AberSU believes that applicants should have a positive experience with the Students’ Union and that their recruitment experience should reflect our organisational and behavioural values and principles. Where there is a need to recruit a new employee into the Students’ Union, the following procedure should be followed:
The CEO will confirm with a Line Manager and HR about their intention to recruit and will prepare:
- An up-to-date job description and person specification
- An up-to-date application form tailored for the post
- A link for diversity monitoring forms to be sent to all applicants once an application is received and before shortlisting
- Financial implications including budget sign off
- Advertisement wording and medium for publication
- Estimated costs of advertising the post.
The CEO will consider and discuss with HR the most appropriate place(s) to post the vacancy or whether an approved employment agency should be used.
All job descriptions will state clearly the main duties of the position
The personal specification will outline the essential and desirable competencies needed to perform the job satisfactorily using inclusive and accessible language and avoiding jargon where possible.
Any qualifications, skills, work experience and personal qualities stated must only be those which are necessary to perform the job satisfactorily.
Care must be taken to ensure that job descriptions do not indirectly discriminate by setting a requirement that cannot be met by a particular person or group of persons and is not a requirement to do the job e.g. setting a restriction such as a radius to work from home location.
Student Staff positions will be advertised internally only, with advertisements done through the Students’ Union website.
Any permanent position will be advertised internally and externally. If there is a position which is a promotion opportunity for permanent staff this may, after due consideration, be advertised internally in the first instance.
Care should be taken to ensure that those temporarily away from the workplace such as those on flexible working arrangements, secondment, off sick, maternity, parental or other leave are informed of any available vacancies as they arise. Where possible the SU should use a preferred contact method that is agreed before any period of time away from the main SU location.
Any advertisement must not discourage persons who are eligible for the post from applying and must clearly reflect the job description accurately. Care should be taken to ensure that adverts use inclusive and accessible language.
The Students' Union job application process will include a diversity monitoring questionnaire and a record should be kept in order to provide any statistics upon request.
A large print version of the application can be made available, upon request.
Application forms will be reviewed regularly to ensure compliance with our Equality and diversity Policy and any changes to employment legislation.
The application form will include a section, which enable applicants to state any special requirements or arrangements should they be invited to attend for interview.
Applicants will be informed that they are welcome to ask for feedback on their application and the reasons given if rejected.
Records will be kept for a period of 3 months from the date of the interview.
SELECTION FOR INTERVIEW/SHORTLISTING
Selection of candidates for interview must be decided jointly by the interview panel which should include the relevant Line Manager, HR or another Manager and at least one Full-time Officer. Membership of the Selection Panel must be in line with the principles of equality and diversity including gender balancing.
The Students’ Union application form does not make reference to age or gender. The form seeks to eliminate as many potential sources of unconscious bias as possible and as such does not ask applicants to list all of their qualifications and where they were gained and does not ask applicants to list all former employment/employers. Diversity is monitored using an online form that is sent following receipt of an application form to ensure anonymity and support applicants to feel confident to provide accurate information. The application form is administrated so that any identifying information such as name, address, and references are removed before shortlisting. Shortlisting is done ‘blind’ using only the section relevant to the person specification for each post and a matrix is used to score against the person specification criteria.
No person will be allowed to be involved in the recruitment and selection process unless they have had training in recruitment and selection and equality and diversity issues connected with selection and recruitment. Such issues include stereotypical views, general assumptions, unconscious bias and prejudices about race, family circumstances, gender, socio-economic background, religion or political beliefs, age, health and disabilities.
A minimum of two staff members will carry out short listing for student posts. For permanent staff, where possible, at least two permanent staff members and, on some occasions one Sabbatical Officer will also carry out any short listing.
The Selection Panel will document the reasons for their rejection/selection of candidates at each stage. All short listing and selection paperwork will be returned to HR at the end of the recruitment process.
Any applicant who has a disability must not be excluded unless it is clear that the applicant does not meet the minimum criteria outlined in the person specification and they would still fail to do so even if reasonable adjustments were made to work provisions, criteria or practices. Reasonable adjustments should also be made to the recruitment process to ensure that no applicant is disadvantaged because of their disability or health considerations.
It is the Students’ Union policy that all vacancies will be advertised internally (by e-mail/posting on notice boards) as well as externally and existing employees are to be encouraged to apply for vacant posts if they have the requisite skills, qualifications and experience.
In the case of a temporary post being made permanent the decision may be made to advertise the post internally only in the first instance.
INTERVIEWS (PERMANENT STAFF)
The Students’ Union seeks to make interviews a positive experience for all involved. Interviews should include a tour and provide a number of ways for applicants to demonstrate their suitability for a role.
All interviews must be conducted by the panel outlined above (relevant Line Manager, HR or another Manager and at least one Full-time Officer.
Membership of the Selection Panel must not change during the course of the interviews for a position. In exceptional circumstances however, if a member of staff or Sabbatical Officer was unable to continue interviewing for special reasons a suitable replacement would be found and the position explained to the candidates affected by the change.
One member of the Selection Panel will be appointed to Chair the interviews and ensure that the interview is conducted in accordance with the Students' Union's Equality and diversity Policy.
The Students’ Union aims at all times to recruit the person who is most suited to the particular post. Recruitment must be solely on the basis of the applicant’s abilities, qualifications, experience and merit as measured against the job description and person specification. The principles of the Union’s equality and diversity policy must be followed at all stages of recruitment and selection. Line managers conducting recruitment interviews must ensure that questions asked of job applicants are in no way discriminatory or personally intrusive. The interview should focus on the needs of the post and the skills, qualifications and experience needed to perform it effectively. All interview questions will be prepared in advance and will be intended to enable candidates to demonstrate capability and competency against the person specification criteria. The Selection Panel will meet prior to the interviews to ensure that the questions asked are agreed and comply with the principles of equality and diversity.
An interview record must be made and retained confidentially for a suitable period of time.
MAKING AN OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT
On no account should a job offer be made during or at the end of an interview. Before making an offer the panel should consider any unconscious bias and ideally the panel should wait until the following day before making any final decisions or communicating an offer of employment.
All offers of employment, whether written or verbal, must have the prior approval of the CEO.
It is Students’ Union policy to seek at least two written references, one of which must be from a previous employer (or, if this is the prospective employee’s first job, their school teacher or higher or further education lecturer) and to ask for documentary proof of qualifications and eligibility to work in the UK. Any offer of employment must be conditional on this documentation being satisfactory to the Students’ Union. Before references are taken up, the prospective employee’s consent should first be sought.