Employee screening: checklists

Section ten of the Personnel Today Management Resources one stop guide on employee screening, comprising recruitment and selection checklists, to ensure best practice and compliance with the Employment Practices DP Code. Other sections .

Use this section to

Check for best practice and for compliance with the Employment Practices DP Code Part 1: Recruitment and Selection on: Drawing up job descriptions Pre-employment vetting Designing application forms Shortlisting Interviews Verification

Checklist 1 drawing up a job description

Have you described the purpose of the job, preferably in one sentence?

Yes

No

Have you outlined the main tasks of the job, using active verbs such as repairing?

Yes

No

Does it cover the skills you require?

Yes

No

Does it cover aptitude needed?

Yes

No

Does it specify knowledge required?

Yes

No

Does it outline experience needed?

Yes

No

Does it list qualifications required but only those necessary to do the job - unless candidates are being recruited for possible future positions?

Yes

No

If the job disqualifies some candidates, do you explain why?

Yes

No

Are you sure that all your requisites are totally necessary for the job and do not discriminate unfairly in terms of age, sex, sexuality, nationality, creed, disability, criminal background where relevant or membership or non-membership of a trade union?

Yes

No

 

Checklist 2 designing application forms

Is it easy to read and complete?

Yes

No

Is it realistic and appropriate to the level of the job?

Yes

No

Does it only request detailed personal information that is relevant to the job?

Yes

No

Does it make it clear what the procedure of taking up references is, how they will be used and at what stage in the recruitment process they will be taken?

Yes

No

Is it accompanied by details of the job and clear information about the application and selection procedure?

Yes

No

Have you stated the name of the organisation on the form?

Yes

No

Have you stated clearly to whom the information is being provided and how it will be used?

Yes

No

If you are going to use the information gathered in the form for any other purpose than to recruit for a specific job or are going to pass it onto someone else, have you stated this on the form?

Yes

No

Have you decided whether all questions are relevant for all applicants?

Yes

No

Have you customised the form where posts justify the collection of more sensitive data?

Yes

No

Have you removed or amended any questions requiring the applicant to provide information extraneous to the recruitment decision?

Yes

No

Have you only included questions that are relevant to this stage of the process? For example, bank details are only relevant for people the organisation goes on to employ

Yes

No

Have you considered whether the collection of information about criminal convictions is justified in terms of the role offered?

Yes

No

Have you stated that spent convictions do not have to be declared unless the job is one covered by the Exceptions Order?

Yes

No

Have you stated clearly what information will be sought and from whom?

Yes

No

If you require the applicant to provide 'sensitive data':

Have you explained why you require the information?

Yes

No

Have you assured the employee that the information will be held in the strictest confidence, will not be disclosed or made available to any unauthorised third party, and will be destroyed if the application is unsuccessful?

Yes

No

 

Checklist 3 pre-employment vetting

Have you found out for which jobs, if any, pre-employment vetting takes place?

Yes

No

Have you considered whether vetting is justified for each of these jobs and whether the information could be obtained in a less intrusive?

Yes

No

Have you ascertained at which point vetting takes place and who is subject to it?

Yes

No

Have you eliminated any comprehensive vetting that takes place for all shortlisted applicants (only those selected for the job should be submitted to comprehensive pre-employment vetting)?

Yes

No

Is information about any possible vetting provided on all recruitment material, explaining the nature, extent and range of sources used?

Yes

No

If information is sought from a third party, have you ensured the third party has some basis to justify its release such as the applicant's consent?

Yes

No

Does the vetting process have clearly stated objectives?

Yes

No

Have you considered the extent and nature of information that is sought against these objectives?

Yes

No

Have you eliminated any verification that consists of general intelligence gathering, ensuring it is clearly focused on furthering particular objectives?

Yes

No

Have you briefed everyone seeking the information on which sources to use?

Yes

No

Is all information collected from a vetting process evaluated in the light of reliability of sources?

Yes

No

Are you sure the recruitment decision is not based solely on information that may be unreliable?

Yes

No

Do you notify the applicant if information received jeopardises their chance of being appointed?

Yes

No

Does your feedback system allow the applicant to respond?

Yes

No

Do you oblige those involved in recruitment to take this response into account?

Yes

No

Have you built these measures into written recruitment procedures?

Yes

No

Are those involved in vetting briefed to avoid them discovering information about a third party unnecessarily?

Yes

No

If you are collecting and retaining substantial data about a third party, are you informing the individual, telling them how the data is to be used?

Yes

No

Have you built these measures into written recruitment procedures?

Yes

No

If you need to release documents or information from a third party, have you secured a signed consent form from the applicant?

Yes

No

Source: The Employment Practices DP Code Part 1: Recruitment and Selection

Checklist 4 interviews

Are all interviewers aware that interviewees have a right to see their interview notes?

Yes

No

Are all interviewers given instructions on how to store notes?

Yes

No

Have you made provisions for interview notes to be destroyed after a reasonable time, allowing for company protection from potential claims such as race or sex discrimination?

Yes

No

Have you explained to interviewers how to deal with request for access to interview notes?

Yes

No

Have you made sure the above provisions are built into written procedures?

Yes

No

Source: The Employment Practices DP Code Part 1: Recruitment and Selection

Checklist 5 shortlisting

Have you checked your shortlist methods comply with good practice sources, such as the Equal Opportunities Commission or the Commission for Racial Equality?

Yes

No

If you use an automated system, are all applicants informed that this is used as the sole basis of shortlisting?

Yes

No

Are they told how to make representations against any adverse decision?

Yes

No

Do you test and review results from the system to make sure they apply your shortlisting criteria fairly and properly to all applicants?

Yes

No

Are tests based on the interpretation of scientific evidence, such as psychological tests, only used and interpreted by appropriately trained people?

Source: The Employment Practices DP Code Part 1: Recruitment and Selection

 

Checklist 6 verification

Have you ensured that information provided to applicants on recruitment material explains what information will be verified?

Yes

No

Have you explained how the information will be verified, such as whether external sources will be used?

Yes

No

Have you ensured that applicants are not forced to use their subject access rights to obtain records from a third party, such as making such a requirement a condition of getting the job?

Yes

No

Have you ensured that applicants have provided signed consent if this is required to secure the release of documents from a third party?

Yes

No

Have you ensured that staff involved in verification are aware what to do if discrepancies are uncovered?

Yes

No

Have you made sure that in such a situation, staff will inform the applicant and allow them the opportunity to explain the inconsistencies?

Yes

No

Are you ensuring that this feedback is incorporated into recruitment procedures?

Yes

No

Source: The Employment Practices DP Code Part 1: Recruitment and Selection