Recruitment & Selection - Home Page

Recruitment & 

Selection 

G u i d e l i n e s 

Contents 

Introduction 2 

Filling Vacancies 2 

Recruitment Checklist 3 

Job Profile 3 

Person Specification 3 

Covering the Vacancy by Means 

Other than Recruitment 4 

Short Term Recruitment Procedure 

5 

Advertising the Vacancy 5 

Application Pack 7 

Application Form 10 

Equal Opportunities 10 

Eligibility to Work in the United 

Kingdom 11 

Criminal Convictions 15 

Selection for Interview 15 

Invitation to Attend Interview 16 

Interviews and Selection Checks 16 

Recruitment and Selection Training 

18 

Pre-Employment Health Screening 

18 

Starting Salary on Appointment 19 

Recruitment Analysis 19 

Freedom of Information Requests 

19 

References and Biographical 

Checks 19 

Managing People 

Notifying Interviewees 23 

Feedback for Unsuccessful 

Candidates 23 

Recruitment Records 23 

Exit Interviews 24 

Time Off for Interviews 24 

Establishment Change Process 

Flow Chart (Appendix 1) 25 

Job Profile Form (Appendix 2) 26 

Person Specification (Appendix 3) 

27 

Recruitment & Selection 

Fife Council October 2013 1 RS11

Introduction 

In Fife Council the supervisor or manager responsible for the job which is 

being recruited to has much of the responsibility for the recruitment and 

selection process. 

These guidelines are designed to help Services meet the guiding principles 

set out in the Recruitment and Selection Policy. The policy is linked closely to 

the Council’s Equality of Opportunity Policy. We follow the aims of the 

Equality of Opportunity Policy when recruiting to ensure that we access the 

fullest possible range of talents and abilities within our Community. This helps 

us ensure that we recruit the right people. 

Centralised Recruitment Team 

Administration of recruitment advertising through to appointment has been 

centralised. The document RS26 A Guide to the Recruitment Process and the 

HR Direct Recruitment Team gives details of the procedures to be used. 

Further Reading and Assistance 

EO01 Equality of Opportunity Policy and EO11 Equality of Opportunity 

Guidelines 

For further information contact the HR Direct Recruitment Team. 

Filling Vacancies 

Before creating a new job or when a job becomes vacant, consider how the 

vacancy will be filled or if it needs to be filled at all. If a job does not need to 

be filled tell the employees affected by the decision, or their Trade Union 

Representatives, and HR Direct. Further guidance can be sought from the HR 

Direct Recruitment Team. 

A job becoming vacant is an opportunity to review the job requirements and 

the duties attached to it. Where there are major changes to a job discuss this 

with the Trade Union representatives for your Service or Section and HR 

Direct. 

Establishment Change Form 

To get a new job, or a significant change to an existing job, approved the 

Establishment Change Form must be completed (RS60 Establishment 

Change Form) and sent to Human Resources. Once the post has been 

evaluated, the financial implications can be assessed by Finance before 

authorisation by the relevant senior manager or Head of Service. Allow time 

for the various parties to complete this process. It is likely to take a minimum 

of 26 days before the advert is published. The Establishment Change 

Process Flow Chart (Appendix 1) shows who is involved, when, and how 

long it will take them to complete their part of the process. 

Adverts must not be sent to the Recruitment Administration Team until all the 

signatures giving authorisation are obtained. 




Recruitment Checklist 

There are many stages in the recruitment and selection process and it is 

fundamental that keep evidence that each stage has been completed. The 

Recruitment Checklist is therefore vital in keeping track of the recruitment 

exercise (RS50 Recruitment Letters and Forms). 

The Recruitment Checklist will also be scrutinised by external regulatory 

bodies when they carry out inspections of the Council’s recruitment & 

personnel files. 

To ensure a corporate approach, the Recruitment Checklist must be 

completed for every recruitment exercise. The form includes all mandatory 

information that is required to comply with legislation, policy and procedures, 

and must be completed in full. Whilst this form is mandatory, it has the 

flexibility to be tailored to individual Services (fields named ‘other’ can be 

replaced with service specific checks). 

Job Profile 

All recruitment exercises begin with an up to date job profile. The job profile is 

vital to the success of the recruitment exercise. It sets out clearly the duties 

and responsibilities that the jobholder will have. It is also one of your main 

tools for selling the job to potential applicants. 

The job profile helps to ensure there is no doubt or ambiguity about the 

requirements of the job. 

A template for a job profile form is attached Job Profile Form Template 

(Appendix 2). 

Person Specification 

The person specification is the next step after the job profile has been 

completed. You should prepare it before the advert. 

A good person specification will ensure that there is no doubt about what 

attributes a person will need to be successful in the job. This will minimise 

subjectivity during recruitment and selection. The person specification is 

crucial to the success of the recruitment exercise and in avoiding 

subconscious bias. 

The requirements identified in the person specification will form part of the 

advert. It is used to help select the best applicants for interview and to select 

the best interviewee to be appointed. 

The person specification defines the essential and desirable criteria required. 

It lists how these can be assessed e.g. from the application form, the 

interview, aptitude tests, work sample, group exercises or in-tray exercises. 

Characteristics, qualities and competencies included in the person 

specification as requirements to do the job, should be set out clearly and 

precisely. The requirements must be those which are currently necessary to 

do the job. Do not just copy the requirements that were used the last time the 

post was advertised without asking whether they are still relevant. Using an 

out of date person specification may discriminate against women, ethnic 




minorities, disabled people, older people and those with non-traditional but 

valid experience. This is illegal. By excluding unnecessary requirements we 

avoid being unfairly discriminatory. 

You must ensure that you are not too restrictive. This could also cause 

unlawful indirect discrimination. For example seeking lengthy experience can 

be discriminatory to people who have taken time away from work for childcare 

responsibilities. Experience of a particular kind of work is only one way of 

developing the skills required. Skills developed in other types of work, 

voluntary work, or in organising a family may be just as relevant to the role. 

