Staff Recruitment & Retention Policy

(A pdf version of this policy is available for download here taken from the Society of Local Council Clerks – Staff Recruitment and Retention Policy.)

1. Recruitment of Staff

  • 1.1  The staffing establishment of the Society is defined by the Chief Executive Officer under the Scheme of Delegation and will be budgeted within Staffing costs. When a role becomes vacant due to the termination of employment of the job-holder or where new duties are introduced the CEO will decide whether the internal structures of the Society should be reviewed with job duties being merged or revised or whether the vacancy should be filled from internal or external sources.
  • 1.2  Any vacancy will have a Job Description and Person Specification prepared for it and this will be available to any prospective candidate by way of the SLCC website or a recruitment pack.
  • 1.3  The Society will normally advertise permanent staff vacancies externally. Exceptions to this policy will be agreed by the Cabinet (see section 2.5). Vacancies which arise may be filled by whatever recruitment method the Society sees fit to use.
  • 1.4  When the Society externally advertises any staff vacancies, they will be placed on the Jobs section of the Society website, and where appropriate and if timely in The Clerk magazine, or occasionally when appropriate in other relevant specialist publications and websites either local or national, giving details of any qualifications and experience required. The Society may also consider placing a vacancy with the Employment Service or a recruitment agency, depending on the nature and location of the role. The closing date for receipt of applications and the interview date will be included in the advertisement.
  • 1.5  Application for vacancies will be by means of standard application forms supported by CVs. Receipt of all applications will be acknowledged.
  • 1.6  All applications received by the deadline will be viewed and assessed against the job description and person characteristics appertaining to the specific vacancy. A shortlist will be drawn up for those candidates selected for interview.
  • 1.7  Candidates will be selected taking full account of the provisions of any Equality legislation in force at the time.
  • 1.8  Interviews will be either by telephone or face-to-face, depending on the nature of the role and the geographical location of the role. In some cases interviews may be supplemented by selection techniques such as psychometric testing, group exercises, workplace simulation tests. The selection methods adopted will be at the discretion of the appointing manager.
  • 1.9  Interviews (face-to-face) will normally be conducted either on the same day or over two consecutive days. A list of skills will be drawn up against which candidates will be tested. The Interviewing officer will usually be the Line Manager for the particular area that has the vacancy. In some circumstances it may be appropriate for other parties to be involved in the recruitment and selection decision e.g. the out-going Officer, the National Employment Advisor to the Society, or other stakeholders in the Society, such as NEC members.
  • 1.10  Offers of employment following the selection process described above will normally be made initially by telephone and followed up by a letter.
  • 1.11  Unsuccessful candidates will be informed of the outcome by letter and feedback will be offered.
  • 1.12  All offers of employment are made subject to satisfactory references being received and are subject to a six month probationary period.. The References taken up will be from the current employer or immediate past employer. The Society will also check on the candidate’s right to work in the UK according to Home Office rules. The Society will also need to verify any qualifications which are relevant to the position being offered through sight of the appropriate original documentation.
  • 1.13  All staff employed by the Society will be required to sign the Society’s formal Contract of Service on appointment and not later than 2 months into their service with the SLCC.
  • 1.14  Where the position is Fixed Term in nature this will be identified to the candidate in the offer letter and contract of employment.
  • 1.15  All staff employed by the Society are paid in accordance with the nationally negotiated local government pay scales in force at the time, and subject to the NJC terms and conditions
  • 1.16  All staff employed by the Society are entitled to join the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) under Regulations in force at the time of appointment or decision to join the Scheme. It is possible to opt out of joining the LGPS

2. Retention and Training of Staff

  • 2.1  All staff employed by the Society will be subject to a regular appraisal process.
  • 2.2  The appraisal process provides a method of identifying any further training and development needs as well as monitoring staff performance and aiding in the retention of valuable members of staff.
  • 2.3  Staff training will enhance the aim of high quality service provision by the Society. The Society regards the provision of training as enhancing individual employees’ opportunities for personal advancement, primarily within the organisation, where those opportunities exist.
  • 2.4  The Society will aim to establish some degree of succession planning for key officers where their role or specialist knowledge is essential to the running of the organisation. The responsibility for Succession Planning will be that of the CEO.
  • 2.5  When staff vacancies arise, those employees already employed by the Society will be considered to fill a vacancy before it is advertised as detailed at paragraph 1.3. This will give opportunities for advancement within the organisation. Any ‘promotion’ will be considered on merit. Where a role has been ear-marked as one for which Succession Planning has been undertaken then the CEO will decide whether to offer the role to the identified successor or to at least give a guaranteed interview to the internal candidate.
  • 2.6  Where appropriate, the Society will meet the cost of training and development, with the proviso that such costs will be refunded if the employee leaves the Society’s employment within a period of two years of completion of such training. This will ensure that the full benefit of the training funded by the Society is retained.
  • 2.7  Where appropriate, and provided it meets the current business requirements of the Society, it will seek to provide opportunities whereby staff can extend their personal and career development prospects by assuming additional responsibilities on a temporary or time limited basis.

May 2013