Pre-Employment Checks & Hired – Recruiting Manager
Page updated: 13/06/2024
CONTENTS
- Understanding the different pre-employment checks
- Pre-Employment Check Dashboard
- Candidate Application Summary
- Completing the Pre-employment Checks – Applicant’s Responsibilities
- Completing the Pre-employment Checks – Recruiting Manager’s Responsibilities
- Right to Work Disclosure
- Barring Service (DBS)
- Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA)
- References
- Occupational Health Clearance/Surveillance
- Professional Registration
- Qualifications and Certificates
- All Checks complete, Commencement or Transfer Form
- Agreeing a start date
- Next steps
Once the provisional offer has been extended to the applicant, and they have accepted, the next step is complete the pre-employment checks.
There are several pre-employment checks (PECS) that will need to be completed prior to recruiting managers being able to agree a start date with the applicant. The number of pre-employment checks will vary on the type of vacancy and whether the applicant is an internal or external applicant.
Types of Pre-employment Checks
- Right to Work (external applicants only)
- Disclosure & Barring Service (for all safeguarding posts1)
- Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (for all safeguarding posts)
- Referencing (depending on type of post)
- Occupational Health Surveillance or Clearance (depending on type of post)
- Professional registrations, qualifications, and certifications.
There will be multiple stakeholders involved in the Pre-employment Check process. Below is an overview of the process and roles and responsibilities for ensuring the completion of the check.
1Safeguarding roles are those jobs which involve working in “regulated activity” or with a vulnerable group including all school-based staff. If you are unsure whether your role is a safeguarding role, please contact your HR Business Partner.
| Pre-employment check | Recruiting Manager | Recruitment Team | HRBP / Other | Applicant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right To Work |
Inspect original documentation and take copies. Uploads relevant RTW/ID documentation Completes ID Verification declaration |
Checks the RTW documents supplied are acceptable, updates dashboard. Transfers any non-automated information from RTW documents provided on to Resource Link*. *Only UK & NI passport details will be uploaded automatically |
Presents RTW documentation to be verified. (This can be during interview or during pre-employment checking stage.) |
|
| Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) | Completes DBS Declaration if DBS Outcome is ‘completed’. Or If DBS Outcome is ‘incomplete. |
Confirms date DBS has been checked or requested. Updates DBS Outcome. |
To advise managers if disclosures revealed on DBS Complete HRA Declaration confirming advice given. |
Must sign declaration. Upload supporting documents (if applicable) in Application Centre. |
| Rehabilitation of Offenders /Criminal Convictions (ROA) |
If convictions declared – completes ROA page. Meets with applicant to discuss declaration. Confirms recruitment decision with HR Business Partner. |
To advise managers if disclosures declared. Complete ROA Declaration confirming advice given. |
Complete ROA questionnaire in Applicant Centre. Complete disclosures (if applicable) in Applicant Centre. |
|
| References (included within Pre-employment Form) |
Checks references received and confirms whether satisfactory or not. Can chase references. If not, discusses with HR Business Partner and agrees next step. |
Checks referee details provided are the correct referees to contact. Requests references via Oleeo. Can chase references. |
If the references are unsatisfactory, discuss with recruiting manager to agree next steps. | Provides referee details via the Applicant Centre. |
| Occupational Health Checks (if applicable) | Considers any adjustments that are raised in the OHC outcome. | Occupational Health updates Oleeo on status of appointments and/or OHC outcomes. | Completes OH Clearance questionnaire or attend OH Screening appointment. | |
| Qualifications & Professional Registrations | Qualifications & Certs: Confirms that they have checked the documentation, or the applicant is unable to provide evidence, and they are willing to proceed. | Where applicable: Checks statutory registrations against relevant databases e.g. EWC; SCW. | Discusses with Recruiting Manager any concerns raised with quals, certs or registrations. | Uploads copies of relevant qualifications, certificates and/or statutory registration details. |
| Pre-Employment Form | Upload photo ID to email notification. | Check references provided by Applicant. |
Payroll will set up employee number on Resource Link and update Oleeo. Check Veterans eligibility |
Applicant completes the relevant sections of the form. |
| Commence Form, ID Card & IT Set up form | Completes ID Card Form; commence or transfer form and IT set up form. | Recruitment team will undertake a safeguard check against relevant applicants. | Payroll to process commence form or transfer form. |
The Pre-employment Check dashboard has been set up to give Recruiting Managers an overview of the pre-employment checks required for each applicant, and the progress made against each check.
