Guidance notes on completing your application

Our process

• Please take some time to read these guidance notes, and the job description
and key skills document and consider whether you have the relevant skills
and abilities for the role.

• Your application is the only means we have of judging your capability and
potential, so please complete it carefully as you will not be able to make any
changes to it once it has been sent.

• Our standard shortlisting process is anonymous so the information you

provide in sections one to five and section 13 will not be given to the
shortlisters. The information you provide in sections six to 12 will be used for
shortlisting. It helps us to assess whether you meet the criteria set out in the
key skills document.

• If you have any specific questions about the completion of your application;
adjustments to the recruitment process; or you require the application form in
an alternative format, please contact HR on 0161 923 6273.

• For a small number of vacancies, you may be asked to upload a CV and a

covering letter in a Word or PDF format as well as completing sections one to
five and the declaration and data protection section of our standard
application form. Where we have asked for an application form to be
completed and a CV and covering letter is received by email or post, your
application will not be considered further.

Your right to work in the UK - information for all candidates

• The Immigration, Nationality and Asylum Act 2006, makes it a criminal offence
for the GMC to appoint a new member of staff whose immigration status
prevents them from taking up a post.

• Only applicants who have the right to work in the UK or a valid UK work
permit will be considered for a role. If you currently hold a work permit, you
should provide details and the expiry date in the Personal Details section of
the application form.
 • All candidates who are invited to attend a final stage interview will be asked to
bring documentation to support their right to work in the UK.

• Any offer of employment is conditional on the appropriate documentation to

support your right to work in the UK being provided to the GMC before
employment commences.

• If you are unable to provide this documentation within our required timescales,
an offer of employment will be withdrawn.

Adjustments for candidates with a disability

• The GMC is fully committed to making the recruitment process and the work
environment accessible. We can provide application forms in an alternative
format and adjust the recruitment process to meet your needs. Typical
adjustments include an induction loop, someone with you at the interview or
additional time for tests. Initial advice on access issues is available by
emailing [email protected], contacting us on 0161 923 6273 or
providing details in this section of the application form.

• If you have specific access requirements, please provide details at the earliest
possible stage.

• We can also appoint a named member of the recruitment team to liaise with
you personally to ensure that suitable adjustments are in place for you.

References

• Provide referee details of all your employers during the last three years. Your
first reference should be your current or most recent employer. If you have no
previous employment referees, you should provide details of a tutor if you
were in education or character references.

• We require at least two references for you, therefore if you have only had one
employer in the last three years please also provide the details of another
employer, an educational referee or someone we can approach for a
character reference (this must be someone you have known for at least three
years who is not a relative).

• You will only be able to record three references. Therefore, if you have
worked with more than three employers in the last three years then please
indicate your most recent employers. Where necessary we obtain the
additional referee details if you are offered a job.

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 • References from previous employers must be directly from that company or
organisation. If your referee is no longer working at the organisation, we will
need to take up a supplementary reference from the HR department .

• Referees will only be contacted with your permission when you are offered a
job.

• Any offer of employment is conditional on the receipt of satisfactory

references and employment cannot usually commence without confirmed
satisfactory references.

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

• The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 enables some criminal convictions

to become ‘spent’ once a defined period of time has elapsed. After the period
of time, with certain exceptions, an ex-offender is not normally obliged to
disclose their conviction when applying for a job.

• We ask you to disclose your unspent convictions. This enables us to make

informed decisions as to the relevance of the conviction to the post. The
information will be treated in the strictest confidence and will be kept
confidential and on a ‘need-to-know’ basis. If an offence is deemed to be
relevant to the post applied for, your application will not be taken forward.

Valuing Diversity: Equal Opportunities Monitoring

• The GMC values diversity and has made a public commitment to processes
and procedures that are fair, transparent and free from discrimination. All staff
are selected solely on merit. To ensure we are treating candidates fairly, we
monitor all stages of the recruitment process.

• The information you provide enables us to check how closely the number of
people who apply to us for jobs, or who get jobs with us, match up to the local
population and whether we are advertising in publications that enable us to
attract a diverse pool of candidates. This allows us to ensure that our
recruitment processes are fair and open to everyone.

• The information that you provide in this section will be used for monitoring the
effectiveness of the GMC Diversity and Dignity at Work Policy and will not be
used for any other purpose.

• For the purpose of this form, ‘ethnic origin’ is understood as any group defined
by race, colour, culture and ethnic or national origins.

• If you do not wish to disclose details relating to your gender; religion or belief;
or sexual orientation, please tick ‘prefer not to say’ on the form.

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 • Under the terms of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, a person has a
disability if he/she has a physical or mental impairment which has a
substantial or long-term adverse effect on his/her ability to carry out normal
day to day activities.

Employment, education, training, membership of professional organisations and

other relevant work

• Please provide details of all your current and previous jobs starting with the
most recent. You should give brief details of the organisation, your position,
your main responsibilities and your reason for leaving. You only need to give
details of your salary for your current or most recent job.

• If you do not have any previous employers please state ‘No previous jobs’ in
the employer field.

• Provide full details of any educational, work-related or vocational qualifications

you have obtained or are currently pursuing together with your grades or your
predicted grades.

• Provide full details of any work-related course you have attended.

• Provide full details of your membership to any professional organisations

(such as the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants).

• Provide full details of any other relevant work you may have undertaken, for
example, voluntary, unpaid or community work that you feel is relevant to your
application.

Reason for application

• Your response will enable us to assess your motivation for applying for the
role. The question on the online form is restricted to approximately 300 words
(no more than 1750 characters).

Demonstrate skills

• It is essential that you complete this section of the application form. It will
enable us to assess whether you have the relevant skills, experience and
abilities for the role.

• You should demonstrate how you meet each of the skills set out in the key
skills document by providing concise and specific examples of what you have
done.

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 • You should refer to any relevant skills, knowledge or experience you have
acquired, for example, during paid employment, work experience, studying or
training; participating in social activities; organising sports and other activities;
or during community and voluntary work.

• You are restricted to respond to each key skill in approximately 300 words (no
more than 1750 characters).

• You should respond to each key skill in the order that they are detailed on the
Key Skills document and ensure that you provide examples for each point
listed under the headings.

• Avoid generic statements such as ‘I am a good at working as part of a team’.

We need specific evidence and examples to demonstrate this.

• If you do not provide sufficient evidence to show that you meet all the
requirements, supported by relevant examples, you may not be included in
the final shortlist for interview.

Declaration and Data Protection

• Any inaccurate information you provide may lead to your application not being
considered, or an offer of employment being withdrawn. If we subsequently
become aware that your application was inaccurate you may be dismissed.

• Any data provided by you will be held securely with access restricted to those
involved in dealing with your application and in the recruitment and selection
process. Data will be used for employment monitoring purposes and all
personal data will be anonymised.

• It is important that you read the declarations carefully before ticking the two
boxes. We will be unable to process your application unless we can use the
information you have provided in the ways described above and to confirm
that the information provided is complete and correct.

• If you are unsuccessful, your application will be destroyed after 12 months

from the date the campaign goes live. If you are successful, your application
form will be used as part of your HR record.

July 2009