Recruitment process and guidelines information for civil service roles: FOI release

Information requested

Information about the Scottish Government’s recruitment processes for civil service roles. Specifically, your request sought:

1. A full end-to-end overview of the recruitment process, including advertising, application, shortlisting, interview, offer, and onboarding stages, and any variations for internal or Other Government Department (OGD) candidates;
2. Definitions and eligibility criteria for internal and OGD candidates, including any rules on probation status; and
3. Relevant policies or guidance documents that govern how recruitment decisions are made, including any prioritisation rules and the role of probation in determining candidate eligibility.

Our response to your request is set out below under each of the three headings you provided.

Response

1. Overview of the recruitment process

All Scottish Government recruitment activity is carried out in line with the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles, which require that appointments be made on merit through fair and open competition, unless a permitted exception applies.

Recruitment to civil service roles within the Scottish Government is governed by these Principles and by the Scottish Government’s internal Resourcing Policy, which is based on them. Recruitment activity is coordinated by the Scottish Government’s Attraction and Recruitment Team and is conducted in accordance with a consistent, merit-based process.

Externally advertised vacancies are published on the Scottish Government Jobs website and, where appropriate, also advertised through Civil Service Jobs or other relevant channels. Job adverts include the role title, salary, location, contract type, key responsibilities, required qualifications (if applicable), and full details of the Success Profiles elements being assessed. These typically include Behaviours, Experience, and Technical skills. Candidates apply through the Scottish Government’s Oracle Cloud recruitment system by submitting a CV and a supporting statement that directly addresses the Success Profiles listed in the job advert. The expected length of the supporting statement is proportionate to the seniority and complexity of the post being advertised.

At the shortlisting stage, trained panel members assess applications against the published criteria using a structured scoring framework. Applicants who meet or exceed the required benchmark are invited to the interview and assessment stage.

All candidates who progress to interview and assessment are given at least seven days’ notice. The interview process is based on the Civil Service Success Profiles framework and consists of a competency-based interview supported by at least one additional form of assessment. This could include a written task, presentation, or job simulation exercise. Selection decisions are made by combining the scores of the interview and assessment.

The candidate who achieves the highest overall score is offered the role. Offers are subject to eligibility and completion of pre-employment security checks. These checks include identity verification, right to work checks, and either a Disclosure Scotland or PVG check, depending on the nature of the role.

Candidates applying from Other Government Departments are processed through the Civil Service transfer process and are not subject to the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks required of external candidates.

Once the relevant checks are complete, formal offer documentation is issued and a start date is confirmed. Internal and OGD candidates are managed through the appropriate HR transfer processes, while external candidates are supported through standard onboarding procedures, including local induction.

Internal and OGD recruitment campaigns are restricted to individuals who have passed their probation and were originally appointed via fair and open competition. Individuals engaged on agency contracts, temporary contracts, or fixed-term contracts made without competition are not eligible to apply for such roles. Terms of transfer, including pay on level transfer and continuity of service, are managed in line with Scottish Government policy and the Civil Service Management Code.

2. Definitions and eligibility criteria

Internal candidates are defined as staff employed either by the Scottish Government or by one of the common civil service citizenship organisations. These include the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Food Standards Scotland, Registers of Scotland, Revenue Scotland, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, and the Scottish Prison Service. For a staff member to be eligible to apply for an internally advertised vacancy, they must have successfully completed their probation period and must have been appointed to their current role through a fair and open competition in line with the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

Individuals engaged via agency contracts or those in temporary or fixed-term posts without fair and open competition are not eligible.

OGD candidates are defined as substantive civil servants employed by UK Government departments or agencies. They are eligible to apply for Scottish Government vacancies advertised as open to Other Government Departments, provided they have passed probation and were appointed through a process compliant with fair and open competition.

External campaigns are open to all applicants, including members of the public, internal Scottish Government staff, and staff from other organisations. These campaigns may include additional eligibility criteria such as qualifications or professional registrations, depending on the nature of the role.

3. Policies and governing principles

The Scottish Government’s recruitment processes are governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles and the Scottish Government Resourcing Policy. Copies of both documents are enclosed with this response. These documents set out the requirement to appoint on merit through fair and open competition, and they form the basis for all recruitment decision-making within the organisation.

Recruitment decisions are made solely on the basis of merit. This means that the candidate who scores highest following interview and assessment is offered the post, provided they meet all eligibility criteria and pass the required pre-employment checks. There is no prioritisation system in place that favours internal over external candidates, or vice versa. All applicants are assessed equally against the advertised criteria.

As noted above, internal applicants must have passed probation at the point of application to be eligible to apply for internal vacancies. There are no additional internal policies or instructions that override the merit-based approach in determining which candidate is appointed.

About FOI

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

FOI 202500490273 - Information Released - Annex

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