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1

A computer with a job search page being displayed
Step 1

Application

To search for and begin the application process for one of our great opportunities, simply:

  • Go to our vacancies page on our website here.
  • Use the search bar and filters at the top of the page to navigate to the roles you are interested in.
  • When you find a role you would like to apply for, click the "Apply Online" button at the top of the role details page.
  • Once you've created your account you can complete your application form this is the most important part of the whole process. It's your opportunity to tell us all about yourself, your career history, educational achievements and why you feel you'd be the best person for the role.

2

Three people sat at a desk looking at a presentation
Step 2

Shortlisting

Once the vacancy closing date has passed, the recruiting managers will take some time to review all of the applications received and will shortlist those candidates who meet the Essential Criteria.

At SDC, we shortlist by scoring various key elements of the application form (e.g. qualifications, skills, knowledge and experiences etc). We give each section a score between 0 and 3.

  • 3 = Strong evidence of meeting the criteria
  • 2 = Evidence of partially meeting the criteria
  • 1 = Limited evidence of meeting the criteria
  • 0 = No evidence of meeting the criteria

Once the scoring has been ratified and the recruitment panel have finalised their shortlist, our Human Resources team will then inform all candidates of the outcome. This can take 2-3 weeks to complete.

  • If you are unsuccessful at this stage, you will receive an email notification to let you know that you were not shortlisted for interview. Unfortunately, we cannot offer feedback at this stage.
  • If you are shortlisted for interview, you will receive an invitation to interview via email, where you will be informed of the date, time and location of your interview. You will also be informed of any other assessments taking place on the day or that you need to prepare for. The requirements for these assessments will be clearly set out in your interview invitation email. As an example, these assessments typically include one or more of the following:
    • Desktop exercises based on a laptop
    • Short Presentation and Q&A on a topic or situational challenge
    • Group / Panel Exercises

3

Three people in a meeting
Step 3

The Interview

Give yourself plenty of time to get to the location of your interview, try and arrive at least 10 minutes prior to your allocated interview slot and give yourself the best chance to prepare yourself before going in.

We want you to feel as comfortable as possible in your interview, so that we can get the best out of you, but remember that SDC is a professional business environment and is a public facing organisation, so dress appropriately.

Typically, our interview panels consist of between 2-3 people, one of whom will be the recruiting Manager and depending on the level of the role, the panel number may be increased, however it is not common practice to have more than 3 people interviewing you.

The interview will last no longer than 1 hour. Generally, you can expect to be in the formal interview section of the process for around 45 minutes, but it can depend a lot on what you say and whether the panel have any further questions for you.

Will I be asked to do a test?

You could well be asked to do an exercise as part of the assessment process. These are usually completed either before the interview or as part of the interview.

Before the interview, for example if you are asked to complete a desktop exercise, you will usually be taken to a room prior to your interview, where a laptop will be made available, and you will be given instructions about what the exercise is. These usually last between 20-30 minutes. An example of this type of exercise could be to compose your email replies to a series of customer queries or to prioritise the following items of work etc.

If you are required to present a response to a question or scenario set in the interview letter, you will usually do this at the start of your interview, in front of the interview panel. You will usually be given 10-15 minutes to deliver your presentation and then the panel will have 10-15 minutes to ask you some follow up questions.

The interview panel will then review the exercises and/or the presentation after the interviews have been concluded, to aid their decision-making process.

How many people will sit on your interview panel?

Typically, our interview panels consist of between 2-3 people, one of whom will be the recruiting Manager.

Depending on the level of the role, the panel number may be increased, however it is not common practice to have more than 3 people interviewing you.

How long do the Interviews last?

The interview will last no longer than 1 hour. Generally, you can expect to be in the formal interview section of the process for around 45 minutes, but it can depend a lot on what you say and whether the panel have any further questions for you.

If the interview is taking longer than expected, the panel may need to draw the interview to a close to allow sufficient time for the other candidates. Try and structure your answers following the S.T.A.R method (see below), to ensure you provide all of the information the panel is looking for, in a structured way.

S.T.A.R Method

The S.T.A.R method is a technique used in interviews to structure answers to questions, to provide the relevant information about the candidate's capabilities.

