Freedom of Information relating to recruitment process

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JP1234

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I apologise in advance if I come across a bit vague here, it should be understandable why I need to be a bit hesitant in saying too much.

I recently attended an interview for a temporary position with a public body. There were 2 identical posts, supposedly an open competition. Despite doing well in the interview, getting very good feed back and scoring high in all areas I received a letter saying I was unsuccessful.

That I can live with if it wasn't for the fact I have now heard from someone "on the inside" that both jobs have gone to internal candidates, one of whom scored lower than myself ( we were scored in 6 areas and an overall score given)

I am thinking of requesting information to see if this is the case, I know I cannot ask for another person's prsonal information under FOI but does anyone know if it is the case I can ask any or all of the following

- what were the scores of each candidate
- what were the scores of the successful candidates
- were the successful candidates internal or external
- did either of the successful candidates score lower than myself and if so what was the basis of their selection above mine.
- Were any panels formed and what was the qualifying score for inclusion on the panel

I know it won't make a difference to me getting the job or not at this stage, for all I know there could be other external candidates who scored higher than me, but for my own sake I would rather know for sure. I have no idea where I came in the ranking, I know people in the PS who were told they came 1st, 2nd etc but my letter did not state. Given the score I got ( not that far off the maximum) I think it's unlikely that I wasn't near the top! I am not trying to be big-headed or bragging, just factual ;)

As I said, I can live with not getting the job if I know that the selection process was open and fair.
 
You certainly won't be told the individual scores of other candidates by name. You could try asking for anonymised information, so that individuals can't be identified. The problem may be that by giving you the scores of the successful candidates, they are effectively giving you the scores of specific individuals.

As a first step, it might be worth just putting a call into the HR manager and asking what happened. There might well be an above-board explanation for what happened, that will save you and them a lot of bother.
 
Thanks Complainer.

I do understand what you are saying. I think I may just write to them and ask where I came in the ranking, where did the 2 candidates come in comparison and whether they were internal or external applicants.

I was trying to put it out of my mind, didn't get the job so need to move on but there is just that niggling doubt planted that I may have lost out unfairly.
 
Most public bodies are subject to the following Codes of Practice - CPSA. Is there any mention of this on any of the documetation.

Based on what you have written there seems to be a breach of the Code under Section 8.

[broken link removed]
 
FOI relates only to the release of existing documents - you can't under FOI do what you are proposing, which is asking the relevant body to collate and present information in a way that currently doesn't exist

I would either do waht Complainer suggests (ring them directly and seek a verbal explanation for what happened) and, if you still feel there is a case to answer, look into how breaches of the CPSA can be investigated/rectified.

I'd be careful though of info from a third party who 'knows' that one of the internal candidates scored lower than you. Chinese whispers of this sort rarely turn out to be accurate in my experience (15 years of gettting and not getting jobs and promotions in the public service!). In my experience of the civil service recruitment process, it would be very hard to award a job to someone who had scored lower than someone else in an objective scoring scheme unless there was some over riding reason that could be verified to and signed of on by the external person/people on the interview board.
 
Thanks Becky, that's a really useful document!

txirimiri I agree with what you say. I am still trying to find out off the record if what I was told is true. On the one hand. the person who told me has no reason to lie and isn't really the type of person to stir things up.

I am becoming more inclined to simply ring up and ask, as suggested, then only if they confirm or refuse to answer go down the route of asking for an investigation or explanation.

think I will sleep on it for one more night, but as long as that small doubt exists in my mind I know I won't be satisfied!
 
As mentioned by another poster, FOI relates to the release of existing documents.

There more than likely exists a summary document with the candidates listed alongside their scores. This document cannot be released in full as the candidates names are personal information. Arising from the existance of this document, they will release the scores of the successful candidates, though not their names. And also your own scores for comparison.

If it is an open competition, then there is no such thing as "internal" and "external" candidates. All candidates are "external" as far as the interview panel is concerned and they cannot discriminate.

The other thing you have to consider is whether all the vacancies were filled from the same panel. In many public sector agencies, multiple panels operate and the job vacancies rotate between them e.g. jobs may be filled 50% from internal panels and 50% from external panels. So it is quite possible that other candidates, who scored lower than you in the external competition, did get offered a job because they entered the internal competition and were at the top of the internal panel. If this is the case, the internal competition would have been run separately from the external one, with different interview panel etc.
 
Thanks Csirl.

if this clarifies,

The vacancies were advertised in newspapers and websites, it was the same application form but were asked to tick box A for internal and box B for external.

I really don't know if any panel(s) were formed but I know for sure that there was only the 1 competition, we were all interviewed by the same people over a day and a half period, ie there was only 1 competition. If I am reading you corrrectly, in this case there could not be a separate panel the lower scoring internal candidate was chosen from?

In fairness to the people who did the interviewing, they did not ask me any thing about internal procedures that only someone already working there would know,so I did not feel in anyway disadvantaged in the interview and that was reflected in my scoring. I have no issue with how the interview was conducted.
 
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