Recuitment FAQs
Recruitment at Reprieve
This document provides answers to some of the commonly answered questions relating to the recruitment process at Reprieve.
How do I find roles to apply for?
New roles are always advertised on our website as soon as they are available. We also post our roles on LinkedIn, and other websites to ensure we reach a wide audience. We sometimes also post roles to specialist job sites. We encourage anyone interested in working at Reprieve to look for new roles on our website, and to review the job description and person specification when deciding whether to apply. If you have questions on any role, we welcome enquiries by email to applications@reprive.org.uk. Whilst we can’t comment on individual suitability for roles because this may give some candidates an advantage and does not promote a fair recruitment process, we can provide more information on the role itself or the recruitment process. If you are interested in one of our roles, please read the job description in full, and consider submitting an application if you feel your skills and experience match the person specification
How do I apply?
We ask candidates to submit an application form via our website, and full details will be included in the job description for each role. Application forms for each role are available on our website. If you have any problems downloading the form or would like this in a different format, please let us know by email. The application form asks for specific information relating to the role that you are applying for, with word limits to guide the length of your response. Please include examples of relevant experience where appropriate, Your examples could be from a professional context but can also include volunteering or other life experiences. It is important that you complete all sections of the application form to help our recruitment panel to understand your skills and knowledge
How are applications reviewed?
We have a thorough, two stage assessment process involving at least three members of the team to ensure all applications are thoroughly considered. Applications are assessed against the criteria in the person specification, and the candidates who most closely meet them will be invited to interview.
When will I hear from you?
It is Reprieve’s policy to update all applicants throughout the recruitment process, even if they are not shortlisted for an interview. We will let you know the outcome of your application as soon as possible. We are often very fortunate to receive a lot of interest in our roles, and it can take some time to review them. Candidates are welcome to check the status of their application by emailing applications@reprieve.org.uk at any point.
What is the interview process like?
The interview process aims to identify the most suitable candidate for the role, whose skills and experience align closely with the person specification.
We will normally hold two rounds of interviews and ask candidates to complete one or two written exercises. In some cases, additional steps may be necessary where there are a large number of strong candidates or the role has very specific requirements. Similarly, for consultancy roles the process will be adjusted to reflect the requirements of the position. If you have questions about the interview process for a particular role, please feel free to email us.
The first interview will usually be online to provide candidates with as much flexibility as possible. Our interview panels are normally three people, and the questions we ask will relate to the job description and person specification. You will be asked about your skills and experience, and we often ask scenario-based questions to help us to understand how you would apply them to circumstances you might be placed in if offered the role.
We will invite candidates who successfully progress to the second round to a second interview, which is normally held in person in our office in Whitechapel.
We understand that interviewing is time intensive for applicants and will try to give as much notice as we can for interviews.
Reprieve’s work is often affected by external events and in exceptional circumstances we may be forced to move interviews at short notice to ensure we can provide assistance to our clients. In such cases we will be in touch at the earliest possible time to reschedule your interview. This should not be seen as a reflection on your application or your suitability for the role, and we always avoid rescheduling interviews where we can.
What should I expect from the written exercise?
We will ask you when you want to complete the exercise and share a range of time slots for you to choose from. If none of the slots are suitable you can let us know and we will do our best to accommodate your availability.
The exercise will be emailed to you at the time you have selected, and you’ll have a time limit to complete and return it. You’ll be asked to complete tasks that closely relate to the role and the work it involves.
Written exercises are designed to give our interview panels more information on how you meet the person specification and compare to other candidates invited for interview. We understand that many people find interviews difficult, and so including a written exercise provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate your skills and experience.
Written exercises are generally anonymised before they are reviewed by panel members. Once the panel have reviewed the exercise and taken notes, they are told which candidate submitted each exercise. Decisions on whether to progress a candidate’s application are made based on both their interview and written exercise.
The decision on whether to set additional written exercise for the second round is based on whether the team feel that more information is needed to make the right decision
A few things to keep in mind:
We expect written exercises to be completed without the use of AI (unless stated otherwise).
We provide a time limit for you to complete written exercises to help us to make the process fair by asking the same thing of all candidates. We review responses with this time limit in mind, and understand that your responses may not be perfect.
Can I request an adjustment as part of the process?
Yes, our application form asks you to tell us if you would like a reasonable adjustment and we encourage you to include this information. We’ll be in touch to discuss this with you if you are invited for interview, and the adjustment won’t be shared with our panel unless necessary or if you choose to discuss it with them.
Do you have a graduate scheme or roles suitable for new graduates?
Reprieve is a fairly small charity and we do not have a graduate scheme. The person specification for each role is designed on the skills and experience that are needed rather than the stage someone is at in their career. We do not ask for a degree or other qualifications unless we are sure that they are essential for the position.
Will you give feedback on my application?
Unfortunately, we are not able to offer feedback to candidates that are not invited to interview for capacity reasons but will inform you if you have not been successful.
We are pleased to offer feedback to everyone we interview. We also invite candidates who interview with us to share their feedback on our application and interview process to help us to evaluate and improve recruitment at Reprieve.