When a check has been satisfactorily completed, a green flag will appear on the dashboard. Any checks requiring your attention will have either an amber or red flag.
Pre-employment checks will be monitored by the flag notifications:
Green Flag: Check has been satisfactorily completed
Amber Flag: Check is awaiting a response/requires action
Red Flag: Check is unsatisfactory
Each time a pre-employment check has been completed, the status on the Pre-employment Checks dashboard will be updated with the relevant flag.
Once all flags are green against the required pre-employment check, the Recruitment Team will complete a final check and, for internal applicants, advise if there are any safeguarding flags against their record.
This will trigger the ‘All Checks Complete’ email notification to the Recruiting Manager and to the Applicant.
Additional Dashboards
There is also a DBS Tracking – Applicants Awaiting DBS Certs dashboard which will provide more detailed information on the applicant’s DBS status. Please note: The DBS application process sits outside of Oleeo, but key information will be updated on Oleeo to give Recruiting Managers an overview of how the DBS application is progressing.
The OHC Tracking dashboard gives more detailed information on how the Occupational Health checks are progressing and whether applicants attended appointments, and the outcome of the assessment.
The ROAS Checker dashboard gives more detailed information on any applicant who has made a declaration on the Rehabilitation of Offenders form.
The Reference Requested Tracker dashboard provides more detailed information on the progress being made in chasing references.
The Candidate Application Summary is a page that collates all application information submitted by a candidate through the application form and as part of the pre-employment check process. Recruiters can also send communication to the candidate, as well as perform other functionality associated with the candidate application.
You can open any application by clicking on the row or using the ‘whole filter table’ or typing the Application ID into the Search Toolbar. This will take you into the Application Summary page for your applicant. The pre-employment checks recruiting managers are required to undertake will appear in the labelled grey buttons. To open the relevant pre-employment check form, click on the grey button, and the form that they need to complete will open.
Once all the flags are green for the required pre-employment checks, an ‘All Checks Complete’ notification will be triggered by the Recruitment Team.
Layout in the Application Summary
Summary Tab – This provides an overview of the application details and shows the communication that has been sent to the applicant.
Comments Tab – This is useful for any stakeholder to add comments regarding the applicant and is viewable by all. However, please be mindful that any comments that are left are appropriate.
Forms Tab – Any form that has been submitted in relation to the candidate's application will be stored in the Forms tab including information on when the form was created and by whom; and when the form was last edited and by whom. You can view any form by clicking on the form name.
History Tab – Provides a full audit trail of everything that has happened to the application. This is also useful to view any email notifications that have been sent out regarding the application.
Once the applicant has accepted the provisional offer letter, then their status within the Applicant Centre will change to ‘Application Successful’. Depending on the pre-employment checks that were selected as part of the Create Vacancy form, the applicant will be prompted to commence the pre-employment checks.
Pre-employment Form
Applicants will be required to complete the relevant sections of the Pre-employment form:
- Confirm Personal Details
- Upload photo ID
- Emergency Contact Information
- Referee Details
- Upload evidence for Veteran National Insurance scheme (if applicable)
Once the applicant completes the Pre-employment form the following automated notifications will be sent:
- Notification to Payroll to check/set up new employee number. The Payroll Team will be responsible for updating the employee number within Oleeo. The Employee Number will appear on dashboards as soon as possible.
- Notification to Recruitment Team to review referee details and request references
Right to Work (external applicants only)
External applicants should be encouraged to bring the relevant Right to Work documentation with them when they attend the interview. However, we realise this is not always straightforward and applicants may need to bring in their documents once they have been provisionally offered the post.
Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS)
The applicant will be asked to provide their Consent to allow the Council to check their current DBS disclosure certificate via the Update Service and/or Consent to copy disclosures.
If the applicant has a current DBS or Certificate of Good Conduct, they can upload a copy of the documentation.
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA)
The applicant will be asked to complete a Rehabilitation of Offenders Act Self-declaration form, where they will be asked to advise whether they have any convictions, cautions, reprimands, and final warnings that are not ‘protected’.
They will also be asked to declare any pending court cases.
Referencing
The applicant will be prompted to provide referee details. Depending on the type of role, it will vary whether the applicant must provide one or more referees.
For internal applicants moving into a non-safeguarding vacancy, there will be no requirement for them to provide a referee as it is assumed that the manager is satisfied with the performance, etc of their employee.
If referees do not submit the reference request, the Recruitment Team or Recruiting Manager can email the applicant within Oleeo asking them to chase up the references.
For more details on Referencing, please refer to the Referencing Guidance on the intranet.
Occupational Health Centre Surveillance or Clearance
Health Clearance
If the post requires the applicant to complete a Health Clearance questionnaire, a ‘Complete Occupational Health Questionnaire’ will appear in the Applicant Centre.
The applicant will be asked to complete a self-declaration. If they answer ‘No’ to all questions, then no further action is required. If they answer ‘Yes’ to one or more question, an email notification will be sent to the Occupational Health Centre, advising them to contact the applicant.
Health Surveillance
If the applicant is required to undertake a Health Surveillance assessment, a message will be appearing in the Application Centre advising them that they will be invited to attend an assessment with the Occupational Health Centre.
Professional registrations, qualifications, and certifications
As part of the create vacancy form, in line with the job profile, recruiting managers will be asked to specify if they require applicants to provide evidence of professional registrations, qualifications or certificates.
Within the Application Centre, applicants will be asked to upload copies of any of their qualifications and certificates.
If the applicant is required to, provide information relating to their registration:
- Name of Registered Body
- Registration Number
- National Insurance Number
- Date of Birth
As soon as the Applicant has submitted their pre-employment check forms, you will receive email notifications prompting you to complete the relevant pre-employment check forms on Oleeo.
If you are unsure what Right to Work documents are acceptable, please refer to the Right to Work Guidance links on the intranet or contact the Recruitment Team.
Step-by-Step Guide – Internal Applicant
- From the Pre-employment Check dashboard, or by using the Search function, open the Application Summary page for your applicant.
- Select the ‘Right to work form (Recruiter)’ form
- You will be prompted to decide whether you need to complete a Right to Work check. If your applicant is an existing employee of Carmarthenshire County Council, select ‘No’.
- Press, ‘Save and Continue’.
- Complete the Recruiter Declaration.
- Press ‘Submit’.
Step-by-Step Guide – External Applicant
- From the Pre-employment Check dashboard, or by using the Search function, open the Application Summary page for your applicant.
- Select the ‘Right to work form (Recruiter)’ form
- You will be prompted to decide whether you need to complete a Right to Work check. If your applicant is not currently employed by Carmarthenshire County Council, select ‘Yes’. Press, ‘Save and Continue’.
- Scroll to the bottom of the form. You will be prompted to specify which type of Right to Work check you are undertaking.
- Press ‘Save and Continue’.
Option 1: Home Office Online RTW Check (Share Code)
- Use the Home Office online right to work checking service ‘View a job applicant’s right to work details’. An applicant can only be employed if the online check confirms they are entitled to do the work in question.
- Satisfy yourself that any photograph on the online right to work check is of the applicant.
- At the RTW Share Code field, upload a clear copy of the response provided by the online right to work check.
- Press ‘Save and Continue’.
- Complete the Recruiter Declaration.
- Press ‘Submit’.
Option 2: Manual document based RTW check
- Use the Home Office guidance to check the job applicant is allowed to work for you in the UK before you employ them Checking a job applicant's right to work, and you can use the Home Office online service Check if a document allows someone to work in the UK.
