About recruiting to KLS job roles and retaining your staff.
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Recruiting staff
Job descriptions and person specifications
All NHS jobs need to be matched to nationally evaluated profiles, based on information from job descriptions (JDs), person specifications (PSs) and additional information.
Job profiles
The national job profiles are produced by the Job Evaluation Group (JEG), a subgroup of the NHS Staff Council with representatives of NHS trade unions and NHS organisations.
The Information Services job profiles give an indication of the level of NHS Agenda for Change generic skills required for each role.
Resources for role redesign
However, as these are fixed and do not reflect the full range of knowledge and skills required for knowledge and library services work you should also use the following resoources to inform your job descriptions and person specifications:
Writing a job description
The national job profiles are not JDs. An effective, engaging and inclusive JD should outline your organisational values, Trust mission and provide an accurate, interesting account of the skills and competencies required.
A good JD should provide clarity for the individual and the manager so it’s important to get it right. Ensuring your JDs are available in an accessible form is the easiest way to prevent putting off potential candidates.
Use clear and simple language when describing the tasks. Consult the NHS Employers guide to Writing successful job descriptions
Check out the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) report Change makers: are you one too?, which the authors say “will inspire libraries to think differently about recruitment”. It includes evidence-based tools and templates to help you do things differently.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Guide to inclusive recruitment for employers provides recommendations for improving inclusivity in the four main stages of recruitment: role design and job advert, attracting diverse candidates, the application process and the selection process.
Examples of knowledge and library services JDs
The national Knowledge for Healthcare Team at NHS England keep a collection of KLS JDs organised by title. Email the Knowledge for Healthcare team at [email protected] for copies.
Consider:
Promoting vacancies
Plan how, where and when to advertise your vacancy.
Consider extending closing dates over the summer and the festive season to give candidates time to discover your vacancy and submit applications.
Include a proposed interview date to help confident candidates make arrangements to be able to attend if shortlisted for interview.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that candidates are more attracted to jobs where developmental opportunities are stressed in the initial overview.
NHS Jobs
All jobs appear on NHS Jobs but this website is not well known outside the NHS. To attract candidates from other sectors e.g. universities and new LIS graduates you need to advertise (or share NHS Job links) more widely.
Work with your HR Recruitment colleagues to make sure the NHS Jobs advert shows the most enticing information first (as opposed to your Trust's generic material).
On the new NHS Jobs site (still in Beta version at time of writing) the initial overview is the first thing a prospective candidate reads.
Email lists
The Knowledge for Healthcare lists and LIS-MEDICAL are obvious candidates.
Consider sharing on LIS-CILIP-REG and LIS-PROFESSION to reach a wider audience.
Paid for advertising
Anecdotal evidence suggests that where NHS KLS Managers are able to advertise in Information Professional Jobs they get a stronger and more diverse pool of applicants.
It may be worth explaining to your Trust Recruitment team that KLS jobs are “hard to recruit to” and therefore warrant spend on external promotion.
Social media
Use social media to promote your vacancy – both personal and corporate accounts if possible and appropriate.
On Twitter choose relevant hashtags e.g. #LISJobs and consider @ in relevant accounts e.g. your local CILIP subgroup, Health Libraries Group, and your nearest iSchool and asking them to retweet your post.
Ask New Library Professional Network to share Twitter posts about jobs that are suitable for newly qualified professionals.
There is a guide to Best practice posting jobs on LinkedIn.
Selection
Interviews
Your Trust may well have guidance and template documents to support you with interviews, including panel composition, values or competency based recruitment, compulsory questions for candidates (e.g. relating to Trust values and equality, diversity and inclusion) and scoring systems. Questions should be targeted to areas of the PS.
CIPD guidance on Selection methods covers interviews, psychometric tests and assessment centres.
The longer CIPD report A head for hiring: behavioural science of recruitment and selection has sections on: attracting the people you need; designing selection processes and preparing assessors; improving the candidate experience.
Fair Library Jobs manifesto section 7.0 Interview Practice covers interview travel expenses, reasonable adjustments, sharing interview questions in advance and assessment tasks.
Although tailored for people applying for roles nationally, the Having a successful interview section of the Applicant Guide includes practical tips for how to prepare for an interview, including some practical pointers for virtual or online interviews which would also be useful for an interviewer.
Assessments
Anecdotal evidence suggests that KLS Managers have found assessments to be a useful part of the selection process. Assessments should focus on aspects of the PS that may be difficult to assess via interview questions.
Examples include:
- include shelving or ordering books on a trolley
- spotting errors in text
- carrying out a mock reference interview
- writing an abstract or search strategy planning
Administering assessments is also a way to make the wider KLS team part of the selection process.
Presentations may not be the most appropriate assessment if delivering training or presentations are not key parts of the role.
CIPD guidance on Selection methods covers interviews, psychometric tests and assessment centres.
The Behavioural Insights Team’s How to Use Skill Based Assessment Tasks is one of a series of guides on improving gender equality.
Appointment
Pre appointment checks will be managed by your Trust HR Team. CIPD’s Pre-employment checks guidance for organisations includes the usual checks on right to work etc. but also includes references and social media checks.
