Recruitment FAQs

Please see below for answers to some common enquiries we receive from candidates and hiring managers and what you can do to resolve them.

General

What checks do candidates need to complete before their employment starts?

Pre-employment checks typically take around four weeks and are carried out once a candidate has received an offer of employment. The following checks are required before someone can start in post:

1. validation of the candidate’s ID documents
2. completion of an occupational health check if needed
3. initiating a DBS Check (basic or enhanced)
4. collecting and verifying references
5. verifying professional qualifications
6. verifying the right to work or arranging for sponsorship of employment.

When should I contact the recruitment helpdesk?

We appreciate that sometimes you may have a specific enquiry that you need to contact the recruitment team about. You can call the helpdesk on 0203 758 2060, Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm.
In all other instances you should use the Trac recruitment portal to monitor progress and the various guides available on trust websites.

For candidates

How do I find out what documents I need to submit for my employment checks?

The required documents are listed in your conditional offer letter. You will be also sent a Trust ID link which will provide you with an option to select the documents which you wish to provide for your employment checks. If you are still unsure what documents will be accepted please do call our helpdesk on 0203 758 2060 and they will be able to assist you.

How do I check the status of my employment checks?

Please log into Trac for the most up to date information regarding your employment checks. If anything is incorrect please get in touch with the helpdesk on 0203 758 2060 and the team will be able to assist you.

I’ve completed all the employment checks but I haven’t got a start date, what should I do?

Once all employment checks are completed your application and employment checks must go through an audit (usually within 48 hours). Once the audit has been completed (should there be nothing missing) you will receive a notification via Trac to agree a start date with your new line manager.

I’ve got a start date but I haven’t received my contract of employment, what should I do?

Your contract will be issued before your employment starts. If for any reason this has not occurred, please contact our helpdesk on 0203 758 2060 and a member of the team will be able to escalate this matter for you.

For hiring managers

How can I ensure the recruitment process goes as smoothly as possible?

1. Share information you receive from your candidate with the recruitment team via the communications tab on Trac.
2. Change your candidate’s Trac status to ‘offer’ as soon as possible after the interview date
3. Approve references on Trac within 48 hours of being notified by the recruitment team
4. For roles where hiring managers need to suggest a start date, ensure you’ve contacted the candidate and arranged a start date within 48 hours of the pre-employment checks being completed. You will know that you need to agree a start date when you receive an email from a Trac generated account with the subject heading ‘Start Date Required’.

How can I check the status of my candidate’s employment checks?

You can check whether your candidate has completed their employment checks by logging onto Trac, where you, as a manager will be able to view the information relating to your specific post and the progress of the pre-employment checks. You can find this under the applicant page for the vacancy.

This is the quickest way of finding out the status of your candidate and saves you having to contact the recruitment helpdesk.