Recruitment and Retention
of
KTP Associates
A Guide to Good Practice
Contents
Background 3
How to use this guide 3
Raising the profile of KTP with your students 5
Associate Recruitment Checklist 6
Steps towards retaining your Associate 8
KTP Associate Recruitment Process 9
Who is the KTP Associate? 10
How does recruitment work in your organisation? 10
When can recruitment begin? 11
The Recruitment Timetable 11
Obtaining Approval to recruit 12
Associate Starting Salary 13
Job Description and Person Specification 14
Advertising for your Associate 17
Where to advertise 17
Collating applications and shortlisting 19
Planning and Holding Interviews 19
The Interview Arrangements and Format 20
Calling interviews 21
Post-Interview Actions 22
Back to Checklist 23
What happens of we don’t appoint? 23
Associate induction 25
Introduction to KTP 25
KB Partner Induction 25
Company Induction 26
Steps towards retaining your Associate 28
Financial Incentives for Associates 29
Increments and Cost of Living Rises 29
Bonuses 29
Training and Development Incentives for Associates 30
Training Package 30
Appraisals 30
Mentoring 30
Buddying 31
KTP Associate networking 32
Business Leader of Tomorrow Awards 32
What Happens if my Associate leaves early? 33
Where can I get help and advice? 33
Appendix 1 - Example Job Description and Person specification 34
Appendix 2 – Example advertisements 38
Appendix 3 – KTP Set-Up Checklist 40
Appendix 4 Example KTP Associate Induction pack 42
Background
Recruiting the right Associate is key to the success of each KTP. Arguably, recruitment is the most difficult part of the KTP process and should be given as much attention as possible in order to get it right. Many things lie outside the control of the KTP Office – employment legislation, changes in government policy on non-EU workers, British Students being subject to student loans and so on - but some processes within institutions can be adapted to accommodate the needs of recruiting to KTP posts.
In recent times the ease with which good Associates are appointed has changed dramatically and many KTPs go through two or more rounds of recruitment only to find that the calibre of candidates is not high or the Associate who is appointed leaves early. KTP Sponsors have expressed concern about this and have sought the help of the KTP Community to reduce the number of early finishes and maximise the benefit of recruitment campaigns in attracting higher numbers of British and EU candidates. This latter factor, in turn, reduces the delay in starting the project to the benefit of UK Plc.
This Guide has been drawn up by Val Wooff on behalf of the KTP National Forum, with input from KTP Managers around the country to:
1) Share best practice on recruitment and retention
2) Provide as comprehensive a checklist as possible to the stages involved in recruitment
3) Consider how Associates can be encouraged to complete their projects
All KTP Teams have the same starting point, A, “We need to recruit an Associate” and the same end result, B, “Associate in post” but the route to get from A to B varies. What is common to all is a series of steps to get from A to B, some of which will apply to everyone and some of which are optional dependent on institution.
The important thing is to know which steps are mandatory for your institution, where KTP Office responsibilities stop and at what point, if any, you have to hand over to someone else e.g. HR.
How to use this guide
The Guide is written, first and foremost, assuming that it will be read by KB staff who are new to KTP and therefore covers the basics in some detail. For the more experienced practitioner it may be a case of dipping in and out as a reminder about the various tasks relating to recruiting and retaining your Associates.
The Guide expands on, but does not reproduce, guidance given in other materials provided by AEA which are available from www.ktponline.org.uk
§ The Supervisors’ Handbook (Managing Knowledge Transfer Partnerships)
§ The KTP Guidebook for KTP Advisers and offices
§ KTP Recruitment Advertising Guidelines
The Guide is intended to be used electronically and therefore includes hyperlinks in the contents to the various sections and to useful websites.
This guide is 55 pages long. Please do not print it out unless you feel you really have to.
It starts with two checklists which also act as a navigation aid to this document:
§ Recruitment of Associates
§ Retention of Associates
The checklists are designed as aides memoire and should be used in conjunction with the more detailed notes that follow. They are aimed at ensuring that no stone remains unturned in the recruitment process and that retention good practice is shared and implemented based on institutional and project need.
The Associate Recruitment Checklist can be used as a working document for each project if printed out separately, with each task being “ticked off” as it happens. Feel free to extract it from this document and amend it as appropriate for your own context.
As the KTP Associate will become an employee of the Knowledge Base (KB) Partner it is assumed throughout this document that the:
§ KB Partner will be taking the lead on recruitment
§ company partner is fully involved in the recruitment and selection process
§ KTP Office takes advice from HR professionals and heeds institutional policies and processes
Raising the profile of KTP with your students
Generic advertising around the KB partner and via your careers service raises the profile of KTP amongst the final year students and post graduates. If they don’t know about KTP how can they look out for posts and apply?
There are promotional materials available for download in the Marketing area on www.ktponline.org.uk and it is well worth exploring what is available. These include posters, case studies, graduate brochures etc. Some of the materials are available in hard copy too and can be ordered through NPL, see the portal for details.
What can you do when you have the materials?
§ Poster campaigns around your academic departments, halls of residence, college notice boards etc
§ Careers fairs – either university specific or more regionally based, there will be opportunities to take stand space or give a talk or similar
§ Get to know your careers advisers – they can include mention of KTP during one-to-one advice sessions or presentations to groups of students
§ Many careers offices arrange a series of careers talks for employers - can you get a slot?
§ Other opportunities open to you will depend on your institution and budget. The following routes have all been taken and there may be others
o screen saver adverts on the open-use computers,
o banner stand at graduation ceremonies,
o KTP insert in graduation packs and/or in the pre-graduation information sent to graduands
o article in the alumni newsletter
o Web 2.0 – Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites provide more opportunities
Associate Recruitment Checklist
This checklist could be come a working document for you. Feel free to extract it from this document and amend it to suit your context.
