Our recruitment process

To apply for a vacancy you’ll need to complete an online application form which includes answering a set of questions.

We’ll review your application and evaluate whether we think you’d be a good fit for the role. If you identify as disabled and meet the essential criteria for the role, you’ll be shortlisted for an interview under our guaranteed interview scheme.

If your application is successful, you’ll be invited to an interview. Some candidates will also need to complete a skills assessment, but we’ll let you know if that’s the case for your application.

Things we’re looking out for in the interview include:

• why you want to work for NHS 24
• why you’re suitable for the role
• what kind of person you are
• your skills and strengths
• the skills you’re developing or wish to develop

If you’re successful, we’ll phone to inform you about the decision.

We’ll send you a conditional offer of employment, subject to pre-employment checks, which you’ll need to complete as quickly as possible to avoid any delays. The pre-employment checks include:

• verification of identity and confirmation of your right to work in the UK
• an online medical screening form
• a minimum of 2 references spanning at least 3 years of previous employment or training history, including your current or most recent manager
• original relevant educational certificates and verification of registration with relevant professional bodies

Depending on the nature of the post, we may also carry out a criminal record check. This will be disclosed in the job advert. Some roles will also require you to join the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme.

This privacy notice describes how we collect and use personal information about you during the recruitment process, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applies to all candidates.

This Privacy Notice is for information only; it is not a contractual agreement.

The type of personal information we collect

In connection with your application to work with us, we will collect, store, and use the following categories of personal information about you:

• the information you have provided to us via our applicant tracking system Jobtrain
• any information you provide to us during an interview
• information you provide in relation to your right to work documentation
• where successful at interview, information you provide in relation to completing pre-employment checks

We may also collect, store, and use the following “special categories” of more sensitive personal information, such as:

• information about your race or ethnicity, religious beliefs, and sexual orientation
• information about your health, including any medical condition, health and sickness records
• information about your criminal record

We collect this personal information from the following sources:

• the candidate
• Disclosure Scotland – specific NHS 24 roles
• Our third party Right to Work and Identification checks provided
• UK Home Office for Share Code Right to Work reports
• named referees
• data from third party publicly accessible sources, for example, NMC professional memberships

Why do we process personal data?

We need to process data to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contract with you. We also need to process your data to enter into a contract with you.

In some cases, we need to process data to ensure that we are complying with our legal obligations. For example, we are required to check your eligibility to work in the UK before employment starts.

We have a legitimate interest in processing personal data during the recruitment process and for keeping records of the process. Processing data from you allows us to manage the recruitment process, assess and confirm your suitability for employment and decide to whom to offer a job. We may also need to process data from you to respond to and defend against legal claims.

We process health information if we need to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process for you. This is to carry out our obligations and exercise specific rights in relation to employment.

Where we process other special categories of data, such as information about ethnic origin, sexual orientation, health, religion or belief, this is for equal opportunities monitoring purposes.

For certain vacancies we carry out a criminal record check to satisfy ourselves that there is nothing in your criminal convictions history that makes you unsuitable for the role. We apply directly to Disclosure Scotland to do this and may receive a copy of their report if you have consented for us to do so

We will not use your data for any purpose other than the recruitment exercise for which you have applied.

Who has access to data?

Your information will be shared internally for the purposes of the recruitment process. This includes members of the HR and recruitment team, interviewers involved in the recruitment process, managers in the business area with a vacancy and IT staff if access to the data is necessary for the performance of their roles.

We will not share your data with third parties unless your application for employment is successful and you are advised you are a preferred candidate. We will then share your data with:

• referees as agreed with the candidate
• our third party Right to Work and Identification checks provided
• Disclosure Scotland – Protection of Vulnerable Group, Standard and enhanced checks
• NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Occupational Health – fitness to carry out role check

All our third-party service providers are required to take appropriate security measures to protect your personal information in line with our policies.

We do not envisage transferring the personal information we collect about you outside the EU.

How we store your personal information

Your information is securely stored on Jobtrain and in your candidate e-file on the NHS 24 secure network. Access to Jobtrain and recruitment e-files is restricted to the Recruitment team during your pre-employment checks.

How do we protect data?

We take the security of your data seriously. We limit access to your personal information to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know. They will only process your personal information on our instruction, and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality.

We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected data security breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a suspected breach where we are legally required to do so.

How long do we keep data?

If your application for employment is unsuccessful, we will hold your data on file for a minimum of 12 months after the end of the relevant recruitment process.

If we wish to retain your personal information, on the basis that a further opportunity may arise in the future and we may wish to consider you for this, we will write to you separately, seeking your explicit consent to retain your personal information for a fixed period of time.

If your application for employment is successful, personal data gathered during the recruitment process will be transferred to your personnel file.

To remove your data from Jobtrain you can log in to your profile and delete individual applications or your profile.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have rights including:

the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.

the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate

the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete

the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances

the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances

the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances

the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances

You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.

Please contact recruitment24@nhs24.scot.nhs.uk if you wish to make a request.

Automated decision-making

Recruitment processes are not based solely on automated decision-making.

Our contact details

NHS 24 Recruitment Team

Lumina

40 Ainslie Road

Hillington

Glasgow

G52 4RU

recruitment24@nhs24.scot.nhs.uk

How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to us by contacting DP@nhs24.scot.nhs.uk.

If you’re unhappy with how we have used your data, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

The ICO’s address:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk

Familiarising yourself with NHS 24 and the work we do for patients across Scotland is a great place to start. Once you’ve had a read of our website and social media, read the job application pack for the role you’re applying for to get an idea of the skills and experience required.

When completing your application, follow the instructions carefully. It’s easy to make mistakes, so take your time filling out the forms and answering the questions. Make sure your email address is correct and that you’ve filled out all of the questions.

If you can, ask someone to look over your application before you submit it to check for spelling or grammar errors.

In the interview, we’ll ask you to tell us why you’re an ideal person for the job. Make sure your skills, transferrable skills, knowledge, and experience match with those described in the job application pack to give yourself the best chance of moving to the next stage.

A handy technique you can use during interviews to get the most out of your responses is the STAR method. Try phrasing your answers to questions in the following way:

• describe a situation or task that you’ve encountered
• explain the actions you took in light of the situation
• detail the results of your actions

Although using the same example for multiple questions is acceptable, try varying your examples to demonstrate different skills you’ve developed, keeping your responses clear and concise.