NHS EMPLOYERS Values Based Recruitment Interviews:

Example Pre-reading Material

October 2014

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Values-Based Recruitment Interviews – Train the Trainer Package

The following pre-reading material contains an overview of best practice assessment and selection principles. The material is designed to refresh existing knowledge in this area and is provided in advance of the training session for your preparation. Please ensure you read the pre-reading material in advance of the VBI training as the content will not be covered in depth as part of the session.

BackgroundNHS Employers is working in partnership with Health Education England (HEE) on the Values Based Recruitment (VBR) programme. There has been an increased focus on values in the NHS since publication of the Francis report following the 2013 Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry. This report highlighted the critical role that the workforce plays in ensuring the provision of high quality and safe healthcare services and, in particular, the significance of staff values and behaviours on the level of care and patient experience. HEE started the VBR programme to better support NHS organisations. The VBR programme is a core objective in the HEE Mandate (April 2013 to March 2015) and will ensure that selection into all new NHS funded training posts incorporates testing for values during recruitment by March 2015.As part of one of the three core work streams of the VBR programme, NHS Employers has been commissioned by HEE to ensure that employers in the NHS have access to relevant training to incorporate values into their interviewing and assessment processes. By recruiting employees and student in line with NHS values (as outlined in the NHS Constitution), organisations can find the right person, with the right values and expected behaviours, and ensure patients receive the best possible care.

What is Values Based Recruitment?HEE has provided a definition of VBR, which reflects the scope of the programme rather than the broader definition of values based employment:

Definition: Values Based Recruitment is an approach which attracts and selects students, trainees or employees on the basis that their individual values and behaviours align with the values of the NHS Constitution.

Purpose: The purpose of Values Based Recruitment is to ensure that the future and current NHS Workforce is selected against the values of the NHS Constitution so that we have the right workforce not only with the right skills and in the right numbers, but with the right values to support effective team working in delivering excellent patient care and experience.

Delivery: Values Based Recruitment can be delivered in a number of ways: through pre-screening assessments, to values based interviewing techniques and role play, to written responses to scenarios and assessment centre approaches.

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There are a number of key drivers which underpin the need to ensure recruitment processes are developed so individuals are assessed on how their values align to those of the NHS organisation, as well as their technical skills and competence. – The 2013 Francis Report emphasised the need for “…changes in attitudes,

culture, values and behaviour.” (Francis, 2013). The report highlighted the critical role that the workforce plays in ensuring the provision of high quality and safe healthcare services and, in particular, the significance of staff values and behaviours on the level of care and patient experience.

– VBR has been identified as a means to supporting the delivery of high quality and safe patient care, consistently, across professional, institutional and geographical boundaries. In addition, such practices will support the effective team working required to enable the delivery of excellent patient care.

– Research evidence identifies benefits for both the individual and organisation in achieving values alignment, including increased employee satisfaction and improved retention.

Training Materials:– Read through the following documents and links which will be referred to during

the training session:1. HEE National VBR framework which outlines the core requirements around

values based recruitment and provides background context for the values based interview training. The training will focus around the core requirements (page 7), the values set out in the NHS Constitution (page 21) and evidence base (pages 51, 65) and values based interviews (page 89-90).

2. View the Values Based Recruitment evidence base HEE web page which has links to the literature review and a summary of VBR activity in HEIs. There is also more information in the next section around VBR evidence.

3. If possible, view these videos which summarise the values in the NHS Constitution

4. View the NHS Employers Values Mapping Tool, a quick and easy tool to map local values against those in the NHS Constitution. View this example of how the values in the NHS Constitution can be easily linked to the 6C’s

VBI Training Objectives:The VBI training specifically aims to:

– Create opportunities for learning, sharing knowledge and discussing experiences in relation to VBR.

– Enhance existing interview skills by refreshing and clarifying knowledge of assessment best practice.

– Summarise the VBR evidence base, including information about VBR methodology, drawing on a recent review of the research literature (further details of this can be found XXX).

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– Increase understanding of VBI techniques, including VBI interviewer skills and effective evaluation of candidate performance.

– Provide opportunities for interaction, participation and feedback, to ensure a more experiential learning environment and to facilitate peer support.

