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Recruitment and selection
HomeCurrent staffEmploymentRecruitment and SelectionGuidance and processPlanning and preparation

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 casual basis on the University’s claims payroll, including casual claimants, workers engaged through the Temporary Staff Bank and Graduate Teaching Assistants, provided that they have worked for 1 month or more and that are currently within an assignment with the University at the time the vacancy appears.

Job description and grading

Grading

The  HERA Evaluation Process Flowchart (Managers) sets out how changes to roles should normally be managed, and whether a new job description and full grading of the job description is required using the HERA job evaluation scheme.

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.

  • No significant change to existing post: review the current job description and person specification. If there are no significant changes, the grade of the post will remain the same.
  • Significant changes to an existing post: talk to your HR Advisor or Recruitment contact in the first instance who will be able to advise if a HERA job role assessment is required to accurately confirm the grade of the post.
  • New posts: talk to your HR Advisor or Recruitment contact in the first instance who will be able to advise if there is an existing role which has already been graded which your proposed role can be matched to.  Wherever possible you will be provided with an existing job description to amend or advised if you need to create a new one and what level of HERA job role assessment is required.

Please visit our  HERA - Higher Education Role Analysis site for more details about HERA and grading of posts.

Job description

A job description describes the key features of the job and helps potential candidates and managers to understand the key responsibilities. 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 critera 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

We have created template job descriptions and person specifications for some posts. Please visit the Template library to download a template

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 - authorisation to recruit

Getting started

  • Approval must be obtained before the recruitment process can start.
  • Fixed term and permanent vacancies are approved through the eSR1 system.
  • If you wish to replace temporarily, contact the  Temporary Resource Unit.

What is the eSR1 system?

The eSR1 system is the University's approval system for changes to staffing such as recruiting for new or replacement positions, as well as for changes to existing staffing such as increasing hours, extensions of fixed term contracts, changing fixed term to permanent and for payment of allowances etc.

Request an eSR1

  • Replacement roles
    • if you are recruiting to replace someone who has left the University, please complete the Leaver Form which will also notify us of the person leaving so that we can process their resignation.  See also  Exit process for staff - Manager's guidance.
    • if you are recruiting to replace someone who has transferred to another role in the University please complete the eSR1 request form.
  • New roles

As you will be aware we are carefully managing our budgets so one of the measures we’re taking is an additional approval process for all resourcing requests. For all Professional Service roles this form will now go for approval to your Divisional Director and then to the Registrar before an eSR1 can be set up/ your request is taken forward. For any questions please speak directly to your Divisional Director.

On receipt of the request form the Recruitment Team will set up the eSR1 for you and you will receive an email with a link to the system.

Complete the eSR1

Complete the eSR1 form and submit it for approval. 

See our  The eSR1 system key tips for users and step by step guide and our FAQs for detailed guidance on eSR1's.

If you have any queries please refer to your  Recruitment Team contact for advice.  

Approval

Once an eSR1 is submitted the following will happen:

  • For externally funded posts: - where the appointment will be wholly financed through external funding, the form will proceed to the Research Finance Cluster to approve the appointment.
  • For University funded posts:- the form will proceed to Finance and final approval will be made by budget holders within the college/ service.
  • For mixed funding:- the form will proceed to the relevant Research Finance cluster, then to Finance and then on to the budget holders within the college/ service.

The system will email you updating you after each approver actions the eSR1, you can also view all your SR1s on the SR1 Listings page.  If you feel there is a delay in your eSR1 being approved you should contact the approver who it is sitting with.

After approval

  • The e-SR1 will be received by the Recruitment team for action (see below for exceptions)
  • We will contact you if there are further things to discuss or if there is any missing information, otherwise we will proceed with advertising your post usually within 5 days of receiving the approved eSR1.
  • Exceptions:

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’s 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 – 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