Our future workforce
Think about how best to incentivise people to apply for knowledge and library services' roles.
Work experience placements
Consider offering work experience placements for local GCSE students. Your Trust will have procedures in place and there will be formalities (e.g. insurance). Usually the main obstacle is managers being willing to offer a placement.
Fair Library Jobs manifesto section 3.0 Volunteers, work placements and job shadowing in Libraries.
The NHS Work experience toolkit is aimed at schools, colleges and further education institutions as part of its widening participation programme. This includes practical guidance and examples of good practice to share locally.
LibDiverse recommends more outreach to underrepresented groups about jobs and careers in academic libraries.
Wider NHS careeers promotion
Familiarise yourself with the Step into the NHS resources to help young people discover NHS Careers and Apprenticeships and consider opportunities to promote amongst personal and professional networks.
Consider sharing Health Careers Find Your Career quiz and other links on social media during National Apprenticeship Week and National Careers Week.
Some promotional materials have been created for careers promotion and can be downloaded from the promotional resources workspace.
Retaining staff
Familiarise yourself with NHS Employers Improving staff retention guide. Your Trust may have guidance on using “staying conversations” to communicate the local offers around flexible working, flexible retirement etc.
CIPD also have advice on retention here Employee Turnover and Retention | Factsheets | CIPD (2021).
Induction and onboarding
Induction processes will be determined by your Trust to a certain extent. Local KLS induction may include:
- visit HR for payroll, ID badge etc.
- explanation of departmental structure
- introduction to work colleagues
- agreeing the date for first and second probation meetings
- fire and emergency procedures
- location of nearest First Aider and first aid box
- familiarisation communication equipment (e.g. phone numbers, network login, email, WhatsApp or other instant messaging)
- booking statutory and mandatory training
- induction meetings with key contacts
- explanation of breaks, annual leave and sickness absence procedures
- sources of help and advice (e.g. employee assistance and wellbeing provision)
- explanation of key Trust policies and procedures (e.g. Internet access, whistleblowing policy; incident reporting)
- explanation of JD duties and responsibilities
- explanation of relevant operational policies
- 1:1 dates agreed for the first few months
Also visit the new starters information. Further information is provided by welcome email or website, depending on location. From 2023 new starters will be invited to a welcome webinar from the national Knowledge for Healthcare team.
New KLS Managers are contacted by the national KLS team to work through a checklist for new managers
Training and development inc. supervision (121s)
Your Trust will have policies on Training and Development and provision of supervision / 1:1 meetings and documentation thereof.
Good regular communication will be key to understanding training requirements, career aspirations and interests.
Use the Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB) for health to identify strengths and areas for development.
Encourage new starters to register with HEE Accent Course Manager, the Knowledge for Healthcare lists and LIS-MEDICAL to get information on training and learning opportunities.
Shadowing, mentoring and coaching
Consider offering shadowing opportunities to newly qualified professionals. Register on NLPN’s Job shadowing opportunities page, advertise on social media and post on [email protected].
Shadowing and mentoring schemes are arranged informally. Get in touch with your contact in the national KLS Team if you are interested in taking part either to offer or receive mentoring or shadowing.
See also Fair Library Jobs manifesto section 3.0 Volunteers, work placements and job shadowing in Libraries.
For staff from underrepresented groups, LibDiverse recommends mentoring and encouragement to seek promotion.
The NHS Leadership Academy Coaching register provides coaching and mentoring via the via local academies.
Succession planning and talent management
The Talent management toolkit gives ideas on growing and retaining staff. It covers: the talent management process, talent conversation, talent management resources and FAQs.
Professional registration (certification, chartership and fellowship)
Encourage and support staff to pursue CILIP professional registration.
Your Trust’s study leave policy may allow you to release staff for e.g. one day a month for up to a year or to allow them to attend non-health KLS specific training and development activities to support portfolio development.
Professional registration may support succession planning as candidates may need to shadow you to gain evidence for their submissions.
If you are chartered consider becoming a CILIP mentor for your own continuing professional development and to support candidates with professional registration.
Case study
Richard Parker, Emily Johnson, Semanti Chakraborty, Beth Boddice and Lotty Summers from University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust share their experiences of Developing the next generation of librarians This case study was presented as a poster as part of the celebration for HLG’s 75th anniversary.
Acknowledgements
This guide was produced by the Recruitment and Retention Task and Finish Group co-chaired by Natasha Howard, NELFT and Lindsay Wallace, NCA and convened by Health Education England (HEE) National Knowledge and Library Services Team.
It provides indicative links to best practice on recruitment and retention for NHS Knowledge and Library Service (KLS) Managers. Much of the recruitment process will be governed by Trust policies.
This guide may provide ideas to help advocate for change locally. The TandF Group also received contributions and feedback on initiatives which may be undertaken nationally or regionally but which lie outside the scope of this project.
These have been summarised in a list of recommendations and passed to the national KLS Team for further discussion and consideration.
The information above is available as a word document. If you would like a copy, please email the Knowledge for Healthcare team on [email protected]
Page last reviewed: 19 July 2023
