Resourcing

How do I request a vacancy?

You should submit your vacancy request in Zellis Manager Self Service (Me > Your Manager Actions > Vacancy Requisition). Please ensure you fully complete the form which, once submitted, will go to your line manager for approval. Vacancies must not be advertised or posted internally or externally using any recruitment channels (including agencies) until they’ve been approved in Zellis Manager Self Service, unless it has the prior approval of the authorising manager and the Chief People Officer.

If you need any support during the vacancy requisition stage, please contact the People Team (unless otherwise specified in this section).

The vacancy requisition form asks for the job description. What do I need to know when writing this?

Please contact the Resourcing Advisor within the People Team to check if a job description already exists for your role. Similarly, if you need to update an existing job description or create a new one altogether, please get in touch so they can support you with this - it also helps the People Team to maintain a current record of job descriptions across our co-op.

If you do need to put together a job description for a new role or to update an existing one, here's some important points to start considering:

• Ensure the job description accurately reflects what the job involves and gives the person a real sense of what they will be doing day-to-day, as well as any other expectations you have. Think about what you would like to see if you were applying for the role.
• You need to be clear about the skills and experience the candidate will need to have to apply for the role. These are normally split into ‘essential and ‘desirable’. Really try to think about the skills and experience which are essential for the role and those which we could support the candidate to develop.
• Think about non-technical skills too, like how the candidates think and behave as this can be just as important to their success in the role.
• Make sure you don’t directly or inadvertently discriminate against any groups or individuals. We encourage diverse talent and we want to draw from a range of backgrounds and experiences. This helps our co-op to better represent the communities we serve, including those from typically under-represented groups.

You should use the job description to determine the key criteria you will assess applicants against. Preparing this at the vacancy requisition stage helps to ensure a fair process, and means you’ll be ready to start shortlisting as soon as the vacancy has closed.

The vacancy requisition form asks for job advert wording. What do I need to know when writing this?

Lots of roles within our business have pre-agreed template wording which will be used to advertise our vacancies. However, if you’re recruiting for a new role or an existing role which hasn’t been advertised for some time, you’ll need to put together some proposed advert wording using the job description. You can view examples of style and format on our careers website. 

The vacancy requisition form asks for the salary, but I need help determining what this should be.

The majority of roles within our business have pre-determined pay rates. However, if you’re recruiting for a new role, please send the details of your vacancy along with the job description to the People Team. A member of the team will be in touch to help evaluate and benchmark the role.

Will my vacancy be advertised on our co-op’s career website?

Once approved by your line manager your vacancy will be advertised on our co-op’s career website (supported by Tribepad). This includes permanent, temporary and fixed-term, part-time and full-time vacancies.

Please note that some vacancies within our co-op are advertised internally only to ensure we provide appropriate opportunities for internal career progression and redeployment, or where the hiring manager is seeking to fill ‘additional hours’ via existing part-time colleagues.

How long will my vacancy be advertised?

1-2 weeks unless otherwise indicated and agreed as part of the vacancy requisition process.

Can I advertise my vacancy externally too?

Our co-op uses a variety of resourcing platforms to ensure we’re reaching diverse talent. It may be appropriate to advertise your vacancy externally through such channels including social media, ‘job board’ websites, Jobcentre Plus, other media or direct sourcing methods.

Can I use a recruitment agency once my vacancy requisition has been approved?

Whilst this is appropriate for some roles, agency recruitment is costly. Please contact the Resourcing Advisor within the People Team before engaging any recruitment agency as we do have preferred supplier agreements in place for some areas of our co-op. Furthermore, we do have access to a range of recruitment tools internally (e.g. job boards, talent search facilities, etc.). If an agency is engaged, any costs incurred will be borne by the hiring manager’s cost centre.

Are there any circumstances where vacancies aren’t advertised?

This may be the case in exceptional circumstances, like where potentially suitable internal candidates are at risk of redundancy, or where there is an urgent interim / secondment position. If you’re proposing not to advertise your vacancy via our co-op’s careers website (or at all), then this must be jointly authorised by the relevant Senior Manager and the Chief People Officer.

How do I view and shortlist applicants?

You can view each candidate’s application by logging into our recruitment system, Tribepad. You should use the key criteria you determined at the vacancy requisition stage (based on the job description) to shortlist the applications you’ve received. You might wish to complete a short telephone interview at this stage, and Tribepad also has a ‘questionnaire’ functionality which may be used as a shortlisting-tool.

