When a vacancy arises, you should take the opportunity to review the proposed job and structure before progressing to the recruitment stage.  You may still wish to recruit but reviewing in this way can ensure that the job advertised is designed and advertised in a way which fully meets the needs of the University.

Some of the factors to consider before progressing to the recruitment stage are:

• Does the job as previously defined continue to meet the needs of the area in question and will it do so for the foreseeable future?

It may be that the context has changed since the post was first created or you are aware of a likely change in strategy or priorities in the near future. A vacancy arising presents an opportunity to review the job content and organisational structure to ensure this continues to meet the University’s needs.

• Are there any duties in the previous job description which are no longer applicable and/or are there any new duties that you feel should be included?

Where job descriptions are changed to reflect new duties and responsibilities, you should ask HR for a view on whether the grading for the post needs to be revised. Further information about Academic Professional Staff Job Level Descriptors and Support Staff Job Level Descriptors is available on the HR website. This should be done prior to the submission of an Authority to Appoint (ATA) form. 

• Could the duties of the post be delivered in a different way?

e.g. are there any development opportunities that could be offered to other staff members.

• Do the hours need to be amended to reflect a reduced or increased work allocation?

• Is there a fixed term or on-going requirement for the work in question?