Marshall ACM in the media: Press Release - 19th July 2007
Canterbury Christ Church University promotes best-practice interviewing with Marshall ACM's online Recruitment and Selection course
Positive training highlights good practice to help protect from tribunal risk
"The consequence is that we're getting much better protection from potential risk. The law is important, yet if the emphasis is on things that will land you in a tribunal, you worry so much that you are more likely to trip yourself up."
Canterbury Christ Church University is promoting best practice interview techniques by using Marshall ACM's online Recruitment and Selection course. The course is being specially modified to work with the University's own policies and will support blended training for all staff who interview; specifically academics, administration and HR employees, to also protect from potential issues associated with recruitment. Since being produced earlier this year, it has been requested by other universities, councils and private sector organisations.
"We've tried hard to get our recruitment and selection training right ," explains Tracy Bell-Reeves, staff development manager of Canterbury Christ Church University. "We realised that training with a focus on what not to do, what actions or questions to avoid was setting the wrong tone - it makes a topic some already find tough seem tedious and fraught with danger. We wanted to put the emphasis on good practice; on positive and professional interviewing to show our people what good recruitment looks like.
"The consequence is that we're getting much better protection from potential risk. We get our interviewers to associate with the positive so they are much more confident. The law is important, yet if the emphasis is on things that will land you in a tribunal, you worry so much that you are more likely to trip yourself up."
New employment legislation relating to religion and belief, disability, sexuality and age has made it even more important for all interviewers to understand legal and moral implications. Marshall ACM's Recruitment and Selection programme provides an overview of all the major issues and completion will help to ensure that the right person is recruited in a professional and non discriminatory way. The programme includes examples, case studies and quizzes to allow practical application of the knowledge gained, plus numerous web links provide access to a wide range of recent articles and case studies allowing users to further develop their understanding of the process. "Academics like just in time learning because they can access it in their own way," adds Bell-Reeves. "They like to interrogate and not be dictated to, so they warm to this process well. Marshall ACM's online courses are enablers; they give people control. The courses show good practice techniques and check list controls which everyone can process quite quickly, or delve deeper if they wish."
The University's online course will go live in Autumn 2007, although it has been piloted with about 50 staff. The online Recruitment and Selection course will be part of a blended learning programme. "Marshall ACM's courses are very good because they are continually updated and refreshed in any area of legislation," add Bell-Reeves.
David Marshall, MD of Marshall ACM, sums up, "We applaud the University's positive and professional learning approach. As is the case for so many employers, staff find it difficult to get time for 2 days classroom training. This module is a pre-cursor or refresher and will be referred to throughout all face to face training sessions, so that it cuts down on time away from normal working activity. The bottom line is that staff can have interviewing confidence by accessing positive skills training they need, when they need it".
Marshall ACM delivers a managed e-learning service to over 140 organisations across the public and private sector in the UK and Republic of Ireland. It can be contacted via its website www.marshallacm.co.uk, by calling +44 (0)845 123 3909 or emailing contact@marshallacm.co.uk.
For more press information, contact: Kay Phelps, The PR Department for Marshall ACM, T: + 44 1932 789524; M: + 44 7710 043244; or kay.phelps@theprdepartment.net
About Canterbury Christ Church University
Canterbury Christ Church University is the largest centre of higher education in Kent for public services - notably teacher training, policing and health and social care. The University is also a significant provider of programmes in a wide range of academic areas within its Faculties of Arts and Humanities and Business and Sciences.
From a small independent College of less than five hundred students - all training to be school teachers - in the 1960s, we have grown to be a fully fledged university with almost 14,500 students and 1,100 staff members with campuses in Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells, Broadstairs, Chatham and Folkestone. Its teaching and learning facility for health, education and policing students at Chatham is part of the Universities At Medway Project in partnership with the Universities of Greenwich and Kent with Mid-Kent College.
Inspired by the University's Church of England Foundation and the aspirations of its students and staff, its mission is to pursue excellence in academic and professional higher education thereby enriching both individuals and society.