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Recruitment

This section is aimed at UAS managers wishing to recruit to a position within their department. All current UAS vacancies are listed on the main University Jobs and Vacancies webpage.

Guidelines for managers

• Potential vacancy arises
• Authorisation to recruit
• Job description and grade of post
• Redeployment
• Advertisement
• Selection panel
• Shortlisting
• Interviews
• The offer
• The appointment
• Timescales

Potential vacancy arises

Assess the requirement to recruit to a new post, or to refill an existing post:

• Is the role/function still required?
• Could the role/function be carried out by redistributing duties to other staff?
• Could the duties be outsourced - cost implications?
• Is the post full-time or part-time?
• Does the job description need updating?

Authorisation to recruit

Before any vacant new or existing post can be advertised approval must be obtained from the appropriate authority. For all posts this is the Head of Department, the appropriate Divisional Financial Controller and the Registrar via the recruitment panel.

• Complete the UAS Recruitment Business Case (84kb)   , which must be signed by the Head of Department. Submit this by e-mail to the UAS Recruitment Panel along with a copy of the job description for the post. It will then be considered by the Registrar’s recruitment panel.
• Once the necessary approval has been obtained the recruiting manager will be notified.

Job description and grade of post

All new posts, and existing posts which have substantially revised job descriptions, must be graded using the HERA job evaluation scheme after they have recruitment panel approval but before they can be advertised. Guidance can be found on the grading page.

Redeployment

Before consideration of external recruitment, you should consider whether a vacancy may represent a redeployment opportunity for a member of staff in your department whose post may be at risk of redundancy (i.e. approaching the end of their fixed term contract) or who needs redeployment for other reasons.

Advertisement

•  Prepare the draft advertisement. Note that the main advert text (excluding job title, salary details and information on how to apply) should not exceed 1850 characters.  A guide to effective advertising and a job advert checklist are available.
• Consider the most appropriate media for advertisements (advice on appropriate media and advertising deadlines can be obtained from the UAS Personnel Administrator). Note that all advertisements will appear on the Jobs and Vacancies page on the website, advertisements for jobs at grade 4 and above will also appear on the Jobs.ac.uk  national website (except for internal only positions), and all advertisements for academic related jobs will appear on the JobCentre Plus national website (except for internal only positions).
• Complete the Recruitment Authorisation Form (92kb)  and email this with the advertisement to the Personnel Administrator.

Selection panel

• Guidance is available on the composition of the panel.
• Consider whether the selection process should include a test of some kind to assess certain selection criteria, e.g. written or numerical skills, ability to use spreadsheets or manipulate data, a short presentation. Guidance is available to assist with this.
• Confirm the panel membership, closing date, dates of shortlisting meeting, and interviews with panel members and send the completed Recruitment Authorisation Form to the Personnel Administrator. Please note the timescales between the various dates that we require as listed on the form.

Shortlisting

• If you receive any priority candidate applications, either by the priority closing date (usually set for midway through the advertisement period) or by the normal closing date they will require preferential consideration. Please seek advice from the Personnel Manager as necessary.
• Copies of all applications/cvs will be sent to the panel chair and panel members by email (as a PDF attachment), normally within one working day of the closing date.
• Arrange a shortlisting meeting attended by all members of the selection panel (only in exceptional circumstances should shortlisting be carried out by correspondence). Guidance is available to assist you with this.
• Decide on the format of the interview including the questions to be asked and if not already done, consider whether any selection exercises or presentations are to be included (guidance is available).
• Complete the and return this, along with the completed Shortlisting Form, to the Personnel Administrator.
• Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview by the Personnel Administrator. Note that candidates normally expect to be given a minimum of seven working days notice prior to interview.
• All other applicants not invited for interview or held in reserve will be declined.

Interviews

Guidance on the format of the interview is available.

After the interviews and any selection tests are complete, the panel should identify a preferred candidate (and any reserve candidates) against the selection criteria for the post. 

 

The offer

• Consider the start date (according to candidate’s availability) and starting salary (based upon qualifications, experience, current salary, comparability with existing staff and, where appropriate, the University’s market pay policy).
• With regard to starting salary, the panel chair should normally aim to offer a salary at the point on the scale that is immediately above the candidate’s current salary. In all cases where this is not acceptable to the candidate, or if it is proposed to offer a higher salary than this, the panel chair should contact their Personnel Manager for advice before contacting the preferred candidate.
• As soon as conveniently possible (preferably on the day of/after the interviews), the panel chair should contact the preferred candidate to make a provisional offer conditional upon (i) acceptable references, (ii) the return of a satisfactory medical questionnaire, (iii) confirmation of the candidate's right to work in the UK, (iv) evidence of qualifications where these are essential to the role, (v) CRB check (where appropriate). You can advise the candidate that the offer will be confirming in writing shortly. Please check with the candidate when their referees may be contacted.
• Complete the Offer of Appointment Form and return this to the Personnel Administrator.
• Return copies of the interview record notes the Personnel Administrator. It is essential these are returned to be kept on the recruitment file in order to comply with the Data Protection Act and the Work Permit regulations. Please also keep copies for yourself in case any candidates should require feedback. Guidance on giving feedback to candidates is available.
• Based on the information on the Offer of Appointment Form, a conditional offer letter will be sent to the candidate. This will be accompanied by the relevant documentation for the conditions of the offer, a University card application and an IT form.
• References will be requested and forwarded to the panel chair as soon as received. The panel chair should then confirm to the Personnel Administrator in writing (or by e-mail) whether or not the references are acceptable.
• Once the conditions (references, medical questionnaire, right to work in UK, qualifications, CRB if relevant) have been met, a formal contract will be sent to the candidate.

If no suitable candidate can be identified then departments may wish to readvertise the post, or consider whether revising the duties, grade or other aspects of the post which may attract more appropriate applicants.  In such cases advice should be sought from the Personnel Administrator as to whether the post needs to be resubmitted for grading.

 

The appointment

• Departments should contact the new member of staff to advise them of specific joining instructions (e.g. venue, time, who to ask for etc.).
• Make arrangements for receiving the new member of staff on the start date and for the provision of appropriate induction training as necessary.
• Arrange for them to meet the Personnel Administrator on their first day at work (or as soon as possible thereafter) to provide the necessary details to ensure they get paid.

 

All comments, queries, and forms relating to the recruitment process may be sent to the following e-mail address: recruitment@admin.ox.ac.uk

Timescales

Approval of post by Recruitment Panel	Submissions are dealt with by correspondence as quickly as practicable. If this is a new post that requires external advertisement then additional approval from the Joint Panel will be required, allow an additional few days for this.
Job description for grading	Allow ten working days from date of submission. This can be done alongside the approval of the post via the Recruitment Panel.
Placement of advertisement	Allow two working days from date of submission to be placed on the University website and up to five working days for Jobs.ac.uk and Job Centre Plus. External media timescales will vary depending on publication.
Closing date	As a guide allow two weeks between advert publication and closing date for support staff posts and three weeks for academic related posts. If you think a work permit may be required then the vacancy must remain open for at least four weeks to qualify under UKBA rules.
Shortlisting date	Allow at least one working day between the closing date and the shortlisting date to allow us time to send out the shortlisting packs to you.
Interview date	Allow at least seven working days between receipt of the interview arrangements form by the Personel Administrator to the interview date, to ensure we give candidates adequate notice.
Start date	Allow at least two weeks between receipt of the offer of appointment form by the Personel Administrator and the provisional start date. This allows time for the various conditions of the offer to be fulfilled.

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