RECRUITMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE

 

Agreed by Personnel 25th July 2005 

 

 

JOB DESCRIPTION & PERSON SPECIFICATION

 

Where the post is new the Job Description (JD) and the Person Specification (PS) will be drawn up by the Director, line manager of the post and a member of the Personnel Committee (PC).  If the post already exists the JD and PS will be reviewed as and when vacancies arise.  This review will be the responsibility of the Director and the Line Manager for the post. 

 

The JD will detail all the responsibilities and tasks that make up the job.

 

The Person Specification (PS) will list all the essential skills necessary to carry out the job.  Care will be taken to ensure that this list does not contain any direct or indirect discrimination.  For example including essential skills that may unnecessarily exclude a disabled person because of their impairment.

 

The PS will be used in the shortlisting and interviewing of applicants.

 

 

ADVERTISING

 

The advertisement will contain the following information:

Post title; salary; hours; holiday entitlement; employers pension contribution; main place of work and identification that PYH may ask them to work from a different office from time to time; summary of job purpose and tasks; closing date; interview date; reference to being an equal opportunities employer.

 

All posts that are advertised will be considered for placement in:

 

·      Bristol Evening Post

·      voluntary sector newsletters/ mailings

·      The Guardian

·      specialist publications representing the supported housing sector

·      national housing publications

·      Bristol City Council Jobs Bulletin

·      Job Centres

·      Big Issue

·      Priority Youth Housing Web Site

·      BREC

 

 

Not all jobs will be automatically advertised externally.  For reasons of operational efficiency, or to provide appropriate development opportunities, some vacancies may be advertised internally first.  However, line managers will be required to justify this with the Director, Chair of Personnel and Secretary of the Staff Union Group.  The following are examples of where this may apply:

·        If short term/temporary work of up to 9 months becomes available, the Director and the Board will consider whether an appointment needs to be made outside of the recruitment process removing the need for advertising.

·        If the organisation needs to consider issues of redundancy or has any other legal requirement.

·        If an individual staff member has a temporary contract that can then be extended.  This situation arises when funding is secured to continue temporary projects/contracts.   If a temporary contract becomes permanent the post will be advertised externally and internally through the standard recruitment process.

·        To cover temporary absences for example maternity cover.

·        Where temporary cover has been advertised internally and the successful internal applicant has covered the role successfully for over 6 months, passed their probationary period and the same type of post has become available

·        Where the provision of service would be severely adversely affected should another means of recruitment not be followed

 

 

If a job is advertised internally all staff will be encouraged to apply.   If a permanent job is recruited for internally only and an internal appointment made, the resultant vacancy will be advertised externally.

 

 

RESERVE LIST OF APPLICANTS WHO HAVE PASSED THE INTERVIEW

 

Priority Youth Housing will inform people whether they have passed the interview for the job being offered. If a person has successfully demonstrated their skills and abilities to take on the post, but are not the person appointed, i.e. they have come second or third, they will be invited to be placed on a reserve list so that they can be considered should a vacancy arise in the next six months for the same post.  The same post is defined as a position having the same job description, duties and terms and conditions.  If a vacancy for the same post becomes available those applicants on the reserve list will be invited to update their application and if necessary attend another interview.  If still considered suitable they can be offered the post.  After the six month period they will need to re-apply through the usual procedure as the job will be advertised externally.

 

Letters to applicants on the reserve list will state where in the reserve list they are i.e. 1st, 2nd etc.

 

INTERNAL RECRUITMENT

 

All jobs will be advertised internally. All applicants for a job, including members of staff, will be assessed against the Person Specification for the job and a short list of candidates, whether internal or external will be drawn up on the basis of that specification.

 

Appointment will depend on being successful at interview. Unsuccessful candidates will be given the reason why they have not been appointed and the line manager will offer support as appropriate in this situation. Where the job of an existing member of staff is upgraded, the job does not need to be advertised.

 

Where an internal applicant is offered a job with an over lapping pay scale, for reasons of staff retention, the employee will remain on the same level of pay if this is higher this is higher than the start of the new pay band and included in the new pay band.  If their current rate of pay is higher than the top of the new pay band they will go to the top of the new pay scale.

 

JOB PACK

 

A Job Pack will be available to all applicants.  This will include:

 

An application form; Job Description; Person Specification; Equal Opportunities monitoring form and envelope for its return; Equal Opportunities Policy Statement and any other relevant literature.

 

 

SELECTION METHODS

 

(i) SHORTLISTING

 

Shortlisting will be carried out by at least two people. These may be staff members or Board members.  In certain circumstances Priority may choose to have a third person chosen from outside the organisation to assist in the process of shortlisting and interviews. Shortlisting criteria will be based on the abilities, skills and qualities as detailed in the Job Description and the Person Specification.  The shortlisting panel should also be the interviewing panel. 

 

Once the applicants have been assessed, the successful candidates will be notified of the arrangements for interview.

