Recruitment FAQs for Hiring Managers
This page brings together frequently asked questions to support NHS Scotland hiring managers throughout the recruitment process.
It provides clear, practical answers to common queries, helping you navigate vacancy approval, Jobtrain, advertising, and recruitment processes with confidence.
If you can’t find what you need, further support is available from your local Recruitment Team.
Explore:
- Top Questions
- Roles and Responsibilities
- Planning a Vacancy
- Creating a Vacancy in Jobtrain
- Approvals and Governance
- Jobtrain Access and Support
- Advertising Vacancies
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Top Questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What do I need in place before I can advertise a vacancy? | You must have approval in place through your Board’s vacancy approval process (e.g. JAR or eRAF). You should also have key documents prepared, including a job description, person specification, and advert content. |
| How do I get approval to recruit (JAR/eRAF process)? | You need to complete your Board’s approval process, confirming the need for the post and alignment to service and workforce priorities. This usually involves submitting a business case and progressing it through the required approval route. |
| What documents do I need to create a vacancy in Jobtrain? | You will usually need a job description, person specification, advert template, and workplace hazard form. |
| How long does it take for a vacancy to be advertised? | Once approval is confirmed, the Recruitment Team will progress your advert. Timescales can vary depending on workload, so it’s best to plan and prepare early. |
| How do I access Jobtrain or get someone added to my vacancy? | Access is managed by your Recruitment Team, usually via a ServiceNow request or local process. They can also add colleagues to support shortlisting or interviewing. |
| What support does the Recruitment Team provide during the process? | Your local Recruitment Team will support you throughout all stages of recruitment, including approval, advertising, and appointments, helping ensure the process runs smoothly. |
| How do I progress approvals if someone hasn’t responded? | You can resend the approval request within Jobtrain or follow up locally to avoid delays. |
| When can I make an offer to a candidate? | You can make a conditional offer once interview decisions are finalised and all required documentation is complete. The Recruitment Team will then progress the next steps. |
| What pre-employment checks are required before appointing someone? | Checks must be completed before confirming an appointment, including identity and right-to-work verification in line with NHS Scotland policy. |
| Where can I find guidance for each stage of the recruitment process? | Guidance, templates, and step-by-step support are available through recruitment hubs, Hiring Manager guides, and Jobtrain SOPs. |
Roles and Responsibilities
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who is responsible for each stage of the recruitment process? | Responsibility is shared between hiring managers and recruitment teams. Hiring managers lead on defining roles, shortlisting and interview decisions, while recruitment teams support with systems, compliance and employment checks. Clear role allocation at the start helps avoid delays. |
| What is expected of me as a hiring manager? | You are responsible for defining the role, participating in selection decisions, and ensuring recruitment is fair, consistent and based on the person specification. |
| What is the role of the recruitment team? | Recruitment teams provide operational support, manage Jobtrain, coordinate pre-employment checks and ensure compliance with NHS Scotland policies and standards. |
Planning a Vacancy
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What do I need before submitting a vacancy? | You need a complete job description, person specification, advert, approval to recruit and identified interview panel. Incomplete information can delay the process. |
| Why are recruitment delays common at the start? | Delays are often caused by incomplete vacancy details, unclear approvals or uncertainty about responsibilities between teams. |
| How can I improve the quality of my vacancy? | Use national templates and ensure your job description and advert clearly reflect the role requirements. High-quality vacancy information leads to better applications and faster recruitment. |
| Do I need training before recruiting? | In some Boards, you may be required to complete recruitment training or have Jobtrain access set up before leading recruitment activity. |
Creating a Vacancy in Jobtrain
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What do I need to prepare before creating a vacancy in Jobtrain? | You should have a completed job description, person specification, advert text, panel details and confirmation that the post is approved before entering it into Jobtrain. |
| Why is it important to provide complete vacancy information? | Incomplete or unclear vacancy information is one of the most common causes of delays. Providing accurate, complete details ensures the vacancy can be processed and advertised without issues. |
| What should I include in a job advert? | Your advert should clearly describe the role, responsibilities, essential criteria and key information about the post. It should align with the job description and person specification. |
