The recruitment process at ncn ensures that all applicants have an equal opportunity to succeed and gain 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.
What happens to my application form when I submit it?
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.
Once we receive your application form it is logged centrally with our HR team. They then pass the 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 or 3 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:
4 points if you have demonstrated that you meet the criteria very well by using a number of examples which are fully explained in your form.
3 points if you meet the criteria but may not have demonstrated it with a number of examples or may not have explained the examples in any great detail.
2 points if you have mentioned a criterion on the job description but have not given any examples in your form.
1 point for if you haven't mentioned the criterion at all in your application.
Once all applicants forms have been marked the candidates with the highest points will selected for interview.
You will be informed either by telephone or in writing of the interview date and if you have to do any tasks as part of the interview.
We do not let unsuccessful candidates know at this stage – as a general guide if you have not heard from us within 6 weeks of your application it usually means that you have been unsuccessful at this stage.
What happens at interview?
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, if applicable.
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 within 72 hours after an interview whether they have been successful.
What happens on appointment?
If you are successful, we will send out a new starter pack that will detail the next steps of the recruitment process. Your start date will be subject to a number of checks, including but not exclusively:
- Satisfactory references
- Copies of your qualification certificates
- Sight of your Passport
- Satisfactory medical clearance
- Satisfactory clearance from the Criminal Records Bureau
Once we have completed all the necessary checks we will confirm your start date with you and at this point you will be sent a contract, a copy of which you will need to sign and return to the College, and you’ll be ready to join us!