Generate shortlisting packs and screen applicants

Navigation path: Recruitment > Vacancies > Search for your vacancy 

1. To view the list of applicants, click on the blue ACTIONS button within the vacancy tile.
2. Select View Applicants.
3. The Applicant Details screen will open. 

• The Applicant Details screen shows a list of recent applicants and options to view details about them, via the ellipsis button. 
• Each applicant is assigned a unique applicant ID (displayed after their name), and their applicant status will be set to ‘Applied’. 

Each application consists of several parts. The web forms completed by the applicant online, (eg Referee Details and the Questionnaire), and attachments (eg Supporting Statements and CVs). 

Whilst the online parts of the application form one document, each applicant can submit up to five additional attachments. These are held as a separate document. 

The ‘Generate Applications’ process combines these separate documents into a single PDF file, per applicant. Where possible, add separate attachments to the applicant’s application, before generating the single PDF. 
 

After the vacancy closing date, review each application to identify any priority candidates. Check that a letter of redeployment has been attached or emailed to you if you have used the application form with an inbuilt statement. If preferred by the selection panel, priority applications can be considered before the vacancy closing date. Please refer to the University’s policy on Priority Candidates. 

A priority candidate is an existing employee:
•    with more than two years’ continuous service, who is within the last three months of a fixed-term contract of employment; or
•    who is at risk of redundancy from a permanent post; or
•    who needs to be redeployed on health grounds.
Recruitment > Vacancies > Search for your vacancy > Actions > View Applicants > Actions > Generate Applications

Add emailed Priority Candidate letters to generated applications
1.    Priority applications will be included in the merged application pack apart from those emailed to you. 
2.    Securely save the attached Priority Candidate letter locally.
3.    Follow the steps in Add attachments to applications in this guide to add the emailed document to the applicant’s application. 
4.    If you have already created the merged application, follow the steps in Add a late application to a merged pack to ensure the inclusion of the Priority Candidate letter.

Screen and record Priority Candidates
1.    Click on the blue VIEW MERGED APPLICATIONS button, found bottom right of the screen.
2.    The merged applications pack will open in a new browser window.
3.    Scroll through these applications to see if any have a priority candidate letter attached. Alternatively, you can use a CTRL+ F search functionality in your browser window and search by the term "priority candidate".
4.    Where the redeployment letter has been provided, you should add ‘Priority Candidate’ into the Comments field against the relevant applicant(s). Click the white arrow to return one screen. 

5.    This will take you to the Applicant Details screen.
6.    Search for the Priority Candidate using their name.
7.    Click on the ellipsis at the end of their row for information.
8.    Select Comments. This will open the Comments screen.
9.    Click the blue ADD COMMENT button.
10.    Type in ‘Priority Candidate’.
11.    Select OK and wait for the dark green line to fill. 
12.    Repeat for all Priority candidates. 
13.    Priority Candidates need to be brought to the attention of the shortlisting panel. Follow your department's process on how you notify the panel. 
     Note* If the merged Application Pack is large then the panel could be advised to use CTRL+ F (search with ‘priority’) to locate priority candidate letters/ mentions in supporting statements if required.

1. the panel member. Select Yes.

Navigation path: Employee Dashboard > Recruitment > Vacancies > Search for your vacancy > Actions > Edit Vacancy > Schedules > Schedules 

1. Locate your interview and click on the ellipsis (three dots).
2. Select View/Edit Schedule Details to open the Schedule Details screen.
3. Interview times need to be assigned to both the shortlisted applicants and the interviewers.

Interviewers

Note* Interviewers must have been assigned as panel members before they can be assigned to the interviews. See, Record interview panel members.

1. Select the Interviewers tab.
2. If you have many panel members listed, you can search for the panel members one by one using their name.
3. In the Assigned column slide the toggle to the right to select the interviewer you wish to assign an interview time to. Pay attention to any navigation arrows below the Assigned column.
4. As you slide the toggle, a success message will appear for each assign, wait for the dark green lines to fill for each selected interviewer. 
5. To unassign an interviewer, slide the toggle to the left. A success message will appear wait for the dark green line to fill.

