1. Introduction
The University of Bath is committed to recruiting a high quality workforce with appropriate expertise and experience. Equality of opportunity is a core value of the University and our recruitment processes are designed to assess and appoint the best candidates while ensuring fairness and sensitivity. The University aims to recruit the most suitable person for each approved vacancy regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
At the same time the University needs to ensure that all staff recruited have a right to work in the UK, with checks made before they start work and that all immigration requirements are met as specified by UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI).
Recruitment is a subjective process, so the University uses systematic frameworks to ensure that decisions are fair, consistent, and well-founded.
Anyone involved within the recruitment and selection process, must be aware of the University's policy relating to personal and professional relationships. If there is any possibility that a relationship could be perceived to affect a decision with any stage of the recruitment process, the Chair must be informed, so that they can seek appropriate advice from the Human Resources (HR) department.
HR will ensure the recruitment and selection process is clear and up to date with regards to all elements of legislation and provide advice and guidance at every stage of the recruitment and selection process.
2. Aims of the code of practice
to help departments to recruit the best people in a fair and efficient way
to encourage good practice
to ensure that the University offers equal opportunities to all job applicants
to ensure that all employees have a right to work in the UK and they and the University meet all immigration requirements as specified by UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI)
to ensure there are consistent recruitment procedures throughout the University
to offer guidance to those involved in recruitment and selection
to promote diversity, equality, and inclusion in all recruiting decisions.
3. Responsibilities
3.1 Every member of staff in recruitment and selection is responsible for:
- following in full the guidance contained in this Code of Practice.
3.2 Heads of Departments are responsible for
The proper conduct of the recruitment and selection for all posts within their department in line with this guidance and the legislation and regulations behind it
Identifying an appropriate person within the department who will manage the recruitment and selection process for a vacancy
Ensuring all staff likely to be involved in recruitment are made aware of this guidance, follow it and undertake the training provided to develop the skills necessary to undertake fair and effective recruitment and selection
3.3 Recruiting Managers are responsible for managing the recruitment and selection process
writing a job description and person specification for the vacancy
writing a clear, engaging and appropriate job advertisement
selecting candidates for interview (with other panel members), based on merit, ensuring they meet the requirements outlined in the person-specification for the vacant post
identifying a diverse panel, including the Chair
confirming an interview date and booking rooms
agreeing the selection process, such as length and type of interview, use of assessments and other techniques
ensuring the fair and effective assessment of the appointee meeting all equality, diversity and immigration requirements in line with advice from HR
managing the induction of the new employee
3.4 Chairs of interview panels are responsible for ensuring
they have received the appropriate information and training in recruitment and selection including knowledge of relevant University policies
interviews are conducted in a fair and equitable way and in accordance with University policies and guidance and all legal requirements
all candidate records and notes, hard copy or electronic, are returned to HR after selection interviews and not retained by members of the panel or department. Any electronic files must be deleted from local drives and device storage
all panel members treat all information gained via the selection process as confidential
no records of any candidate are used for any other purpose than outlined in the University’s applicant privacy notice, without the permission of the candidate
a member of the panel is designated to give constructive feedback to candidates upon request. feedback should be clear, professional, and focused on the candidate’s performance relative to the selection criteria. Feedback should be given in a timely manner and, where appropriate, offer suggestions for improvement.
3.5 The Panel members are responsible for
questioning interview candidates in a fair and equitable manner
appropriate and objective note taking during each interview
ensuring all their paperwork or electronic files are given to the Chair at the end of the interview process
treating all information gained via the selection process as confidential
3.6 The Department of Human Resources (HR) is responsible for
monitoring and reviewing the Code of Practice
ensuring that the principles of the Code of Practice are widely communicated within and followed consistently throughout the University
advising candidates of the outcome of the selection process
advising individual members of staff on any aspect of the recruitment and selection process if not covered in training or by special arrangement
organising appropriate training for staff undertaking recruitment and selection
the end to end administration process for recruitment and selection including placing adverts, while offering guidance on best practices for effective recruitment
conducting executive search and proactive outreach for certain roles, as appropriate
maintaining a pipeline of potential talent for certain roles, as appropriate
managing the University recruitment budget
monitoring the quality, effectiveness and fairness of recruitment and selection processes including through the use of equal opportunities monitoring reports (Annual reports on the monitoring of this area of activity are made to the University of Bath’s Equalities and Diversity Committee)
ensuring that only applicants with a confirmed right to work in the UK are appointed to posts (including through the issuing of Certificates of Sponsorship where the applicant and role meets the requirements) and that appointees and the University meet all immigration requirements as specified by UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI)
4. The recruitment and selection process
4.1 Recruitment Strategies
The University uses a structured recruitment model tailored to various staffing needs:
Routine Recruitment: Follows standard procedures for permanent and fixed-term positions, ensuring a consistent and fair approach to attract qualified candidates.
