Recruiting with Impact

Guide to

Recruitment and

Selection

Pursue the extraordinary

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Page 2• Planning Meeting

Page 3• About the Job

Page 4• Advertising (including the recruitment toolkit)

Page 6• Authorisation

Page 7• Shortlisting

Page 8• Selection Action

Page 14

• Decision making and Appointing (Including guidance on recruiting a non-EEA national)

Page 18• Maintaining Momentum (including relocation information)

Page 20• Induction

Introduction

This handbook has been designed to give you the recruitment essentials and ‘handy-

hints’ for recruiting the best and brightest individuals. Hyperlinks are embedded in the

text which will take you directly to the guidance notes/templates on the HR recruitment

and selection webpages.

Please note that not all suggestions will be applicable to every recruitment

process/candidate.

Recruitment Process Outline

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Planning Meeting

You may find it helpful to hold a planning meeting to plan out the entire recruitment process,

starting with the anticipated start date of the new employee and working backwards.

This meeting may comprise of the HoD/Recruiting Manager, departmental recruitment selection

coordinator (RSC) and a Human Resources Adviser/Manager.

The meeting should clarify the requirements and define the job. The Essential Action Checklist

is available to download from the ‘Templates’ box on the recruitment webpages. This provides

an overview of details to be discussed in this meeting which includes:

● Who are we looking to appoint?

● What are the approximate recruitment timeframes?

● How/Where should the posts be advertised?

● How will candidates be assessed? What will be the weighting of each method?

● If the candidate is required to give a presentation, which members of the department

will be present and what will their role be? Who will provide feedback, how will this be

incorporated into the decision making?

● Who will sit on the Interview Panel? *consider gender balance* (see University

interview panel guidance)

● What other activities will take place (and when)? (Informal lunch/dinner/tours of

department, tours of city/ peak district)

● What package will be made available? e.g. PhD students, start-up funds etc.

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Hints and Tips…

Download the current version of the About the Job Template for every job (use

previous ATJ to generate ideas, not as an automatic cut and paste).

Ensure the job description provides a clear and illustrative picture of the role.

Ensure that the person specification element is accurate and fair and can be used to

measure candidates ability effectively via different methods of selection.

Have all content in the correct format in place prior to entering the e-Recruitment

system.

About the Job

After receiving approval for the post, you should begin to create the About the Job (job

description).

The About the Job provides applicants with essential information about the job and will be used

as part of future employment action. They provide the basis to assess candidates against as well

as giving the appointee a clear starting point to work from therefore it is important to consider

each job afresh.

See ‘Defining the Job’ on the HR webpage for further guidance.

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Adverts

The advert plays a major role in attracting the attention of potential applicants and motivating

them to find out more information about the post via the About the Job. All advertised posts are

placed on the University of Sheffield jobs website and on the jobs board for Higher Education

and the public sector jobs.ac.uk (except some support roles).

Please note that all advertisement is to be done through Human Resources.

ACTION:

● Complete the Advert Template available to download from the ‘defining the job’ webpage.

● Consider all suggested redeployees fully for the post before moving on to

advertise more widely

● If you wish to pursue external advertising, please note details within the Job Requisition

field and note the external advertising deadlines

● You should liaise with your customary HR contact for all advertising action - refer any

contact from external organisations directly to them.

● Ensure to include time for editing your adverts in your recruitment and selection action

planning, especially external adverts which will require mock-ups etc.

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*Business cards, branded stationary and other recruitment tools are available to help

promote the city of Sheffield and the University at external events via the recruiting with

impact website.

Advertising Considerations

Consider whether it is appropriate for adverts to be

accessible via alternative channels eg. Academic Journals, specific Association Websites, (e.g UKRC website) National

press, Social media (Linked In, Twitter) Encourage all staff in the

department to refer to the vacancy in their email

signature for the duration of the advertisement.

(Suggested wording can be provided by HR.)

Is it possible to offer staff incentives for

attracting the successful

candidate?