These dangers are minimised when the person specification is written by 

referring to the job profile therefore linking it to the needs of the job. 

The person specification includes a standard health related essential criteria 

for every post in the Council – this should not be removed. Additional criteria 

can be added if applicable to a specific post, however Services should contact 

the HR Direct Recruitment Team for advice to ensure that criteria are not 

contrary to the Disability Discrimination Act. 

A template for the Person Specification is attached (Appendix 3). 

Covering the Vacancy by Means Other than Recruitment 

If the vacancy will last for four months or less it may be appropriate to fill the 

gap by secondment, acting up or redistribution of the work. In the case of 

secondment or acting up, an advert may not be necessary provided that you 

are satisfied that you are aware of all the employees who may be interested. 

Where it is decided that an advert is not necessary the rest of the procedures 

detailed in this guidance would normally be applied e.g. interested employees 

would still be interviewed before an appointment. The recruitment analysis 

and interview assessment forms should be completed as fully as possible. 

If only one employee meets the requirements of the job, or only one employee 

is interested, a meeting with the employee must be held in order that he or 

she is made fully aware of the duties and responsibilities of the job. 

When considering potentially interested employees you should also consider 

the possibility that there may be experienced and qualified people outside 

your own Section or Service. 

Caution needs to be exercised when considering not advertising a job. There 

is a potential conflict with equality of opportunity when not opening up job 

opportunities. 

When you consider that a job does not need to be filled in the normal manner 

this should be discussed with the HR Direct Recruitment Team and the Trade 

Union representatives for your Section or Service. 


TC01 Fife Council Single Status Terms and Conditions (Page 10 Higher 

Duties Allowance.) 




Short Term Recruitment Procedure 

The Short Term Recruitment Procedure provides a fast track recruitment 

option which is normally a more cost effective alternative to recruitment 

agencies. Jobcentre Plus use their client database to identify a suitable short 

list to fill the vacancy. Managers will then interview and select as normal. 

This procedure can be used where there is an urgent short-term need to fill a 

post vacant up to maximum of 26 weeks. Such situations could be: 

• Short term workload problems 

• Cover for absence 

• A short term project 

• Cover while a longer term or permanent post is advertised 

For further guidance refer to RS14 Short Term Recruitment Procedure 

Manager’s Guidance. 

Advertising the Vacancy 

The advert is based on information contained in the Job Profile and Person 

Specification and should be written after these have been finalised. 

For advice on writing recruitment adverts and details of the corporate 

advertising style see the guide: RS21 How to Write a Full Text Recruitment 

Advert. 

The main purpose of a recruitment advert is to attract suitable candidates to 

the organisation and to the post. The following procedure must be followed 

when advertising a vacancy: 

Standard Recruitment Procedure 

All recruitment adverts are placed in: 

• FISH - the Council's intranet 

• fifedirect - the Fife community partners' website 

• myjobscotland – the national recruitment portal 

• Weekly Vacancy Bulletin, which is circulated within the Council, and to 

community partners 

• JobcentrePlus offices and website 

A full text advert will be required for the above sources, please refer to the 

guide: RS21 How to Write a Full Text Recruitment Advert. 

The document RS26 A Guide to the Recruitment Process and the HR Direct 

Recruitment Team gives details of the procedures to be used. 

External Advertising Requests 

If, following 2 weeks of advertising in the above sources the response is 

unsatisfactory, Services may make a request to advertise the vacancy 

externally via local/national press or another online source. 

Before making a request, an analysis of the response to the initial advert must 

be conducted and the HR Direct Recruitment Team contacted for media 




advice. Following this, an External Recruitment Advertising Request Form 

(RS50 Recruitment Letters and Forms) should be completed and authorised 

by a Senior Manager/Head of Service. Please refer to the guide: RS22 How 

to Request an External Recruitment Advert. 

Adverts placed in local/national press should match the portal advert and 

include: 

• Job Title 

• Salary or Wage 

• Hours of work & weeks per year 

• Work location 

• If the post is temporary 

• PVG/Disclosure and/or professional registration requirements (if 

appropriate) 

• How to apply via the recruitment portal 

• Reference number and closing date. 

Advice on the advert copy should be sought from the HR Direct Recruitment 

Team. 

Internal Only Vacancies 

There will be circumstances where it is appropriate to restrict a job to only 

internal candidates. 

Vacancies advertised as ‘internal applicants only’ allow applications from 

current, temporary and permanent Fife Council employees, supply/casual 

workers and agency workers currently working in the Council. Applications are 

also allowed from clients currently registered as participants on all current 

Fife Council led government and ESF funded programmes. 

The programmes include 

1. MCMC (More Choices More Chances) This includes APEX Care Leavers 

Project, Fife Voluntary Action, Rathbone, Link Befriending, & Next Steps 

2. Various Client Action Team Projects 

3. West Fife Enterprises (Quest for Employment) 

4. Journey to Work, Fife Employment Access Trust (FEAT) 

5. Fife Momentum Programme 

6. SUSS (Support and Understanding of Social Skills Training) 

7. The Employer Programme (Fife Works, FILM, Up-skilling the workforce 

and Making Work Pay) 

8. Support for Business Start-Up and Social Enterprise 

Note: only clients who are registered as ‘live’ on one of the above 

programmes are eligible to apply for internal vacancies. Individuals who are 

employees of ‘Opportunities Fife’ partner organisations will not be considered 

as internal candidates. 




While it is important to provide development opportunities to existing staff, it is 

essential to achieve a balance in our recruitment practice which also promotes 

partnership working and equality of opportunity. 

External consultants are not employees and cannot apply or be considered 

for vacancies that are internal only. 

Application Pack 

The purpose of the application pack is to provide information to encourage 

suitably qualified people to apply for jobs. It should contain relevant and 

accurate information, presented in an attractive, easily understood way and 

should be easily accessible to applicants. It must promote a positive image of 

the Council as an employer and Fife as a place to live and work. 

To achieve this, the Council has agreed the following guidelines. 

