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ANNEX A
Review Of The Appointment Process For Consultant Recruitment In Scotland - Executive Summary
The objectives of the project were to review the current appointments process for Consultant Recruitment in Scotland and consider the findings in relation to best practice selection and recruitment practices. There are two linked activities to the project. First, a literature review on best practice selection with implications for consultant recruitment in Scotland. This was supplemented with a review of existing relevant documentation and reports. Second, consultation interviews were conducted to establish the views and experiences of key stakeholders. The key findings are as follows:
1. The evidence from the stakeholder consultation suggests that the current appointments process for consultant recruitment in Scotland is not working efficiently. The report provides evidence of the need for improvement in many areas of the process to ensure effectiveness.
2. Evidence for improvement to the process does not mean that there are grounds to say that the current process has appointed the wrong people in the past. Clearly, this is not the case. Rather, there are significant lost opportunities in the current process for all stakeholders involved.
3. The time taken to fill a consultant post (from a vacancy arising to a new consultant starting their job) was extensive and had consequences for many stakeholders. Improvements to every stage of the recruitment process have been identified particularly in clarifying stakeholder roles in the process.
4. There is sound academic and practical evidence from other organisational contexts of how best practice selection and recruitment methods can deliver benefits for both individuals and organisations. This evidence can help to inform improvements to the current recruitment and selection for consultant recruitment in Scotland.
5. There is growing evidence of the application of best practice selection methods within medicine, notably within entry to undergraduate and postgraduate medical training. However there is no documented evidence available in the research literature specifically exploring best practice methods of selection in consultant recruitment.
6. Given the relatively low selection ratios (applicants to posts) recruitment to consultant level in Scotland has recently focused on attracting and appointing competent candidates to posts. However, given the introduction of MMC and
specialty training, there is likely to be a large number of trainees exiting training at a similar time. This implies that there may be an increase of applications in Scotland to this senior level. As a result, the recruitment and selection process for the future must be designed to manage potentially inceased numbers.
7. Key themes that emerged from the stakeholder consultation included the following:
- Recruitment and selection process: The process by which appointments are made is viewed as bureaucratic and in need of change. Improvements are required to enhance the experience for applicants, interviewers, HR and employers.
- Professional standards and quality assurance in recruitment: While the CCT is an important indicator of minimum clinical competence, alone it does not confirm whether a doctor has the experience to safely practice within a particular job context. Further assessment is required. All stakeholders welcomed a clarification of the role and boundaries of the National Panellists remit, in addition to more structured training for the role.
- Selection criteria: Clinical competence is clearly specified in the selection criteria. However, all stakeholders believed that improvements could be made to the identification and assessment of other selection criteria that are important for the consultant role (e.g. teamworking, communication skills, leadership etc). These criteria are not currently documented in the Person Specification.
- Selection methods: All stakeholders supported the use of interviews as a method for recruitment at this level. However, many would like to see improvements in the interview process without increasing workload. Use of interview data for development activities for appointed candidates, and feedback to unsuccessful ones was also identified as an important area for improvement. There was significant interest in piloting the use of other selection methods (e.g. presentations, work-based exercises, personality measures). Piloting is essential before any changes are recommended to generate evidence of the validity, reliability and utility before being applied in this context.
- Fairness and diversity: Attracting an eligible pool of candidates from which to select was a key issue. Stakeholders recognise a tension existing between advertising widely versus ensuring that local talent is retained. Organisations and departments have developed strategies to meet their own recruitment needs and improvements are needed to ensure posts are attractive to a diverse applicant pool. Training in equal opportunities, fairness, and interviewing is essential.
- Future perspectives: All stakeholders believe that improvement is required to the current appointments process. Stakeholders differed in the extent of improvements required, and there were some concerns about what was possible given the problems encountered in the context of changes to specialty selection. Most felt that significant opportunities exist to improve the selection process and build upon existing approaches, by piloting new selection methods, building on current practice.
Scotland has a unique opportunity to be the first to establish best practice recruitment and selection methods at this consultant level. Clearly, stakeholder input is required to pilot and review improvements in order to gain benefits for all. All stakeholders interviewed could identify areas for improvement. Given that consultant recruitment is high stakes, it is essential to engage and consult with these stakeholders regarding any proposed improvements to the process.
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