Recruitment Guidance for Applicants

Completing the Application Form

Your application form will play a key part in deciding whether you will be shortlisted for interview. It is important that you take the time to read the advert and the job description/person specification for the post and complete the application form fully and as accurately as possible.

Applications are made online through the NHS Scotland job site. When you click the ‘Apply for job’ button on the advert, you will be asked to create an account using an email address or social media account. For returning candidates, you you can copy from a previous application or create a new one. If you prefer to copy, make sure that you go through each section to ensure that the information is complete and up-to-date.

The system will timeout after 30 minutes of inactivity so please save your application regularly. You can save your progress and come back later if you wish, just remember your password so you can log back in.

Please note:

• Remember to review your application prior to submission as you will not be able to make changes once you submit the form.
• Be accurate and honest on your application form as the information you provide will be verified at various stages of our recruitment and selection process .
• Your email and contact telephone number must be correct as these will be used to contact you. The primary method of contact for all updates is via email.
• Some recruitment may include initial screening questions to verify that you meet the requirements for the job e.g. UK Professional registration
• Curriculum vitae (CVs) will NOT be accepted as part of the application process unless you are applying for a Medical Staffing (Doctor, Consultant etc) Position
• The Job reference number is an important information to take note of as this is the unique ID of the post. This will allow us to identify which post is being referred to.
• You should save an electronic copy of the advert, job description/person specification, and the candidate pack for future reference
• On the Assessment section, you may find it helpful to prepare your answers in a separate document and copy and paste your answers into the online form. You will also be asked to provide your National insurance number on this section.
• All adverts close at midnight on the closing date unless otherwise stated. Please submit your application as soon as possible. If any updates on the closing date occur, you will be contacted via email.
• You can check the status of your application by checking your account online.
• If you delete your application, you will not be able to re-apply.

Eligibility to Work in the UK

It is a criminal offence for any employer to hire a new employee whose immigration status prevents him or her from legally working in the UK in the post they have applied for. This applies also to all types of NHS employment, including part-time, temporary or bank posts. All applicants regardless of nationality will be asked to produce evidence of eligibility to work in the UK as part of the application process specifically at the interview and pre-employment checks stages.

Please complete the relevant sections as accurately as possible on the application form, providing the type of right to work in the UK (RTW UK) visa that you hold as well as the expiry date, if applicable.

Applications from job seekers who require a RTW will be considered alongside all other applications subject to meeting the essential criteria as detailed in the Job Description and Person Specification for the post. Before making your application, you should check the eligibility criteria for UK Visa and Immigration

Qualifications and Training Details

Please provide details of all relevant education, qualifications and training courses.

Specific requirements such as registration/membership details to a Professional Regulatory Bodies such as the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) or General Medical Council (GMC), must be provided if relevant to the vacancy

Employment information

For the Employment section, please start with your current/most recent employer and work back through your employment history. Please also include any part-time or temporary jobs, work placements, volunteering roles, or any career breaks
(student/parent/carer/etc.)

Referees

You must provide at least two (2) referees are required which must cover the past three (3) years and must include your present or most recent employer. We do not accept references from family members or friends.

If you are appointed to the post you have applied for, our Recruitment Team will contact your referees. Satisfactory references must be received  to an acceptable standard before any new NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde employee can start work for us.

Please ensure that you provide accurate contact details including an e-mail address for your referees and, most importantly, don’t forget to get their permission to be contacted by us.

Please refer to Disclosure Scotland’s website for further guidance and details on the two lists relating to spent convictions. 

Statement in Support of Your Application

Applicants who can demonstrate in their application that they possess the knowledge, skills, experience and abilities required for the job give themselves the best opportunity of being shortlisted and selected for interview.

You can use this section to provide evidence that you can meet each of the requirements in the job description/person specification, by giving specific examples of what you have done and how you believe you meet each requirement. Remember that the person reviewing your application form won’t be able to second guess your skills and experience unless you outline it.

A good tip is to use the selection criteria in job description/person specification as headings in the order that they have been listed, to make sure that you address them especially the ones under the Essential Criteria.

Declaration

Before submitting your application, please make sure that you read this section as it will highlight any parts of the form which haven’t been completed and it also covers the following important information:

• Criminal Convictions Declaration – NHS Scotland is exempt from the 1974 Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exclusions & Exceptions) (Scotland) Order 2003.
• Accuracy of Information – False or misleading information can causE disqualification of the application and dismissal from employment if appointed to the post.
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018 – Your data will be stored by Jobtrain and will be used only by NHSGGC authorised staff for the purpose of processing your job application, making recruitment decisions and for statistical and audit purposes. It will be retained, archived, and deleted in line with the NHS Scotland retention policy and will not be passed to any third party organisations without your permission

Equal Opportunities and Equality Monitoring

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde participates in 2 schemes aimed at supporting the employment and career development of disabled people :

Job Interview Guarantee (JIG) scheme: if a candidate declares a disability, and meets all the minimum/essential  criteria outlined within the Job description/Person specification for the post then they will be guaranteed an interview. 

