Interviewing
The interview process needs to be transparent and fair, says early years consultant Laura Henry. 'Where possible, have at least two people on the interview panel. This will enable you to demonstrate that you have been consistent, fair and transparent, particularly if you have an internal candidate.
'It is all about creating a level playing field in making your assessments about the people applying for the post,' says Victoria McMeel, a solicitor in Veale Wasbrough's employment team in Bristol.
Shortlisting
When applications come in, the administrator should separate out the equal opportunities monitoring forms so they are not seen by the shortlisting panel. Only members of the interview panel should shortlist. They should:
* measure the attributes of each applicant methodically against each requirement in the person specification - not against other candidates
* use a grid or matrix to do this (for a model, see part one of this guide, Nursery World, 18 January 2007). Agree and keep to a simple, fair scoring system
* record reasons for rejecting an applicant, in writing, on the grid
* assess applicants requesting a job share in the same way as the others
* put to one side, and do not consider any further, all applicants who do not meet the essential criteria
* file all the original materials used in creating a shortlist with the recruitment records. Remember: Under the Data Protection Code of Practice, candidates have a right to see any records kept about them, such as your shortlisting or interview notes.
The panel should NOT:
* discriminate against applicants. For example, to exclude a candidate from the shortlist on the grounds of their age would be in breach of the new anti-age discrimination regulations, which came into force last October
* give criteria more emphasis than stated in the employee specification. So don't move the goal posts
* invent extra criteria to make the shortlisting process easier.
Interview letter
As soon as possible, write to the unsuccessful applicants to say that they will not be invited for interview. Write to the successful candidates, sending them:
* a letter inviting them to interview
* directions to the interview venue, giving parking/local transport information
* details of any assessment exercise you require applicants to undertake
* details of documentation you need to see.
'The idea of doing a practical session is becoming more common,' says Ms Henry. 'It gives you and the candidate an opportunity to assess each other.
'Maybe you can ask people to bring with them something to demonstrate in a practical way their skills and knowledge. It is relatively simple to parrot a piece of theory, but you need in-depth knowledge and understanding to produce a practical explanation.'
Ms McMeel says, 'For security purposes and in accordance with guidance from the DfES, candidates attending interview should provide proof of identity: current driving licence, including photo card, or passport, or full birth certificate; two utility bills from different sources to give the home address; P45, or National Insurance card, or P60; original documents of educational and professional qualifications cited in the application form.'
The administrator sending out the interview letters should check against the equal opportunities monitoring forms to see if adjustments need to be made to help any disabled candidates - for example, holding the interview on the ground floor.
Setting up the interview
'Finding a suitable room can be a problem,' says Nathan Archer of the Children's House Consultancy. 'We are lucky that we have a training room we can use. Invariably, settings use the manager's office, but often it is not much bigger than a cupboard.'
Whatever room you choose, it must be well lit and quiet. The interviews must not be interrupted by the telephone ringing or people popping in.
If you haven't got a suitable room, why not ask your local children's centre or early excellence centre if they have a meeting room you could hire at a discounted rate?
Wherever you hold the interview, always include a tour of your setting.
'Welcome applicants and try to put them at their ease,' says Ms Henry.
'Show them where the toilets are, offer them tea/coffee and nursery literature to read while they wait.'
The panel should:
* using the job description/person specification, agree beforehand what questions they are going to ask and who is going to ask them
* agree a scoring system - again, use a matrix - to record scores
* introduce themselves and give a brief description of the setting and the post
* ask the same questions of each candidate in the same order
* ensure you cover all the relevant details over duties, pay, hours, shift patterns, holidays, sickness entitlement and any benefits such as health insurance, pension and so on
* be aware that the Disability Rights Commission Code states that you may only question an applicant about his or her disability in relation to his or her ability to do the job
* not pose any potentially discriminatory questions, such as asking a female applicant whether she has plans to start a family, where you would not ask the same of a male applicant.