Task / CompletedRecruitment timetable agreed with academic and company teams
Obtaining approval to recruit
Grant Offer accepted
Collaboration agreement in place (where needed)
What do you need to gain internal approval? Some of the items listed below will be necessary.
Associate Starting Salary
Salary calculations/options circulated
Starting salary agreed
Salary top up confirmation received from company (may be included in collaboration agreement)
Job Description and Person Specification
Job description and person specification drafted
Job docs circulated for comment
Job docs finalised – include salary, job ref number, closing date etc
Examples
Advertising for your Associate
Places to advertise agreed
Adverts drawn up
Adverts placed
Examples
Collating applications and shortlisting
Shortlisting date agreed
Applications received
Applications checked
Shortlisting team copies sent
Shortlisting carried out
Shortlist agreed and list sent to interview caller
Planning and holding interviews
Interview Date agreed
Interview format agreed
Interview arrangements at company agreed
Interviews called
Interviews held
Post-Interview actions
References requested
Appointment confirmed
Start date set
Unsuccessful candidates informed
Paperwork returned to HR for contract issue
CRB and other relevant checks carried out
Sponsorship under the Points Based Immigration System
Associate induction
Introduction to KTP including Associate Registration on www.ktponline.org.uk
KB Partner Induction
Company Induction
Example induction Pack (Salford University based on Queens University Belfast pack)
Steps towards retaining your Associate
Financial Incentives for AssociatesIncrements and Cost of living Rises
Salary review discussed at LMC
Increment agreed by LMC
Bonuses
Mid term
Completion
Training and Development Incentives for Associates
Training Package
Appraisals
Buddying – a more experienced KTP Associate “buddies” a newer one
Mentoring
KTP Associate networking
Associate Forum
Regional Events Regional
Training Events .
Social events
Modules
Mailbases and social networking sites
Business Leader of Tomorrow Awards
KTP Associate Recruitment Process
Who is the KTP Associate?
Your KTP Associate is a relatively fresh graduate at any level (NVQ level 4 or equivalent upto PhD) regardless of age. What we are looking for is someone who can transfer up-to-date knowledge or technology to the company partner so anyone who has graduated recently in a subject closely related to the project is a potential candidate. However, degree discipline is not the only factor. The ability to acquire business acumen is also important as your Associate will need to relate their project directly to the competitiveness and profitability of the company partner.
How does recruitment work in your organisation?
If you don’t know, it is important to find out. There will be particular processes and policies you will need to follow and it is vital that you understand these clearly before you begin to recruit an Associate. Your HR department will advise.
In some institutions, particularly those new to KTP, there may be some standard processes that need to be adapted. One example might be the make up of the interview panel. It may not be usual to include an external (company partner) panel member or have interviews off site or use a wider variety of selection techniques than a single formal interview to recruit staff. Another example might be the requirement, in some institutions, for a member of HR staff to attend interviews.
Do all of your staff involved in recruitment need to attend a training course before they can even sit on an interview panel? If so, there will be recruitment and selection courses available to you and your academic team. Check with your staff training and development office.
Your HR department will be interested in attracting the best candidate for the post and so should help you in achieving this aim. However, KTP posts are not standard university positions and there may be something of an education job for you to do with your HR Manager(s) on what KTP is, how it operates and why the posts are different.
A little bit of imagination and flexibility on both sides will help you agree variances from the institutional norm with your HR department will be worth the effort as will compiling notes on the agreed procedure to ensure continuity after the person you have negotiated it all with leaves.
When can recruitment begin?
“As soon as possible” is the answer in an ideal world but it is worth checking what your institution needs in place before any post can be advertised. This might include receipt of the grant offer letter, signatures on an approval form, confirmation of salary top-up, fully completed job specification and more.
Some experienced KTP Managers speed up the process and keep the company engaged by agreeing the recruitment timetable, drafting job specifications and agreeing salary etc prior to the offer letter being issued. This means that the background work is already done by the time the offer letter arrives and the full institutional administrative process begins.
The Recruitment Timetable
As of 1 October 2010 the six-month window to appoint stipulated in the Grant Offer Letter is being strictly observed. This makes your timetable to recruit ever more important.
Company expectations and timescales often differ from those within the KB Partner. It is well worth remembering that recruitment can take a considerable length of time so trying to adopt processes that shorten this period can help to manage expectations. Treating recruitment as a mini-project often works well.
The Recruitment Timetable includes the following:
§ drawing up the job specifications and person specification and receiving any necessary approval to recruit including HERA/job evaluation if needed – this could be started immediately after submitting the proposal as long as you are confident that PAG will approve it.
§ advertising your post
§ closing date for applications
§ date for shortlisting
§ date for interviews, leaving enough time after shortlisting to allow candidates to prepare (again shortlisting and interview dates can be pencilled into diaries before the necessary approvals to advertise are obtained)
§ Associate start date
Factors that might affect your timetable include:
§ The time of year – you might want to advertise for longer at holiday periods or at a time when fresh graduates are in short supply (under the Points Based Immigration System there is a four-week minimum period for advertising – check with your HR department)
§ Whether each KTP Associate post needs to go through the HERA Process (Universities)
§ Availability of your interview panel for both shortlisting and interviews
§ Interview calling schedule – can you shortcut this or do you have to go with your HR department’s process?
§ Company expectations – the KTP might be time-critical
§ Associate start date – what is a convenient date for company and KB Partners and Associate? Do you need CRB or other checks to be carried out? (the need for work permit/visa can skew this)
Fast Tracking the Recruitment Process
Starting the recruitment process before you receive the Grant Offer Letter is preferable as it speeds up the whole process. There are two general scenarios: