Recruitment and selection policy
1.1 Oxford Brookes University aims to attract, recruit and retain the most talented employees across all academic and professional services.
1.2 In an increasingly competitive talent market, it is crucial that the University’s approach to recruitment and selection is responsive and capable of attracting the best talent, both domestically and internationally.
2.1 This policy aims to provide support and guidance to hiring managers throughout the recruitment process, promoting equality, diversity and inclusion principles and best practice, whilst also ensuring that there is an established and consistent approach across the University.
2.2 This policy provides a framework for the delivery of flexible recruitment and selection activity, which ensures the best candidates are secured whilst meeting the University’s values, ensuring that all recruitment at Oxford Brookes is based on merit and conducted through fair and open competition.
3.1 Hiring managers are those who lead recruitment campaigns and have delegated responsibility for ensuring that all recruitment processes are delivered in line with the policy.
3.2 Shortlisting is the stage in the recruitment process where all applicants for a role are considered against the requirements of the post detailed in the person specification.
3.3 Recruitment Panels will normally be chaired by the hiring manager and must consist of at least one other panel member and should, wherever possible, reflect the diverse nature of the University and the communities we serve.
4.1 This policy applies to all Oxford Brookes University employees, both temporary and permanent.
4.2 The policy outlines the broad principles of our approach to recruitment and selection, which provides additional information on the delivery of an effective recruitment and selection process, including interview and assessment methods.
4.3 For casual, variable hours and Associate Lecturer recruitment, please refer to the relevant guidance.
5.1 Oxford Brookes University is a signatory to the San-Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that where research forms part of the job description, applicants should be evaluated on the quality of their research and not where it is published or the journal impact factor.
5.2 The University is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion through its recruitment processes. It will uphold principles of fairness, take steps to attract the widest possible candidate pool, and take action to address areas of known under-representation, both institutionally and at local level.
5.3 The University seeks to increase workforce diversity across all functions and levels of the organisation. This applies in particular to ethnic diversity at senior levels for both academic and professional services roles. The University will collect and analyse diversity data to enable the identification and addressing of disparities in attraction and success rates according to protected characteristics and areas of under-representation. The approach includes taking targeted positive action across our recruitment and selection processes to tackle under-representation, structural inequities and historic barriers to employment opportunities in higher education.
5.4 The University reserves the right not to advertise a vacancy where there are employees on an at-risk register, or other organisational processes requiring individuals to be re-deployed, such as an Occupational Health recommendation.
5.5 The People Directorate aims to support hiring managers to get the right person in the right role as quickly as possible, ensure a positive experience for new employees, and minimise the impact of vacant roles.
5.6 All roles are advertised internally for at least two weeks to allow colleagues the opportunity to apply. This can be done in conjunction with external advertising.
5.7 Typically, a successful recruitment campaign takes 8-12 weeks from advertisement to start date, but this heavily relies on factors like a candidate’s notice period and, importantly, the prompt completion of associated tasks by hiring managers.
5.8 Anticipated timelines are:
- advertising duration - typically 2 to 4 weeks
- shortlisting complete - typically 3 working days after advert closing (however we recommend reviewing applications as they are received)
- interview and assessment invitations - sent by the People Operations Team with 48 hours of shortlisting being received, providing ideally 7 calendar days’ notice for all candidates
- interviews/assessments - up to 3 days depending on the volume of candidates.
- background checks / contract - up to 21 days (depending on career/address history for checking / national volumes at DBS)
- VISA/Sponsorship - up to 21 days
- candidate notice period - up to 12 weeks.
6.1 The Resourcing Partner and People Operations Team are experienced in recruitment best practice and will provide advice and support to the hiring manager throughout the recruitment and selection process. The People Directorate are responsible for:
- providing professional advice on grading of posts, content of job descriptions/person specifications, advertising and appropriate salary levels
- placing job adverts
- carrying out pre-employment checks
- issuing written offers of appointment and contracts of employment
- undertaking any other administration tasks agreed to as part of the recruitment process. This includes, but is not limited to, inviting short-listed candidates to interview, taking up references, issuing rejection letters
- monitoring and reviewing the recruitment process and supporting policies/ guidance
- providing training on recruitment and selection, including equality, diversity and inclusion awareness
- ensuring that candidate documentation is retained inline with the University’s GDPR policy and privacy statement.
