Recruitment and Selection Policy

Date: February 2023

Overview

• Skills House believes that hiring qualified personnel to fill positions in the different departments contributes to the company’s overall success. Each employee is therefore hired with the objective of making a significant contribution to Skills House.

Scope

• This recruitment and selection policy applies to all employees who are involved in hiring for our company. It refers to all potential job candidates.

Statement and Purpose of the Policy

• Skills House (the Employer, we or our) is committed to equal opportunities for all internal and external applicants (Applicants).
• It is our policy that all employment decisions are based on merit and the legitimate business needs of the organization. The Employer does not discriminate on the basis of race, color or nationality, ethnic or national origins, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, disability, religion or belief, age or any other ground on which it is or becomes unlawful to discriminate.
• Our intention is to ensure that we recruit the most appropriate Applicants in a fair and consistent manner, which is free from discrimination.
• This policy is intended to help the Employer achieve its diversity and anti-discrimination aims by clarifying the responsibilities and duties of all staff in respect of equal opportunities and discrimination during the recruitment and selection process.
• This is a statement of policy only and we may, therefore, amend it at any time, at our absolute discretion.

Who is Responsible for Equal Opportunities?

• Achieving an equal opportunities workplace is a collective task shared between the Employer and all its staff. This policy and the rules contained in it, therefore, apply to all staff of the Employer irrespective of seniority, tenure and working hours, including all employees, directors and officers, consultants and contractors, casual or agency staff, trainees, homeworkers and fixed-term staff and any volunteers or interns (Staff).
• The hiring managers have overall responsibility for this policy and for equal opportunities and discrimination law compliance in the workplace and the Human Resources (HR) department has been appointed with day-to-day operational responsibility for these matters.
• All Staffs have personal responsibilities to ensure compliance with this policy, to treat colleagues with dignity at all times and not to discriminate against or harass other members of Staff, Applicants, visitors, clients, customers, suppliers and former staff members. In addition, Staff who take part in recruitment and selection (the Hiring Managers) have special responsibility for leading by example and ensuring compliance.
• It is the responsibility of Hiring Managers, HR, and any staff involved in the process to ensure that they are familiar with the recruitment procedures and policies, and that they follow them accordingly.

Advertisements

• Hiring Managers need to ensure that all vacancies are advertised to a diverse audience and try to avoid informal recruitment methods that exclude fair competition. In very rare cases, it may be legitimate and necessary to restrict recruitment to a particular role to certain groups, but it is essential that this is discussed with HR so that appropriate steps can be taken to ensure legality. All vacancies advertised must set out:
  • the job title;
  • job description;
  • any significant benefits that come with the position;
  • the minimum qualifications required for the position (if any);
  • the particular skills and/or experience required for the position (if any);
  • any atypical features of the position (e.g., that it is part-time, fixed-term or requires frequent travel); 
  • the last date to submit applications; and
  • how to apply.
• All advertisements will make it clear that the vacancy is open to all suitable Applicants including foreign, regardless of an Applicant’s Protected Characteristic (includes race, color or nationality, ethnic or national origins, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, disability, religion or belief, age or any other ground). Hiring Managers review job advertisements carefully to ensure that stereotyping is avoided and that particular groups are not unjustifiably discouraged from applying.
• All the new available vacancies will be announced on the website and social media accounts (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) of Skills House. 

Applications, Selection and Decisions

• All applications will be acknowledged within 15-20 working days.
• The Employer’s application forms will contain only questions relevant to the selection process, to help Hiring Managers and HR decide whether an Applicant should proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.
• At each stage of the recruitment process, Applicants will be informed about:
• when they can expect to hear about the progress of their application; and
• what the next stage will involve.
• All decisions regarding an application, including:
• rejecting the application;
• progressing the application to the next stage; or 
• offering an Applicant the position;

must be approved by the HR or Hiring Managers before they are communicated to an Applicant.

Selection Testing

• Selection testing may only be used with the permission of the HR where it has been confirmed that the selection test: 
  • is free from any discriminatory element; and
  • assesses only objective requirements that are necessary for the position.
• Records of any selection testing undertaken will be retained for one year after the selection testing.

Interviewing

• Before conducting an interview, Hiring Managers and HR will:
  • identify the objective requirements of the position; and
  • identify the objective criteria they will use to select Applicants for the position. These recruitment criteria need to be relevant to the job, reflect genuine business needs and are proportionate.
• The interview will be conducted in the following way:
  • the Hiring Manager will conduct the interview in the presence of a member of the HR or other colleagues who, where appropriate, will take notes or jointly conduct the interview.
  • the questions asked will be relevant to the pre-defined criteria for the position.
  • no questions will be asked about an Applicant’s health or disability before a job offer is made (other than in exceptional circumstances and after having been approved by HR). If necessary, a job offer can be expressed to be conditional upon satisfactorily passing a medical check or a criminal.
  • no questions will be asked about an Applicant’s Protected Characteristic, as this may demonstrate an intention to discriminate. For example, Applicants will not be asked about a current or future pregnancy, childcare or related matters.
  • no assumptions will be made about an Applicant based on Protected Characteristics. For example, assumptions about an Applicant’s immigration status based on appearance, accent or apparent nationality.
  • no questions about an Applicant’s personal circumstances will be asked.
• Records of the interview (including questions asked, answers given and any interview notes) will be retained for one year after the interview.

Medical and Criminal Check

• Skills House will ask the Applicant after they are selected for a particular position for an official security clearance that is authorized by the Kurdistan Region Government or Federal Government of Iraq which states that the individual has no criminal issues. The same thing applies to foreign Applicants. Therefore, a Conditional offer will be sent to the selected Applicant for a particular position until they provide Skills House with an official security clearance. 
• For some positions, Skills House may ask the Applicant to provide us with a medical check report as well. 

Complaint

• Any complaints relating to discrimination in the recruitment and selection process should be made directly to HR.
• Complaints from Applicants will be reviewed and investigated by HR and, where appropriate, the legal department, and responded to within 30 days.
• Anyone found to have committed any acts of discrimination during the recruitment and selection process will be subject to disciplinary action.
• All the complaints can be sent to the following email address: [email protected]. 

Review

• HR keeps this policy under review and reviews it at least once per year, to ensure Applicants are being treated fairly and according to ability and merit.
• The Employer encourages Staff to comment on this policy and suggest ways in which it might be improved or ask any questions if they are unsure about any part of this policy or how it is applied by contacting us at [email protected].