Responsive Recruitment:Utilises flexible and expedited processes to efficiently hire hourly paid workers, addressing immediate staffing requirements.
Agile Recruitment: Adopts a proactive approach to attract high-calibre candidates, particularly for leadership and niche roles. This involves direct sourcing, networking, and targeted headhunting to engage passive candidates not actively seeking new opportunities
Always-On Recruitment: Implements a long-term strategic approach to talent acquisition by continuously engaging with potential candidates to build relationships for future opportunities.
4.2 Job descriptions and person specifications
Before starting the recruitment process, it is essential that the job description and person specification are reviewed and accurately reflect the role's requirements. This will ensure that the recruitment process is aligned with the current needs of the department and helps attract the right candidates.
For all posts a clear job description and person specification must be written, in the agreed format for which there are approved templates:
- https://www.bath.ac.uk/publications/academic-job-description-templates/
- https://www.bath.ac.uk/publications/research-only-job-description-templates/
- https://www.bath.ac.uk/publications/generic-technical-and-experimental-job-descriptions/
- https://www.bath.ac.uk/publications/standard-job-description-and-person-specification-template/
Job descriptions describe the role, responsibilities, key performance outcomes and lines of responsibility. They should be written in way that will attract high-calibre candidates.
Person specifications detail the essential and desirable criteria that are genuinely required by the job holder in order to undertake the role effectively e.g. qualifications, experience and the competencies they should be able to demonstrate along with an indication of how and at what stage they will be assessed
4.3 Job evaluation
All posts must have a job evaluation score attached to them to ensure equality of pay between jobs in the University. Evaluation of a job will be undertaken:
by the relevant HR Business Partner or Manager
prior to the vacancy being considered by the Strategic Appointment Team (SAT) or if exempt from SAT approval or externally funded, prior to advertisement
4.4 Vacancy approval
All posts, whether externally or internally funded need to follow a certain process in order to be advertised.
Core funded: Recruiting Manager > HR Review if the job requires grading > Finance Review > Departmental Review > SAT Review if the job meets certain criteria > HR Recruitment/Operations Review
Externally funded research: Recruiting Manager > HR Review if the job requires grading >Post Award RIS Review > Departmental Review (Head of Department) > HR Recruitment/Operations Review
4.5 Advertising
Recruitment advertisements shall be placed only for approved vacancies.
All vacancies, including temporary posts, shall normally be advertised. Vacancies shall normally be published internally and externally, with a minimum of a two week closing date. There may be specific requirements that you need to take into account when advertising a vacancy including whether it requires a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Check and/or whether it is sponsorable under the Points-Based Immigration System.
HR are able to provide advice on where to advertise vacancies and will fund the agreed basic advertising package. with costs for the standard and enhanced package being funded by the recruiting department.
In Agile Recruitment, advertising strategies will be tailored to reach passive candidates, including, utilising professional networks and industry-specific platforms and using social media platforms to enhance visibility among target audiences.
Occasionally, in particular circumstances the University may recruit without advertising for example, creating a post for a named individual or fill a vacant post by invitation if the University’s interests will be best served by doing so.
4.6 Longlisting and pre-screening
Longlisting and pre-screening are proactive steps in the selection process that help identify and assess potential candidates before progressing to formal shortlisting. HR will determine whether a vacancy requires this approach, particularly for Agile and Always-On recruitment, where building and maintaining a pipeline of high-quality candidates is essential.
Longlisting involves identifying a broad pool of applicants who meet key criteria outlined in the person specification. Pre-screening then refines this pool through initial assessments such as CV reviews, phone interviews, or online assessments to ensure that only the most suitable candidates proceed to the shortlisting review stage. This process helps recruiting managers focus on the most qualified individuals, reducing time spent on unsuitable applications and improving the overall quality of hires.
Where longlisting and pre-screening are used, recruiting managers will work with HR to agree on assessment criteria and methods. Any screening assessments must align with the essential and desirable criteria set out in the person specification. Once the pre-screening process is complete, recruiting managers will receive a refined list of candidates for formal shortlisting.
4.7 Shortlisting
Shortlisting is the stage in the selection process during which all applicants for an appointment are considered against the requirements of the post which are detailed in the person specification.
