1. Reviewing Applications
You should allow 30 minutes for this session. The key points to cover in introducing the topic are as follows:
Reviewing applications involves reading the relevant information on the applications and providing a recommendation.
The shortlist/reject recommendation outcome can also have scores recorded for each application or additional notes recorded.
The scoring of applications, if required by your organisation, is supported by a score card beside each application form.
NHS Jobs provides a standard default score card which can be used with any vacancy, or your organisation can add a number of local score-cards for use in reviewing.

2. Start Reviewing Key points to mention:
Explain that there are two ways to navigate to the page for reviewing applications, as follows:
Go to the vacancies list, select the ‘Applications: ’ link beside the relevant vacancy. OR
Go to the My Tasks list, select the ‘Review applications’ link beside the relevant vacancy.

3. Review Summary Key points to mention:
Applications can be viewed by clicking on the application reference number.
The progress of all reviews can be monitored from here and reviews from others can be requested from here.

4. Request Reviews Key points to mention:
In the Applications list page click on the ‘Select all’ link and select the ‘Group Actions’ button. Select the ‘Request review’ option and click on the ‘Action’ button.
OR In the Review Summary page, click on the ‘Select all’ link and select the Request Reviews button.

5. Request Reviews Key points to mention:
The Request Application Review page lists the applications selected.
If the list is to be split among the reviewers, this selection page enables a sub-set of the applications to be selected before sending off the review request.
If all reviewers are to review all applications, click on the ‘Select applicants’ button with all checkboxes ticked.
Enter any instructions or requests to the reviewers in the ‘Review instructions’ box.
Reviewers can be selected from the drop-down, if reviewers identified in the vacancy team. Reviewers’ addresses can be added, if not identified in vacancy team.
Select the ‘Request review’ green button and select the ‘Confirm review’ on the following confirmation screen. NHS Jobs will send the reviewers an requesting them to review and providing them with a link to access applications they have been asked to review.

6. View the application Key points to mention:
Click on the application reference number link for the application here.

7. Review the application
Key points to mention:
The link(s) to job description and person specification
The ‘Next application’ and ‘Previous application’ links at top of each section
The sections can be collapsed expanded using the section headings
The score card panel to the right
The recommendation panel to the right
The score card, recommendation panel and buttons stay on screen when scrolling up and down application form

8. Scoring applications Key points to mention:
The default score card provides the ability to score in four categories common to many person specifications – Qualifications, Experience, Skills/knowledge & Desirable criteria.
Your organisation has the ability to add further score cards which may have different categories, or different number of categories, and which can include reminders of the criteria to be looked for in reviewing the applications.
Scores are recorded by clicking the mouse on the relevant star symbols.
The ‘Save as draft’ button should be used to ensure that the score is recorded on the system as often as required.
Saved scores can be changed by selecting a different score and clicking on the ‘Save as draft’ button again.

9. Recommendation Key points to mention:
To provide a recommendation, select the appropriate option from the drop-down list
When the ‘Reject’ option is selected the reason or reasons for rejection must be recorded, by selecting one or more options
Your organisation may require additional information to be recorded during the review or when rejecting. This can be recorded in the notes against the application.
The reasons for rejection and any notes will only be available to the recruiting manager and the recruitment team. They are not visible to applicants, although they can assist in providing feedback to applicants if you are contacted.
Selecting the ‘Submit’ button saves the score and/or recommendation and identifies the application review as ‘Complete’.
If there is a score or recommendation not recorded the ‘Submit’ will not progress as these are mandatory items.

10. Reviewing Applications
Exercise
Log-in to the employer side of NHS Jobs using the log-in details given by your trainer.
Find the applications submitted earlier (or work with applications to a vacancy specified by your trainer)
Request a review by another reviewer
Click on an application in Review Summary
Navigate up/down through an application and forward/back through applications
Record scores (if your organisation is scoring)
Select recommendations and submit final choices
View Review Summary page
Key points to cover:
Check that your trainees are logging in to the right part of the site.
Remind them to work with the vacancies with applications created earlier, or tell them which vacancies to use.