- Obtain the person’s original documents (See lists of acceptable documents on intranet or via the links above)
- Check the documents in the presence of the holder
- Make a clear copy of the full document(s),
- From the ID lists, select the document(s) you have checked.
- Press ‘Save and Continue’.
- In the ‘Input Right to Work ID’, upload the copies of your ID documents and, if applicable, complete passport details.
- Press ‘Save and Continue’.
- Complete the Recruiter Declaration.
- Press ‘Submit’.
The Recruitment Team will review the ID documentation you have submitted and will advise whether the documentation is acceptable/not acceptable.
The applicant will be asked to provide their Consent to allow the Council to check their current DBS disclosure certificate via the Update Service and/or Consent to copy disclosures.
If the applicant has a current DBS or Certificate of Good Conduct, they can upload a copy of the documentation.
The Recruitment Team will be responsible for updating the DBS dashboard to determine if a new DBS is required and, if so, the dates the DBS was requested, date returned and whether any disclosures were included on the certificate.
Please note: The Recruitment Team will not submit the DBS application until the Right to Work checks have been completed.
You will receive an automated email advising when the DBS has been returned. Will be required to meet with the applicant and inspect the DBS certificate. You must complete the DBS (Recruiter) page on the Oleeo system.
If the DBS has been returned with Disclosures, you should speak with the applicant to establish the nature of the disclosures and seek advice from your HR Business Partner on how to proceed with the offer of employment.
Step-by-Step Guide – No Disclosures (Green Flag)
- Open the Application Summary for the applicant.
- Click on the grey ‘DBS without Disclosures’ button.
- Complete the declaration and input fields as prompted.
- Capture the Record of Employment Decision.
- Press ‘Submit’.
Step-by-Step Guide – With Disclosures (Red Flag)
- Open the Application Summary for the applicant.
- Click on the grey ‘DBS with Disclosures’ button.
- Complete the declaration and input fields as prompted.
- Capture the Record of Employment Decision.
- Capture the name of the HRBP who gave you advice on the disclosure.
- Press ‘Submit’.
The Recruiting Manager will be responsible for making the final recruitment decision.
The HR Business Partner will be responsible for capturing on Oleeo a record of the advice given to the Recruiting Manager. On the dashboard, under ‘HRBP Advice (if app)’ column a Green or Red flag will appear.
The applicant will be asked to complete a Rehabilitation of Offenders Act Self-declaration form, where they will be asked to advise whether they have any convictions, cautions, reprimands, and final warnings that are not ‘protected’.
They will also be asked to declare any pending court cases.
If the applicant has no disclosures nor pending court cases, then the dashboard will be updated, and no further actions required.
If the applicant makes a disclosure, a system generated email will be sent to the Recruiting Manager advising them of the next course of action they must undertake.
Will be required to meet with the applicant and discuss the disclosures. They must complete the ROA (Recruiter) page on the Oleeo system.
Step-by-Step Guide – Disclosures on ROA Form
- Open the Application Summary for the applicant.
- Click on the grey ‘Review Rehabilitation of Offenders Act Form’ button.
- Complete the declaration and input fields as prompted.
- Capture the name of the HRBP who gave you advice on the disclosure.
- Capture the Record of Employment Decision.
- Press ‘Submit’.
The Recruiting Manager will be responsible for making the final recruitment decision.
The HR Business Partner will be responsible for capturing on Oleeo a record of the advice given to the Recruiting Manager. On the dashboard, under ‘HRBP Advice (if app)’ column a Green or Red flag will appear.
We will only be seeking reference information from the preferred candidate once they have accepted the provisional offer letter. The applicant will be required to supply details of their referees in the Pre-employment Form.
Once the applicant has submitted their referee details, the Recruitment Team will be responsible for triggering the reference request form.
This is an automated process where the referee will receive an email notification including a link to the Reference Form. Upon submission of the form by the referee, you will receive an automated email notification advising you to check the references.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Open the Application Summary for the applicant.