Candidates for interview must be shortlisted against the criteria set out in the person specification for the vacancy. No other criteria may be used. Disabled candidates who meet the essential criteria of a person specification are guaranteed an interview in line with the Disability Confident scheme.
It is strongly recommended that all recruiting managers complete the University’s online recruitment and selection training before commencing a recruitment and selection process. Please note, this is a mandatory training requirement for all members of an academic appointment panel.
Shortlisting should be carried out by at least two members of staff from the interview panel who will agree the shortlisting criteria and weightings. Decisions about shortlisting are made online against supporting statements candidates have submitted in response to questions linked to essential criteria for the position.
Once shortlisting scores and, interview arrangements have been completed, this should be submitted online to Human Resources. Interview arrangements should indicate which candidates have been selected for interview, date and place of the interview and any other selection arrangements.
As part of our commitment to fair and inclusive recruitment, we use anonymous shortlisting to minimise unconscious bias and ensure a consistent, merit-based selection process. This approach supports our goal of attracting diverse talent and promoting equality of opportunity. In most cases, application forms are anonymised, meaning personal information such as names is removed. During the initial shortlisting stage for these vacancies, supporting documents such as CVs and publication records remain hidden because we cannot redact personal information contained within them. Panels must evaluate candidates solely based on their application form and supporting statements, which demonstrate how they meet the required skills, experience, and qualifications outlined in the person specification. Once all applications have been scored, the supporting documents become visible.
For academic roles where reviewing an individuals publication record is important, panels can adjust shortlisting decisions based on the newly available information. Because personal details are now visible on documents, academic panels must carefully review their decisions to avoid bias. If a candidate is shortlisted despite not being among the highest-ranking applicants, a clear, objective justification must be provided. This justification, which will be reviewed by HR, should explain any additional relevant skills or experience not evident from the initial application form and supporting statement.
In some roles where HR is responsible for pre-screening candidates. anonymous shortlisting does not apply, as personal information must be reviewed as part of this process. However, recruiting managers must still follow fair and unbiased selection practices when assessing pre-screened candidates.
4.8 Interview expenses
Shortlisted candidates residing outside of the UK should be offered a virtual interview via MS Teams, recognising that arranging travel on short notice can be expensive and difficult.
Where a recruiting department wishes to ask an overseas candidate to attend an interview in person, at the University it must be authorised by the Dean or relevant Head of Department, before the candidate is invited to interview. In such cases the recruiting department will reimburse travel expenses incurred outside the UK, subject to the Guidelines on Interview Expenses. HR will reimburse travel expenses subject to the Guidelines on Interview Expenses.
Recruiting departments must ensure that virtual interviews are a fair and effective means for all candidates, regardless of location, to compete on equal terms. Any decision to hold an in-person interview should be based on the needs of the recruitment process.
4.7 Redeployment candidates
In line with the University's guidance on redeployment procedures, recruiting departments should give preferential consideration, in respect of shortlisting for vacancies, to University employees under notice of redundancy or approaching the end of a fixed term appointment who are seeking redeployment. Employees seeking redeployment in these circumstances should be interviewed before any other candidates, provided the application arrives within seven days of the job going live and the applicant is able to meet the essential criteria listed for the post.
Any such interview should happen before any other candidates are invited for interview. If the interview confirms that the candidate meets all the essential criteria for the post, or could do so with reasonable retraining, he/she should be offered the post on a trial basis. This requirement does not apply should an employee seeking redeployment apply for a vacancy at a higher grade than their existing post.
4.8 References
At the shortlisting stage, if consent is given by the shortlisted candidate, Human Resources will write to their referees:
a copy of the job description will be included and referees will be asked to comment on the person’s suitability for the post
members of the interview panel will be provided with copies of references that have been returned before the interview date
references should be used with an understanding that they are highly subjective when commenting in particular on areas linked to competence and performance. No recruitment decision should be based purely on the basis of a reference.
4.9 Selection methodology
It may be appropriate for a range of selection methods to be used, in addition to or other than interviews, as part of the selection process. HR can provide advice on other forms of selection methods.
The most common methods used at the University are presentations and in-tray exercises and other assessments to replicate the type of situations that the successful applicant would have to deal with.
The method chosen must be relevant to fairly assessing specific essential and desirable criteria required by the job holder and the competencies they should be able to demonstrate as highlighted on the job description and person specifications
4.10 Interview arrangements
Shortlisted candidates shall be invited to interview by HR.
The Chair of the interview panel or their designated nominee should ensure that reasonable adjustments are made to support candidates with disabilities throughout the interview process.
4.11 Composition of interview panels for academic posts
For academic appointments the interview panel will be chaired by the Dean (or nominated deputy) who will determine the composition of the interview panel with the Head of Department.