• fifedirect is the main source of recruitment information. 

• All Fife Council vacancies are placed on fifedirect and must have the 

complete application pack attached, to be available instantly to prospective 

applicants. 

• The same information is also available on FISH. 

• The application packs can also be printed and posted out to applicants on 

request. 

• All application packs must contain a standard range of information, 

although these differ depending on the post. 

• Additional information may also be included, provided it is relevant to the 

post, it is suitable for both printer friendly electronic format and paper 

packs and it is cost effective to post out. 

The recruiting manager has the responsibility for the quality of information and 

presentation of the application packs but, in practice, may delegate collating 

the information. 

The Application Pack is compiled after the advert is written and the 

Advertising Approval Form is completed as it contains information from both 

these sources. 

Compile an application pack for each vacancy, which includes: 

• Information Sheet 

• Job Details including 

- Job Profile 

- Person specification 

- Terms and Conditions 

• Standard Fife Council Information 

• Service information 

• Any additional information 

Ensure all information is in a suitable user-friendly electronic format for 

applicants to access. This master copy will be used to print and photocopy the 

packs for posting out to applicants. 




The complete application pack must be in electronic format, suitable for 

downloading from fifedirect by applicants for printing from their home 

computer. 

All packs must include the standard elements, but Services can add additional 

material if required. Additional material should be as concise as possible; too 

much information can be confusing and may discourage applicants. The style 

and format of all information should be consistent, to provide a quality, well 

presented pack. Arial 12 is the standard font. 

Standard pack 

The following paragraphs explain the standard elements to be included in 

application packs, where you can access them and what you need to do to 

compile the complete pack. 

The standard pack contains: 

1. Cover - Information Sheet 

2. Job Details including 

a. Job Profile 

b. Person Specification 

c. Terms and Conditions, including employee benefits 

3. Service Information 

The post title and date of advertisement should be included in the footer to 

facilitate an audit trail for future recruitment of the same post. 

Information sheet 

This tells applicants how to apply and gives information about the selection 

process. 

Copy the model Cover – Information Sheet from RS71 Job Application 

Information Pack and modify for your vacancy by adding the following 

information. 

• Post title. 

• Vacancy Reference Number. 

• Closing date. 

• Contents list. 

• Information on the selection methods to be used e.g. an interview, 

keyboard test, presentation. 

• The length of time the selection process will take, e.g. an hour, half a day. 

• The proposed dates, or at least a week beginning date, for interviews or 

other selection methods. 

• The person to whom the application form has to be returned, including an 

email address and a postal address. 

• Contact person for general enquiries. 

• Optionally, you can include a contact name for informal chats. (If you do 

this, make sure that the person blocks out time in their diary to be 




available. If this is not done, it is extremely difficult to manage and gives a 

bad impression to prospective applicants.) 

Job Details 

This comprises the Job Profile, Person Specification, and Terms and 

Conditions. 

Service Information 

A short statement about the Service should be included as standard, to allow 

all applicants to identify with Service aims and values. The information in this 

document should complement the job description, terms and conditions and 

information on Fife and Fife Council in the Recruitment Pack by summarising 

information on the Service the vacancy falls within. Keep it to one page and 

avoid jargon, acronyms or over-description. Most applicants will best 

appreciate a snapshot of the Service, though there is a case for providing 

more detail for senior management positions. The following content is 

suggested. 

• Name of Service. 

• Introduction – keep this to a short paragraph describing the overall role the 

Service provides to the people of Fife. 

• Service activities – a brief description of what the Service actually does 

and the specific issues it covers. 

• Service aims - a brief description of what the Service aims to deliver for the 

people of Fife. 

• Service resources - this can be a broad description of locations, facilities, 

finances, staffing, transportation, machinery etc. 

• Organisation chart - this should show the general structure of the Service, 

and should not identify names, grades etc. 

Additional information 

Only send additional information if it is necessary to the recruitment process. 

Applicants cannot cope with information overload. The information could be 

job, Service or Council related, but it must be relevant to the particular job and 

necessary to the recruitment process. It should give the applicants a greater 

understanding of the context, purpose, duties and responsibilities of the job, 

either to assist with the decision to apply, or to allow them to focus their 

applications. 

Presentation and file size 

If you wish to attach some additional information, it should be in keeping with 

the rest of the pack. Font should be Arial 12. 

Large files, especially those with graphics and pictures, are difficult to 

download, not printer friendly and costly to post. 

Options 

Summarise large documents such as Service plans. Applicants only need an 

awareness of the aims and objectives, and major milestones. The complete 




document is more suited to the induction programme for the successful 

candidate. 

Send detailed information to the short listed candidates only if it is necessary 

for any assessment process or to stimulate discussion at the selection stage. 

Equality Issues 

Be very cautious about including hyperlinks to specific information on 

fifedirect, as not everyone will have easy access to this. If it is essential that 

applicants read this information, then include it (or a summary) in the packs so 

that those requesting packs posted to them will also have access. 

The Instruction Sheet of the application pack already informs applicants that 

further information is available on fifedirect and that access is available free at 

all Fife Libraries. Many applicants will seek out such information for 

themselves. 

Application Form 

Application forms need to be treated confidentially: only those who are 

involved in the recruitment process should have access to application forms. 

Paper Application Form 

Paper application forms, based on the online version are available from the 

recruitment administration team. 

Curriculum Vitae 

Curriculum Vitae (CV) should usually not be accepted in place of or in addition 

to the application form. If a CV is accepted it must not contain any of the 

personal information excluded in the application form, e.g. first name, sex, 

age, name of school. 

Equal Opportunities 

Fife Council is serious about eliminating unfair discrimination and promoting 

diversity and equal opportunities. The Council is committed to providing 

employment opportunities on a fair and equal basis and creating a working 

environment for all employees that is safe, accessible, and free from 

harassment or discrimination and which values and respects each individual’s 

identities and cultures. It is against Council policy and illegal to discriminate 

against a candidate because of race or ethnicity, gender (including 

considering, undergoing or having completed gender reassignment), sexual 

orientation, age, religion or belief, disability, or Trade Union affiliation. 