Please note that internal applicants at risk of redundancy will be shortlisted to interview for a role they have applied for, provided they meet its minimum requirements.

If you need any support during the shortlisting, selection and assessment stage, please contact the People Team (unless otherwise specified in this section).

What kind of interview or assessment should I hold with shortlisted candidates?

Some roles within our co-op have a standardised selection approach (including assessment / scoring criteria) which are available via Metro.

If you’re setting out the selection process and assessment / scoring criteria yourself, you should think about which method/s will be most effective in allowing you to assess candidates against your key criteria. As well as a face-to-face interview, other approaches might be appropriate (including, but not limited to):

• Asking the candidate to deliver a presentation to a brief
• Task/s which demonstrates the candidate’s occupational knowledge, skills or experience

You should let candidates know what the selection process will be beforehand, including the details of any second stage (where applicable). Whatever approach you take, you should be mindful to ensure that all candidates will have the same opportunity to respond to questions and demonstrate their suitability. You should interview / select with someone else (ideally with one of you focusing on the candidate and selection process and the other taking notes).

You should also define your assessment and scoring criteria (based on the initial key criteria you defined) in advance of selection. Any assessment and scoring must be clearly evidenced from the interview to ensure any decisions are fair, objective and transparent.

I’m interviewing an internal candidate. Can I contact their line manager for feedback on their current performance as part of the selection process?

Yes, but you should be mindful that the knowledge, skills and experience required for your vacancy may be different to those required by the candidate’s current role.

Can I be involved in the recruitment process if someone I know (e.g. a friend or family member) has applied?

You should take steps to avoid any bias (or the perception of bias) during any recruitment process. You can read more about our co-op’s approach and your responsibilities here, Personal Relationships at Work.

How do I use Tribepad to update candidates about their application?

Within Tribepad, you can manage applications (e.g. ‘reject’ their application, invite them to the next selection-stage, etc.). Supporting emails are sent to the candidate based on manager actions within Tribepad. It’s really important that everyone who applies to work at our co-op has a great experience. This means keeping them updated about the progress of their application, including letting them know if they’ve been unsuccessful.

I’d like to offer a candidate the job. What do I need to do?

You should verbally offer the candidate the job, outlining key details such as the salary, a proposed start date, etc. before confirming the offer in Tribepad (further to which, the candidate will receive an email outlining the offer of employment). Once a start date has been agreed, you should notify the People Team of your new starter in Zellis Manager Self Service. They’ll arrange for a formal written offer of employment and contract of employment to be sent to the candidate. If you’re hiring a colleague who already works for our co-op, they’ll receive a written variation of their contract instead. Formal offers can only be provided by the People Team and this will detail all relevant terms and conditions.

What conditions are offers of employment subject to?

Any offer of employment is subject to the specified conditions being satisfactorily completed. This includes right to work checks and other referencing and background checks required for the role. We carry out robust checks to ensure that candidates have the right in the work in the UK. Candidates are required to show that they have a legal right to work in the UK by providing supporting evidence during the selection-stage and in advance of them starting with our co-op. Guidance on right to work checks for hiring managers is available via Metro. Other checks may be completed as appropriate to the role, including (but not limited to) employment references, academic / professional qualification checks, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and driving licence checks.

How does the ‘onboarding’ process work?

The written offer of employment sent to your candidate will also include instructions on how to access our self-service portals. The People Team will notify you to request that you initiate onboarding. This includes adding the arrangements for their first day (i.e. start time and where to go). The new colleague will then receive a further email, asking them to complete important information that we need in respect of their employment, such as additional personal and bank account details, P45 documentation, etc.

What do I need to do to support the new colleague’s induction?

You’ll need to put together an induction plan / timetable for the new colleague. This will help to ensure the new colleague has the support, training and information to be able to perform their role successfully and feel part of our co-op team. For the majority of roles, this will include providing the time and resources for them to complete their standard / mandatory induction training in our learning platform, HIVE. You’ll also need to arrange any equipment (e.g. workstation, phone, PC, laptop, security passes) and uniform, as appropriate.

For most areas of our co-op, onboarding checklists are available via our HIVE learning platform to help guide hiring managers through this process.

What is our co-op’s probationary procedure?