Consider maintaining a database of potential candidates from previous

recruitment, networks, sectors and industries etc, and keep track

of the communications

Flyers of job advertisements can be

created if an eye-catching advert has been created. E.g those made for big splash campaigns.

Spread the word about the vacancy informally at

conferences, internal and external networking

events.*

HoD/ PVC makes direct contact with high priority/likely

candidates and invites and encourages them

to apply

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Risk Assessment Checklist

For all posts it is necessary to complete a Risk Assessment Checklist (which you can download

from the ‘Templates’ section on the recruitment webpages).

This document helps departments to identify any health and safety risks associated with

carrying out the role. Where a risk is identified, a higher level of disclosure is required and

closer scrutiny by Workplace Health & Wellbeing. In certain cases Workplace Health & Wellbeing

may contact applicants for further information and a medical examination may be required prior

to confirmation of appointment.

Authorisation

Requisition approval

Once the recruitment documents have been produced, the department’s RSC can begin the

process of raising a requisition on e-recruitment. The requisition will detail all aspects of the

role including pay grade, start date, end date (where applicable), job type, working commitment

(number of hours) etc. It will also be necessary to attach the following documents to the

requisition:

• About the Job

• Advert

• Risk Assessment Checklist

• About the University – this is a standard document for all posts

Once the requisition has been completed and correct documentation attached the RSC will

submit the requisition for final approval.

Recruitment Document Approval Process

When the requisition is submitted by the RSC, Human Resources staff will be alerted via the e-

recruitment system. At this point checks will be carried out on the About the Job and Advert to

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ensure that they are ready for publication. The documents will be checked for any errors and to

ensure that the job details match those in the requisition. Once checked, the documents will be

returned to the department to approve any changes or amendments that have been made and

also to answer any points that require clarification.

Shortlisting candidates

You can use e-Recruitment to shortlist online. Panel members can rank each candidate, add

comments individually and flag any candidate which they think warrants discussion. The

rankings are then aggregated and comments can be shared with all panel members. If you have a

large number of applicants it may be useful to include an additional layer of action in your

selection process e.g written tests, technical skill tests, social interaction etc. These actions may

be completed prior to shortlisting individuals for interview. (N.B If you include a longlisting stage,

be clear on methods to be used and purpose of this stage in the process. Provide candidates

with clear guidance on which stage in the proceedings they are being invited to participate in

and when they will be informed of the outcome.)

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Selection Action

Effective selection action for any appointment should include, at the minimum, an interview and

a combination of tests that measure the candidates´ abilities to undertake different elements of

the role eg. Presentation or another form of assessment. It is therefore important to invest time

and effort in creating and planning a balanced and thorough selection process. See ‘Establishing

an interview/selection panel’.

It is also important to include eligibility to work checks in the selection process planning to avoid

illegal working. It is also important to establish when references are to be requested, (ie before

the longlisting/shortlisting process of after the interview)

All forms of assessment must directly measure candidates´ abilities against the criteria

within the Person Specification of the About the Job.

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Ensuring a positive interview experience…

In order to maximise the effectiveness of the selection process and candidate experience it is

important to ensure the following preparations/considerations have been made at the outset of

your selection action planning, BEFORE the interview day.

Invitation to Interview

Candidates should be informed of the details of the planned selection action when you

email/write to invite them to attend. This is where you should also ask candidates to provide you

with any adjustments or assistance they may require to undertake the planned selection action.

An ‘invite to interview template’ can be downloaded to from the HR webpages which also

provide more information about contacting shortlisted candidates.

In order to maximise candidate experience it may be helpful to

include information about Sheffield and the surrounding area

with the invitation. For example attach the Living and Working in

Sheffield brochure.

The ‘Welcome to Sheffield’ website is also an excellent up-to-date

resource that you could direct candidates to for more

information about Sheffield and surrounding area.

You may also wish to include information about support for

specific staff groups e.g. this booklet for prospective researchers.

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Pre-employment Checks It is our statutory duty to check that a prospective employee has the correct eligibility to

work in the UK in place BEFORE (i) the appointee commences employment or (ii) an

extension to an existing appointment is issued. Failure to do so can lead to civil and criminal

penalties for non-compliance.