Equal Opportunities Monitoring 

To achieve this we need to collect information about age, gender, race, 

religion and disability. Monitoring is required by law. 

The information obtained about applicants and employees enables us to 

check: 

• applications are being received from a broad cross-section of people 




• people appointed represent a cross-section of people who apply and are 

suitably qualified 

• our recruitment and selection procedures and working practices are fair 

• our policies meet the diverse needs of our employees 

This is done by the recruitment portal or the HR Direct Recruitment Team. 

Positive About Disabled People – Disability User symbol 

Fife Council have been awarded the disability user symbol demonstrating our 

commitment to good practice in employing disabled people. With this symbol, 

disabled people know which employers will be positive about their abilities. 

We must adhere to the five commitments under the disability symbol user 

scheme. Recruiting managers must demonstrate the commitment to interview 

all applicants with a disability who meet the minimum essential criteria for a 

job vacancy and to consider them on their abilities. 

Further Reading 

EO01 Equality of Opportunity Policy and EO11 Equality of Opportunity 

Guidelines 

Eligibility to Work in the United Kingdom 

Immigration Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 

This Act requires us to make sure that anyone we employ is eligible to work in 

the United Kingdom. 

In 2008, the Government launched the Points Based System (PBS) for 

employing people from outside the European Economic area & Switzerland. 

This group of migrant workers need to pass a points-based assessment 

before being given permission to work in the UK. If a migrant has enough 

points, they will be issued with a Certificate of Sponsorship which can only be 

issued by employing organisations if they have a license awarded by the UK 

Borders Agency. For more information on recruiting someone who requires a 

Certificate of Sponsorship, please see RS20 Employing Overseas Workers. 

Documents to be checked 

Each candidate should be asked to produce appropriate documentation (see 

below) to confirm that he or she is legally permitted to work in the UK, as 

listed in the Immigration Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 leaflet (RS50 

Recruitment Letters and Forms The job applicant must provide documents 

from either: 

• List A contains documents that show on-going permission to work in the 

UK. 

• List B contains documents that show permission to work in the UK for up 

to 12 months. 

This leaflet is sent with the invite to interview letter, so candidates will know 

what documentation they need to produce. Such checks must be done for 

every applicant, to ensure that everyone is treated equally and to prevent 




possible discrimination claims. Just checking people who “look foreign” would 

be race discrimination. This is illegal. These checks should also be done for 

internal candidates. 

It is advisable that you carry out all of the following steps when checking the 

documents presented to you by the applicant. 

• Check any photographs, where available, contained in the documentation 

are consistent with the person. 

• Check the dates of birth listed, where available, to ensure that these are 

consistent across documents and that you are satisfied that these 

correspond with the appearance of the person. 

• Check that the expiry dates of any limited leave to enter or remain in the 

UK have not passed. 

• Check any UK Government endorsements (stamps, visas, etc.) to see if 

your prospective or current employee is able to do the type of work you 

are offering. 

• Satisfy yourself that the documents are genuine and have not been 

tampered with and belong to the holder. 

• If the applicant gives you two documents which have different names, ask 

him or her for a further document to explain the reason for this (the further 

document could be a marriage certificate, a divorce decree, a deed poll 

document or statutory declaration). 

You need to make a copy of the relevant page or pages of the document, in a 

format which can not be subsequently altered, for example, a photocopy or 

scan. In the case of a passport or other travel document, the following parts 

must be photocopied or scanned: 

• for passports and travel documents, a copy should be taken of the 

document’s front cover and any page containing the holder’s personal 

details. In particular, you should copy any page that provides details of 

nationality, his or her photograph, date of birth, signature, date of expiry or 

biometric details; and 

• any page containing UK Government endorsements, noting the date of 

expiry and any relevant UK immigration endorsement which allows the 

applicant to do the type of work you are offering. 

Other documents should be copied in their entirety. 

You should then keep a record of every document you have copied. The 

copies of the documents should be kept securely for the duration of the 

individual’s employment and for a further two years after his or her 

employment has ceased. 

Documents That Do Not Demonstrate Eligibility 

The following documents will not provide a statutory excuse under the 2006 

Act: 

• a Home Office Standard Acknowledgement Letter or Immigration Service 

Letter (IS96W) which states that an asylum seeker can work in the UK. If 




you are presented with these documents then you should advise the 

applicant to call the UK Border Agency for information about how they can 

apply for an Application Registration Card; 

• a temporary National Insurance Number beginning with TN, or any number 

which ends with the letters from E to Z inclusive; 

• a permanent National Insurance number when presented in isolation; 

• a driving licence issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency; 

• a bill issued by a financial institution or a utility company; 

• a passport describing the holder as a British Dependent Territories Citizen 

which states that the holder has a connection with Gibraltar; 

• a short (abbreviated) birth certificate issued in the UK which does not have 

details of at least one of the holder’s parents; 

• a licence provided by the Security Industry Authority; 

• a document check by the Criminal Records Bureau or Disclosure Scotland; 

• a card or certificate issued by the Inland Revenue under the Construction 

Industry Scheme. 

Annual Repeat Checking – List B 

Employees who have presented a document on List B must have eligibility to 

work in the UK checked annually. Employees should be invited to have their 

documentation checked by letter (RS20 Employing Overseas Workers). 

On each occasion that a follow-up document check is undertaken, you must 

repeat the specified steps given above within the given time period and record 

the date of each subsequent check that has been carried out. This includes 

checking original documents again and making and keeping copies of these. If 

we have not made the required follow-up checks we may liable if the person is 

found to be working illegally. 

Penalties 

If we employ someone illegally or fail to comply with all of our sponsorship 

duties we may incur civil and/or criminal penalties. Penalties range from being 

liable for payment of up to £10,000 to a 2-year prison sentence for those 

responsible in recruiting the illegal employee. Due to the severity of penalties, 

failure to follow these procedures (including RS20 Employing Overseas 

Workers) will be addressed through the formal disciplinary process. 