 

 

(ii) INTERVIEWS

 

The panel will meet before interviews to agree relevant questions to be asked and by whom.   Each interview should follow the same pattern.

 

The interview questions will be drawn up to reflect the Person Specification. This should enable the interviewing panel to gain the necessary information to make a decision on the suitability of the candidate for the position being offered. All the answers given to the questions will be marked on a scale of zero to four.  After each interview scores will be noted down.  No discussion of candidates will take place until all interviews have been completed.  A negotiated decision will then be made using the answers on the above as a guide.  The Chair of the panel will take notes of the discussion so that should a candidate dispute the outcome, there is a clear record of how the decision was reached.

 

Those interviewing candidates should not create or defend barriers to individuals taking employment with Priority Youth Housing.  Priority Youth Housing will always positively consider making changes to enable an individual who is successful at interview to take up employment with the organisation.  For instance if there are existing policies and practices that would make it difficult for someone to take employment with Priority then the organisation will actively consider changing these.  If there are changes that need to be made to buildings or equipment that would enable a disabled person take up an offer of employment then the organisation will consider positively making such changes.

 

(iii) PRESENTATIONS/ TESTS

 

Where appropriate presentations or tests (eg word processing, proof reading) will form part of the assessment. Each candidate asked to attend interview will be notified in advance of any presentation or test requirement.

 

Scoring System

 

4 - Fulfils completely            3 - Almost completely            2 - Fulfils partially

1 - Not really                           0 - Not at all/not known

 

PAYMENT OF EXPENSES

 

If a post has been advertised in a national paper Priority will pay for reasonable travel costs incurred by attending an interview.  If the post has not been advertised in a national newspaper then the organisation is unable to assist candidates with expenses.

 

INFORMING CANDIDATES

 

The candidate being offered the post will be contacted by telephone (preferably on the same day) with an offer of employment. All appointments are subject to satisfactory references and for certain posts a police check may be required of the applicant/post-holder.   The successful candidate, having accepted, will be sent a letter of appointment informing them of the start date, terms and conditions of employment etc.

 

All other candidates will be notified by post the following working day. When notifying candidates who are second or third choice it will be explained that references are yet to be obtained for the person offered the post and Priority Youth Housing may contact them again if the first choice candidate does not take up the post. This of course depends on whether any of the other candidates were suitable.

 

PROVIDING FEEDBACK

With the exception of internal candidates Priority is unable to provide feedback to those applicants that have not been invited to interview. When requested, Priority will provide feedback to applicants who have attended an interview.   If an external applicant disagrees with the process of applying for employment or with the decision made by the organisation they will be encouraged to use Priority Youth Housing’s Complaints Procedure.  If already employed by Priority Youth Housing the candidate should use the Grievance Procedure.

 

INDUCTION

 

Each new employee will be given full induction into the organisation.

 

This will include:

 

·      meeting other staff, residents and for certain posts members of the Board

·      receiving briefings on Priority Youth Housing policies and procedures including Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety, Grievance and Disciplinary

·      making contact with appropriate professionals and agencies in the field

·      information on Priority Youth Housing’s history, current position and development plans

·      visits to projects in management

·      contact with a representative of the recognised trade union.

 

SUPERVISION

 

All Priority Youth Housing staff receive supervision on a monthly basis from their Line Manager. This may need to be more frequent when settling in.  During the first few months, any problems should be highlighted and methods found for solving problems will be identified. The individual's performance is also reviewed. These sessions form part of the probationary period, and will continue on a monthly basis if the person is confirmed in post.

 

 

PROBATIONARY PERIOD

 

Each post carries a six-month probationary period.  At the six-month stage the line manager will conduct a review. If at the review it is planned to confirm the person in post then only the employee and line manager will attend the meeting.  If at the review it is planned to extend the probation or not to confirm the person in post then both the Line Manager and another manager, Director or Board Member will attend the review. The probationary review form will be filled out by the probationer and the Line Manager and be used as a guide for the meeting. Where performance is satisfactory the person will be confirmed in post. Where performance needs certain improvements, an extended probationary period will be set with targets to be met within a given timescale. This will usually be no more than three months. After the extended probationary period, if performance is unsatisfactory the person will not be confirmed in post and given notice accordingly. Through discussion with the Line Manager prior to the probationary meeting the probationer will be given an indication of the likely outcome of the meeting. There should be no action taken at the meeting that should come as a surprise to the employee.

 

The probationer has the right to ask for a Union representative or other agreed representative to be present. Any disagreement on a decision taken can be referred through the Grievance Procedure.

 

MONITORING

 

The Recruitment Policy and Procedure as set out here will be regularly reviewed. Records of all job applicants will be kept for 6 months.  Monitoring is carried out by Priority Youth Housing to ensure individuals are treated fairly.  If direct or indirect discrimination is found, the appropriate and necessary steps will be taken to remedy the situation.

 

 

 

Approval stage

Date completed or n/a

Team consultation

 

Service user consultation

 

Unison consultation

 

Committee approval

 

Board approval

 

Review date (generally 3 years)