- Click on the ‘Forms’ tab. Filter by typing ‘References’ to show which reference forms have been returned.
- Click on the reference form you want to open.
- Click on the grey ‘Review References’ button to open the form.
- Under the Progress Tracker on the left-hand side, select the Reference Received you want to validate (either Reference 1 or Reference 2).
- Select ‘Launch Another Form’.
- Select the corresponding Reference Response form (either 1 or 2) and press ‘Select Form’. Note: This is a soft search tool so you can start typing to narrow the list of forms. The Reference Form will open alongside the Review References form.
- Check the referee details are correct and you are satisfied with the reference response.
- Complete the declaration in the Review References form specifying whether the references are ‘Satisfactory’ or ‘Unsatisfactory’.
- Complete the remaining fields on the form.
- Press ‘Save and Continue’.
- To update the dashboard, you must Select ‘Submit’ page from the Progress Tracker on the left-hand side.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select ‘Submit’ and this will update the information on the dashboard.
- Repeat numbers 1-13 to validate the second reference.
Please note: There may be instances where the Recruitment Team have reviewed the references and may have left comments for your consideration. However, the final decision whether references are satisfactory lies with the Recruiting Manager.
Chasing References
Step-by-Step Guide
- Open the Application Summary for the applicant.
- Click on the grey ‘Review References’ button.
- From the left-hand Progress Tracker, select ‘Chasing References’ page.
- Complete the details for the reference number you want to chase up.
- Press ‘Save and Continue’.
- Press ‘Submit’.
- From the grey tabs, select Chase Reference 1 or Chase Reference 2. An email template will appear. Make sure the ‘Send to’ button is ticked.
- You can add any attachments to the email by selecting the ‘Add Local File’ button alongside Attachments.
- Select ‘Send Correspondence’.
- Repeat steps 1-8 if you want to chase a second reference.
Occupational Health will update the ‘Occupational Health Certification Form’ advising on the outcome of the occupational health assessment. This will update the Pre-Employment Check dashboard with a corresponding flag.
If the outcome of the assessment is: Not Cleared, or Not Cleared – Referred to OHA/OHP, or Did Not Attend, this will appear as a Red flag. If the outcome of the assessment is: Cleared with Adjustments or Cleared, this will appear as a Green flag. You will be required to review the outcome of the OHC consultations and, if necessary, make adjustments in line with the report provided by OHC.
Step-by-Step Guide – Red/Amber Flag
- Open the Application Summary for the applicant.
- Click on ‘Occupational Health Certification Form’.
- Review the information provided.
- If applicable, scroll to the bottom of the form to open the Medical Report uploaded by the Occupational Health Business Partner.
You should seek advice from your Occupational Health Business Partner or your HR Business Partner on the next steps.
As part of the create vacancy form, in line with the job profile, recruiting managers will be asked to specify if they require applicants to provide evidence of professional registrations.
If a check against Professional Registrations is required (SCW; EWC, etc), the Recruitment Team will check the registration details with the Registration Body and update the ‘Professional Registrations’ to confirm the applicant's registration details are valid.
The dashboard will be updated once the checks have been completed. A Green flag indicates that the professional registrations checks are satisfactory. A Red flag indicates that the professional registrations checks are unsatisfactory.
If there is a Red Flag, within the Application Summary, under Forms, you can review the Recruitment Team Prof. Reg. Validation form for an explanation of why the check is unsatisfactory.
As part of the create vacancy form, in line with the job profile, recruiting managers will be asked to specify if they require applicants to provide evidence of qualifications or certificates.
As soon as the applicant submits the Qualifications and Certificates pre-employment form, an automated email will be sent to the Recruiting Manager.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Open the Application Summary for the applicant.
- Click on the grey ‘Recruiting Manager Quals & Certs Validation’ button.
- Select ‘Launch Another Form’.
- Select or type ‘Validate Prof. Regs & Quals & Certs’ and press ‘Select Form’. The details submitted by the applicant will open alongside a validation form.
- Check the qualifications and certificates uploaded by the applicant.
