We want our candidates to have a positive experience of our recruitment process.  Here’s what you can expect at each stage as you move from browsing our jobs and applying, through to starting your new career as part of Team Hft.

Click on the stages below to find out a little more about what will happen at each stage of the process we follow for recruiting support worker related roles, including senior support workers. 

And if you have any questions then please don’t hesitate to contact us at jobs@hft.org.uk and we’ll do our best to help you.

We list all of our vacancies on the Hft website. Once you have found the role that you feel is right for you, simply click the ‘apply for job’ button. We’ll need you to enter some basic personal details to set up an account, answer a few questions about your reasons for applying and upload a CV. We’ll then send you email confirmation that this stage of the application form has been received, so you can be confident that your application is being processed.
We aim to review your application within 48 hours (excluding weekends) and let you know if you have been shortlisted for a telephone pre-screen interview. This is simply a short telephone call to check that you’re right for the role, and that the role is right for you! It’s also your opportunity to ask any questions you may have.
After the telephone pre-screening, we’ll need you to provide some extra information that we are required to obtain by the CQC (our regulatory body). You’ll need to provide a full ten year education/work history including reasons for leaving roles, complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) statement (note that having a criminal record may not bar you from employment) and provide details of suitable referees. We will send you confirmation that this stage of the application form has been received.
Due to the current pandemic, interviews are being held by video link (Skype, Microsoft Teams). Your interview will take place with the hiring manager and will last around 45 minutes. This is an opportunity to further explore your suitability for the role and another chance for you to find out more about us. You will be asked a series of values based questions and we’ll ask you to undertake short literacy and numeracy assessments. You will need to show your ID documents and any relevant qualification certificates.
If you are successful at interview you will be made a verbal job offer, followed up by a written conditional offer letter of employment which you will be able to access via your candidate portal. This will outline the details of the role offered and all the pre-employment checks we are required to complete.
We’ll need you to accept the role via your candidate portal so that we can start the pre-employment checks and approach your referees. We’ll send instructions on how to complete this in your conditional offer. We aim to get candidates clear from pre-employment checks and ready to join us within ten working days, though there can be occasions when this could be slightly longer depending on some of the checks. Promptly responding to any queries we may have during these checks will help us clear your file quickly.
You will receive notification through your candidate portal when we have satisfactorily completed all the checks outlined in your conditional offer. You will need to inform your local service office when you have received your DBS certificate.
Your local service's admin office will have been informed when your pre-employment checks have been completed and they'll be in contact with you within 24 hours to arrange a start date, providing your DBS has been returned. Your full contract of employment/relief agreement will be processed once a start date has been arranged… and then you’ll officially be part of Team Hft!

Next steps