AIBU to think that I've not been shortlisted for NHS job?

[purplesunshine101]

I'm in my 40's and a couple of years ago took the huge leap to retrain in an AHP role. I am due to qualify in a couple of month and have applied for an NHS role where they are willing to take on someone just qualifying. It is exactly the role I am looking for as I am quite specific in the area I want to work in. It was the first NHS job I've ever applied for but 10 days have passed and I haven't heard anything. Is this normal? Some of my fellow students have applied for roles and very quickly got offered interview. Should I assume that I've been unsuccessful this time?

NHS recruitment is often extremely slow so I wouldn't give up hope just yet.

Is it 10 days since you applied, or 10 days since the closing date? I wouldn't expect to hear anything until a few days after it closes at least. Either way, you should get an email to say if you haven't been shortlisted, so I wouldn't assume anything just yet.

I work as an AHP in the NHS and frequently shortlist for interviews. Was there an interview date on the job advert?

Sometimes due to clinical pressures it can take longer to shortlist - we have taken over 2 weeks on occasions. However if shortlisting is complete and you have not been successful you should hear via email or via the NHS jobs website.

I thought I hadn’t been shortlisted once because the proposed interview date (on the job site) came and went. Week later I was invited for interview! They obviously changed the date. I agree with pp, NHS recruitment is ridiculously slow. Could be the person who needs to shortlist is on leave (lots of leave taken in March!). I wouldn’t
count yourself out yet.

There wasn't an interview date listed on the job advert. It's 10 days since the closing day. I feel relieved to know that I will get an email if not successful. I was googling and some people mentioned that you just don't hear anything if not successful.

If you applied on Trac, you will hear automatically. We usually shortlist within a week of the closing date, but try to do it sooner. Wait a few days after the closing date and ring if you are worried.

Thanks for that. I applied on the NHS Jobs website.

NHS recruitment is famously and painfully slow.

Your nhs jobs profile will have an update that will tell you if you’ve not been successful. You just have to log in.

Thanks for that. Under task it jsut says 'Application Submitted'.

They take ages with everything, don't worry. X

I once heard back after nearly 2 months for an NHS job!

Trusts vary as to whether they send out 'thanks for your application but....'
I would just ring the HR Recruitment department. They can easily tell.
You can also try and get feedback on your application form - can be invaluable - but will depending on the recruiting manager as to whether they can be bothered.

If it's your first application to the NHS I would get someone to have a look at the form. Forgive me if you know but the shortlisting process is very formulaic. If there are lots of applicants your application can fall for the net really easily. I have seen some really daft mistakes on forms but also some classic and often repeated ones. One such example is about safe guarding. Job Description will say that an essential criteria is say a working knowledge of Safeguarding. Candidates ignore this mandatory requirement yet all most need to do is put in the date they completed mandatory training. They score no points. It can mean no interview.

If you want to send me a message I will let you know my background in the NHS. I am more than happy to look over your application. I won't know you from Adam just like any short lister.

Hopefully no news is good news and you will still get an interview but if not happy to help

You will hear back. It can be around three weeks though.

Application submitted on NHS jobs is hopefully by the way but they may not close the job on the system before interviews finalised. In theory it should when it moves on to next stage but.....

I interview for posts within my team for the NHS, if we are interviewing all candidates in one day, we get back to them by phone the same day.

I hope you're successful. 💐

There is nothing slower than NHS HR. You still have a good chance OP!

NHS recruitment has two speeds... slow and really fucking slow. Especially at this time of year when people are trying to use up remaining bits of annual leave - about half our team are off at the moment (lucky fuckers who have some a/l left... I'm honestly not bitter!)

The other issue may well be (if you're applying to a Trust in similar messes to mine) that they have such limits on our recruitment (cos we're skint) that everything is reviewed at every step of the way and the clinical need for the vacancy needs to be justified constantly to the NHS money counters. It's a fucking nightmare and it's slowed an already horrendously slow process down further.

It also can depend on which staff member's doing the shortlisting - some are faster on it than others. When I got my Band 5 out of uni a year and a bit ago - the first post I applied for took weeks to invite for interviews, the second post I applied for had an interview offer within a week of the closing date - in the same overall team, just different people leading the recruitment!

And don't worry about what others on your course are doing - I wasn't even on to applying for posts at this point in time - got the second role I applied for. For all the "oh I've got my post lined up" louder people there will be a large number of quieter people who've not even started yet... and the vacancy rate for AHP at the moment is so bonkers (we're at 40% vacancies on our team currently) that there's enough out there for everyone.

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I was intending to not apply for anything until I had finished the course, then saw this role and it was 100% what I was looking for. I think I have added another level of stress combined with all the final assignments I need to complete! Thanks again x

We had 40 applications for the last job we recruited into. It takes time to filter through them, especially in a small team where we have other responsibilities and deadlines. Don’t write it off until the website changes.

One common rookie mistake I saw people make in NHS recruiting was not booking an interview room at the same time as putting out the job advert. The waiting list for interview rooms can be as bad as all the other waiting lists.

I applied for an nhs role in admin that sent a response after I submitted my application that if I didn’t hear within 14 days, to assume I had been unsuccessful.

I think they generally tell you if you won’t hear anything back at all.

Thank you for all your comments. I feel like I still have some hope now.

Just to say that I have been shortlisted although it took nearly three weeks from the closing date! Preparing for interview now. Thought I would update for anyone in the future looking for posts on this topic.

Thats great news, well done!

It’s an absolute nightmare doing the whole job application process, and the bigger companies are known to move at a snails pace.