Recruitment toolkit for managers

Recruiting the right people is one of the most important responsibilities our managers undertake. The success of our services and the Council relies on our ability to attract, assess, and appoint individuals who not only have the right skills and experience, but just as importantly, who also align with our values and culture.
Our Recruitment Policy sets out how we recruit a skilled, inclusive workforce that reflects our values and supports effective service delivery. We focus on attracting the best candidates, recognising both their experience and potential to grow, and ensuring they demonstrate our Connect for Success Principles.
This Recruitment Toolkit for Managers is here to guide you through every step of the recruitment process. The process below has been designed to ensure we carry out our processes in a fair and consistent way, following the Council’s policies and guidance. Whether you’re recruiting for the first time or want to improve how you hire, this guide offers practical tools, templates, and tips to help you make confident, well‑informed decisions.
Everyone involved in the process must complete the required training before taking part in a recruitment process. The panel chair is responsible for checking that this has been done.

Use the 8 toolkit sections below to support and guide you through the process. Each section includes content about how to manage each stage.

Preparing for recruitment

Guidance on -

Preparing for recruitment, vacancy review, internal recruitment, ringfencing, agency workers, casual workers, temporary posts, job descriptions and person specifications (JDPS), writing the job advert, choosing the panel and conflicts of interest.

Preparing for recruitment >

Advertising the job

Guidance on -

Advertising posts, additional information for applicants, creating your vacancy, the application form, the guaranteed interview scheme, reasonal adjustments, and recruitment incentives.

Advertising the job >

Shortlisting applicants

Guidance on -

Shortlisting, and using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in recruitment

Shortlisting applicants >

Setting up and carrying out your interviews

Guidance on -

Setting up and carrying out your interview, benefits of face to face versus online interviews, candidate experience, interview assessment and psychometric testing.

Setting up and carrying our your interviews >

Letting candidates know the outcome

Guidance on -

The outcome of the interview, and the appointment to the role.

Letting candidates know the outcome >

Making the offer and pre-employment checks

Guidance on -

Pre-boarding, checking references and reserve candidates.

Pre-boarding checks >

Funded opportunities

Guidance on -

Government funded employment and training opportunities.

Funded opportunities >

Supporting information

We hope that you have found this toolkit helpful.

However, should you wish to contact the HROD team about anything relating to the recruitment process please do so via the HROD help desk Contact HR – My Council Works