Scottish Government recruitment process in relation to the Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS): FOI release

Information requested

You asked:

1. The Scottish government advertises job vacancies for people to work for the Scottish government. Some of these advertisements invite ‘candidates with a disability who meet the ‘essential criteria’ for an interview. However, for certain job vacancies advertised by the Scottish government, candidates without a disability will not be invited for interview even though they meet the same ‘essential criteria’ that is conferred upon people with disabilities. Candidates without disabilities must for these particular jobs advertised, must meet a higher criteria (determined by the Scottish government) to be invited to interview.

2. If disabled candidates who met the ‘essential criteria’, but not the higher criteria and failed to declare a disability when submitting the job application, that candidate would not be invited to interview.

3. In the last five years, how many disabled candidates were invited for interview with the Scottish government?

4. Out of this figure, how many would not have been invited to interview if they had not declared that they had a disability?

5. Of those disabled candidates that would not have been invited to interview if they had not declared that they had a disability, how many of those were successful at their job interview and were subsequently employed by the Scottish government?

According to the Equality Act 2010 definition of disability: A person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment lasting 12 months or more, and which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on that person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

6. How many disabled candidates who were invited to interview by the Scottish government for jobs with the Scottish government have had their ‘declared’ disability independently validated by a qualified medical professional?

7. Of those candidates who have had their disability independently validated by a qualified medical professional, how many of these candidates had a disability that met the definition of disability set out by the Equality Act 2010?

Response

1. To confirm the Scottish Government’s sift process, at the application stage we invite candidates to demonstrate against each of the essential criteria advertised for a post that they have all of the required skills, experience and knowledge for that particular post.

With regard to most of our recruitment campaigns, candidates who demonstrate they meet the minimum requirements of the essential criteria, as stipulated in the job advert, will be invited to progress to the interview stage.

When a large volume of applications are expected, the panel can decide that candidates need to demonstrate that they exceed the minimum requirements for one or more of the essential criteria for a post. Only candidates who demonstrate this, plus those that request a guaranteed interview and have demonstrated that they meet the minimum requirements of the essential criteria, will be invited to interview.

2. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exception FOISA Regulation 10(4)(a) information not held, would apply for this element of your request.

3. Please find below details for the last five years on the number of candidates with a disability who applied to SG, and how many of these were invited to interview, and how many of these were ultimately appointed.

The last five years has been taken to mean the last five complete calendar years. Data is also provided for the current calendar year to November. Please note, not all candidates with a disability claim a guaranteed interview, so these figures are presented separately for ease of reference.

Table: Applications to SG from candidates with a disability.

Guaranteed Interview Status	Those without a Guaranteed Interview			Those who requested a Guaranteed Interview
Application status	Number Applied	Number Offered a start date	% Offered a start date	Number Applied	Number Offered a start date	% Offered a start date
2013	2918	208	7%	18	*	*
2014	3062	259	8%	22	8	36%
2015	4534	341	8%	56	7	13%
2016	3257	258	8%	40	*	*
2017	8230	520	6%	251	25	10%
2018	13934	996	7%	891	97	11%
2019 - to end Nov	14391	686	5%	1054	62	6%
Total	22001	1586	7%	2332	199	9%

4. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exception FOISA Regulation 10(4)(a) information not held, would apply for this element of your request.

5. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exception FOISA Regulation 10(4)(a) information not held, would apply for this element of your request.

6 & 7. None. The GIS is a voluntary scheme and requesting a guaranteed interview under it is at the discretion of applicants. The GIS is not subject to validation and to so do would contravene the requirements of the Equality Act.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.