Action:

1. Request all invited candidates to provide suitable documentation confirming their eligibility to

work in the UK

2. Identify a member of staff to undertake the checks and ensure that s/he is fully briefed in the

action required

3. On the day of the interview/selection action, check that the presented documentation is the

original version and is acceptable evidence of eligibility in line with UK Border Agency (UKBA)

guidelines

4. Carefully photocopy the required information

5. Ensure that you undertake eligibility to work checks for ALL invited candidates

6. If you have identified a non-European Economic Area (EEA) candidate who will require migrant

approval to work in the UK, DO NOT commit to securing this approval on behalf of the candidate.

7. Retain and dispose of all copies of documentation securely.

See pre-employment checks for further guidance.

Organising the Interview day

● Clarify how and when you will test for each criteria within the selection action process.

● Create a schedule for assessment and the interview

● Select a date and time that allows time to put in place preparation for the interview.

● Confirm that all interviewees have been invited and any special assistance has been

acknowledged and plans put in place to accommodate the needs.

● Agree at what stage you will undertake checks to confirm eligibility to work in UK (See

below)

● Agree at what stage in proceedings you will seek references (see below)

● Book venue and catering

● Timetable of the day (allowing for time between interviews, comfort breaks etc.)

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Preparing for the interview

● Agree interview questions that are linked to the personal specification to ensure the

candidate’s suitability for the post is measured. It may be useful to include ‘criteria

questions’, ‘specific interest questions’ and ‘probing questions’

● Create an interview pack for each applicant which includes the interviewees

applications, references if available at this stage, copy of brief for tasks, assessment form

for each task per interviewee.

● Interview panel members should be provided with the job description and person

specification in advance of the interview to familiarise themselves with the post.

● It is important to prepare records/forms for each candidate to be filled in during the

interview by panel members so that afterwards HoDs can make a record of the rationale

behind each decision. These records/forms should then be retained as outlined in the

‘Storage of Recruitment Documentation’ and the outcome of the selection process

should be recorded in e-Recruitment.

● Nominate a panel member who will provide feedback to candidates post interview.

See Advanced Preparation for more details.

References It is important to ensure a reference is obtained from the most recent employer/line

manager for all shortlisted candidates. This needs to be done in advance of interviews so

that the references are available to aid the decision making process. Where candidates

have indicated in their application that they do not wish us to contact referees without

their prior consent, we will seek permission to contact those referees when inviting

candidates to interview. All candidates will be advised that it is in their best interest to

ensure that they provide a full set of references.

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Interview Day Checklist

Candidates with disabilities- have any additional needs been

noted and accommodated for?

Equipment for note taking- all panel members must make

notes (not all have to ask questions)

Candidate reviews should take place at the end of the

interviews NOT between them.

Feedback responsibilities- completion of a feedback form

Confirm who will undertake Eligibility to work Checks and

Interview expenses claims and when.

Designate a waiting area for candidates

Interview room

o is it comfortable?

o is the seating arrangement inclusive?

o is water available for both the panel and candidate?

o Have measures to avoid interruption and minimise

background noise been put in place?

o Is there a clock visible?

Confirm who will act as candidate liaison, who will:

o Meet and greet?

o Offer refreshments?

o Take to the interview room?

o Manage waiting time?

Care of Candidate post interview, who will:

o Retrieve from interview room?

o Take on a tour of the department?

o Show them the exit and thank them for attending?

See Action on the Day for more details.

Is it appropriate to discuss

support available for academics

with families e.g Parent’s in

Academia, Women’s Network,

Women Academic Returner’s

Programme.

-Tour of the City?

-Tour of the Peak District?

-Lunch?

-Have the met appropriate Staff?

Eg.HoDs?

Display appropriate job vacancy

posters or flyers in waiting area.

(Generic recruitment posters are

available for this purpose on the

recruiting with impact

webpages.)