6.2 The hiring manager will normally also be the Chair of the Recruitment Panel and are responsible for:
- liaising with the head of department and Finance and Legal Services to determine whether a vacancy is a replacement post, a new post or an existing post which requires revision, and that the post is signed off by the VCG business group
- ensuring that all new/revised posts (including casuals, variable hours and temporary jobs through agencies) have gone through the formal job evaluation process before they are advertised and that formal authorisation to recruit has been sought
- working collaboratively with the People Directorate on any potential challenges you envisage with the vacancy, planning the recruitment campaign plans and agreeing timescales
- preparing a job description, person specification, draft advert and further particulars
- attending the University’s recruitment and selection training course and ensuring that all members of the interview panel have completed this within the last three years
- ensuring that shortlisting and interview processes are conducted in a way that is free from implicit bias
- briefing panel members and providing all necessary documentation (job description, etc.)
- undertaking any tasks agreed to as part of the recruitment timescales drawn up with the People Directorate (e.g. inviting shortlisted candidates to interview)
- ensuring that any recruitment agencies engaged or external consultants who assist in the recruitment process adhere to this policy
- producing and confirming a shortlist in collaboration with the interview panel
- gaining proof of a candidate's Right to Work in the UK as part of the recruitment process
- keeping a written record of all shortlisting and interview decisions
- making a verbal offer of employment to the successful candidate
- Providing feedback to unsuccessful shortlisted candidates
- ensuring a comprehensive and consistent induction programme is in place for all new employees
- ensuring that candidate documentation is retained inline with the University’s GDPR policy and Privacy Statement.
6.3 The Head of Faculty/Directorate are responsible for:
- ensuring all employees likely to be involved in recruitment are made aware of this policy, follow it and undertake the training provided to develop the skills necessary to undertake fair and effective recruitment and selection
- monitoring and evaluating the departmental staffing plan and budget
- monitoring and evaluating recruitment agencies and recruitment advertising costs within their function.
6.4 All participants in the recruitment process, including candidates, should maintain confidentiality at all times.
Recruitment
Equality, diversity and inclusion
7.1 Oxford Brookes University aims to attract a diverse pool of candidates and take active steps to address areas of under-representation. Recruiting managers should familiarise themselves with the current diversity profile of their Directorate / Faculty and / or discipline and consider how their attraction strategy might address any gaps. Additional steps may be taken to pro-actively encourage applications from under-represented groups, including through positive action.
7.2 Disability Confident is a voluntary government initiative designed to encourage employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long-term health conditions. It has been developed by employers and disabled people’s representatives.
7.3 The University is a Disability Confident employer and this applies to all Oxford Brookes University vacancies based in the UK.
7.4 Candidates will be asked at application stage to indicate if they wish to be considered under the Disability Confident initiative, and will as a result be assessed and shortlisted based on fulfillment of the essential criteria of the role.
Adverts
7.5 Recruitment advertisements shall be placed only for vacancies approved by the VCG Recruitment Panel (if applicable) that have been through the People XD approval process.
7.6 Job adverts must follow the standardised format provided by the People Directorate. Advice on the development of job adverts can be provided by the People Directorate, to clearly reflect the job description, person specification and role requirements.
7.7 Oxford Brookes University aims to make adverts as warm and welcoming as possible to reflect the culture and values of the organisation and create a consistent brand.
7.8 It is best practice to include the time, date and location of proposed interviews on the advert.
Recruitment agencies
7.9 If a recruitment agency or executive search firm are engaged to support a recruitment campaign, direct advertising of the role will still take place concurrently on the Oxford Brookes University website, Linkedin page and other sites the People Directorate deem appropriate.
Advertising mediums
7.10 All vacancies will be advertised on the Oxford Brookes University careers site and jobs.ac.uk as standard.
7.11 For some specialist posts, or if a vacancy is difficult to fill, the hiring manager can request for the position to be advertised on an external publication or website other than the standard job boards. Approval must be sought from the Directorate / Faculty Finance and Legal Services contact to ensure there is sufficient budget for this. The Resourcing Partner will be able to advise on recruitment timescale implications.
7.12 It should be noted that third party advertising can be time consuming and can prolong the process.
7.13 The decision by Finance and Legal Services to approve additional advertising spend will take into consideration any previous recruitment process and the potential scarcity of that skill set in the talent market.
7.14 If a successful candidate for a post withdraws or declines the offer, or another role that is exactly the same level / skill set / experience as the original role becomes available, the post can be offered to the next highest scoring candidate without advertising. This is providing that the alternative candidate has been interviewed within the prior six months and none of the role details have changed. Please discuss fully with the Resourcing Partner to progress.
Closing dates
7.15 All vacancies will be advertised internally, as a minimum, for two weeks.
7.16 Factors such as the potential pool of available talent, the nature of the role, and the likely volume of applications should be taken into account when determining the application closing date. The advertisement may be extended until a sufficient number of qualified applicants are identified (this is commonly referred to as a ‘rolling advert’). Guidance on this can be provided by the Resourcing Partner or the People Operations Team.
7.17 The University reserves the right to close an externally advertised vacancy prior to the closing date should a high volume of applications be received. In this instance, the role would continue to be advertised for a minimum of one week, in total, to enable internal colleagues to apply.
Redeployment candidates
7.18 In line with the University's guidance on redeployment recruiting departments should give preferential consideration, in respect of shortlisting for vacancies, to University employees under notice of redundancy or approaching the end of a fixed term appointment who are seeking redeployment.
7.19 This means that employees seeking redeployment in these circumstances will be interviewed before the job advert is posted externally. The People Operations team will review the redeployment register and will contact candidates with details of any new opportunities where there is a skills match. Candidates then have 24 hours to confirm if they are interested. If the candidate is interested, a meeting with the hiring manager to discuss suitability is arranged. If the candidate would like to proceed to interview, a formal interview will be arranged where they would need to demonstrate that they meet all essential criteria, or would be able to within a reasonable period of time, with the appropriate training.
Applications and shortlisting
7.20 The University is committed to accreditation of the Disability Confident Scheme. A key requirement is that all disabled candidates who meet the minimum essential criteria detailed in the job description will automatically be shortlisted and either invited for an interview or to the first stage of the assessment process (e.g. a telephone screening interview).
7.21 The People Operations Team will inform the hiring manager of any candidates who wish to be considered under the scheme once the vacancy has closed.
7.22 The Recruitment Panel is responsible for shortlisting and will be identified on the shortlisting form (this can be amended if the panel changes due to availability). The panel must have an in-depth knowledge of the role and the essential and desirable criteria, and have completed the University’s recruitment and selection training on the Staff Learning Portal. Interview panels should be diverse and reflective of the communities that the University serves wherever possible.
7.23 Applicants should be shortlisted for assessment based solely on how well they match the requirements outlined in the person specification for the role. If there are a large number of applications, it might be necessary to narrow down the shortlist further and select only the highest scoring candidates for the interview. This is at the hiring manager's discretion.
7.24 Hiring managers must not proceed with any offers of employment until all applicants who wish to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme have been reviewed and assessed in line with section 7.20.
7.25 The panel will indicate on the shortlisting form the reason for an application not being shortlisted, with reference to the criteria.
7.26 Successfully shortlisted candidates will be notified by the People Operations Team, via People XD and will be provided with information regarding assessment and interview details. Late applications will be accepted at the discretion of the hiring manager.
7.27 Interview and other subsequent recruitment and selection expenses incurred by the candidate will not normally be paid.
7.28 Following a normal competitive recruitment process, should a vacancy arise within the six-month period following appointment for the same post (or a post with the same or very similar duties / requirements) any appointable candidates may be contacted and offered the post to avoid unnecessarily re-advertising the post. The appointable candidates can be contacted in order of suitability as ranked by the initial recruitment exercise.
Unsuccessful applicants at shortlisting
7.29 External applicants who are unsuccessful following the shortlisting stage will be advised by email via the People XD system. Internal candidates who have not been shortlisted should be offered feedback from the hiring manager as to why they have not been shortlisted and will also receive an email from the People Operations Team to confirm.
Selection
7.30 The selection process aims to appoint the candidate who has demonstrated they are most able to perform the role and who has evidenced the Oxford Brookes University Guiding Principles. Selection for posts must be based solely on objective criteria outlined in the person specification, including the behaviours and/or values deemed to be applicable to the post.
7.31 The hiring manager has the responsibility, in conjunction with the selection panel and the Resourcing Partner, to ensure the criteria being used are not directly or indirectly discriminatory and that any assessment is undertaken objectively.
7.32 Following shortlisting, the next stage of the selection process may include some form of assessment other than interview or presentation, depending on the requirements of the role.
Assessment methods
7.33 The University may use a variety of assessment methods such as role specific situational judgement tests, presentations, role plays, or technical assessments. This is to enable the panel to not only assess the candidates’ suitability for the role but also to ensure the candidates have a fair opportunity to demonstrate their skills and experience.
7.34 It is vital that the right assessment methods are utilised to allow candidates to demonstrate their skills, behaviours and experience in the best and most inclusive way. Standardised assessment templates must therefore be used under the guidance of the Resourcing Partner and People Operations Team.
7.35 Additional assessments must be agreed in advance with the People Manager or the Resourcing Partner to ensure they are fair, appropriate and inclusive.
7.36 All candidates for the same role must be asked the same questions during their interview, although follow up probing questions may vary depending on the candidates’ responses. This is to ensure a fair and equitable process and unbiased outcome.
7.37 Advice and guidance on appropriate interview questions can be obtained from the Resourcing Partner. Questions should relate directly to the criteria outlined in the person specification.
7.38 The format, where possible, should be the same for all candidates. For example, all candidates should be offered either an in person or online interview. Where this is not possible, i.e geographical constraints, exceptions can be made.
Recruitment panel
7.39 In circumstances where there is more than one interview / assessment, the chair of the panel should be present in all stages for consistency. It is the responsibility of the hiring manager to ensure the panel is diverse, as a minimum with mixed gender, and, where possible, reflect broader diversity.
7.40 Any potential conflict of interests during the recruitment process must be flagged to the People Directorate at the earliest possible opportunity and prior to any shortlisting activity.
7.41 Where a candidate is known to a panel member, consideration should be given to the use of alternative panel members. For internal recruitment, this may be unavoidable and in these circumstances an impartial second panel member should be sought, possibly from outside of the department. Where a candidate is related to a panel member, another panel member must be used for that specific assessment.
7.42 Interviews / assessments must not be recorded and it is expected, where an online interview is conducted, that panel members will keep their camera on for the duration of the interview / assessment.
Adjustment/additional support prior to attendance at interview/assessment
7.43 Oxford Brookes University is required by law to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process for disabled candidates.
7.44 Candidates are encouraged to inform the People Directorate if they have a disability or other condition which requires reasonable adjustments or additional support. This enables the University to take steps to give the candidate the best opportunity of demonstrating their skills and experience. Candidates should note this on their online application form through the People XD system (for internal candidates), or by emailing pdteam-operations@brookes.ac.uk.
7.45 The University will not prescribe reasonable adjustments for candidates, but will instead seek advice and guidance from the candidate on how the process can be best adjusted for their specific disability, and each case will be dealt with on a case by case basis.
7.46 Where an adjustment may be deemed to be unreasonable, advice must be sought from the Resourcing Partner and the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team.
Outcomes of assessment
7.47 Assessment paperwork will be completed by the hiring manager for each candidate and provide a record to show how each individual compares to the assessment criteria.
7.48 Scoring and notes must reflect an objective assessment against the criteria and enable the panel to provide meaningful feedback to candidates where requested.
7.49 All notes and outcomes of the recruitment and selection process must be returned to the People Operations Team within three working days of the assessment.
7.50 Following completion of the assessment process all candidates, both successful and unsuccessful, will be contacted by phone, wherever possible, within three working days by the hiring manager (or a member of the panel). They will be informed of the outcome of the assessments and feedback for unsuccessful candidates will be arranged. Please refer to the Recruitment Guidance for more information on how to prepare and deliver candidate feedback.
7.51 The processing of written offers of employment will only proceed once assessment materials and notes from all panel members have been received.
Pre-employment clearances
7.52 All offers of employment should be conditional on satisfactory completion of the mandatory pre-employment checks.
Right to work
7.53 Prior to starting employment, candidates are required to provide information on their Right to Work in the UK on their application form and bring relevant evidence to their interview, should they be shortlisted.
7.54 An appointed candidate will not be able to start work without a valid check being done first. Where a candidate does not currently possess the Right to Work in the UK, or is able to provide Right to Work in the UK on a restricted basis, hiring managers are asked to contact the People Operations Team at the earliest possible opportunity for guidance before taking any further steps.
7.55 Before a contract of employment can be issued, the People Operations Team must have a copy of a candidate's proof of Right to Work in the UK. The contract will not be sent until this has been received.
References
7.56 The purpose of seeking references is to confirm aspects of an applicant's application form and must be done in line with the University’s guidance on referencing, as detailed in the Recruitment Guidance. References should be used with an understanding that they are highly subjective, particularly when commenting on areas linked to competence and performance. No recruitment decision should be based purely on the reference, but rather used to confirm details from the candidates application.
7.57 For Professional Services posts up to and including Grade 12, a minimum of two referees should be identified by the candidate as part of their application for an advertised role.
7.58 One of these referees must be the candidate's current (or last) employer, and must be a line manager, head of department, senior manager or HR representative from within the University.
7.59 These referees must give an employment reference, rather than a personal reference, and must cover the past six years of employment, or if someone is coming straight from school this should be the past six years of school and any part time posts they have held.
7.60 Once a candidate has accepted a formal offer of employment, (and provided their consent in the instance of contacting a current employer), employment reference requests will be sent to their referees by the People Directorate.
