I know ploughing through feet of application forms is tedious in the
extreme (I've done it - repeatedly!) but I would have thought that closing
acceptance of applications before the advertising closing date was actually
contrary to the Equal Opportunities element of employment law. We have to
assess every application that arrives up to and including the stated
closing date, and all have to be assessed using the same criteria (ie we
have to look at them properly!). I am fairly confident that if I asked our
Human Resources people whether we could close applications earlier than the
advertised date because we appeared to have plenty already, they would not
allow me to do so, because the decision might be challenged by any of the
would-be applicants that had missed their opportunity of applying.
Legally, I suspect the museum in question is on rather dodgy ground,
morally I think there is no question!
Janet Tierney
Lalage Grundy
<lalage.grundy@SU
RREYCC.GOV.UK> To
Sent by: "List [log in to unmask]
for discussion of cc
issues in museum
education in the Subject
UK." Re: First Come, First Served Jobs?
<[log in to unmask]
UK>
24/09/2009 09:34
Please respond to
Lalage Grundy
<lalage.grundy@SU
RREYCC.GOV.UK>
I agree that this does not seem to be good practice and feel that the GEM
list should not encourage bad practice
Lalage Grundy
Surrey Heritage Team Manager for Learning, Museums and Partnership
130 Goldsworth Road, Woking, GU21 6ND
Tel 01483 518782
Neil Elsie <[log in to unmask]>
Sent by: "List for discussion of issues in museum
education in the UK." <[log in to unmask]> To
GEM@JISCMAI
L.AC.UK
23/09/09 22:12 cc
Subject
Please respond to First Come,
Neil Elsie <[log in to unmask]> First
Served
Jobs?
Dear All
Given the relatively recent e-mail exchange, I hope this prompts some
discussion - I'm relatively new to GEM list, have done some background
research, and checked the GEM archives.
I feel rather uncomfortable by a very recent advert for a job posted on GEM
list (Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 1:53 PM). I won't mention names or
organisations, suffice to say that the job advertisement stated: "Please
note that the deadline is 5pm Fri 9th October and that owing to the large
volume of interest we usually receive for these positions, only the first
50 applications will be considered."
By Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 5:23 PM the application process was closed "due to
the high volume of interest in the post."
Having some background in recruitment, and museums (and museum
recruitment), does anyone else feel a little uneasy about a recruitment
process of this nature? To me it raises numerous questions about reasonable
access to information...and more.
I'm very aware that all organisations have their own procedures, but I've
never experienced anything quite like this, in any other sector. Surely it
goes against several anti-discriminatory/ equal opportunity/ diversity
policies I'm aware of, and museums should be striving towards, if the
sector is really seeking to broaden the range of applicants to its jobs on
offer... or is it really?
Given that GEM promotes promotes professionalism in the educational work of
museums, can we really be certain that taking the first 50 applicants in
any recruitment process for a museum education job is a fair and
professional process?
I don't really think so but, I'd be really interested to hear from anyone
that thinks this makes any sense.
I did see a discussion (in the GEM archives) about low pay - I think this
is as important an issue. Can I make a plea to ensure the museum learning
sector upholds high standards in its recruitment of staff, otherwise we
erode everything GEM works towards.
Neil Elsie
Learning Consultant
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