– Consider how VBI techniques are implemented in our organisation.

Best Practice Selection and Assessment Principles

In order to ensure assessors are equipped to make effective selection decisions, there are a number of assessment principles to consider. The following material is designed merely to ‘refresh knowledge’, in recognition that delegates attending the workshop will be experienced in recruitment, assessment and selection activities.

Best Practice SelectionThe delivery of effective selection and recruitment practices is based on the following principles:- Standardisation - All applicants should experience the same process and leave

having experienced a similar assessment (in terms of its delivery and execution; individual performance will differ). Standardisation of assessment processes ensures applicants are assessed using the same methods, against the same criteria and standardised assessment documentation.

- Fairness and defensibility – Clearly defined selection criteria should be developed to ensure defensibility.

Defensibility of the process is also linked to the consistency of delivery. To ensure consistency, formally trained assessors who are aware of best practice principles and skilled in a range of assessment techniques should be used in the selection processes. To ensure relevance and effectiveness of skills, assessor training should be regularly refreshed.

- Reliability and validity – The reliability and validity of selection systems can be enhanced by the implementation of different assessments by multiple trained assessors.

Standardised scoring systems and rigorous, ongoing evaluation and validation of selection processes are required to determine the reliability of the process and effectiveness in selecting the right applicants for roles.

For a visual representation of a best practice approach to selection system design see figure 1 on the next page.

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Figure 1: Best Practice Selection System design (Source: Work Psychology Group)

Best Practice AssessmentThe delivery of effective selection and recruitment practices is based on the following principles:‘FORCE’

F – FamiliariseO – ObserveR – RecordC – ClassifyE – Evaluate

F – Familiarise:– It is important to ensure that you are familiar with the assessment materials to

be used as well.– Ensure you are aware of what is being assessed and the criteria you will be using

to evaluate and score exercises. These should be standardised exercises designed based on role analysis.

– Ensure you are aware of the requirements, in relation to feedback, and familiarise yourself with the format.

– When using assessment centres, be aware that not all competencies/values may be assessed by every exercise, ensure you are clear on the focus of specific exercises. This is not to say that an applicant won't demonstrate behaviours which could be classified within other competencies, but other exercises will be able to better assess those other competencies.

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O – Observe: – The key skill in observing is not to make judgements, but to be aware of what the

applicant is saying or doing.R – Record: – Make written notes of the applicant's behaviour during the selection process. An

observation/recording sheet should be used.– Audio recordings may also be used to assist with recall of information. Applicants

should be informed if this is the case and their consent obtained prior to commencement of exercises.

– Factual information is transparent and easier to classify than subjective judgements. This helps scoring and is also more useful when discussing the applicant's response to justify the score. When recording behaviour you should try to use the following guidelines:

o Non-judgemental records: Records should be non-biased accounts of what actually happened. They should not reflect any personal feelings you had with regards to what was said by the applicant. Record details of what was actually said and avoid using words like ‘good’, ‘poor’ and ‘appropriate’ which reflect judgements.

o Accurate recording: Record all the relevant information during the exercise and do not leave the writing up until afterwards as information may become distorted.

o Complete recording: Your records should be as complete an account as possible in the time allowed. This will provide an overall picture of what the applicant said and when, which will allow you to judge the comments of applicants in context.

o Language and movement: Record actions as well as words where appropriate, but be descriptive rather than judgemental e.g. "maintained eye contact", rather than "good eye contact".

o Specific records: Recorded statements should be specific and describe what took place or was said, e.g. "applicant asked the role-player what else they could do to help" is more specific and accurate than "applicant was helpful to the role-player".

C – Classify: – Evidence of the required competency/value (or competencies/values) should be

identified. These can be found by looking at applicant's behaviours or assessor comments from the exercise.

E – Evaluate: – The evidence identified in the response now needs to be evaluated. Look at the

scoring indicators to decide on the quality of the evidence relevant to each competency/value.

Assessment bias5

Research into selection and assessment techniques has identified a number of common pitfalls which may influence the objectivity of an assessor. Some common sources of assessment error or bias are outlined below.

– Discrimination: Most of us hold some stereotypes which can be powerful barriers to accurate observation. Recognising your personal stereotypes can be useful in helping you overcome prejudice.