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Selling the City of Sheffield…

Interviews are a TWO-WAY process and therefore it is important to consider methods for

maximising the ‘candidate experience’ to ensure you recruit the best candidate for the job. For

some posts it means re-locating to the whole family so it may be important to sell the City of

Sheffield and the Lifestyle of its residents to prospective employees as well as the University.

Selling the University of Sheffield...

It is also an opportunity to sell the department/ Faculty to prospective employees. It may be

appropriate to discuss:

• Collaborative research. E.g provide examples of collaborations within the departments

and across the faculty.

• Visiting scholars, PhDs, Fellows and staff

• Career and personal development programs e.g Springboard (Female Academics), ‘Think

Ahead’ (PDRAs), See the staff development webpages for further information.

• Mentoring opportunities (‘Impacts’ and ‘Futures’, ‘GROW’) etc.

• Staff Benefits

• Family Leave

Examples of highlights: Country village living is only 20 minutes away by train From fashionable city centre apartments and terraced houses close to our main campus, to semi-detached suburban homes and large suburban houses in Ranmoor and Fulwood, Sheffield offers a diverse range of properties to suit any lifestyle. It also offers what few other cities can – country living within a stone’s throw of the city. With Peak District villages such as Hope and Hathersage just 20 minutes by train and 30 minutes by car, you can easily enjoy the best of both worlds.

Sheffield is a family friendly place to live in the UK Sheffield is a notoriously friendly city, so you are guaranteed a warm welcome. There is a huge choice of schools, including 134 primary, 17 secondary, 4 academies, 11 special educational needs schools and a number of independent schools, some only a walk away from our main campus. If your family or partner is moving with you, they will also find a host of leading employers in and around the city, including Sky, HSBC, Rolls-Royce, Boeing, Aviva, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Home Office. With 12 other universities just an hour away, they will never be short of opportunities.

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Skype Interviews

In some circumstances it can prove extremely difficult to get a desired candidate to Sheffield for

either the presentation or the interview stage of the process. In such an instance, and if no

alternative date can be found, it may be necessary to use Skype to conduct a stage of the

process. Skype should only be used as a last resort and at least one of the stages (ideally

interview) must be conducted face-to-face.

No offer of appointment can be made to a candidate if they have not visited the

University in person at some stage of the selection process.

Decision Making and Appointing

After the final interview, panel members should compare their ratings and judgements (and any

scoring system agreed prior to the interviews) amongst themselves. See ‘Decisions making’ for

further guidance on important aspects of this procedure.

Following this, the panel may approach the successful candidate to inform them that they will be

recommending her/him for appointment to the role, subject to the completion of Pre-

employment checks(see below).

Appointment to all University posts will be subject to:

Satisfactory references

An Eligibility to Work check

Work Health Assessment relevant to the role

Panel members should not allow personal prejudices to influence the decision-making

process – it is illegal to make assumptions or presumptions around candidates´

abilities based on protected characteristics including age, gender, disability, and

ethnicity.

Ensure all decisions are made on objective assessment not personal opinion.

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Academic post considerations… Start-up package (e.g. equipment

funds, PhD students etc.)

Teaching/ Admin duties (often

reducing initially for more junior

appointments)

Mentoring options available

Relocation Expenses/ support

Partner support (where necessary)

Agreed Probationary Period

Selection panels do not have the authority to make an offer of appointment. Only the Director

of Human Resources has the authority to appoint individuals to University posts,

including externally funded posts. When communicating with your preferred candidate,

make clear to her/him that your recommendation is subject to formal confirmation by Human

Resources.

The selection panel 'or representative sub-

group' should agree recommendations in the

following areas to support the appointment

recommendation including:

● Level of appointment

● Salary

● Start Date

● Pensions

See ‘making the appointment’ on the HR webpage

for further details.

Recruitment of a non-EEA national

For non-European Economic Area (EEA) nationals appropriate migrant worker approval is

required. Following a fair recruitment and selection process, if you have identified a candidate

who requires migrant worker approval from the UKBorder Agency to work in the UK, do the

following:

DO NOT commit to securing migrant worker approval on behalf of the candidate. As an

employer, we cannot guarantee that the necessary approval can be obtained, as our action in

this area is subject to a number of variables including legislative requirements and UKBA advice.

