Interview Process - PSS
Arranging Interviews
Following your shortlisting meeting, please ensure that you have completed one copy of the shortlisting decision form for submission to the Recruitment Team. The shortlisting decision form which is submitted should reflect the collective view of the recruitment panel on each candidate. This includes decisions on whether they meet/did not meet each of the selection criteria, the decision on whether to shortlist/hold/reject, and the reason code for rejection (where appropriate).
Recruitment panel chairs should also ensure that a full and complete list of any Conflicts of Interest raised in the shortlisting meeting is included on the second tab of the shortlisting form.
The completed shortlisting decision form should then be emailed to @email so that the team can arrange interviews and notify candidates as appropriate.
To assist with the arrangement of interviews, the body of your email should contain the following information:
- Confirmation of the date and general timeslot for interviews
- Notification if any panel member has specific commitments/times to avoid during the day
- Whether interviews will be held remotely or in person. (Standard practice is for all PSS interviews to be held in person, but these can be made hybrid if there are extenuating circumstances, e.g. a panel member is abroad)
- Duration of the interview (including specific elements):
- Generally, interviews for support staff posts last for around 45 minutes and for academic-related posts around one hour (if a presentation is included at the start of the interview). However, for some lower-level roles, you may find that a 30-minute interview is sufficient.
- Content of the pre-interview exercise:
- To assess the candidate’s suitability for the role, we ask that all interview processes contain a pre-interview exercise. Any tests used need to relate to, and aim to assess, the selection criteria listed in the job description. The University’s Recruitment pages provide a useful synopsis of the types of selection tests commonly used.
- For administrative support staff roles (Grades 1-5), “in-tray” or problem-solving exercises give a useful representation of skill level. For academic-related staff (Grades 6-10), these tests can often be useful, but you may also wish to test presentation and analytical skills with a brief presentation at the start of the interview.
- If you would like some previous examples of interview tests for similar roles, please contact the Recruitment Team who will be able to help.
- To assess the candidate’s suitability for the role, we ask that all interview processes contain a pre-interview exercise. Any tests used need to relate to, and aim to assess, the selection criteria listed in the job description. The University’s Recruitment pages provide a useful synopsis of the types of selection tests commonly used.
You should also include in your email any further information which should be included as part of the interview invite, such as courtesy elements (for example, a tour of the department, or for senior managerial positions, an informal meeting with members of the team they would be managing).
Once this email has been received, the Recruitment Team will draft a schedule and write to candidates to confirm attendance. Should any candidates withdraw, we will be back in touch to enquire whether hold candidates should be invited in their place, unless an order has been agreed in advance at the shortlisting meeting (this is recommended).
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 for all shortlisted candidates
- A folder containing presentations, if requested as part of the interview process
- A copy of the job description as published
- An Interview Record Form for recording your notes on the day
If the interviews are being conducted in person, the email containing the timetable will also provide further information as regards the interview room, the arrangements for collecting candidates, when lunch and refreshments will be provided, as well as notes on the technical set-up for the day.
If remote, the timetable will include the Teams link for each interview and a separate link for a panel meeting room where the panel will conduct confidential discussions.
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 interviews for similar roles, please contact the Recruitment Team who will be happy to help.
Selecting a successful candidate
Once your interviews have concluded and you have identified a successful candidate, the panel chair should contact the candidate via telephone or email to let them know that they are recommending the candidate be offered the position. Note that this does not constitute a formal offer, which can only be made by the Head of Department, Head of Administration, or HR.
In the conversation that follows, you should aim to agree on a starting date with the candidate wherever possible, considering their notice period. If relevant, you are also welcome to enquire as to the candidate’s current salary, noting that any salary negotiations above the base spinal point for the grade must be agreed with the Head of Administration.
Conditional Offer
Once your first-choice candidate has indicated that they would like to accept the position, please contact the Recruitment Team with their name and proposed starting date. We will then request references and, once these are received and approved by the line manager, issue a conditional offer letter to the candidate. You should also indicate how you would like HR to correspond with the remaining candidates – i.e. rejected if non-appointable, or kept on reserve until the offer is formally accepted.
Completion of Recruitment Exercise
On completion of your recruitment exercise, the Recruitment Team will send across a Recruitment Report for your completion. You should complete all sections highlighted in yellow, and circulate to the remaining panel members for their signatures (electronic signatures/confirmation by email is acceptable). HR will then add in the remaining detail and save to file for our records.
View/download a sample copy of the Recruitment Report