Our Recruitment Process
Our Commitment to You
London Borough of Sutton aims to deliver recruitment and selection processes that are fair and transparent in accordance with employment legislation and our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
Our approach to recruitment and selection adheres to all relevant legislation including but not limited to:
- Equality Act 2010
- Immigration Act 2016 (including the Code of Practice on the English language requirement for public sector workers - s7)
- The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
- The Agency Workers Regulations 2010
- The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
As an employer and local authority, we are committed to protecting our children and vulnerable adults by having in place safer recruitment and employment processes that prevent unsuitable people from being appointed into the workforce. This will apply to everyone engaged in a role (paid or volunteer), which involves working with children, young people or vulnerable adults, who are likely to be seen by the children/vulnerable adult as a safe, responsible and trustworthy adult.
Submitting Your Application
To apply for a position, all candidates must utilise our online recruitment system. This process requires you to register by providing your basic personal details. Should you encounter any challenges during the application process, our Resourcing Team is available to offer support and guidance.
What to Include in Your Application
When filling out the application form, it is crucial to provide comprehensive information regarding your relevant experience, educational background, and qualifications. Additionally, we require a supporting statement that outlines why you believe you are an ideal candidate for the position. This statement should articulate your skills, abilities, and experiences while specifically referencing the requirements detailed in the job profile linked on the advert page. Given the competitive nature of our applicant pool, it is beneficial to demonstrate your understanding of the role, your connection to Sutton, and how your transferable skills align with our core values and behaviours.
Closing Dates
Closing dates serve as a general guideline; however, we reserve the right to close vacancies earlier than advertised once an adequate number of applications have been received. It is in your best interest to complete and submit your application promptly to avoid missing out on the opportunity.
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
We take pride in being a diverse and inclusive Borough. Our goal is to cultivate a workforce that reflects the community we serve and fosters a sense of belonging among our staff. We celebrate differences and actively seek applications from individuals of all backgrounds. In particular, we encourage applications from groups currently under-represented in our workforce, notably Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic individuals, as well as disabled candidates.
As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to rethinking the recruitment and retention of disabled individuals. We guarantee interviews for disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria for any role. This also applies to individuals who have been in care (care-experienced) and those who have served in the Armed Forces, aligning with our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant.
We are dedicated to equality and inclusivity throughout our hiring process. All personal information that could identify applicants—such as names, titles, and protected characteristics—are anonymised during shortlisting. Hiring managers assess applications based solely on the knowledge, skills, and experience presented, ensuring a fair evaluation against the job profile criteria.
Shortlisting and Selection Process
Candidates will be notified via email or telephone if they have been shortlisted for an interview. An email invitation will confirm all the necessary details regarding the interview - the date and time, duration and the interview panel members. Some interviews may require the need to complete an assessment with further details provided in the interview invitation. Our hiring managers are trained to ensure a fair, consistent, and equitable selection process.
To ensure that our recruitment process operates effectively, and to identify groups that may be underrepresented or disadvantaged in the Council, we monitor applicants' ethnic group, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion and age as part of the recruitment procedure. The information is removed from applications before shortlisting, and kept in an anonymised format solely for the purpose of delivering a fair and transparent recruitment and selection process. Analysing this data helps us to implement the necessary measures, take action to prevent discrimination, and improve equality and diversity. We aim to ensure that our shortlisting is based solely on a candidate’s skill and ability to perform the role.
The Interview
All candidates will be asked a set of questions designed to evaluate their knowledge, skills, relevant experiences, and abilities in relation to the role. To effectively prepare for your interview, it is advisable to reflect on relevant experiences you can draw upon to illustrate your responses. Utilising the STAR technique can aid in structuring your answers effectively
- Situation: Describe the context and timeframe.
- Task: Explain the responsibilities and objectives involved.
- Action: Detail the actions you took to address the situation.
- Result: Conclude with the outcomes of your actions and any lessons learned.
Applicants with disabilities who require reasonable adjustments under the Equalities Act 2010 should request these adjustments early in the application and interview process, allowing us to accommodate your needs.
Be mindful that some interviews may occur online. Should you have any questions or require support in this format, please do not hesitate to contact the Resourcing Team.
Post-Interview Process
All applicants will receive communication confirming the outcome of their interviews. If you are not selected, we will provide feedback to assist you in future applications. If deemed appointable but not selected for the role, we may retain your application details for other potential opportunities arising within six months.
Steps for Successful Applicants
If you are successful, we will extend a conditional offer and provide you with additional information to facilitate your acceptance. Subsequently, our Resourcing Team will reach out to guide you through the pre-employment checks process—which typically includes confirming your right to work in the UK, medical evaluations, reference checks, a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (depending on the role), and validation of your qualifications and professional memberships as specified in the job profile.
Improving our recruitment process
Our aim is to provide a service that is always improving and provides you, the applicant, with a positive experience – whether you’ve been successful or unsuccessful in your application. Whilst we are committed to delivering a fair recruitment and selection process into order to provide equality for opportunity for all applicants, we recognise that there are occasions where an applicant may feel aggrieved if they are not shortlisted or appointed. We welcome any feedback from you on your experience so that we can assess and improve the recruitment journey for all future applicants.
When you apply for a job with us, you will have the opportunity to provide feedback on your recruitment experience at every stage of the process. Seeking feedback from the interview panel may help you to understand the reasons for not being selected but if after receiving feedback you continue to believe that you have been unfairly treated, we encourage you to put your views in writing to recruitment@sutton.gov.uk.
When you are giving feedback, we would appreciate the following information:
- where you feel we have made a mistake or delivered an unsatisfactory service
- how we can make the process/experience better
A member of the Resourcing Team will review the feedback you have shared and endeavour to respond in a timely fashion, with a suitable outcome to any concerns raised.