Interview rating system
You can use or adapt the rating system below, taken from the Recruitment and Selection Pack by the National Day Nurseries Association:
1 No answer or poor performance - a response which is not relevant to the question or lacks any content
2 Answer factually incorrect - incorrect answer or inadequate
3 Insufficient answer - a response that had some relevance, but was rather superficial and did not show any depth of understanding
4 Adequate answer - an adequate answer that was relevant to the question and demonstrated some understanding
5 Good answer - an answer which demonstrated a good understanding and knowledge relating to the question.
6 Excellent answer - a full answer which demonstrated an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the question and the subject.
Questioning techniques
When phrasing questions, try to ask for evidence that demonstrates previous performance, personal qualities and motivation.
Be aware of the type of questions you ask.
* Closed questions which can be answered with a 'yes' or 'no', are used for checking facts.
* Open questions, which get the interviewee talking about a topic in depth, often begin with 'why', 'what', 'how' and 'when'.
* Probing questions can find out what lies behind a statement - for example, 'What aspects of the job did you most enjoy?'
Selecting a suitable candidate
* The interview panel must assess each applicant on the basis of their application form, responses during the interview, the assessment exercise and qualifications/training. Agree which are appointable, and of those, who should be appointed. Agree a second choice, in case the first candidate turns you down.
* Try to inform all applicants (successful or not) as soon as possible after the interview day. If a decision is delayed, keep in touch with them.
* Telephone the successful candidate and make the verbal job offer.
Follow it up with a written conditional offer.
* Write to unsuccessful applicants. If they request feedback, give positive feedback regarding their application form and performance at interview. A positive experience will encourage them to consider you as a potential employer for future jobs.
Further information
* The NDNA's Recruitment and Selection Pack is currently being updated and will be available this spring at www.ndna.org.uk.
* Recruitment and Induction factsheet plus an advice sheet on age discrimination are available free from ACAS at www.acas.org.uk.
* Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) publications including the Recruitment, Retention and Turnover annual survey and factsheets on Recruitment and Applying for Jobs are all available free at www.cipd.co.uk.
* Advice on asking questions was adapted from the detailed recruitment guide of the HR department of City University, London. See www.city.ac.uk/hr/recruitment/recruitment_index.html.
* Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education guidance is available free from the DfES on http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk.
CASE STUDY: NELLY'SNURSERY
Sarah Hill worked in recruitment for 15 years before opening her first Nelly's Nursery in Dulwich, five years ago. She is clearly a skilled interviewer - no-one has left to work at another nursery in the area.
She hired staff for her second nursery from people she had kept on a database after interviewing them for the first setting.
She says, 'Essentially, interviewing is not difficult. It is important to be prepared and be clear about what you want to get out of the interview.
'Normally I conduct the first interview on a one-to-one basis. I object to the idea of a big panel, as I think that way you intimidate people before they have even started. You are not going to get the best out of someone if they are nervous and frightened. I like to put applicants at their ease so I can gain a true picture of what they are like.
'After the first interview, successful candidates will be invited back for a second interview to spend a few hours in the room in which they have applied to work. It enables us to see how the person interacts with the children and the other adults.
'This is the only way you can see how people are with the children. You might interview someone who is very timid with adults and then in the room you see they have a natural ability with the children.
'We tend to make the decision as a nursery. The room leader will get feedback from the staff in the room and then she feeds that back to me. The ultimate decision on who to recruit is made by the team, not by just one or two people.
'It gives the candidate an opportunity to get to see the nursery in action.
I would hate somebody to give up a job to work for us and then in a short while say, "This is not what I expected". It is unfair on the children, and a waste of time and money.
'The first interview is between an hour and two hours. I show them around the nursery and talk them through what we do. It is important that they have a clear idea of what is expected. If people come from another nursery, they have to understand the way we do things. They will have to be prepared to spend the day outside, because our garden is open all day.
'During the interview I go through someone's experience and qualifications.
I also ask the same questions of all the candidates about how they would react in certain situations, such as an equal opportunities scenario or a scenario involving an SEN child or telling a parent when their child has been bitten.
'I don't judge the interview purely on this, but it gives you an insight of whether they have natural ability for nursery work and it can show you where a person needs training.'