– 'Halo’ effect: The first impressions we make of people influence how we see them thereafter. Halo effects occur when a person makes a positive first impression which then colours everything they say or do.

– ‘Horns’ effect: Negative first impressions created in the first instance could have a lasting effect on later observations. We must aim to be fair and unbiased when observing and recording behaviour.

– 'Red rags': Our prejudices must not influence the way we observe and record applicants' responses. To ensure objectivity, make a point of recording the behaviour as it actually happened and not how you interpret it. If an applicant uses a word, or has a habit, which to you is like a 'red rag to a bull' (i.e. something that causes you annoyance), do not become irritated and stop listening.

– Attribution effects: Sometimes we attribute 'inappropriate' behaviour in a person to an inherent part of their personality (whilst we see the same behaviour in ourselves as being due to circumstances or the situation). Be aware of this.

– Primacy and recency effects: Another human tendency in social encounters is to remember the behaviour or comments from either the beginning or the end of the encounter. Similarly, we may remember applicants from the start or end of the day rather than the middle. Don't neglect the middle part and ensure that you base your assessment on observations recorded from the whole of the exercise.

– Concentration: It is extremely difficult to concentrate on something for more than 10 minutes without concentration starting to wane. Be aware of this issue as you might unintentionally miss important information.

Assessor SkillsBuilding rapport: This is important for building trust and helps put applicants at ease.

– Effective building of rapport with applicants is likely to make them feel more relaxed, in turn ensuring you are able to get the best out of them in terms of assessment performance, thus enhancing fairness in the process.

– Relaxed candidates are also more likely to ‘be themselves’ and demonstrate a more realistic presentation of themselves. This ensures that you as an assessor, are given insight into the ‘true applicant’.

– To build rapport with applicants, consider common courtesies; welcome applicants to assessment processes or exercises in a friendly manner and provide proper introductions. It is helpful to consider displaying empathy and tact where necessary.

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Questioning techniques: Particularly relevant to interviews, assessors should be skilled in using a range of questioning techniques to elicit evidence from applicants.

– In an interview setting, standardised interview questions should be used for all applicants.

– Make use of an open questioning style to encourage applicants to speak more freely and with detail. Closed questions will receive closed responses (i.e. yes/no) and will not allow full exploration of an applicant’s responses.

– Use probing questions to extract further detail in relation to vague statements or to uncover an applicant’s personal contribution e.g. ‘What was your specific role?’; ‘Can you tell me more…?’

See figure 2 which show a visual representation of questioning techniques, which can be used to extract detail at three levels: 1. Facts, 2. Meaning and 3. Attitudes or values.

Figure 2: Questioning techniques to Extract Information on Three Levels (Source: Work Psychology Group)

– Be aware of attempts to evade questions and uncomfortable body language in response to some questions. It may be useful to probe tactfully in these instances whilst also being aware of not putting an applicant under undue pressure. If a question is not answered after initial probing, move on – there may be time to revisit it at the end of an interview.

– Managing silences: This is an important skill, particularly in interviews. Be aware of personality differences which may result in some applicants taking longer to respond to questions as they ‘reflect and consider’ their response before talking. Be aware of when silence is a result of an applicant becoming

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‘stuck’ or unsure of how to proceed; you may need to ask an open question to re-engage or summarise the last points discussed.

– Be attentive and aware of concentration effects.Active listening: A communication technique which requires the listener to feedback what they hear to the speaker by re-stating or paraphrasing what they have heard in their own words. This enables them to confirm what they have heard and ensures the understanding of both parties.

– Don’t be afraid to ask applicants to repeat or clarify what they have said.– Be attentive and aware of concentration effects.

Body language: To assist with building rapport and generating the sense of a ‘safe’ assessment environment, it is important that assessors demonstrate open, not closed body language.

– Ensure there is alignment between what you say and the way you say it.– Demonstrate a relaxed posture, leaning forward to increase rapport. – Maintain eye contact with applicants when they are engaged with you.

Published August 2014. Updated September 2014. © NHS Employers 2014. This document may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission.The NHS Confederation (Employers) Company Ltd. Registered in England.Company limited by guarantee: number 5252407

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