Further Advice 

Advice for employers about complying with the law on preventing illegal 

migrant working is available from the UK Border Agency Employers’ Helpline 

on 0845 010 6677. 

Bulgaria and Romania 

Restrictions on employing Bulgarians and Romanians expire on 1 January 

2014. 




Bulgarian and Romanian nationals have the same right to live in the UK as 

those from other EU countries. 

Until 1 January 2014 Bulgarians and Romanians do not have an automatic 

right to work in the UK (unless exempt from work authorisation requirements). 

Instead they are only allowed to work in various 'authorised categories of 

employment'. From 1 January 2014 they will have the same right to work in 

the UK as other EU citizens. 

Croatia 

From 1 July 2013 Croatian nationals have been able to move and live freely in 

any Member State of the EU. They do not need permission under our 

immigration rules to reside legally in the UK. A Croatian national has a right of 

residence in any EU Member State for the first 3 months of residence on an 

unrestricted basis and can remain legally resident in that state as long as they 

wish, providing they are exercising a Treaty right as a student, a selfemployed 

person, or if self-sufficient (and not economically active). They will 

not have an automatic right to reside as a worker or a jobseeker in the UK. 

Croatian nationals wanting to work in the UK need to obtain work 

authorisation (permission to work) before starting any employment, unless 

they are exempt from this requirement. 

National Insurance Numbers 

The Social Security (Crediting and Treatment of Contributions and National 

Insurance Numbers) Regulations 2001 state who must or may apply to 

register for National Insurance (NI) purposes. 

Currently, all adults seeking a NI Number are required to visit their local 

Jobcentre Plus office to establish their identity before being issued with a NI 

number. This includes migrant workers granted a Certificate of Sponsorship 

via the Points Based System. For further information about applying for a NI 

number, contact the helpline on 0845 600 0643. 

The Home Office has also developed a fast path postal service. Applicants will 

be able to complete a postal application form for a NI number instead of 

visiting a Jobcentre Plus office. Applications for a Fast Path NI Number will be 

considered from: 

• skilled migrant workers with a job offer (Tier 2 of the Points Based System) 

who are applying for a post which is recognised on the shortage 

occupation list 

• any EU National who does not currently have a NI Number 

For all Fife Council workers who are eligible to apply under the Fast Path NI 

Number postal service, you should request an application form from: 




Fast Path Enquiries 

CCU 

5 th Floor 

Portcullis House 

21 India Street 

GLASGOW 

G2 4PH 

Tel no. 0845 641 5047/5048/5049 

Email Glasgow.ccufastpathadmin@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk 

Criminal Convictions 

Criminal convictions will be considered in relation to the job a person is 

applying for and will bar a person from a job only where the conviction is 

relevant to the job. 

See RS12 Criminal Convictions Disclosure Certificate Procedures and RS19 

Overseas Criminal Records Checks. 

Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (2009 Order) someone who has 

been convicted may, with certain exceptions, be rehabilitated and allowed to 

treat the conviction as if it had never occurred. They do not have to tell us 

about spent convictions. A conviction will become "spent" where the individual 

has not, after a period of time, committed another serious offence. 

A conviction cannot be spent under the Act if it incurred a sentence of more 

than 2.5 years in prison or was a life sentence, preventative detention or the 

equivalent for young offenders. 

The Act provides that "spent" convictions are not a "proper ground" for 

dismissal or exclusion of a job candidate. 

The exceptions where spent convictions must be declared include chartered 

accountants, registered teachers, and those working with children and 

vulnerable adults in providing accommodation, care, leisure and recreational 

facilities, schooling, social services, supervision or training (and those working 

on premises where such provision is made). 

Applicants are required to complete a form in a sealed envelope disclosing 

unspent convictions or charges pending if they are invited to interview (see 

the Section - Invitation to Attend Interview). This form is only opened by the 

chair of the interview panel if the applicant is to be offered the job. 

Forms handed in by other interviewees must be returned unopened. 

Jobs exempted from the Act or where a Criminal Records check will be 

requested should be identified in information sent to applicants. 

If you are in any doubt about a particular job or a conviction which is disclosed 

you should seek advice from the HR Direct Recruitment Team. 

Selection for Interview 

If a decision on who will be short-listed for interview has not been made within 

the time-scale indicated to the applicants consider writing to all applicants to 

advise them of the delay. 




Short listing is difficult if there are very low or very high numbers of applicants. 

Low numbers result if the information provided is so tight that potential 

applicants have ruled themselves out and have not applied. A more serious 

cause can be if the advert for the job has not reached an adequate pool of 

potential applicants; for example if it was restricted to internal applicants only. 

This may conflict with discrimination laws unless the internal population of the 

organisation mirrors the diversity profile of the general population, which is 

unlikely. This might mean that people from minority groups are not aware of 

the vacancies and are denied a chance of applying. 

High numbers are likely to be caused by the information supplied being too 

loose resulting in too many people meeting the advertised minimum 

requirements of the job. 

Taking care when short-listing will help us to ensure that we are fair to 

applicants, lessen the possibility of inviting unsuitable applicants to interview 

and reduce the scope for potentially costly claims of discrimination. 

Those people who will form the interview panel for the job or a sub group of 

the interview panel will usually carry out short-listing. Panel members should 

familiarise themselves with the essential criteria in the person specification. 

Individually, panel members should then compare each applicant to the 

criteria to decide whether the applicant should be short-listed. Panel members 

should then compare their lists to find a consensus. 

If too many applicants meet the essential criteria examine the applications 

against the desirable criteria. 

Invitation to Attend Interview 

Those short-listed should be invited to interview by e-mail/letter. The following 

documentation will be sent with this: 

• An Interview Expenses Claim 

• The Asylum and Immigration Act Information 

• A Criminal Convictions Declaration 

The invitation email can be amended to include any other relevant 

information. 