7.61 Before an employee commences employment with Oxford Brookes University, at least one satisfactory reference from the candidate’s most recent employer must have been received. It is the responsibility of the candidate to support the chasing of references ahead of their start date.
7.62 Once references have been received, hiring managers will be able to request to see a copy.
7.63 Hiring managers will be responsible for checking references received are acceptable in line with the University’s guidance on referencing, and confirming this via the Acceptable References Checklist with support from the People Directorate.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and International Criminal Record Checks
7.64 Oxford Brookes University is committed to the protection and safeguarding of children, young people and adults with whom University staff and students are in contact with as part of their work.
7.65 The University is required to obtain a DBS disclosure for staff (and students on placement) who will be undertaking certain regulated activities in roles for or on behalf of the University.
7.66 A DBS check is a record of a person’s criminal convictions and cautions. It is an essential requirement for those applying to work directly with children or vulnerable adults (e.g. in teaching or healthcare) and these roles are eligible in law for an enhanced DBS check with appropriate barred list check.
7.67 DBS checks are a check of UK police records only. The DBS is unable to access police records held overseas. Further checks, as the hiring manager considers appropriate, should be undertaken where, by reason of the individual’s living or having lived overseas, obtaining an enhanced DBS check is not sufficient to establish an individual’s suitability. In these cases, an international criminal records check may be sought via the People Directorate.
7.68 The hiring manager will determine, if the successful candidate will need to have a DBS check and what level this will be depending upon the role and the regulated activity. Where possible, this information should be included in the job advert, and additional checks taken in respect of referencing, as detailed in the University’s guidance on referencing .
7.69 The University will not allow an individual to start work in regulated activity until they obtain an enhanced DBS plus barred list check.
Recruitment of ex-offenders
7.70 The University is entitled to ask applicants to disclose details of any convictions which are not yet spent under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. The University can only ask an individual to provide details of convictions and cautions that the University is legally entitled to know about. This is where a DBS certificate at either standard or enhanced level can legally be requested (where the position is one that is included in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 as amended, and where appropriate Police Act Regulations as amended).
7.71 The University has a policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders. The University undertakes to not discriminate unfairly against any subject of a criminal record check on the basis of a conviction or other information revealed.
Unsatisfactory pre-employment checks
7.72 The University reserves the right to withdraw an offer of employment where all, or some, of the employment checks have not been completed to a satisfactory standard. Any decision to withdraw an offer of employment must be done under the guidance of a senior member of the People Directorate. This will be based on the level of risk in relation to the role and the transparency, or otherwise, of the candidate during the process. There is no appeal.
False declarations
7.73 Where an applicant or an employee is subsequently discovered to have been dishonest during the recruitment process about a matter which was material in the decision to offer them employment, e.g. qualification levels, previous unspent convictions, length of service, then the University will view this as a serious matter and any offer of employment may be withdrawn and / or disciplinary action may be taken, which may result in dismissal.
7.74 Section 7.68 is also applicable in the event changes in an individual’s circumstances occur whilst going through the recruitment process e.g. a candidate becomes the subject of a criminal conviction during the recruitment process.
8.1 Recruitment paperwork will be retained in line with the Records Retention Policy and will be used as the basis of feedback to candidates to demonstrate that the Recruitment Panel have acted fairly and reasonably.
8.2 The Recruitment Panel should remember that candidates may request sight of interview notes made by the panel under the General Data Protection Regulations and therefore notes should be legible.
8.3 Monitoring information regarding protected characteristics is collated from all job applications by colleagues in the People Directorate. This data is collated and analysed anonymously to enable the monitoring of our recruitment processes to ensure they are fair and inclusive. It is only ever shared in an aggregated format and never in a way that would allow individuals to be identified.
8.4 Under the Data Protection Act 2018 there are different rights of access to references for the author and the subject. The writer of a reference has no legal obligation to disclose the contents of a reference if the subject makes a Subject Access Request. The recipient of the reference, however, may disclose, even if the reference was given in confidence. For this reason, it is best to assume that any reference provided by the University will be accessible by the subject.
9.1 The University has different procedures depending on the type of staff being employed. Further information and guidance can be found on the Recruitment and Selection webpage.
Document control
Document name: Recruitment and Selection Policy
Version number: v0.2
Equality impact assessment: EIA - R&S
Privacy impact assessment: N/A
Aproved by: UCU and Unison
Date approved: 12 September 2024
Effective from: September 2024
Date of review: 2 yearly
Supersedes (if applicable): N/A
Next review date: September 2027
Policy developer (lead contact): Recruitment Partner
Policy owner: People Directorate
Related University policies/procedures/guidance: