Improvements to our recruitment process
28 Sep 2022
Making recruitment easier and more efficient
We’re making improvements to our recruitment system, to help make our whole recruitment process quicker, easier and more efficient.
Jobtrain is the system we currently use to track vacancies and progress candidates through the application process. At the moment the recruitment process relies on a paper PCM and manual input from colleagues in People and OD, which we know can make recruitment processes time-consuming and confusing.
By automating more of these processes we will shorten the recruitment timeline, make it easier to shortlist candidates and administer their interviews, and be able to provide automatic offer letters and pre-employment information to candidates before they join us.
Timeline for these changes
These system improvements will roll out in two stages:
1. November 2022: Online vacancy request and approval
Managers will be able to set up and advertise new or replacement posts using an online process - creating a vacancy directly on Jobtrain and submitting this digitally to their agreed approvers. This will replace our current process, where managers complete section 1 of our Vacancy Approval PCM form and this is submitted manually by email to People & OD.
- Note that managers wanting to make a post funding change, extend a fixed-term contract or make a change to an existing contract will continue using the appropriate section of the PCM form as previously.
2. Spring 2023: Online end-to-end vacancy management
Further functionality will go live in Jobtrain – managers will be able to shortlist, interview, offer and provide pre-employment support to successful candidates all within one system.
A small number of early adopter teams will pilot the online vacancy approvals in October. These teams are within Professional Services, People & OD and the Strategic Change Office, and in the Faculty of Humanities within Faculty Office, School of Arts, Language & Cultures (SALC) and School of Environment, Education & Development (SEED). Further details will be provided directly to these groups.
What this means for you
We’ll directly contact managers about these changes as they roll out. To ensure they understand and know how to use the new system, there will be webinars and briefings, training guides, e-learning modules and drop-in briefings.
We’re also inviting you and your teams to take part in a series of focus groups, to understand what improvements in the recruitment system would help you in your role. If you or someone from your team would like to take part, please contact Jane Burrows (P&OD Transformation Manager) at jane.burrows@manchester.ac.uk.
Making improvements to Jobtrain links directly to our new People and OD Strategy, which will be launched in October.
I do hope you find this system improvement beneficial to you and your colleagues.
Tracy Pinner, Head of P&OD Transformation & Operations