Attracting and Managing Applications

The Personnel Advisers may suggest amendments to advertisements to comply with equal opportunities legislation, Liverpool Hope’s visual identity, inconsistencies with the person specification or job description or following advice from any advertising sources. 

It will be the responsibility of the Personnel Office to obtain cost estimates for job advertisements, and gain authority to place the advertisement from the recruiting Dean (academic jobs) or the Director of Personnel (support jobs). Advertisements will be placed by the Personnel Advisers, as appropriate in:

• Local and national newspapers
• Specialist journal publications
• Recruitment websites, including Hope web pages
• Subject specialist/professional interest websites
• Local job agencies, including JobCentre Plus
• Through local networks
• Recruiting managers may also circulate advertisements approved by the Personnel Adviser on their own web site or through professional websites/mailbases.
• If an external consultant, recruitment agency or external expert are used to assist in the recruitment process, the appointing manager must ensure that they act in accordance with Liverpool Hope’s Recruitment & Selection Policy and Equal Opportunities Policy

Writing Advertisements

A good advertisement is one which:

• Attracts the best and appropriately qualified applicants to your vacancy
• Limits the number of unsuitable candidates
• Sells the benefits of working for Liverpool Hope University

The advertisement should be clear and include:

• Outline requirements of the job-based on the job description 
• Key criteria for job applicants-based on the person specification
• Reward package eg salary, pension
• Details of how to obtain further information and the application form process
• Closing date

Points to consider when writing an advertisement:

• Keep in mind Hope’s Equal Opportunities Policy and Positive Action Guidelines.
• Use gender-free and age-free language and description
• Avoid any potential indirect discrimination which could affect disabled applicants, applicants with caring responsibilities or applicants from ethnic or religious backgrounds 
• Avoid jargon and acronyms which may discourage suitable applicants from outside the sector
• Make it as easy as possible for candidates to respond. The Personnel Office will add a standard paragraph to all advertisements, giving candidates clear instructions on how to apply for further information and the application form process
• Check spelling, punctuation and grammar for accuracy
• The advert should be short and only include essential information
• Avoid duplication (e.g. do not repeat the job title within the main paragraphs).
• All advertisements must be produced in the Liverpool Hope University House style.

Internal Advertising

It is Liverpool Hope’s normal practice to advertise all temporary and permanent vacancies internally through the media of Hope Virtually Daily. Managers and Supervisors of staff who do not have immediate access to Hope Virtually Daily should wherever possible communicate advertised vacancies to their staff. It is recognised that some vacancies will only be advertised internally to current staff at Liverpool Hope to open up pathways for promotion or development and movement from temporary to permanent status. Vacancies which are only to be advertised internally will be marked in such a way that it is clear that the post is for existing University staff, by using the following.... “Applications are invited from those already employed by Liverpool Hope.”

Further Information for Candidates

As well as developing a clear job description and person specification, it is important that candidates are provided with any further particulars and/or supporting documentation which will attract them to work at Hope. These should include:

• The mission and values of Liverpool Hope
• A profile of Liverpool Hope
• A profile of the academic subject area or support/service area
• Hope website address
• Employee Benefits
• How to apply for the post
• Contractual issues attached to the post

 If appropriate, they may also include:

• Areas of research interests within an academic subject
• Contact details of the recruiting manager for informal discussion about the post
• Academic subject area website address (if the website is up to date)
• Other publications such as ‘Hope matters’
• Details of shortlisting and interview dates
• Details of any selection methods to be used, such as an assessed presentation

Administration of Enquiries and Applications

Effective administration of applications represents an important aspect of the recruitment process and plays an important part in projecting a positive impression of Liverpool Hope to potential candidates.

Details and information about the vacant post, including an application form, an equal opportunities monitoring form, the job description, the person specification, the Mission Statement and other particulars about Liverpool Hope, will be provided in printed or electronic format on request to all enquirers.

All information will also be available for downloading via Hope’s website.

All information will be made available on request in a variety of formats, including large print, audiotape and Braille.

Candidates are normally requested to return their completed applications to the Personnel Office. Any applications sent directly to the recruiting area should be forwarded to the Personnel Advisers so that they can be recorded on the Personnel database for monitoring purposes.

The information supplied to applicants informs them that if they have not heard from Liverpool Hope within four weeks of the closing date then they can consider their application to be unsuccessful.