The recruitment process at Abingdon & Witney College ensures that all applicants have an equal opportunity to succeed and gain an appointment with the college. We have a commitment, as part of our diversity strategy, to work towards a staffing profile at the College that matches that of the local community and as such we would welcome applicants from Black and Minority Ethnic communities and from people with a disability.
Read the guidance notes very carefully before completing your application form. We base our selection processes purely on the person specification for the job and you therefore need to make sure you have given us as many examples as possible of how you match every one of the criteria on the person specification. Use extra sheets if you can’t fit the information into the spaces provided.
Our Staff Services team pass submitted forms to the selection panel, which is usually made up of managers and supervisors who will have direct contact with the role. There are normally 2 people on the selection panel, all of whom have been trained in recruitment and selection.
They will score every application form using a standard system.
You will be informed either by telephone or in writing, including email if you have one, of the interview date and if you have to do any tasks as part of the interview.
Unsuccessful candidates are informed at this stage as well.
Interviews are conducted by the same panel of staff who shortlisted the forms. They will ask candidates a series of questions based on the person specification and will use the same scoring method as above to score your answers. It is therefore essential that you give as many examples as you can think of to answer the questions asked of you. All candidates will be asked the same questions in the same sequence. The panel may wish to query aspects of your application form at the end of the interview. You will have an opportunity to clarify any points or ask questions at the end. You are allowed to take notes into the interview with you and are allowed to refer to them throughout the interview process.
You may also be asked to do a task or a series of tasks which relate to the job. For teaching positions this may be some observed teaching, for admin roles this may be tasks which test your ability to use IT, for management roles this may be a series of tasks such as a presentation and involvement with a group discussion. You will be informed of what the tasks will be prior to interview to give yourself some time to prepare.
At the end of the interview process the panel will make an appointment based on your scores for the answers you gave at interview and the results of any tasks (if relevant).
We try and let candidates know as soon as possible after an interview whether they have been successful or unsuccessful.
If you are successful we will negotiate a start date and starting salary with you. At the same time we will request your references; your offer of a post is dependent on satisfactory references and the outcomes of police checks and occupational health checks. All staff have to go through standard police check procedures, we will ask you to complete a number of forms, one of which is a health questionnaire – we may ask you to see our occupational health doctor before you start with us.
We will send you a contract which you must sign and return to the college and will ask for copies of identification and your educational certificates.
Once we have completed all of these checks you are ready to start with us!
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