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Original poster

NHS Recruitment

131 replies

Babyroobs · 09/03/2022 12:35

Anyone else just feel like giving up with NHS recruitment ?
I understand things are busy right now but it just seems like things are dragging on unnecessarily.
It is impossible to contact anyone at HR for days on end. Emails go unanswered for weeks, I'm left in limbo not having a start date, or knowing what days of the week I will be working so can't plan anything. The endless forms to complete which don't work online and there is no contact to ring and ask anyone. The endless delays. I am seriously just thinking of giving up working for them altogether.

OP posts:
desperatehousewife21 · 09/03/2022 16:14

Have you just accepted a job in the NHS or do you work for them now and you want to change your hours?

I was offered a job in the nhs last fri and the contact I had via phone said it could take up to 2 weeks to receive my offer in writing. So I assume it’s all a bit slow.

Original poster
Babyroobs · 09/03/2022 16:27

@desperatehousewife21

Have you just accepted a job in the NHS or do you work for them now and you want to change your hours?

I was offered a job in the nhs last fri and the contact I had via phone said it could take up to 2 weeks to receive my offer in writing. So I assume it’s all a bit slow.

I have accepted two part time jobs. I had ID checks weeks ago and no contact since. It's frustrating.
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OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea · 09/03/2022 16:30

NHS recruitment works in a completely different time zone to anywhere else and possibly in an alternate universe where one of their days is equal to 1000 Human Earth years. Of course they will tell you not to hand your notice in until you have a start date confirmed but then they will contact you and ask you if you can start the next day and express surprise that you have not handed in your notice.

Yellowleadbetter · 09/03/2022 16:38

Honestly it’s shite.
It can take up to 5 months from job offer to start date because of the recruitment process and even then your manager will have to chase them because you may not be “on the system” to get things like ID badges and smart cards.
Off duty will probably be given by your manager. So if you contact the manager instead of recruitment or HR and they might get better results by chasing things up for you.
It is a shit show.

desperatehousewife21 · 09/03/2022 16:46

Have you got the contact details of the person/ people who offered the job? I have a phone no. for mine so if things start to drag I at least have someone I can call to chase it up for me.

Does it differ between areas? Or trusts? Or is it just one huge centralised recruitment centre?

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 09/03/2022 16:49

It was like this 5 years ago for me. Four months between accepting job and start date. I couldn’t believe how long it took,

Original poster
Babyroobs · 09/03/2022 16:49

@OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea

NHS recruitment works in a completely different time zone to anywhere else and possibly in an alternate universe where one of their days is equal to 1000 Human Earth years. Of course they will tell you not to hand your notice in until you have a start date confirmed but then they will contact you and ask you if you can start the next day and express surprise that you have not handed in your notice.
Yes I am really regretting handing in my notice with no job to go to although my last workplace was a shit show too. I have an interview on friday for a non NHS job who want to hire someone urgently so if I am offered that I shall have no problem with letting these other jobs go. I've had a lot of NHS interviews recently and been shoddily treated. I have worked in the NHS mainly for over 30years but maybe it's time to just move on.
OP posts:
Original poster
Babyroobs · 09/03/2022 16:50

@desperatehousewife21

Have you got the contact details of the person/ people who offered the job? I have a phone no. for mine so if things start to drag I at least have someone I can call to chase it up for me.

Does it differ between areas? Or trusts? Or is it just one huge centralised recruitment centre?

I emailed the line manager- no response !
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newbiename · 09/03/2022 16:52

I doubt there is a worse HR than the nhs and I've worked for a few trusts.

Original poster
Babyroobs · 09/03/2022 16:52

Even the TRAC system doesn't update. I went for a job interview a few weeks ago and was not offered it. The feedback was basically saying I was overqualified and they thought I "might overstep the mark" for the role. I found out I had not been successful when I saw the job advertised again ! It's a shocking way to treat any applicant, especially who have given so much service to the NHS over the years. I am shocked.

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Original poster
Babyroobs · 09/03/2022 16:54

@newbiename

I doubt there is a worse HR than the nhs and I've worked for a few trusts.
One of the roles is for a bank job. they have been reasonably efficient with the process but then the basic mandatory training does not start until April, and I can't do any shifts obviously until that is done. At least for that job I have received a smartcard etc.
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uptonogoode · 09/03/2022 16:56

@Babyroobs I feel the same. I've just left the nhs, I went for 4 job interviews in various roles of the nhs and none got back to me about feedback for interview.

Last time I changed job in the nhs I was offered it In April and started in November...

Kenneldogsrock · 09/03/2022 16:57

The NHS is recruiting for so many roles at the moment they are overwhelmed- this is true of our trust. Sorry I know it doesn’t help you but they will get to you if you chivvy them along. Not that you should have to!

