The application process at STCG requires you to complete just 2 pages in which you will be asked to upload a CV, complete a short Supporting Statement and provide some equal opportunities and personal statement data (the latter will not be visible to hiring managers and is used purely for compliance purposes).

Hiring Managers will be assessing your suitability for interview by reviewing both your CV and your Supporting Statement so please ensure they provide an accurate reflection of your skills, experience and compatibility with both the job description and person specification. All advertised vacancies will have a downloadable job description attached and there will be clearly defined essential and desirable criteria within the person specification so please ensure you refer to these criteria when making your application.

Please note that if you are shortlisted for interview, we may ask you to fill out a short secondary questionnaire with some additional information that you will need to complete prior to attending your interview.

All hiring managers have access to the online applications for their specific vacancies and they are able to shortlist online. Alongside your CV, your Supporting Statement is a key component in assessing your suitability for interview. You will therefore need to demonstrate your compatibility with the skills and experience outlined in the job description as well as the key criteria highlighted in the person specification and this can be in the form of bullet points or paragraphs.

When shortlisting, hiring managers look at a split screen that highlights the key criteria on one side and your CV and supporting statement on the other so it is worth you ensuring your application captures any evidence of how you meet those key criteria as it will greatly improve your chances of being invited to interview.

South Thames Colleges Group is proud of its reputation for fairness and equality and it is committed to undertaking a selection process that is as objective as possible to avoid any unconscious bias in the process.

As such, at the heart of our recruitment process is a competency based interview that will comprise a number of open questions that will give you the opportunity to provide evidence of your experience relating to the key criteria of the role. Research shows that the best predictor of a candidate's likely success within a role is to evaluate their previous performance whether that is how they normally behave or their ability to undertake the required tasks. The recruitment process may therefore consist of an interview, some assessments, a presentation or other selection methods. Either way, the interviewers will be looking for evidence of your ability to undertake the role competently as well as how you act or conduct yourself whilst doing so.

Evidence will be noted down throughout the selection process and candidates will be scored based on the evidence provided. Wherever possible, the recruitment panel will comprise a number of managers to ensure as fair a process as possible.

Please note that following your invitation to interview, there is some further information which we require you to complete prior to attending. We require the details of two referees that we can contact should you be successful in your interview plus details of any gaps in employment throughout your career to comply with our safeguarding commitments. Please ensure you provide this additional information prior to interview as it may form part of the selection process as well as help to expedite the offer should you be successful in your application.

As indicated above, unsuccessful candidates who have been interviewed will receive constructive feedback to aid them in any future applications. If you are successful, you will then be contacted by our HR department with details of the offer and contract. On accepting the offer, you will be asked to provide some further information to ensure the onboarding process runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

These pre-employment checks could relate to work references, a DBS check, evidence of previous remuneration levels as well as information regarding the pension scheme and health questionnaire.

Once you have started your employment here, you will be expected to undertake your mandatory training that can be completed online. There are plans to roll this out prior to you commencing employment to enable you to hit the ground running from day one and to act as a means of engaging with our new staff members in the pre-employment period.

South Thames Colleges Group has a long and successful relationship with Blue Octopus who act as our recruitment partner by supporting us in many elements of the recruitment process.

They are not a recruitment agency but an extension of our HR department advising us regarding advertising copy and appropriate recruitment channels, placing our adverts on numerous job boards and media as well as acting as the conduit between STCG and the candidates throughout the recruitment process.