Interviews and Selection Checks 

Interviews should be carried out by at least two people. For Team Leader 

level the minimum number of interviewers is three. Appointments at Chief 

Officer level must be made in line with the Scheme of Delegation. 

At the end of each interview each of the interviewers should complete an 

Interview Assessment Form (See: RS50 Recruitment Letters and Forms). 

These forms will assist interviewers to assess the candidates against the 

criteria set in the person specification. Interviewers should form their own 

opinion at the end of each interview then reach a collective decision by 

discussion after all the interviews have occurred. 




Once a decision on who to appoint has been reached the Chair should 

complete the section on the Recruitment Analysis Form. The form should then 

be sent to HR Reward Team with the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form. 

Appointment to jobs at Team Leader level and below will be the responsibility 

of the Service. Human Resources will not normally attend interviews. 

Assessing Whether Candidates Meet the Requirements 

The interview will be one of the main opportunities to assess whether an 

applicant for a job meets the requirements identified in the person 

specification. The interview can be complemented by other assessment 

techniques. These may include presentations, tests, group exercises or in-tray 

exercises. 

If you are considering using, or would like to discuss, any of these techniques 

contact the HR Direct Recruitment . Badly designed or inappropriate 

exercises can discriminate unfairly. Exercises must therefore be properly 

developed. 

Rating Candidates 

The interview assessment form is used to help rate the interviewee. The 

interviewee should be assessed against the requirements of the job and not 

just rated against other interviewees. If no one is suitable consider readvertising. 

Immigration Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 

Check and retain copies of the documents required to confirm eligibility to 

work in the UK. See section - Eligibility to Work in the UK above. Some of the 

documents required for this purpose may also be used to confirm identity as 

required to apply for PVG membership or an enhanced or standard criminal 

record disclosure certificate. 

Qualifications and Certificates 

Where a particular qualification is as required for the job, or where there is a 

minimum standard of education expected for the job, ask the successful 

interviewee to provide the original documents for inspection. These should 

then be copied to be held in the personal file. If no certificate can be provided 

a check should be made with the awarding institution or examination body. A 

check can also be carried out if it is suspected that the certificate in not 

original, is forged, or has been tampered with. Keep a record of this check. 

Professional Registration – Safer Recruitment 

If the candidate is required to be registered with a regulatory body such as the 

SSSC or the GTCS, obtain and keep a copy of his or her registration 

certificate or number. This should be verified with the regulatory body as 

appropriate. In case of dispute or if there is reason to doubt that the claimed 

registration is genuine, clarification should be sought from the regulatory body. 




Recruitment and Selection Training 

The Council is committed to ensuring that those involved in the recruitment 

and selection of new employees are trained. It is the responsibility of Services 

to ensure that every panel must have at least one interviewer who is fully 

trained. 

A basic recruitment and selection unit is also available on “E-learning” which 

can be accessed via FISH. 

Pre-Employment Health Screening 

There is a pre-employment screening procedure (RS61 Pre Employment 

Health Screening). This ensures that potential employees are able to do the 

job without risk to themselves or others while providing equal access to 

employment. 

There are different processes for health screening depending on the type of 

work being recruited for. Managers should read and comply with the 

instructions in RS61 Pre Employment Health Screening. If the procedures are 

not followed correctly there is a risk that Equality or Health and Safety laws 

will be broken. A recruiting manager might be personally liable if an injury or 

illness is caused by a failure to do health screening properly. This can be 

avoided by following the procedure. 

All successful candidates must complete a pre-employment health declaration 

or health questionnaire. Some applicants, depending on role or the answers 

given to the declaration or questionnaire may be invited to a medical 

examination. 

Offers of appointment should be provisional until health screening is complete. 

Occupational Health Assessment Categories 

There are three categories of job determining which occupational health 

assessment procedure is followed. 

• Category 1 – most jobs. 

• Category 2 - jobs requiring baseline and ongoing statutory health 

surveillance. Typically these would be jobs where employees are required 

to use electrical/mechanical tools for a substantial amount of the working 

day and are possibly exposed to higher than normal noise levels, and, or 

skin irritants. 

• Category 3 – jobs requiring a medical assessment. This includes some 

specialist Heads of Service and above, and driving jobs, for example 

those requiring an LGV or PCV licence. 


RS61 Pre Employment Health Screening 

HR Direct Recruitment Team 




Starting Salary on Appointment 

During interview it is important that the salary is discussed. Candidates need 

to be able to decide whether they wish to continue with their application based 

on the level of salary that will be offered. Care should be taken when 

discussing salary at interview as anything offered may be contractually 

binding and difficult to withdraw from at a later date. 

Successful applicants will normally be appointed at the scale minimum. 

Internal candidates where the job can be regarded as a promotion will be 

placed on the scale at a point that will result in a salary increase in line with 

Single Status Terms and Conditions (Single Status jobs) or National 

Conditions of Service (other jobs). 

Services can exercise discretion and offer a higher starting salary in 

exceptional circumstances. This should only be done in consultation with the 

HR Direct Recruitment Team. 

Recruitment Analysis 

To ensure that the Council can demonstrate that these procedures are fair it is 

essential that the recruitment exercise is well documented. This information 

could also form part of the evidence where an unsuccessful applicant 

complains, makes a claim to an Employment Tribunal or requests information 

under the Freedom of Information Act. In addition the information is essential 

if our Equal Opportunities monitoring is to produce accurate and meaningful 

results. 

Use the Recruitment Analysis Form for this. (See: RS50 Recruitment Letters 

and Forms.) 

Freedom of Information Requests 

The Freedom of Information (FOI) (Scotland) Act gives anyone the right to 

request information about any processes, including the recruitment process, 

within Fife Council. Although information which may identify individuals cannot 

be provided certain summaries of information can be. If an FOI request is 

received regarding any aspect of the recruitment process contact the HR 

Direct Recruitment Team immediately for guidance. 