Original poster
Babyroobs · 09/03/2022 16:58

@Kenneldogsrock

The NHS is recruiting for so many roles at the moment they are overwhelmed- this is true of our trust. Sorry I know it doesn’t help you but they will get to you if you chivvy them along. Not that you should have to!
Hard to know how to chivvy when no-one responds to emails or answers the phone !!!
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Original poster
Babyroobs · 09/03/2022 16:59

[quote uptonogoode]@Babyroobs I feel the same. I've just left the nhs, I went for 4 job interviews in various roles of the nhs and none got back to me about feedback for interview.

Last time I changed job in the nhs I was offered it In April and started in November... [/quote]
Shocking. isn't it, especially when people put so much time and prep into the interview.

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jessy100 · 09/03/2022 18:02

Wow, that s really bad! I hope you get some answers soon. I got offered a job last friday. .but was told it could be three months. before I actually started. The person who interviewed me said. I probably wouldn't even get a confirmation letter for a few weeks.She did tell me what days I would be working. but that doesn't mean anything until I get it in writing.
Can t believe how inefficient they are.

Tranquilitybaby · 09/03/2022 22:29

Wow these NHS posts don’t make for good reading. I verbally accepted a job (band 2 admin) yesterday and she said she’d pass everything over to recruitment and they’d be in touch. Can’t believe some of you have waited months to be able to start.

I’m supposed to have another interview for a private sector job on Friday, I think I better still go for that regardless actually. Good luck everyone

UserLibra78 · 09/03/2022 22:33

I think it really depends on the line manager. My current job from acceptance to start date agreed took a grand total of 72 hours. In contrast to that, exactly the same department, different manager, never responded to my email asking for status update took 2 months for me to arrange start date. I had to turn it down in the end.

Original poster
Babyroobs · 09/03/2022 22:50

@Tranquilitybaby

Wow these NHS posts don’t make for good reading. I verbally accepted a job (band 2 admin) yesterday and she said she’d pass everything over to recruitment and they’d be in touch. Can’t believe some of you have waited months to be able to start.

I’m supposed to have another interview for a private sector job on Friday, I think I better still go for that regardless actually. Good luck everyone

This is exactly whilst having accepted two part time NHS jobs, I am continuing to interview for other roles. I need to start asap, I have no money coming in ( my own fault I know ! ). I cannot wait four or five months to start.
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uptonogoode · 10/03/2022 08:38

@Tranquilitybaby the issue is the checks they do. The hr team for my old trust are hideously inefficient. I sent 15 emails in a 2 week period and called the one number I found for them over a hundred times with no response to my emails and they finally answered the phone to say they hadn't received my references yet but I knew they had as I'd chased up, so I told her that and she didnt know that they'd received them. Then she said my start date was delayed because I hadn't been in touch and they only start new people on a certain date in the month and I'd missed it so I had to wait another 4 weeks 🤬🤬🤬 useless!

jessy100 · 10/03/2022 13:27

Sorry to hijack. But can anyone who works for the nhs tell me what happens about pre booked holidays. I have three holidays booked between May and September Two are rolled over from last year. I know that I won't have worked up enough holidays to cover them, but I am hoping they will let me have the time off unpaid. One is movable but the other two definitely not.

Tranquilitybaby · 10/03/2022 13:51

Thanks everyone. I does sound like it varies but in the whole it’s weeks to take ages from what I’ve researched.

@jessy100 I have this issue too, it wasn’t asked in the interview or when I received the offered call the other day. I have a three week holiday booked in the summer I can’t see them agreeing to somehow. This is when I much prefer being self employed as I am now.

Original poster
Babyroobs · 10/03/2022 14:12

@jessy100

Sorry to hijack. But can anyone who works for the nhs tell me what happens about pre booked holidays. I have three holidays booked between May and September Two are rolled over from last year. I know that I won't have worked up enough holidays to cover them, but I am hoping they will let me have the time off unpaid. One is movable but the other two definitely not.
I have no idea but I had a holiday booked for Easter, which i have now moved to October half term as i anticipated easter would be just a few weeks into starting a new job ! Now at the rate these HR departments are moving it is likely that I could have still gone on the original Easter date. So frustrating !
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MrsMeg1 · 10/03/2022 14:25

I've just had a good experience with NHS hr, taken 2 weeks from interview to been offered a position - all checks done and given a start date!! They have also been very accommodating with any pre-booked holidays, although I've only got 1 week but said they would normally honour anything booked in, I suppose within limits!
This will be my first job within the NHS and I'm really looking forward to starting.

jessy100 · 10/03/2022 14:49

Nice to hear you've had a good experience Meg.