| How can I ensure my vacancy attracts the right candidates? | Use clear, concise language, ensure alignment with the role requirements, and follow national guidance or templates where available. |
| Are there templates or guidance available? | Yes—national templates, local guidance and the Hiring Managers Centre provide support to help you develop consistent and effective vacancy content. |
Approvals and Governance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What approvals are required before advertising a vacancy? | Vacancies must be approved in line with local Board processes (e.g. workforce approvals, finance approval, vacancy control processes) before they can be advertised. |
| Why do approval processes vary across Boards? | While national policies apply, local governance and approval routes differ between Health Boards, which can affect timelines. |
| What policies govern recruitment decisions? | Recruitment is guided by NHS Scotland Workforce Policies, the Staff Governance Standard and relevant employment legislation. |
| What is my responsibility in relation to governance? | As a hiring manager, you must ensure recruitment decisions are fair, transparent, evidence-based and compliant with national and local policies. |
| What happens if governance steps are missed? | Missing approvals or governance steps can delay recruitment or require the process to be paused or repeated. |
Jobtrain Access and Support
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How do I get access to Jobtrain? | Access is typically arranged through your local recruitment team or HR service. Some Boards require setup steps or training before access is granted. |
| Who do I contact if I cannot access Jobtrain? | You should contact your local recruitment team or IT support service for access issues. |
| Who supports me in using Jobtrain? | Recruitment teams provide guidance on how to use Jobtrain for recruitment processes, while technical issues may be handled by the Jobtrain helpdesk. |
| Why is Jobtrain seen as challenging? | Feedback highlights that usability and accessibility can be difficult for some users. Support from recruitment teams and guidance resources can help address this. |
| Are Jobtrain processes the same across all Boards? | The platform is national, but local workflows and responsibilities may vary slightly between Boards. |
Advertising Vacancies
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where are vacancies advertised? | Vacancies are advertised on the national NHS Scotland Jobtrain site, with additional internal or external channels used where appropriate. |
| Can vacancies be advertised internally first? | Yes—depending on local policy, vacancies may be advertised internally before external publication. |
| Why might a vacancy be delayed in advertising? | Delays can occur due to incomplete vacancy submissions, pending approvals or unclear information. |
| Can a vacancy be re-advertised? | Yes—if no suitable candidates are identified, the vacancy can be reviewed and re-advertised. |
| What is my role once the vacancy is advertised? | You should be ready to begin shortlisting once the advert closes and ensure availability for subsequent stages of the process. |
Managing the Recruitment Process
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who is responsible for managing recruitment once a vacancy is live? | Responsibility is shared—hiring managers lead shortlisting and selection decisions, while recruitment teams support coordination and compliance. |
| How should I shortlist candidates? | Candidates should be assessed consistently against the person specification using a structured and documented approach. |
| How do I ensure recruitment is fair and consistent? | Apply the same criteria to all candidates, use structured scoring and ensure decisions are based on evidence from the application and interview. |
| Can I provide additional information or guidance to candidates? | No—only information available to all candidates should be shared to ensure fairness and transparency. |
| How should I communicate with candidates? | Communication is usually managed through Jobtrain and recruitment teams to ensure consistency and appropriate record-keeping. |
| What are the most common challenges during this stage? | Common challenges include unclear roles between teams, inconsistent processes and delays caused by incomplete information or availability of panel members. |
Offers and Pre-employment Checks
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What happens once a preferred candidate is identified? | The preferred candidate is issued a conditional (provisional) offer, subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks. |
| What checks are required before confirming an appointment? | Checks may include identity verification, right to work, references, PVG/disclosure checks, occupational health clearance and professional registration. |
| Who is responsible for employment checks? | Recruitment teams typically coordinate checks, with hiring managers responsible for reviewing outcomes and supporting decision-making where required. |
| Can a candidate start before checks are complete? | No—the appointment should only be confirmed once all required checks have been completed and assessed. |
| What can delay the offer stage? | Delays are often due to incomplete documentation, delays in receiving references or outcomes of PVG/occupational health checks. |
| What is my role at this stage? | You may need to support decision-making based on check outcomes and ensure readiness for onboarding once checks are complete. |
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