Applicants

Note* All applicant statuses need to be up to date and accurate, ie ‘Shortlisted’ and ‘Rejected after Shortlisting’ at this stage. See Manage Recruitment statuses and events guide.

There are two options to assign interview times for applicants, system assigned time slots or manually assigned time slots. System assigned chooses the interview date and time for each selected applicant. Manual assignment allows you to choose the applicant for a specific interview date and time.

System Assigned

1. Select the Assign Applicants tab.
2. It is best to filter by status if you have a high number of applicants. Select ‘Shortlisted’ from the drop down next to All Statuses. 
3. In the Assigned column slide the toggle to the right to select the applicants you wish to assign an interview time to. Your list of applicants may display over two pages, pay attention to any navigation arrows below the Assigned and Invited columns.
4. As you slide the toggle, a success message will appear for each assign, wait for the dark green lines to fill for each selected applicant.
5. Select the ACTIONS button and click on Assign Time Slots.
6. A green success message will appear to confirm the time slots have been assigned. Wait for the dark green line to fill.
7. If you filtered by status of ‘Shortlisted’ the applicants will disappear from the list as their status automatically updates to ‘Invited to Interview 1’ once assigned an interview date and time.
8. Change the status filter to All Statuses to see the interview dates and times, alternatively select the Time Slots tab. 

Manually assign

1. Select the Time Slots tab. Here you can see a list of available interview dates and times.
2. Paying attention to the Applicant Name column. 
3. Identify the date and time you wish to assign and select the drop down in the Applicant Name column, a list of all applicants will appear. 
4. Click on the person you wish to assign that interview date and time to.

Note* All applicants will appear in this list, including those rejected after shortlisting. You will need to know who to select for what date and time. 

5. Each time you select a person for a date and time, a success message will appear for each assign, wait for the dark green lines to fill for each selected applicant.
6. More interview dates and times can be found using the page navigation arrows.
7. The selected applicants’ statuses will automatically update to ‘Invited to Interview 1’ once assigned an interview date and time. 

Once you have the PDF pack and shortlisting form, send these to the Selection Panel. Avoid printing these packs. 
     Note* Follow Information Security guidelines and your department’s own processes for sharing the shortlisting pack securely.

Whilst your panel are shortlisting you must screen your applicants further, using the RECDEP47_Private Questions from HR Reporting. This report must be run for each recruitment exercise, after shortlisting and before the interviews take place. This helps to avoid bias within the shortlisting process.

1. Follow the Run reports in HR Reporting guide to generate the report.
2. Review the answers to questions about:

•  An applicant's interview availability (if included in the application questions).
• Their previous employment, for example, ongoing disciplinary matters or reason for leaving.
• Whether they have had an allegation of research misconduct or bullying and harassment upheld against them at a previous employer
• Whether they are subject to any live disciplinary sanctions.
• University connections, for example, are they related, or do they know a panel member, or anyone linked to the vacancy.
• Right to return. Check whether they previously worked at the University and they have the right to return. There are certain circumstances which may place restrictions on an ex-employee returning.
• Criminal convictions or unspent convictions.

Note* These questions do not appear in the merged PDF application file, that is shared with the interview panel.

The report will only return results where an applicant’s answer will require you to act. If your report returns any results, seek advice from your HR Business Partner and liaise with the panel accordingly. These conversations should take place before the interviews.

Depending on the advice of the HR Business Partner you may need to record the applicant as invalid. There is an ‘Invalid’ applicant status which you can select. For instructions on how to update applicant statuses follow the Manage Recruitment statuses and events guide.

1. Update the vacancy status to Shortlisting. Follow the Manage Recruitment statuses and events guide.
2. Once shortlisting has been completed and the panel has reported back with their decisions, change the status of the relevant applicants to Shortlisted or Rejected after Shortlisting. Follow the Manage Recruitment statuses and events guide. Shortlisted is a mandatory applicant status.
3. Update the relevant vacancy events eg Right to Return. Follow the Manage Recruitment statuses and events guide.
4. Create the interview schedule and assign time slots, once the shortlisting panel has confirmed who has been shortlisted and who has been rejected. Follow the Create interview schedules guide.
5. Send invites to interviews – follow Produce letters and forms in PeopleXD guide.
6. Send rejection communications– follow Create and track applicant emails guide.
7.