Contact your customary HR contact to discuss the details of the case BEFORE discussing

options with your recommended candidate. In advance of your discussion with HR, consider the

following:

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-Clear evidence to justify that the recruitment of a non-EEA national is required as a

starting point

Rigorous, robust testing of the EEA applicant market is an essential starting point. Supporting

evidence of a fair recruitment and selection process will be required if you seek immigrant

worker approval and you will have to justify that the post cannot be appointed to from the EEA

candidate market. This includes the retention of all interview notes and the completion of a

PBS1 Form.

Options for seeking migrant approval to work in the UK

The UKBA operates a tiered entry system, it is anticipated that the majority of our migrant

worker requests will be made under the Tier 2 (General) route. It may be possible for an

individual to apply under the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) route.

-Withdrawal of offer If appropriate migrant worker approval cannot be obtained, the

University will be obliged to withdraw any offer of appointment to avoid breaching its statutory

obligations. It is important to ensure that HR is notified of any offer withdrawal.

Responsibilities of the Recruiting Manager/Line Manager

As Line Manager of an individual sponsored by the University of Sheffield under Tier 2 or Tier 5 of the UKBA’s points based system you have certain duties that you must perform at the recruitment stage:

Prior to Arrival

Ensure that a fair recruitment and selection process has been carried out for all positions;

Ensure that proof of eligibility to work in the UK has been obtained Liaise with Human Resources when a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) needs

to be obtained and provide information relevant to the CoS. This includes listing the names of applicants shortlisted and attaching the notes from the final interviews to the successful applicant in e-Recruitment and forwarding the PBS1 form to your customary HR Team. See sponsoring a non-EEA national for more information.

Assist with the CoS application and liaison with the individual to be sponsored to ensure relevant information is accurate.

See responsibilities of the recruitment manager and responsibilities of sponsored workers for further guidance. You may seek further support or advice from your

customary HR Team as appropriate.

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For international appointees, please ensure that they are aware of the HR webpages

for new international staff which provides useful practical information to for those

relocating to the UK.

Information about Visas for candidates International candidates often have questions about visa applications, if they are our chosen candidate we want to make their relocation to Sheffield as easy as possible. Below is some general information that you may like to pass on. More detailed information is available from the Home Office. For recruiting employees we use the following visas: Tier 1 (exceptional talent) Tier 2 (skilled workers e.g. this may be relevant to research associates, grade 7 and above) Tier 4 (if employing a student their visa allows them to work a certain number of hours)

Tier 2 Visa You can apply for a Tier 2 (General) visa if:

you’ve been offered a skilled job in the UK you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland you’ve received a certificate of sponsorship from the University.

Getting sponsored

You need to be sponsored - ie have a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed sponsor - before you can apply to come to the UK to work. The work you do in the UK must relate to the work of your sponsor organisation.

How long it will take?

You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before your date of travel to the UK. You should get a decision on your visa between 6-8 weeks. You can check the guide processing times to find out how long getting a visa might take in your country.

Fees

There will be a fee for a Tier 2 (General) visa, however the amount depends on your situation, where you are and how you apply.

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Departments should

liaise regularly with

candidates to ensure the

relationship with them

stays warm and

continues to develop

positively.

Ensure your HR contact is

kept up to date at all

times and that you

communicate to them the

specifics of the offer

agreed at the negotiation

stage.

Candidate Feedback

It is important that applicants to the University feel respected and their efforts recognised,

therefore recruiting departments should communicate with them in a thoughtful and timely

manner throughout the recruitment and selection process.

• Guidance of candidate feedback and minimum requirements is available on the HR web

pages.

• Guidance on the retention and disposal of recruitment documentation is also available

on these webpages.

Maintaining Momentum

Once the interview process has concluded and candidates have been informed that they are

being recommended for employment it is extremely important to ensure that momentum in the

process is not lost.