Job Centre Plus Two Ticks symbol: the two ticks scheme is a recognition given to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde by Jobcentre Plus in meeting the five commitments regarding the employment, retention, training and career development of disabled employees. As a symbol user, an interview is guaranteed to any candidate with a disability whose application meets all of the minimum/essential criteria for the post.

NHSGGC is committed to applying and promoting best employment equality practice in it efforts to eliminate discrimination and create working environments where all our staff, patients, relatives, visitors and carers are treated fairly and with respect.

We always endeavour to not discriminate during any stage of the recruitment process and in particular comply with the Equality Act 2010 which makes it illegal to discriminate against protected characteristics i.e.  age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation. 

We are required to gather data for both applicants and employees to ensure that our policy on Equality and Diversity is effective and meets statutory requirements.   The Equal opportunities monitoring form is recorded separately from your application form and can only be accessed by the Recruitment team.   All recruitment documentation for unsuccessful applicants are confidentially destroyed after 12 months.

When completing the Equal Opportunities section of the online application form, you can use this section to inform us if you will require any special arrangements for the interview e.g. Wheelchair access, induction loop, etc

Criminal Convictions

• Disclosure of Criminal Convictions 
• Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exclusions and Exceptions) (Scotland) Order 2013
• The Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland Act ) 2007 The  1997 Police Act
• Criminal Convictions – Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

NHS Scotland is exempt from the 1974 Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exclusions & Exceptions) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2015.  This means that unless stated in the job description, person specification or application pack, you must tell us about any previous unspent convictions along with only those spent convictions that relate to Disclosure Scotland’s  ‘Offences which must always be disclosed’ list. If you are offered employment, any failure to disclose such convictions could result in withdrawal of the offer of employment dismissal or disciplinary action.  Any information you give will be considered only in relation to the post for which the  application you submit refers to.

Information will be verified by Disclosure Scotland for relevant posts.

Please note, you are NOT REQUIRED to tell us about any previous spent convictions that relate to Disclosure Scotland’s ‘Offences which are disclosed subject to the rules’ list.

Recruitment stages

Shortlisting Stage

The NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Selection panel (Panel), which includes as a minimum two (2) members of staff [one of which is always the hiring /line manager for the post] will decide who to select for interview on the basis of the job description/person specification.  These documents lists those qualities e.g. skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications etc, which are ‘essential’ i.e. which you must have to do the job, and those which are ‘desirable’ i.e. which will help somebody to perform the complete range of tasks in the job more readily.  It is important, therefore, that you work on your application to ensure it reflects the person specification, the job description and the recruitment advertisement.

At shortlisting stage, applications forms are anonymised and only the information about Education, Employment, and Supporting statement are accessible to the Panel. This helps ensure that the shortlisting is fair and consistent and is based on the candidate’s skills, knowledge, qualifications, and experience.

Once shortlisting is complete, invitations for interview are sent to the selected candidates by our Recruitment Team. 

Interview Stage

The interview format will depend on the post being recruited to, and can either be face-to-face or via MS Teams video. You will be requested to bring to the interview the originals of any relevant qualifications/certificates/awards that you hold and documents to verify your identification such as a photo identification.

In addition to a set of interview questions, candidates may be asked to deliver a presentation, sit a technical/skills test, or provide a response to a work based scenario. Candidates will be advised in advance of the interview what they will be expected to do on the day.

An interview panel is normally between 2-4 people depending on the post and will be more senior to the grade of the post being recruited to. It can also include panel members, external to NHSGGC, where appropriate to the post.

If you are invited to an interview you will receive an email requesting you to select a suitable date/time slot. If the interview is via MS Teams, you will also receive an email with the link to join.

Pre-Employment Checks

If you are invited for interview and are successful in being offered a job, after your interview you will receive via the Jobtrain system what is referred to as a Conditional Offer of Employment. At this stage you are the Preferred Candidate. Please note

you should not hand in your notice to your current employer at this stage.

The standard pre-employment checks cover the following aspects:

• A 2nd Stage Application Declaration
• An Identity Check Document verification appointment, in person, at the NHSGGC Recruitment Department. This will also include a Right to Work in the UK check. Our Recruitment team will advise on the arrangements for this stage.
• Qualifications & Professional Registration/Membership of NHS Regulatory Bodies check if applicable
• Reference Checks
• Occupational Health Check
• Driving licence, only if required for the purpose of carrying out the duties of the job
• Where applicable to the post, successful applicants will be subject to Disclosure Scotland’s Protection of Vulnerable Group (PVG) Scheme membership /Standard Disclosure checks to check their criminal convictions history and to ensure that they are not included on Barred Lists which prohibits them from  working  with vulnerable adults and children.

Our office hours are 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday.

You can contact us by email at nhsggc.recruitment@nhs.scot or Call 0141 278 2700 (please listen to all the options and select the appropriate line)

Our Address is:

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Recruitment Service
Gartnavel Royal Hospital
Administration Building
1055 Great Western Road
Glasgow
G12 0XH