Recruitment to a secondment
Lead-in time
Offering a reasonable lead-in time to recruit to the secondment is important for two reasons:
- To ensure access to secondment opportunities is maximised.
- Filling secondment positions can generate a daisy-chain effect i.e. when one person moves from their substantive post to undertake a secondment, their substantive post may be filled by a secondment and so on, so the timescale for each recruitment process needs to dovetail with the others in order to ensure that posts don't remain unfilled for an unreasonable amount of time.
Advertising the secondment
Secondments should be advertised via the Job Opportunities website, clearly marked as 'Secondment opportunity, for internal applicants only'. Identifying a job opportunity as a potential secondment may help to attract a larger number and broader range of candidates.
Further particulars/role description
One of the key aims of secondments is to enable administrative staff to develop their professional skills and knowledge. However, it is also recognised that the secondee needs to fulfill the requirements of the role to an acceptable standard from the outset. Therefore departments and individual managers should consider the following key questions at the start of the recruitment process:
- What skills and knowledge does the successful candidate need to be able to demonstrate from the outset in order to carry out the role?
- What skills and knowledge could the secondee have the opportunity to develop during the secondment?
- What professional development opportunities can be made available to the secondee to enable them to develop these skills and areas of knowledge?
Responses to these key questions can then be highlighted in the Further Particulars or Role Description.
The role-specific skills template for Administrators, can help departments to respond to these questions as they articulate the type and level of skills and behavioural attributes that should be demonstrated by administrative staff in grades 4 - 11.
Interviews
During the secondment interview, it is helpful for candidates to have some clarity around the development opportunities that will be available to them during the secondment and the type of informal support they will receive during the secondment i.e. mentor, buddy.
After the interview, host departments can offer feedback to unsuccessful candidates and if appropriate, signpost them to Learning and Organisational Development for further support with secondment/development opportunities.
Recording the secondment
The host department must complete a CHRIS 71 form and the home department must also sign this, to show that both departments agree to the arrangement. This is then sent to the HR New Appointment team to process.
See the Secondment policy for more information.