References and Biographical Checks 

References – All Applicants 

References are a tool for confirming what an applicant has written or said 

during the selection process. Unless the reference indicates that the applicant 

has been dishonest in his or her application it should not be the sole reason 

for an interviewee to be selected or rejected. 

If an employment reference casts doubt on the suitability of the job applicant 

the selection panel should rigorously re-examine all the evidence available to 

them. 




Although references can be sought either before or after interview, it is 

advisable to take up references after the interview for the preferred candidate 

only. However, references can be obtained before interview for certain posts 

to be assessed by an appointment panel that includes councillors. 

If a reference is being requested before interview then it is illegal for it to ask 

about health or sickness absence. 

The reference report used should be specific to the post applied for. Using a 

reference held on file from a previous application would usually be 

unacceptable. References must be directly received from the referee. It is 

unsafe to accept a reference submitted via the candidate. It is difficult to 

ensure that a reference received in this way has not been forged or altered. 

Testimonials must not be accepted instead of a reference. Testimonials are 

letters which the applicant claims have been written by a previous employer. 

They are usually addressed to “whom it may concern.” 

No appointment should be confirmed without taking up written references. If 

an offer is conditional upon satisfactory references, it is advisable to specify 

that the reference must be satisfactory to Fife Council. 

There is no legal requirement for organisations or individuals to provide us 

with a reference for a potential employee. We rely on goodwill and therefore 

we must make it as easy as possible for people to respond to a reference 

request. 

Services may request open or confidential references. If a confidential 

reference is requested you must ensure that the applicant is not allowed to 

read it without the written permission of the reference provider. There are 

some circumstances where access may still be granted – seek advice from 

the HR Direct Recruitment Team. When requesting an open reference it must 

be made clear to the referee that the job applicant will be able to access the 

reference. 

Except where agreed with employee representatives, the Council’s normal 

approach is to ask for confidential references. Managers may instead request 

open references. If you intend to let the applicant read the reference without 

seeking additional permission from the reference provider the open reference 

letter must be used. 

Fife Council’s Insurer requires a minimum level of reference checking as a 

condition of policy cover. 

The following bullet points outline the minimum level of reference checking 

that must be carried out. 

• Written references must be obtained from employers within the past 2 

years, one of which must be from the immediately preceding employer. 

• A minimum of All PVG posts (internal & external): 2 references (to comply 

with Safer Recruitment guidance) that cover the preceding 2 years of 

employment. Non PVG posts (internal & external): 1 reference that covers 

the preceding 2 years of employment. 

• References must be in written format, either in hard copy or via email. 

Verbal references, even when documented, are not suitable. 




• The Council’s insurer has confirmed that Services may identify certain 

categories of employees who can be excluded from the policy; however 

Services will incur the costs if an act of fraud or dishonesty is committed. A 

risk assessment must be carried out for these groups before a decision to 

exclude them from the policy is taken. Authorisation to exclude a group of 

employees must be obtained from an appropriate senior manager. Any 

group of employees that have financial responsibilities must not be 

excluded (e.g. those who handle money or order goods). Where Services 

do not identify categories of employees to be excluded, references should 

be obtained for all staff, including temporary, seasonal and casual. 

• The same procedures are expected of both internal and external 

applicants. One reference should be from the last supervisor or manager. 

• Where a reference request has been sent but not returned, Services 

should send a reminder to the referee. If a response is still not received, 

Services should approach the successful candidate and request details of 

an alternative referee. 

• If the employer referee no longer exists (e.g. the company has closed 

down), Services are advised to contact the Risk Management team for 

guidance based on the candidate’s particular circumstances. 

• Where the prospective employee is coming straight from education, one 

reference should be from the Head Teacher or College Tutor. 

• For prospective employees that have been out of work for sometime, e.g., 

due to caring or parenting commitments, references should still be sought 

from previous employers or course tutor as appropriate. 

• Where the candidate has been a long term employee in the previous 

organisation, say for 15 years, we need only obtain one reference as 

others will be irrelevant and out of date. 

• Teachers using the “open reference” procedure within Education Service 

must still comply with all of the reference requirements above. 

References – Safer Recruitment 

Employees with access to children and adults at risk may require additional 

reference checking. 

References should be checked to ensure that all specific questions have been 

answered satisfactorily. If all questions have not been answered or the 

reference is vague or unspecific, the referee should be telephoned and asked 

to provide written answers or clarification as appropriate. The information 

given should also be compared with the application form to ensure that the 

information provided about the candidate and his or her previous employment 

by the referee is consistent with the information provided by the applicant on 

the form. Any discrepancy in the information should be taken up with the 

applicant. 

Any information about past disciplinary action or allegations should be 

considered in the circumstances of the individual case. Cases in which an 

issue was satisfactorily resolved some time ago or an allegation was 

determined to be unfounded or did not require formal disciplinary sanctions, 

and in which no further issues have been raised, are less likely to cause 




concern than more serious or recent concerns, or issues that were not 

resolved satisfactorily. A history of repeated concerns or allegations over time 

may be more likely to give cause for concern. 

Additional references may be sought if, for example: 

• there are concerns about a candidate who suggests he or she found him 

or herself in the wrong job; 

• he or she has had difficulties with a former manager; 

• the candidate gives an unusual or inconsistent reason for leaving a job; 

• he or she claims to have had no recent work record; 

• an earlier job is particularly relevant to the current application; 

• one referee is unavailable or refuses to provide a reference; 

• the applicant has worked for the Council before but has had additional jobs 

since leaving. 

If you decide to request additional references seek the permission of the 

candidate. Although refusal will raise suspicions this should not be a reason to 

automatically reject the candidate without further investigation. 

There are standard letters for requesting an employment reference. These are 

available on FISH (RS50 Recruitment Letters and Forms.) 

Retaining References 

References for the successful applicant should be retained in the personnel 

file. If references are obtained for all candidates before the interview stage, 

those relating to unsuccessful candidates should be stored in the Application 

File and destroyed after six months. 

Further guidance on what should be stored in the Application File can be 

found in the Section - Recruitment Records. For further guidance see CC55 

Guidelines on Contents of Personnel Files. 

