Managing applications
After the closing date for applications, all documents must be stored in a central place. Use passwords and restricted access for each stage of the selection process.
The recruiter must manage applications in a way that supports:
Protect collected data to show that the process supports diversity, equality and inclusion, and it can be used for this purpose only.
Do not share information with anyone not directly involved in the selection process.
Everyone involved in your recruitment process must keep information confidential. This includes information on:
- candidates and their performance at different stages of the selection process
- approach to assessment and behavioural indicators
The recruiter will correspond directly with candidates. No other members of the selection or interview board should contact candidates.
Recording applications received
Set up one generic shared email address.
Acknowledge receipt of applications, ideally automatically, within 24-48 hours of receipt.
Use a standard programme such as Excel to log applications, if you do not have an applicant tracking system or other recruitment software solution. This will help with consistency.
The log must contain a record of recruitment decisions for each application, for example, who is eligible or ineligible.
Check all incoming emails to make sure you have recorded all applications received (candidates do not always insert the reference for the campaign in the email subject line).
Applications you will not be able to process include:
- late applications - those received after the date and time advertised in the campaign information
- incomplete application forms - information provided is insufficient to make a comparison with the eligibility or shortlisting criteria
- withdrawn applications - a candidate requests to withdraw their application
- incorrect qualifications - do not match criteria listed as essential for the position
- applicants who canvass selection board members - this will automatically disqualify a candidate
- non-EEA candidates resident in the state who have not provided copies of their valid passport or Irish Residence Permit showing they have permission to be in the state
You must tell candidates if their application will not be processed and give the reason.
Eligibility sift and shortlisting
Eligibility screening and shortlisting must be a rigorous and consistent process.
The recruiter needs to keep accurate records, including the briefing of selection board members, and have a score sheet for each applicant.
You need to check:
Give the agreed criteria and behavioural indicators to the selection board to help them make consistent assessment decisions. The shortlisting guide can help them do this.
The board can only use the information on the application form when they make assessment decisions.
Where possible, the eligibility sift and shortlisting should be done together to save time.
Candidates will need feedback with a clear rationale for the decision taken by the selection board so that they know why their application was successful or not. The score sheet will help with this process.
Eligibility sift
The eligibility sift ensures candidates meet the eligibility criteria set out in the job specification.
Candidates must fully meet the eligibility criteria to be eligible to progress to the next stage of the selection process.
You must assess each candidate against the eligibility criteria in the job specification.
Candidates who meet the eligibility criteria can be shortlisted, to identify those suitable to call forward to interview.
Disqualify candidates who do not satisfy the eligibility criteria.
The recruiter facilitates the eligibility sift to make sure the process is consistently applied.
If any queries arise during the eligibility sift, you should arrange a follow-up meeting with the board members to discuss the outcome and agree a result.
Equivalent qualifications
Equivalent qualifications refer to equivalent qualifications awarded outside the Republic of Ireland (ROI).
At the planning stages of your campaign, you will decide who is eligible to apply. If you decide that candidates with an equivalent qualification can apply, they must indicate on the application form if they have registered with the relevant professional body or professional regulator.
The HSE cannot employ a regulated health professional to practice in Ireland without appropriate registration. The relevant regulator is the authority for registration and recognition of qualifications. For several other health and social care professions, the Minister for Health is the competent authority.
Applicants with non-Irish professional qualifications who have not completed the necessary validation or registration can progress to the next stage of the selection process. This process can take some time so you can start to consider their applications as part of the eligibility sift.
Where there is no professional body or statutory regulator, candidates can use NARIC’s foreign qualifications database to download a comparability statement. This compares an academic qualification to an Irish qualification of a similar type and level on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).
It is the candidate's responsibility to provide proof of registration with the relevant professional body or regulator, or qualification equivalence.
Shortlisting
Shortlisting is where you assess the depth and breadth of experience detailed in the application form.
Use the job specification as the basis for shortlisting, if you decide to include shortlisting in your selection process.
Shortlisting identifies those most likely to meet the standard required at the interview stage.
Shortlisting criteria must be job-related and applied consistently across applicants.
To ensure shortlisting is fair and transparent, there must be a clear relationship between the experience, skills, competencies and knowledge listed on the job specification and the criteria used for shortlisting.
The selection board must understand the eligibility criteria before seeing the candidates' application forms.
The criteria must reflect the criteria in the approved job specification.
Decide if you need to shortlist
Shortlisting is normally only applied when you want to further reduce the pool of eligible applicants, and only call those with the most relevant experience forward to interview.
You will need to identify those candidates who:
- demonstrate the highest level or quality of experience in their application form
- most likely to meet the standard required at the interview stage
More than 8 candidates will take more than 1 day of interviewing, so it is reasonable to apply a further competitive exercise.
When you are deciding on the number of candidates, consider the following:
- nature of the job
- standard of applications
- number of vacancies - current and likely to arise in the future
- selection method to be used at the next stage of the process - usually interview
To make the most of time during the shortlisting board, board members should review application forms in advance and decide which candidates will be called for interviews.
Initial review
The job specification sets the criteria for shortlisting.
The criteria typically relates to:
- career history and experience
- post-specific requirements as stated in the job specification
- key skills and competencies as stated in the job specification
- key achievements as detailed in the application form
Board members should complete an initial review of the application forms one at a time.
Use the shortlisting review sheet to assess 1 skill or question area at a time.
This helps you become familiar with effective performance criteria in each area, and apply consistency in your assessments.
Make assessments only on the suitability of the evidence presented, and how it compares against the criteria.
Do not compare candidates.
Record on the shortlisting review sheet your initial assessment of the evidence, and if the candidate should be:
- called to interview - yes
- not called to interview - no
- undecided
During the shortlisting meeting, board members will agree on the final shortlist after a detailed discussion of their initial assessment of the application forms.
Shortlisting board
Shortlisting board members review candidates' application forms, one at a time, and consider the following:
- evidence from the skill or questions areas, and other areas like experience, to determine if a candidate progresses to interview
- other members' views (adjust your initial assessment if necessary)
Use a suitability-of-evidence scale to assess application forms and agree if a candidate has demonstrated sufficient evidence to progress to interview.
Evidence provided in each area of the application form is marked as providing:
- sufficient evidence - suitable or very suitable evidence of this key skill area presented
- insufficient evidence - not very suitable evidence of this key skill area presented
Candidates awarded an insufficient mark in one or more areas are marked not suitable overall. They will not progress to interview.
For a large applicant pool, you might decide only those candidates marked as very suitable will progress to interview.
For very large applicant pools you might create an order-of-merit as part of the shortlisting process, and use numerals rather than descriptors in the suitability-of-evidence scale.
For example, evidence of this skill area presented as:
- sufficient evidence - suitable (numerals 3-4); or very suitable (numerals 5-6)
- insufficient evidence - not very suitable (numerals 1-2)
Make this decision before the selection board begins the shortlisting process.
One of the board members will complete a candidate score sheet. This will have the final agreed assessment awarded for each question area, and an overall summary comment of 2-3 lines for each candidate.
The short listing process is confidential.
The recruiter is available to facilitate the process, record the board's assessment decisions, and their feedback for candidates.
Summary comment
The summary comment form must explain why each candidate was selected to progress to interview, or not.
Each comment must:
- be individual to each application
- reflect the reason for the board’s decision
- explain the marks awarded
This is included as feedback to candidates, and an important requirement of the CPSA Code of Practice.
Writing summary comments
Summary comment is approximately 2-3 lines, clearly explaining how the candidate performed against the selection criteria.
Record an individual comment for each assessment or competency area. The comments must give specific and meaningful feedback to candidates.
The comment should reflect the consensus view of the selection board.
Good feedback comments will refer to:
- one or more of the key criteria or competency areas
- examples of where the candidate did or did not demonstrate the competency to the required standard or the standard demonstrated by other candidates
Complete a summary comment for all applicants, including those not shortlisted.
Comments should be positive, descriptive, and accurate. They must clearly relate to the evidence the candidate presented on the application form.
Examples:
- from the information provided the applicant has shown good evidence of leading a team, project management and working with multiple stakeholders
- on the application form, the applicant did not demonstrate sufficient evidence of managing a team. This is essential experience for this post. The applicant would benefit from further experience in leading a team
