Inviting Applicants to Interviews/EVENTs You should allow 30 minutes for this session. The key points to cover in introducing the topic are as follows: NHS Jobs treats interviews and assessment events in exactly the same way. The only difference between the two is the way the event is named. Applicants can be invited to interview using email or letter templates on NHS Jobs, or downloading their details for a local mail-merge. Applicants can confirm or decline an interview online, or that decision can be recorded by the recruitment team if needed. The recruitment team and the recruiting manager can see the interview schedule summary and can locally print off the interview pack.

Terminology NHS Jobs uses the following terms: An ‘event’ is a collection of one or more appointments taking place on a given date or dates in a given location which applicants attend to be interviewed or perform an assessment. A ‘slot’ is a time period when one or more applicants need to be present during an event. The ‘spaces available’ for a slot are the number of applicants you can see in that time slot. Note that setting up an interview event for a vacancy is a separate step from inviting applicants to the interview. Key points to cover: Explain that the trainees need to understand the terminology that NHS Jobs uses. Go through each of the terms on the slide. Check that the trainees understand what you have said.

Scheduling Options On NHS Jobs there are three ‘Scheduling modes’ for offering time slots to applicants, as follows: The applicant is able to view a number of time slots, from those set up and with spaces still available, and must choose a slot when they accept the invitation. The applicant is automatically offered the earliest available timeslot at the time they accept the invitation. The recruiter selects which timeslot the applicant is given and the applicant confirms their attendance. Key points to cover: Go through each of the options. Explain that the options are set when you create the event. Check that the trainees understand what you have said.

Inviting Applicants Key points to mention: Explain that it is necessary to have an interview event created before applicants can be invited to it. If one does not exist, then first step is to set one up and then invite applicants. Explain that there are a number of ways to navigate to the page for inviting applicants, as follows: Select ‘Vacancies’ on the navigation on the left. Find the vacancy the interview relates to and select the ‘Interviews’ link. This will take you directly to a filtered view of the interviews page, showing only the interview events linked to that vacancy. Move to next slide Go to the applications list for the vacancy, select the ‘Actions’ button beside any of the shortlisted applications, then select ‘Invite to interview xxxxxxxxxx’ (where xxxxxxxxxx is the appointment name) and select the ‘Action’ button. Or: Go to the applications list for the vacancy, tick the check boxes beside any of the shortlisted applications, select the ‘Group Actions’ button, then select ‘Invite to interview xxxxxxxxxx’ (where xxxxxxxxxx is the appointment name) and select the ‘Action’ button.

Inviting Applicants Key points to mention: Go to the applications list for the vacancy, select the ‘Actions’ button beside any of the shortlisted applications, then select ‘Invite to interview xxxxxxxxxx’ (where xxxxxxxxxx is the appointment name) and select the ‘Action’ button. Or: Go to the applications list for the vacancy, tick the check boxes beside any of the shortlisted applications, select the ‘Group Actions’ button, then select ‘Invite to interview xxxxxxxxxx’ (where xxxxxxxxxx is the appointment name) and select the ‘Action’ button. - as shown here.

Inviting to an Event Key points to cover: To invite applicants you select the applicants, choose the invitation type, preview and then send the invitations. Invitation type options are: Email to be sent from NHS Jobs, Letter to be printed locally and posted, CSV file to be downloaded to enable a local mail-merge, or none. There are standard default email and letter templates on NHS Jobs. Where your organisation has stored local versions of the invitation email or invitation letter the user will be offered the choice of selecting from these, in addition to the system standard versions, once you have selected the ‘type’ of invitation. The ‘none’ option records that the applicant has been invited to interview but does not create an email or letter to send. This could be used when the invitation and confirmation have all been verbally agreed between the parties.

