NHS overhauls graduate management recruitment process in drive for greater efficiency

* Introduction of situational judgement and motivational trait tests
* New tools used to make process more robust
* Future NHS leaders required to demonstrate self-motivation

Europeís biggest employer has launched an innovative graduate assessment process in a bid to save hours of senior managersí time. The NHS is confident the new process, which also assesses motivation, will better identify future leaders and make the process even fairer.

A popular choice for graduates, the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme attracts over 6,000 applications every year. The scheme is open to post- graduate and mature students and those already working in the NHS. The NHS looked to occupational psychologists Pearn Kandola to make the process less time consuming for senior managers. The previous method relied on application forms, interviews and group exercises, in addition to ability tests, to identify candidates who should be invited to a final assessment centre.

This process was heavily labour intensive, with senior managers required to spend time manually filtering applications to obtain around 1,000 candidates. The new assessment process utilises cutting edge recruitment technology - candidates are now required to complete online situational judgement and motivational trait tests. These online tools allow thousands of candidates to be filtered effectively at the touch of a button.

Julie Ribbons, National Resourcing Manager for the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement said: The new process saves time not only for managers assessing the applications but also for the recruitment team involved with administering thousands of applications - the cost saving will be substantial at the same time as retaining the face to face engagement between candidates and NHS Managers at the interview stage.

Motivation trait test:
Candidates will now be required to show they are motivated to do the job, rather than just display the necessary skills. The test based on a motivational model developed by Pearn Kandola focuses on six main factors: Achievement, Competing, Control, Reward, Affiliation and Pressure. This model has been adapted specifically for the NHS.

Stephan Lucks, Assessment and Development specialist at Pearn Kandola said: A candidate may have the skills to perform a task - but the motivational test has been designed to ensure people will direct their energies into the health service if they get the job. The NHS demands that people have a high motivation to work - and will not switch off on a wet Monday afternoon.

Situational judgement test:
The situational test will present candidates with real life work scenarios, relevant to the NHS. Inclusion of these online tools complements the existing processes. Over reliance on ability tests can have an adverse impact on some groups. There is now less of an emphasis placed on these tests with all candidates having the opportunity to complete the range of tests, including situational judgement and motivational tests.

Julie Ribbons added: We live in diverse communities and we need managers to reflect the make-up of these communities to improve health for everyone.

She added: As a Times Top 100 Graduate Employer we are flooded with thousands of applications every year. Managing the number of applications was becoming ever more time consuming - we wanted to continue to improve the validity and reliability of candidate selection using innovative, cost effective and time efficient methods so the best candidates reached the final stage. She added: The NHS is complex, constantly changing and always in the public eye - all these things amount to a hugely challenging organisation to be part of.

Candidates are now required to:
* Log their details online - giving personal information
* Complete verbal and numerical tests
* Complete the motivational traits and situational tests