Interview Process - Academic Staff
In general, interviews are comprised of three parts and are conducted in this order over a period of two days in Oxford;
- A teaching presentation (organised by the College), approx. 20 minutes;
- A research presentation (organised by the Department), approx. 30 minutes;
- An interview (organised by the Department), approx. 45 minutes.
It is sometimes preferable for the teaching presentation to be conducted as part of the interview – this can be arranged in discussion with the departmental Recruitment Team.
As part of the interview process, the HR team will also arrange accommodation for candidates whilst they are in Oxford, and various courtesy elements such as a tour of the Department and informal meetings with faculty members to discuss the role of an Associate Professor at Oxford. We will also liaise with the College as regards the provision of lunch/dinner, a tour, and informal meetings.
All members of the Selection Committee are required to attend the research presentations and interviews. The teaching presentations must be attended by the Chair and College representatives, and other members of the Selection Committee are welcome to attend.
The information for the teaching presentation should be provided by the College representatives and will be circulated to candidates by the Recruitment Team as part of the formal invitation to interview. If you would like some support with putting together the exercise, you might find the University’s Guidance on Selection Exercises for academic recruitment useful. The Recruitment Team is also on hand to provide examples of previous selection exercises.
Guidance on Selection Exercises.docx
When the timetable is confirmed, a final version will be circulated to all recruitment panel members.
This will contain the link to an online Interview Pack, which contains the following;
- The applications, references, and two best papers for all shortlisted candidates
- A folder containing the research presentations
- A copy of the job description as published
- An Interview Record Form for recording your notes
The email containing the timetable will also provide further information as regards the rooms where interview exercises will be taking place, the arrangements for collecting candidates, when lunch and refreshments will be provided, as well as notes on the technical set-up for the interview days.
Determining interview questions
Ahead of the interviews, the panel should arrange to convene to discuss the running order of questions. If a convenient time is not available, questions can be agreed via email circulation. These should address the selection criteria as outlined in the job description. For examples of previous questions used in academic interviews, please contact the Recruitment Team who will be happy to help.
Recommendation for appointment
Once the Selection Committee have unanimously decided on a successful candidate, the Chair of the Selection Committee should contact the candidate to confirm that they are being recommended for appointment by the Division to the position of Associate Professor. Note that as this is a Divisional appointment, the appointment will only be formalised once the documents have been approved by MPLS and a contract has been sent.
The Head of Department should then lead on negotiations with the candidate as regards starting salary and Professorial title (if a candidate is at a more senior career stage when appointed).
In the meantime, the Recruitment Team will forward a copy of the Selection Report to the Chair of the Selection Committee for completion. The contents of the Report must be approved by all members of the Committee before being submitted to Division. If panel members are away from Oxford at the time of circulation, approval by email is sufficient.
Selection Committee Report.docx
Once negotiations have been finalised, the Recruitment Coordinator will forward a copy of the Selection Committee Report alongside the candidate’s application, references, a copy of the job description, and First Choice Candidate Form along to the MPLS Recruitment Team to obtain approval to appoint.
The recruitment process concludes once formal approval of the appointment has been confirmed by the Division and a contract is issued to the candidate.