Invitation email Key points to cover: The email preview is displayed once ‘Email’ is selected from the invitation type list. Additional information can be included in the email at this stage, as the last paragraph, by entering it in the ‘Additional text’ area. The text is limited to 400 characters. It is possible to attach a document to the email to be sent to the applicants. Use the ‘Browse’ button to select a file and then the ‘Attach’ button. Clicking the ‘Invite’ button results in the applicants being invited and email sent to them.

Applicant Invitations Key points to cover: Invited applicants will see they are invited to an interview in their NHS Jobs account. There is a notification indication as soon as they login and any interviews are listed together. Invited applicants will receive the email invitation (if email type selected). Invited applicants in the UK, with UK mobile phones, will get an SMS message notifying them of an invitation (if they confirmed they wish to receive one on their application). They will also get a reminder SMS message a day before the interview/event. ‘You have been invited to an interview event on 30th September at 14.30. Please log into your NHS Jobs account for details.’ SMS:

Interview Schedule Summary Key points to cover: Explain how to navigate to the page for viewing a summary the interview schedule, as follows: Select ‘Interviews’ on the navigation on the left, find the interview in the list, select the ‘Show Interview Slots and Notes’ below the interview. Users will be able to see the interview dates and times, application references and names of those booked into the slots, and whether they’ve confirmed attendance. This information is available to recruitment team and recruiting managers. To add an internal interview note, that can be viewed by recruitment team and recruiting managers, select the green ‘Actions’ button and complete the ‘Add a note to this interview’ section

Interview Pack Key points to cover: Explain that it is possible for recruiting managers or the recruitment team to download and print the interview pack: Select ‘Interviews’ on the navigation on the left, find the interview in the list and select the green ‘Actions’ button. Select the ‘Download/print documents’ option. Select the sections of the interview pack required and then ‘Download PDF’. (Note that the application forms will include personal information but will not include monitoring information sections.) The downloaded PDF file can be printed locally or emailed to the relevant person(s).

Interview Schedule Key points to cover: Explain how to navigate to the page for viewing or managing the interview schedule, as follows: Select ‘Interviews’ on the navigation on the left, find the interview in the list, select the ‘Actions’ button beside the interview. Select ‘Invite to interview & manage schedule’ and select the ‘Action’ button Here the user will see the applicants that have been shortlisted but not yet invited to the interview/event, the applicants that have been invited to interview but have not yet confirmed their attendance and the applicants that are booked into the slots available.

Managing the Schedule Key points to cover: You can enter an applicant’s acceptance or declination of the interview invitation, should the applicant contact you directly rather than responding to the invitation on their NHS Jobs account. Explain how to navigate to the page for viewing or managing the interview schedule, as follows: Select ‘Interviews’ on the navigation on the left, find the interview in the list, select the ‘Actions’ button beside the interview. Select ‘Invite to interview & manage schedule’ and select the ‘Action’ button The applicants that are invited but have not yet accepted their invitations are displayed. Select the grey ‘Actions’ button beside the relevant applicant. Select the ‘Confirm applicant will attend interview xxxxxxxxxx’ (where xxxxxxxxxx is the appointment name) and select the ‘Action’ button. If the scheduling mode for the interview required the applicant to choose a slot, then a slot will need to be selected for the applicant to complete the confirmation or booking. Select ‘Book’ when a slot has been selected. An applicant declining the invitation or re-sending the invitation to the applicant are also available actions. For information on editing an interview, including editing time slots, see the Arranging Interviews presentation or document.

Invite Applicants Exercise Log-in to the employer side of NHS Jobs using the log-in details given by your trainer. Find the applications shortlisted earlier (or work with shortlisted applications specified by your trainer) Select the option to invite to interview to the previously created interview event Select the invitation type and template, preview and send/print Find the interview event and view the summary Select to manage the details and confirm an applicant into a slot Select to print/download the interview pack Key points to cover: Check that your trainees are logging in to the right part of the site. Remind them to work with the applications shortlisted and the interview event set up earlier, or tell them which applications and interview to use.