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Recruitment Policy

Policy Statement

The mission of the University is to provide education of the highest quality coupled with a leading contribution to the advancement of knowledge, thereby developing in our students the imagination, talents, creativity and skills necessary for the varied and rapidly changing requirements of modern life. Meeting these objectives depends crucially on the quality and suitability of staff employed at all levels of the organisation.

The aim of this policy is to provide a framework for recruitment and selection, in line with relevant legislation and Equal Opportunities best practice, that results in the most suitable person being appointed to any vacant post.

General Principles

The University recognises that in recruiting and selecting staff, it is important that objective criteria are defined and that staff involved in this have appropriate training for the task.

In particular the University is committed to ensuring that:

• Posts are advertised through Personnel Services.
• Objective criteria, in the form of job descriptions and person specifications are developed for all posts.
• At least one person, normally the chairperson, of any appointment panel has received appropriate training.
• Appointment panels, wherever possible, contain a mix of genders.
• Equal Opportunities monitoring of recruitment is carried out.
• Reasons for not appointing a particular candidate are recorded and explained to unsuccessful applicants if requested.
• Relevant Employment Legislation and Codes of Practice are adhered to.

Relevant Legislation

Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (as amended by the Sex Discrimination Act 1986 and theEmployment Act 1989)

This Act outlaws discrimination on the grounds of sex.

Sex discrimination by employers is defined as:

1. Direct Discrimination: this means treating a man or a woman less favourably on grounds of their sex, or a married person less favourably than a single person.
2. Indirect Discrimination: this means applying an unjustifiable condition that effectively limits the opportunities of a particular sex or of married people.

Discrimination can also arise from victimisation, which is discrimination against a person who has brought proceedings, given evidence or information or even alleged a breach of the discrimination legislation. There are few situations in which is it lawful to recruit women only, or men only, on the grounds that this discrimination is to satisfy a 'Genuine Occupational Qualification' (GOQ), being a man or woman is a GOQ only where: -

1. There is a reason of physiology e.g. Art Models ( NB physical strength or stamina are not a GOQ).
2. The job needs a man or woman to preserve decency or privacy because it will involve: physical contact, state of undress, use of sanitary facilities.
3. 'Living in' is necessary and privacy of sleeping accommodation and sanitary facilities are not available and cannot reasonably be provided.
4. The work is concerned only with men or women and requires special care, supervision or attention (as in parts, or all, of hospitals or prisons).

Race Relations Act 1976

This Act renders unlawful both direct and indirect discrimination on the grounds of colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origins

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

Employers must not discriminate against or dismiss the applications of candidates with spent convictions with the exception of applicants for posts whose spent convictions are excluded under this Act and all convictions must be declared and are subject to S.C.R.O. check for confirmation.

Equal Pay Act 1970 (and its Amendments, 1983)

This Act establishes the right of women and men to equal treatment in relation to contractual terms and conditions of employment when they are employed on the same or broadly similar work, or on work which, though different, is of equal value.

Disablility Discrimination Act 1995

This Act makes it unlawful for the employer to treat a disabled person less favourably than someone else because of their disability, unless there is good reason. In order to help a disabled person to do the job, employers will have to look at what changes they could make to the workplace or the way work is done, and make any changes which are reasonable.

Asylum and Immigration Act 1996
Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992
Data Protection Act 1998
Employment Protection Act 1970 (amended 1983)