- Complete the Validation Form to confirm that the documents are satisfactory/have not been provided.
- Complete the Quals & Certs Employment Decision to confirm how you wish to proceed with the offer of employment.
- Press Submit.
Once all the pre-employment checks have been completed, and reviewed by the Recruitment team, they will trigger the All Checks Complete notification to the recruiting manager. You will receive an email notification to complete the final check to satisfy yourself that all the pre-employment checks are satisfactory.
At the same time, the applicant will also receive an email notification advising them that you will be contacting them to agree a start date (or resolve any pre-employment checks queries).
The Application Summary page for the candidate will show the status as: All Checks Complete
Once you have satisfied yourself that all pre-employment checks have been completed, you can contact the applicant to agree a start date.
You will then need to complete the final forms in the recruitment process:
Commencement or Transfer Form
Step-by-Step Guide
- Open the Application Summary for the applicant.
- Click on the blue ‘Complete Commencement/Transfer Form’.
- Confirm the current employment status of the applicant:
- If your new starter is currently employed by Carmarthenshire County Council and they are transferring to a new post, Select 'Yes'. You will need to complete a Transfer Form.
- If your new starter is currently employed by Carmarthenshire County Council and this is an additional post, select 'No'. You will need to complete a Commencement Form.
- If your new starter is not currently employed by Carmarthenshire County Council, select 'No'. You will need to complete a Commencement Form
- Check the form completing any required fields (if applicable)
The Application Summary page for the candidate will show the status as: Employee Set up Information
Please note: You must download a copy of the ID photo to your system before you can submit the notification to the ID cards team.
Email to ID Card Team (if applicable)
Step-by-Step Guide
- Open the Application Summary for the applicant.
- Click on ‘Forms’ tab.
- Filter /look for: Pre-employment Form (candidate)
- Open form and scroll down to ‘Identification’. Click on document uploaded by applicant. Save the document to your directory.
- Click on ‘Email to ID Card Team’ button.
- A generic email template will appear. Within the main body of the text, please scroll down to find the section ‘Please specify here building access requirements.’ You can enter details here on which buildings your member of staff will need access to.
- At the bottom of the template, next to ‘Attachments’, click on the ‘Add Local File’. Upload the photo ID document you have saved to your directory.
- Click ‘Send Correspondence’.
- You can check in the ‘History’ tab that the email has been sent.
Complete IT Details and Move to Hired
Note: You should only click on this form after you have completed the Email to ID Cards process or if you do not require an ID card to be set up through the corporate process.
Step-by-Step Guide – Needs to be set up by IT
- Open the Application Summary for the applicant.
- Click on the green ‘Complete IT Details and Move to Hired’ button.
- If you need Carmarthenshire County Council’s IT department to set up your new employee, select ‘Yes’.
- Complete the form.
- Press ‘Submit’.
- An automated email notification will be sent to the IT department including all relevant details required.
- You can check in the ‘History’ tab that the email has been sent to IT
Step-by-Step Guide – Does not need to be set up by IT
- Open the Application Summary for the applicant.
- Click on the green ‘Complete IT Details and Move to Hired’ button.
- If you do not need Carmarthenshire County Council’s IT department to set up your new employee, select ‘No’.
- Press ‘Submit’.
An automated email will be sent to the IT Set up team.
The recruitment process has been completed. Now it’s time to turn your attention to? preparing for the arrival of your new member of staff.
Keep in touch - Starting a new job can be both exciting and daunting. Remember to keep in touch with your applicant and keep them informed of some key details for their first day:
- Where do they need to go on day one
- What time do they need to arrive by
- Who will be there to greet them
- What you have planned for their first day
- Dress code
- Lunch/Refreshments arrangements – are there kitchen facilities, shops nearby or should they bring a packed lunch, is there a tea kitty
- Parking arrangements
Get Ready - To help you get ready, please refer to the Staff Induction guidance on the intranet: Staff induction. You may also want to familiarise yourself with the relevant staff policies: HR including the Probation Policy: Probation.
Good luck!
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