S.T.A.R is an acronym for the four components of the method:

  • Situation: Describe the situation or context of the example
  • Task: Explain the task you were given or the goal you were trying to achieve
  • Action: Describe the actions you took to complete the task or achieve the goal
  • Result: Explain the positive outcomes of your actions and what you learned from the experience

This method is recommended to all candidates across the globe, when preparing for interviews and answering questions at the interview, so you it's a good idea to follow this method in any interview you attend.

What kinds of questions will you be asked?

You will usually be asked between 5 and 10 questions at an interview here at SDC, depending on the role.

Typically, you will almost certainly be asked a question about you, what attracted you to the role and why you think you'd be a good fit for the role. What we're looking for here is a brief summary of your career to date, high level overview of your skills and knowledge expertise and why you want to come and work for us.

You will then be asked a series of questions that are pertinent to the role itself. All the information you will need to prepare for this will be in the Job Description and Person Specification. The job advert will also give you a steer for the kind of skills, knowledge and expertise we are looking for from the ideal candidate.

During the interview, panel members will be making notes and may not always be looking at you as you answer. Please don't be put off by this, they are just trying to capture as much of the information you are giving them as possible, to help them later on when deciding who to make an offer to.

The interview is also your opportunity to find out more about SDC, the role, the team etc so please do feel free to ask the panel any questions at the end of the interview.

4

Two hands shaking hands
Step 4

After the Interview

We aim to let you know as soon as possible, but this can depend on the number of candidates we are interviewing for any particular role. Typically, we aim to inform candidates of the outcome by telephone, within the next week following your interview.

If you are successful, then you will be verbally offered the role, over the telephone by the recruiting manager and, assuming you verbally accept, you will be moved on to the Pre Employment stage of the process.

If you are unsuccessful on this occasion, you will be informed by the recruiting manager, over the telephone, and you can ask for feedback, which we would encourage you to do, as it can help you for next time.

5

A laptop displaying steps of employment
Step 5

Pre-Employment Checks

Conditional Offer

You will be sent an email containing a Conditional Offer of Employment letter, Written Statement of Terms and Conditions of Employment with Stratford on Avon District Council and your Job Description.

The Conditional Offer letter will confirm the offer of employment and starting salary, but it will also make it clear that the offer will be subject to a number of satisfactory pre-employment checks.

You will need to read this letter and then read through the Written Statement of Terms and Conditions of Employment and Job Description to ensure that you are happy with them. Assuming that you are happy, you will need to sign and return the Written Statement of Terms and Conditions of Employment, via email, as soon as you can.

References

All external applicants must provide at least two referees, who we will then contact, confidentially, to request a written reference. At least one of the referees should be from either your current or most recent employer.

As a minimum we ask the referees to confirm the past 3 years of employment (or academic history for students). In some cases, this may require more than two references to cover the 3-year period.

For periods of self-employment, we will seek evidence to confirm that the business was properly conducted. Usually, we will seek this evidence from an accountant or via a client reference, but we will seek your permission and ask you to prove the contact information for these referees.

Where a candidate does not have current or previous work experience, alternative references will be required. This could include tutors, personal references, or job centre contacts where applicable.

It’s important to note that any offer of employment will be subject to the receipt of satisfactory references.

DBS Checks / Criminal Convictions (Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974):

Criminal records will only be taken into account for recruitment purposes when a conviction is relevant. Unless the nature of the work demands it, applicants will not be asked to disclose any convictions which are "spent" under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

The advertisement and job description will tell you whether a basic, standard or enhanced check is required and therefore the candidate is required to give details of all convictions, whether spent of not.

Having an unspent conviction will not necessarily preclude employment. This will depend on the circumstances and background to the offence, and the nature of the job applied for.

If criminal convictions are declared, then Human Resources and the recruiting manager will assess the nature of the position, in accordance with the Council's guidelines, and the circumstances and background of the offences, prior to making a decision.

Continuous Service Checks (where applicable):

Continuous Service allows a new starter joining SDC to use their previous service time with another employer to be counted towards limited benefits which are service length related. These are occupational annual leave scheme, occupational sick pay scheme, occupational maternity scheme and redundancy pay.

In order to be eligible to have previous service permitted the following must apply:

  • Continuity must not be broken. It is broken if there is a break of a week (running from Sunday to Saturday) between two contracts.
  • The previous employer must be listed on the Modification Order.

Contact: The HR team

Last updated on 03/02/2025
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