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| Vacancy Advertising Scheme (VAS) |
Guidance on Good Practice
The mandatory principles of VAS that must be complied with are detailed in the main body of the website. To help ensure compliance with those principles, a VAS Checklist of Mandatory Actions is available.
This good practice guidance is intended to give additional guidance to those taking part in, or supporting, VAS. There is also further guidance available covering the sifting and selection stages of VAS as well as guidance on the consideration of sick absence information.
General
- Confidentiality of the selection process should be carefully maintained at every stage of the process
- An administrative grade, normally from the personnel unit, is appointed with specific responsibility for providing support and advice to the panel and the chairperson in particular
- The chairperson is appointed from the outset so that he or she may be consulted over the advertisement and any supporting documents felt to be necessary
- The chairperson is independent of the establishment of Group wherever practical and where there are likely to be a number of applicants from other locations
- A timetable for completion of each stage of the process is agreed between the chairperson and administrator taking due account of the urgency for filling the post in question
- The monitoring return should be initiated from the outset and retained on file which will facilitate easier and speedier submission at the end of the process
- A panel member having a personal relationship with an applicant should declare this and withdraw form the panel
Advertising
- The chairperson should agree the advertisement and requests for supporting information or documents
- The published advertisement is supported by the provision of further information and guidance about the post or grade in question, the location and the selection process to be followed
- Whilst it is not mandatory to consult trade unions about draft advertisements the Governing Governor or Head of Group may do so if preferred and in any event should provide an advance copy for information
- A period of at least 3 weeks is allowed for receipt of applications unless there is a particularly urgent need to fill the post quickly (but 2 weeks is the prescribed minimum)
- Applications should normally be acknowledged within 2 or 3 days of receipt or as soon as possible after this
- Late applications received after the closing date but before the sift should normally be accepted where a genuine reason for the lateness has been provided
Sifting
- The supporting administrator should check applications on receipt for completeness and eligibility and obtain missing or further information as necessary
- The supporting administrator should identify any applications under GIS and bring them to the attention of the panel at the sift
- The chairperson should be satisfied that the other panel members are trained or have relevant experience to make them competent for the task or should ensure that briefing and support is given to any members with only limited experience
- Applications should not be rejected by the panel where the they are late or are missing required information where the fault cannot be attributed to the applicant - although such circumstances should have been chased prior to the sift a decision on whether to invite for interview should be deferred
- Agree the relative weighting of competences, normally with the line manager for the post, to be assessed and scored on interview
- Panel members should assess and score candidates independently and the scores then aggregated but significant inconsistencies should be discussed
- Where the cost and practicality dictate it may be sensible to conduct the sift by telephone as long all panel members have received the relevant papers
- It may be advisable for the representations member to be independent, particularly where there are in-house applicants to consider - the same considerations for late representation apply as for original application (as above)
Selection
- The chairperson should check that the physical arrangements for interviews are satisfactory - for example: catering for any with disability, timing of interview, suitability of accommodation, escorting arrangements and health and safety implications
- Check with the candidate that there are no circumstances that might potentially affect the interview performance and where this is the case, make an offer of an alternative date
- Where a candidate arrives a little late allow time to settle down but agree a later time or day if other candidates would be significantly delayed by fitting the interview in for the latecomer
- Each panel member should include reasonable comments supporting the score given so as to facilitate provision of an overall assessment by the chairperson for feedback to unsuccessful candidates
Results
- The chairperson should use the checklist to ensure that all mandatory actions have been complied with
- The panel report should be completed as soon as possible but the aim should be to do this within one week at the latest
- Any proposal to reject a candidate after considering the sick absence history must be approved by the Governing Governor or Head of Group but this should not be recommended unless there is clear evidence indicating a problem over performance or attendance likely to impact on the advertised post
- Notification to successful and unsuccessful candidates should normally be sent on the same day and copied to the Governing Governor or Head of Group (this particularly applies for unsuccessful candidates so that requested feedback can be carried out appropriately through the line)
- Successful candidates should be asked to confirm acceptance as soon as possible but it is recommended this should be within 14 days at the latest
- Unsuccessful but suitable candidates may be used in the event of a further (similar) vacancy within 12 months but they should not be told where they are on the merit list.
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