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Recruitment and selection

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Planning and preparation

Potential vacancy arises - considerations

The University requires all managers to apply the Business Rules for engaging workers (e.g. permanent, temporary, casual, agency, self-employed) in all circumstances unless they have prior approval to make an exception. An overview of the Business Rules can be found here

Assess the requirement to recruit to new post, or to refill existing post (your HR Business Partner is available to assist you with this):

  • Is the role/function still required?
  • Could the role/function be carried out by redistributing duties to other staff?
  • Could I utilise an apprentice for this role? 
  • Could the duties be outsourced – cost implications?
  • Is the post full-time or part-time?
  • Do you need someone permanently or for a short period of time? (fixed term)
  • Does the job description need updating or do you need a new one?

Guidance for creating new job descriptions or amending current ones ‌

Job Description Template‌‌

Internal only

Do you wish to advertise for internal only candidates?

Those people that can apply for internal only vacancies are as follows:-

  • Those employed on a formal University of Exeter contract of employment on the main payroll, this includes Graduate Business Partners working at the University.
  • Those workers that are working on a temporary basis on the University's claims payroll, including workers engaged through the Temporary Staff Bank, Student Campus Partnership and Graduate Teaching Assistants, provided that they have worked for a total of at least 1 month within the last 3 months and are currently within an assignment with the University at the time the vacancy appears.

Job description and grading

Grading

All new posts and existing posts which have significant revisions to the job description must be assessed using the HERA job evaluation scheme before they can be advertised to ensure consistency across the University. For further information, please visit

Job description

A job description describes the key features of the job and helps potential candidates and managers to understand the responsibilities. We have template job descriptions and person specifications for our most frequently recruited to roles. These are available when you raise a vacancy in the Recruitment Hub. For further information on this, please visit

If you are creating a new job description visit the Template Library to help draft an effective job description.

Person specification

Person specifications describe the candidate requirements including:

  • Skills and knowledge
  • Experience
  • Qualifications, education and training
  • Behavioural characteristics

The person specification is vital because the panel will use these criteria to shortlist candidates and finally appoint, therefore Faculties/Services should be clear about the criteria for selection before commencing the recruitment exercise.

Note: any criteria asking for a minimum or maximum number of years' experience will be indirectly discriminatory on the grounds of age against younger or old candidates respectively. Focus should instead be on type and breadth of experience required.

  • Essential criteria are ones which without this skill/knowledge the candidate would be unable to fulfil the role, and as a result, applicants not demonstrating these will not be shortlisted to attend interview 
  • Desirable criteria are ones which are important but not essential and will help to differentiate between higher level applicants

Advice on job design, person specification and grading matters can be obtained from your HR Business Partner

Equality and diversity guidelines

The University’s equal opportunities policy requires that appointments be made on merit. Under anti-discrimination legislation, the University may be challenged to justify that selection decisions were made on objective criteria. Consequently, there should be clear selection criteria - a 'person specification' for each appointment.

Starting the process

Getting started

For further guidance on logging into the Hub and raising a vacancy request, please refer to

If you wish to replace temporarily, please refer to on the PS Connect portal or contact the Temporary Resource Unit.

For guidance on the exit process, please refer to guide on the PS Connect portal. 

Selection panel

  • Selection panels will vary depending on the level of position you are recruiting for
  • Interview panels should give due regard to gender equality and not be single gender
  • Panel members need to have completed the University鈥檚 mandatory recruitment and selection training.

The table below sets out the guidelines, which we advise you follow

Role Recommended Minimum
Professor
  • Provost, DVC, PVC or DPVC (Chair)
  • PVC, DPVC or APVC (if not chairing)
  • HoD from the relevant academic department 
  • An Academic Director or professor from the relevant academic department
  • HR Partner
  • Two external assessors 鈥� written references essential, attendance where possible
  • Other panel members may be co-opted as appropriate (e.g. for expertise). Minimum of 4 and maximum of 6 on the panel
*Please note, there should be at least 3 or more academics on the panel to ensure visa eligibility, should it be required 

 

Optional

  • Where relevant and possible, an independent member of Council selected at the discretion of the Chair of Council (liaise with Secretariat initially)
Associate Professor
  • DPVC, APVC or HoD (Chair)
  • HoD from the relevant academic department (if not chairing)
  • An Academic Director from the relevant academic department
  • Other panel members may be co-opted as appropriate (e.g. for expertise). Minimum of 3 and maximum of 5 on the panel

*Please note, there should be at least 3 or more academics on the panel to ensure visa eligibility, should it be required 
Senior Lecturer
  • HoD (Chair)
  • An Academic Director from the relevant academic department
  • Other panel members may be co-opted as appropriate (e.g. for expertise). Minimum of 3 and maximum of 5 on the panel

*Please note, there should be at least 3 or more academics on the panel to ensure visa eligibility, should it be required 
Lecturer
  • HoD  (Chair)
  • An Academic Director from the relevant academic department e 
  • Other panel members may be co-opted as appropriate (e.g. for expertise). Minimum of 3 and maximum of 5 on the pane

*Please note, there should be at least 3 or more academics on the panel to ensure visa eligibility, should it be required 
Associate Lecturer
  • HoD (Chair)
  • Another representative from the relevant academic department
  • Other panel members may be co-opted as appropriate (e.g. for expertise). Minimum of 3 and maximum of 4 on the panel

*Please note, there should be at least 3 or more academics on the panel to ensure visa eligibility, should it be required 
Research Appointments
  • The Principal Investigator (Chair)
  • Two representatives from a relevant academic department to ensure diversity of panel
All other roles

 

  • Recruiting manager (Chair)
  • Two others of relevance to ensure diversity of panel 

Member of the College Executive means Associate Deans, Heads of Discipline and College Registrar.

PVC - Pro Vice-Chancellor
DVC - Deputy Vice-Chancellor
HoD - Head of Discipline
AP - Associate Professor