The composition of interview panels for senior academic roles such as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Dean and Head of School/Department are set out in the procedures for the Senior Academic Appointments Committee.
Please note that for academic appointments, all members of the panel must have completed the University’s recruitment and selection training.
4.12 Selection process
The selection process is intended to give an opportunity for the panel to assess the relative merits of the shortlisted candidates against the job description and person specification, and explore their skills, experience etc, to establish which candidate is most suitable for the job.
The selection process shall be conducted by a diverse panel consisting of at least two people and should include those individuals best suited to assess candidates’ capabilities against the identified criteria. Larger panels, such as four or five members may not always be as effective (dependent upon the post) as carefully constructed smaller panels. Staff should consider this when selecting an interview panel.
The person acting as chair must have successfully completed the University’s recruitment and selection training. For academic posts there is a requirement that all interview panel members have completed this training. HR will undertake regular checks to ensure this requirement is met.
Prior to the selection process the panel will receive the shortlisted candidates’ applications and the job description and person specification for the vacancy.
The panel should set aside sufficient time before the interviews start to ensure adequate preparation of areas of questioning to ensure candidates are fairly and consistently assessed against the criteria in the person specification.
It is important that panels keep records of interviews to help them reach a decision and to be clear about the reasons for selecting the successful candidate. All panel members should make informal notes on each candidate during the interview and discussion with the panel following interview. These informal notes, along with all paperwork relating to the interviews must be uploaded to our e-recruitment site [Stonefish] when completing your interview decisions which are kept in line with our data retention schedule.
4.13 Outcome
When the selection process is complete, each candidate should, in turn, be discussed and a decision reached.
the Chair must document whether each candidate is appointable or non-appointable.
if there is more than one appointable candidate the Chair will rate the appointable candidates in order of suitability against the job description and person specification
interview decisions should be recorded on our e-recruitment site [Stonefish] along with a summary of the panel feedback for each candidate
in the event that the panel is unable to agree, the Chair has the final decision.
if no candidate is identified as appointable, HR should be informed and next steps discussed.
a member of the interview panel will be designated to give feedback to all candidates. HR will formally notify candidates of the outcome of their interview once the interview outcome documentation has been returned.
4.14 Offer of employment
Offers of employment are made by HR for vacancies in Grades 2 to 9 and in line with the University’s guidance. Starting salaries for appointments in Grades 2 to 9 will normally be at the grade minimum, unless the candidate’s experience, qualifications, or demonstrable ability to perform the job suggest it is not appropriate in line with the Universities approach to setting starting salaries.
When an existing employee is appointed to a new position at the same grade as their current position, they will be appointed on the same incremental point as they are currently on. They will also retain their existing date for incremental progression.
When an existing employee is appointed to a new position at a higher grade than their current position, they will be appointed on either the first incremental point of the new grade, or the incremental point above their existing salary. They will retain the standard incremental progression date of 1 April subject to six months' satisfactory performance in the job.
These principles apply to appointments that are made through open recruitment, restructurings, secondments, re-gradings and promotions.
Starting salaries for appointments above Grade 9 are determined by the Vice-Chancellor or designated nominee.
All offers of employment are subject to HR receiving:
satisfactory medical clearance
proof of right to work in the UK (The University is recognised by UKVI as a sponsor organisation)
evidence of qualifications or equivalent experience as required for the position.
clearance from the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) if applicable to the post -security clearance where applicable to the post.
-satisfactory references
- contracts of employment are issued to new employees by HR
5. Induction
Induction of new staff into their role in the University is an important aspect in staff recruitment.
It is the responsibility of the recruiting manager, or a suitable nominee, to ensure that the new member of staff is introduced to the department and understands their job and where it fits into the local organisation. HR can provide advice and support to recruiting managers about induction.
HR organises a monthly introduction to the University event for new staff. New staff receive an invitation to this event as part of their employment pack.
Managers should set clear goals and objectives for the new employee, in line with the duties and responsibilities of the post as set out in the job description and progress should be reviewed at regular meetings. The induction should introduce the new employee to the University’s culture, team, and strategic goals to ensure a smooth transition and quick integration into the role. Further advice and support about managing the probation of a new employee is available from Human Resources. You can also read our guidance on planning an effective induction.
6. Continuous Improvement
Recruiting managers, in conjunction with HR should frequently evaluate the effectiveness of the recruitment process. This includes reviewing the sourcing strategy, selection criteria, and interview process to identify any areas for improvement. Feedback from panel members and candidates should be collected to inform future recruitment efforts.