Why it’s important
When raising a new vacancy, giving clear thought on what you are looking for (and not looking for) will save time and hugely impact on whether recruitment will be successful. To get the best out of this part of the process you will need as much information about the role in order to ‘sell’ it to candidates and assess whether they are the right fit.
Define clearly what you are looking for in the role, what does ‘good’ look like? Speak to the hiring manager to understand more about the vacancy (or if you are the hiring manager make some bullet points based on your requirements).
As well as including the role details such as skills required, shift patterns, salary and so on, it is also helpful to include information about the culture of the service or team to help candidates decide if your role is right for them.
Things to consider
It’s useful to ask questions about what has worked well previously. This helps you build the recruitment process in terms of screening questions and conversations with candidates. Ask questions around the role, service, culture, and criteria needed. Is experience required or is this role suitable for a values based recruitment approach? You need to obtain the following information when you raise a vacancy:
- Vacancy contract type (e.g. permanent / fixed-term)
- Hours and shift pattern information
- Salary / Hourly Rate / Benefits on offer
- Accessibility requirements (e.g. does the candidate need a driving licence or access to transport in order to get to the service)
- Information about the service and the people supported
- A typical day in the role including rewarding / challenging elements
- Your ideal candidate including qualities and skills / training needs
- Interview details (hold regular interviews for volume recruitment and be FLEXIBLE including weekend and evening availability!)