All external appointments are subject to a three-month probationary period. Regular probation reviews should be held during this time, normally at weeks 4, 8 and 12, but they can be held more often, as appropriate. These are really important in letting the new colleague know how they’re getting on, provide praise and other feedback and to discuss your ongoing expectations. They also provide an opportunity for the colleague to let you know about their experience and to raise any queries or concerns they may have. You can seek further advice and guidance about managing probationary periods from the People Team.

What happens if the colleague doesn’t achieve what I reasonably expect of them in their job role during their probationary period?

If, despite your feedback during the informal review meetings and other coaching and support, the colleague does not achieve an acceptable level of conduct or performance (including attendance), the colleague will be invited to a formal probationary review meeting. The colleague should be notified of the meeting in writing and will have the right to be accompanied at the meeting by either a work colleague or trade union representative.

At the formal probationary review meeting, you should discuss your concerns with the colleague and provide them with the opportunity to explain matters from their point of view. The colleague should be able to state their case, respond to any concerns and provide their own evidence. This should take place before you decide what, if any, action should be taken. If is considered appropriate to terminate the colleague’s employment, this will be with their contractual notice. There is no right to appeal any formal probationary outcome.

Can I extend a colleague’s probationary period?

A probationary period extension is only appropriate in exceptional circumstances and must be approved by the hiring manager’s line manager and the People Team. Any extension (and the reasons for it) must be clearly confirmed to the colleague in writing, along with what the details of what they need to achieve.

Where can I access guidance and support on how to use Tribepad and Zellis Manager Self Service for / during recruitment?

Supporting information is available to hiring managers via Metro. Some short video guides on how to use Tribepad are also available via the HIVE learning platform.

Is recruitment training available for managers?

Part of our co-op’s award-winning Know How management training is the ‘Hiring Fantastic People’ course, which shares best practice selection and interview techniques. Details of course availability and supporting information can be found on our HIVE learning platform.

Will candidates be reimbursed for travel expenses incurred when attending an interview?

Not normally. Where agreed by a senior manager in exceptional circumstances only, these should be claimed for and reimbursed in accordance with our Expenses policy.

Can new colleagues request flexible working?

Flexible working arrangements can help to support our colleagues in achieving a better work-life balance. It also has benefits for our co-op, facilitating more diverse, productive and happier teams that everyone wants to be a part of. You can read more about our policy here, Flexible Working. We don’t stipulate any service criteria, so colleagues can request this at any point during their employment with us. It can also be agreed during recruitment (for example, as part of the offer process).

How does our co-op treat personal data collected as part of any recruitment process?

Any data collected in relation to this policy is treated in accordance with our Data Protection policy and our Recruitment Privacy Notice.

What about using contractors or consultants?

There will be some occasions where our co-op engages the services of a contractor / consultant. From April 2021, employers are responsible for correctly determining the ‘status’ of the contractor / consultant under IR35 (anti-avoidance tax legislation). If we identify that the engagement represents ‘deemed employment’, our co-op will operate PAYE/NIC and account for Employers NIC and the Apprenticeship Levy. Separate guidance and an authorisation process are available via Metro or on request from the People Team.

I’ve seen the perfect job for me. How do I apply?

You can view our vacancies and apply via our careers website. Once you’ve applied for a vacancy, you’ll receive an email acknowledging your application and you’ll receive further updates from us regarding the progress of your application. You can also register to receive ‘job alerts’ so you’ll be able to learn about any potentially suitable opportunities which arise in the future.

In addition, if you’re an internal candidate, you should let your line manager know if you apply for another role within our co-op. You should be aware that the hiring manager may contact your current line manager as part of the recruitment process.

I need some support as part of the recruitment process. Is this available?

If you need any reasonable adjustments as part of the recruitment process (including application and assessment stages), please contact the People Team on 01473 786011 or email hrservices@eastofengland.coop. You can learn more about our co-op’s commitment to creating and supporting an inclusive and diverse workplace here, Inclusion and Diversity.

Why have you asked me to complete a diversity data questionnaire?

We ask applicants to complete this so we can monitor the inclusivity of our recruitment and to ensure we’re attracting a diverse range of talent. This data is anonymised and is not visible to (or otherwise shared with) the hiring manager or anyone involved in the recruitment process.

I’ve applied to work at the East of England Co-op as I’d like a second job. Is that okay?

If your application is shortlisted, have a chat with the hiring manager. They’ll just want to check that there isn’t any potential conflict of interest and that there wouldn’t be any Working Time issues which need to be considered.