity to analyse the job requirements for a new employee. This interview should be held as soon after the notice is handed in to ensure that the individual’s views on the recruitment of their replacement can be sought. The interview should be typed up and kept confidentially. From the exit interview the Job Description and Person Specification should be updated and analysed for accuracy and present team fit.
    
    It may be that the post does not need replacing but, if this places pressure or change on other posts, then these Job Descriptions and Person Specifications will need updating. If the employee refuses an exit interview, the Job Description and Person Specification must be reviewed and updated as these documents form the basis to the whole recruitment process.

Date:

Signed:

Chair of BCVS Board Chief Executive BCVS

Policy agreed: January 2004