Personnel Records Check 

There have been cases where employees who have been disciplined or 

dismissed by an organisation subsequently apply for a new job within the 

same organisation. 

One way of ensuring such information comes to light is for every applicant to 

be checked against existing personnel records, and the personnel records of 

former employees where held. 

Check the iTrent system to discover if the candidate has worked for the 

Council before and has not mentioned this in the application form. 

If the successful candidate has worked for the Council before, obtain the 

personnel record and check it against the application form and other 

information obtained. Make sure that the personnel record is for the correct 

person. 

Discrepancies should be investigated. The investigation should include a 

discussion with the candidate. 




If a file contains disciplinary warnings the normal expiry and retention periods 

for these should be observed. 

Move the contents of the old personnel file into the file for the new 

employment. If the employee has previously worked for a different Service the 

full file should be transferred to the new employing Service. It may be prudent 

to retain a copy of the file in the records of the original employing Service to 

preserve a source for any future reference or other information requests. 

Notifying Interviewees 

Services are responsible for the formal offers of appointment at Team Leader 

level and below. 

Offers of appointment might need to be provisional until the outcome of health 

screening is received, written references are checked, and education 

certificates have been inspected. Note that and documents confirming the 

person’s eligibility to work in the UK must have been copied before 

employment starts. 

When offering work to a person currently undertaking a Fife Council 

vocational training programme (e.g. skill-seekers and modern apprentices), 

include in the offer letter a requirement that the employee continues and 

completes the qualification specified in his or her training plan. 

The document RS26 A Guide to the Recruitment Process and the HR Direct 

Recruitment Team gives details of the procedures to be used. 

Feedback for Unsuccessful Candidates 

Feedback can help applicants identify areas where they can improve their 

suitability in the future. It may also reassure the applicant that your decision 

was fair. 

If you are asked for feedback, do not feel that you have to give it immediately. 

You should take time to consider what it is that you want to say and ensure 

that this is related to the job profile and the person specification. 

Recruitment Records 

Services should hold the Application File, which will include all application 

forms, references, documentation required under the Immigration, Asylum and 

Nationality Act, Interview Assessment Forms and the Recruitment Analysis 

Form. A copy of the successful applicant’s application should also be placed 

on this file. 

Criminal conviction forms will be returned unopened to unsuccessful 

applicants. 

Once the job offer has been accepted send the Recruitment Analysis Form 

and Equal Opportunities Monitoring Forms to the HR Reward Team. Relevant 

information for the successful candidate should be stored in the personnel file. 

You must hold all recruitment and selection records for a period of six months. 

The records for the unsuccessful candidates should then be destroyed. 




See: CC55 Guidelines on Contents of Personnel Files 

Exit Interviews 

The Council recognises the importance of examining why employees choose 

to leave. Our way of doing this is by conducting exit interviews. 

See RS15 Exit Interview Procedure. 

Time Off for Interviews 

Fife Council employees are allowed paid time off to attend interviews for jobs 

within the Council. Employees are not allowed paid time off to attend 

interviews with any other organisation. The NHS, the Civil Service, the 

Scottish Government, the Fire Service, the Police (including civilian posts) and 

other local authorities are external organisations. Employees should use 

annual leave or flexi-leave to attend interviews with these or other external 

organisations. 

Employees who are working notice of redundancy are allowed reasonable 

time off with pay to attend interviews regardless of whether the job is internal 

or external (see MC01 Managing Change Policy). 

Produced by Fife Council Human Resources Service 

01 October 2013: Issue Number 19 




Establishment Change Process Flow Chart (Appendix 1) 

Manager obtains 

‘approval in principle’ to 

recruit post from Senior 

Manager 

Establishment Change 

Form & post info sent to 

HR Business Partner 

(BP) Team 

2 working days 

New / Modified Post 

If happy, forward to 

HR Reward Team. 

HR Reward Team 

liaise with relevant 

HR BP Team and 

evaluate & grade post 

Min 10 working Days 

Addition / Removal 

of Existing Post 

HR BP Team approves and 

returns to recruiting manager 

With grade (salary) confirmed, 

Manager obtains authorisation 

from Finance / budget approval 

Final authorisation from HoS / 

Senior Manager obtained 



Entire 

process 

could take a 

minimum of 

26 working 

days. Please 

ensure 

enough time 

before advert 

publication 

date 

Manager checks redeployment 

database for potential match 


Advert & Information Pack sent 

to Recruitment Advertising 

Team to be published 

Min 6 working days 

(Dependant on 

publication) 




Job Profile Form (Appendix 2) 

Job Details 

• Service 

• Section 

• Location 

• Job title 

• Job reference 

• Responsible to 

• Responsible for 

• Grade and 

salary 

Purpose of the Job 

Key Responsibilities/Key Results Areas of the Job 

Other Duties 

The jobholder may be required to perform duties, appropriate to the job, other 

than those given in the job profile. The particular duties and responsibilities 

attached to a job may vary from time to time without changing the overall 

purpose of the job and would not, therefore, justify reconsidering the grade of 

the job. Such variations would be reflected in an updated job profile. 

Special Conditions/Requirements 

Any unusual requirements of the job such as participating in standby or callout 

arrangements, working shifts, work outwith normal working hours or during 

weekends, the job is politically restricted etc should be covered here. 

Other Information 

For example; closing date, return address, contact for further information, 

interview dates if set, reference to the Council’s Smoking Policy. 

Job Profile prepared by ________________________________ on __________ 




Person Specification (Appendix 3) 

Person Specification for JOB TITLE, within the SERVICE. 

Attributes Essential Desirable Method of 

assessment 

Experience 

Education, 

Qualifications & 

Training 

Skills, Abilities & 

Knowledge 

Interpersonal & 

Communication 

Skills 

Health & Physical 

Attributes 

Ability to provide 

a regular and 

effective service 

Pre-employment 

health screening 

Person Specification prepared by ____________________________ on 

____________________

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