Candidates often need some time to consider the offer;

maintaining contact demonstrates that we are keen to

conclude the offer and ensures that we provide any additional

support or information they may require to confirm their

decision. They may wish to talk to someone or be sent more

information on the department, the University, the city or

aspects of the role itself.

Human Resources closely monitors each post and maintains a

spreadsheet of progress. If this spreadsheet is kept up to date

then Human Resources can issue the appointment letter and

contract in a timely manner.

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Professorial and equivalent staff

The University has developed provision to offer relocation guidance and support on an

individual and personalised basis for those relocating to take up a permanent appointment at

the University at professorial and professorial equivalent level. For eligible staff, this can include

help with finding a suitable place to live, advice about transport, schools, health and other care

services, and career support for partners who may also need to seek work in the region (see

relocate2Sheffield).

Relocation Information for Candidates

The University of Sheffield recognises the importance of supporting its new staff by making the

move to take up a position at the University as straightforward as possible. There are generous

relocation packages available to assist with removal costs and practicalities (see guidance on

Relocation packages and Guidance on reimbursement of costs of relocation).

Changing work location is both a practical matter and also a major life change, often affecting

partners and families too so it is important to be able to offer information to candidates about

local services. The following websites may be useful to direct candidates to.

Accommodation

Candidates may request information about accommodation in Sheffield. The Accommodation

Services team is there to help new staff find the right accommodation to meet their needs. They

can be contacted at accommodationoffice@sheffield.ac.uk or on 0114 222 4488 (select option 2).

The University also keeps up to date lists to help staff find private rental properties locally;

please see the Housing Finder. (Requires a password therefore only of use once the candidates

have been enrolled as staff).

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Nurseries

Candidates may request information about nurseries. The Student’s Unions Nursery does have

some places for children of staff but this is primarily for student’s children. A list if nurseries and

childcare in Sheffield is available on Sheffield city council’s website. Staff benefits including

Childcare Vouchers, Flexible Working, Annual Leave, Pensions are available through the HR

webpages.

Schools

Candidates with children may request information about transferring their children to Sheffield.

Information regarding this is available on the city council website.

Induction

Staff induction within each Department is normally co-ordinated by the Recruiter in conjunction

with the line manager/HoD. It’s important to plan an individual programme to suit the needs of

the appointee and the post in question. A manager’s induction toolkit is available online with

guidance about what needs to be included in the programme as well as useful templates for

welcome letters etc. The following should be included in the programme as a minimum starting

point:

● Early Induction: keep in touch with the appointee in the period between the appointment

and start date-ensure the appointee is aware of the *Induction Portal.

● Provide a departmental Welcome and Induction Pack-including a checklist of

actions. (Consider how you can make your appointee feel welcome, which may include a

welcome message from their manager or the Head of Department, links to departmental

newsletters and twitter feeds, as well as invitations to socialising activities.)

● Introductions-introduce key members of staff, particularly immediate work colleagues.

● Arrange for a more experienced staff member to act as a mentor or guide.

● If an appointee with a disability requires any additional support or adjustments to

facilitate her/him within the workplace, ensure that these are fully in place and fit for

purpose during the induction period.

● Ensure that workspace and equipment are ready.

● Encourage all new staff to attend the Welcome to the University event.

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● SRDS- All new starters should be made aware of this scheme and have an initial SRDS

meeting upon starting to discuss and set objectives.

● Certain academic appointments are subject to a probation period. Ensure the induction

programme is devised to support this.

● For international appointees, please ensure that the appointee is aware of the HR

webpages for new international staff.

● Existing staff, moving to new jobs within their current department or elsewhere within

the University, should also receive an induction programme tailored to suit their needs.

● Ensure that the planned induction programme is adhered to and completed during the

initial period following appointment in order to maximise its benefits.

*The induction portal

The portal brings together information about the University and the city of Sheffield for new

staff along with key information and activities by timescale to provide a clear induction path

for them to follow. New starters will automatically be sent a welcome email including a link

and password to the portal three months before their start date (or later if applicable), so

all that is required of the recruiting coordinator is to continue to focus on providing an

excellent local departmental/faculty induction programme for your new staff.