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Example of how to run a selection day

På svenska

This following example is based on a Faculty of Engineering (LTH) selection day

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How to organise selection days

Processes linked to appointments must observe principles and rules regarding equal opportunities, objectivity and transparency. In decisions on appointments, consideration is only to be given to objective grounds, such as merit and expertise, and in the preparation stage issues concerning conflict of interest are to be carefully examined. Recruitment of teaching staff shall aim to find those with the best possible expertise and potential to carry out the duties involved.

Purpose and advantages of selection days

Organising selection days at the end of a recruitment process is one way to ensure that we recruit the most qualified research and teaching staff. Therefore, after applications have been reviewed by an external expert, we invite the most qualified candidates to selection days, where we have the opportunity to further evaluate the top candidates, as well as showcase the University to them.

It is important to remember that it is not only we, the recruiters, who are aiming to form an impression of the candidates, but also the candidates should have the opportunity to form an opinion of us. A welcoming response increases the chances of future potential collaboration – even with those who are not appointed in the current recruitment.

Content of the selection day

Selection days are traditionally held on physical premises at the faculty. Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, we have had to adapt and hold some selection days online. Irrespective of whether they are held at the faculty or online, they should include the following components:

  • Feedback on tests (personality tests and/or logic tests). The tests and the feedback to the candidates should be completed 1-2 weeks before the selection days.
  • Set tasks, usually in the form of a trial lecture or presentation.
  • Interview 1: which could focus on research, teaching and leadership.
  • Interview 2: which could focus on the candidate’s professional background and skills, as well as information about the position.

Selection days may also contain the following:

  • A research seminar.
  • A tour (virtual or physical – virtual tours should be sent a week or so before the selection days).
  • Meetings with members of staff from the division, that is, potential future colleagues (individually or in groups).

Preparation 

Selection days should be seen as a complement to the application documents and the external expert review. The aim is to gather as much information as possible, in order ultimately to make an informed decision on who to propose for the position. The department must deliberate carefully about what they would like to get out of the selection days and plan the set tasks and interview questions accordingly.

Allocation of responsibility

The academic appointments board makes the decision about who should be proposed for the position. This happens at a board meeting after the selection days have been completed. In order to streamline the process, the board can appoint a recruitment committee that participates in the selection days. The recruitment committee comprises two teaching staff representatives and two student representatives from the board. It also includes at least one representative from the department (usually the head of department and/or head of division).

The academic appointments board HR officer has overall responsibility for organising the selection days. This HR officer confirms the date, requests instructions from the department for set tasks such as trial lectures, prepares an invitation to the candidates with the programme, instructions and schedule, and manages contact with the candidates. The HR officer calls the recruitment committee to a premeeting in which the programme is discussed, and preparations are made for interview 1 (focus on research, teaching and leadership).

The department is responsible for producing instructions for set tasks. If the set task is to take the form of a trial lecture, the department should provide suggestions for the subject as well as other instructions (for example, intended audience). Lectures should last for 20 minutes and be followed by a ten-minute question and answer session. If the department chooses a presentation instead, it is responsible for producing instructions for this. The department is responsible for inviting its members of staff and students to the trial lecture. The department may choose to compile a survey to gather feedback from the audience.

The department is responsible for hosting the selection days. The department should organise a coffee break, the booking of premises (according to instructions from the academic appointments board’s HR officer) and other practical elements. On the selection day, the department must ensure that the invited candidates are well looked after, i.e., shown around, directed to a place where they can spend any breaks during the day, and invited to lunch.

The departmental HR officer plans and conducts interview 2, together with a departmental representative (usually the recruiting manager).

An HR officer from the faculty is responsible for coordinating the tests, sending the tests to the candidates before the selection days and then analysing the results. The test coordinator should give the results to the candidates before or during the selection days and must share the results with the recruitment committee.

If the faculty does not have a test coordinator, the tests may be conducted by one of our procured recruitment service providers (Link https://www.hr-webben.lu.se/rekrytering-av-ta-personal/upphandlade-rekryteringstjanster at its new location)

After the selection day

Once all invited candidates have completed all the elements of the selection days, a final meeting is held between the recruitment committee, other departmental representatives, the departmental HR officer and the academic appointments board’s HR officer. At the meeting, a summary is made of the selection days and the candidates are evaluated. Each candidate is examined in turn and an overall assessment is made on the basis of the application documents, external expert review and all the elements from the selection days. The recruitment committee then makes an assessment of who they think should be proposed for the position and a justification as to why.

The academic appointments board’s HR officer takes the minutes of the meeting, with help from the recruitment committee. These minutes are then sent to the academic appointments board. These then form the basis for the board’s decision on who to propose for appointment at the following board meeting.

Planning set tasks

Below you will find information on how to create instructions for set tasks (trial lectures and presentations).

The invited candidates must be given the best possible chance to perform well. It is therefore important that instructions are thought through and well-written, and that they are sent to candidates at least 14 days before the selection days. The department must prioritise writing the instructions for the set tasks as soon as the board has decided to invite candidates to selection days.

Trial lecture

The purpose of a trial lecture is to give candidates the chance to demonstrate their teaching abilities.

Instructions for text about the trial lecture

Start by deciding on the subject that the candidates should focus their trial lecture on. The subject must be clearly described (and delimited), and it should be presented with a context, preferably in the form of a syllabus. Should it be the first lecture in a particular course? Or the start of a module in the course?

Describe what the course is about (the cycle, objectives and content). Describe the target audience, that is, for whom the trial lecture should be adapted.

Finish with the text below, or similar:

Structure of the trial lecture

The trial lecture is designed to give you the opportunity to show how you teach in practice. You will have 20 minutes and the idea is to start a normal lecture, not try to compress a whole lecture into 20 minutes. Use your usual structure and go at your usual speed, using presentations, other materials and student interaction as you normally would, as far as possible.

Time set aside

You have 20 minutes for the lecture, followed by 10 minutes to answer questions from the audience.

Other conditions to be aware of

The lecture should be given in Swedish/English. The department/faculty will invite its members of staff and students to the lecture.

Research and teaching presentation

Summarise the presentation instructions. Reflect on and write down what you want the candidates to present, clarify the timeframe (usually 20 minutes, plus 10 minutes for questions) and the intended target audience.

Examples of research and teaching presentations

Example used in the recruitment of associate senior lecturers

Please give a 20-minute presentation (in Swedish/English) describing your research, future research plans and how you see these fitting into the department’s research areas. The research presentation should be designed for an audience that has a general, but not detailed, knowledge of your research area. You should also reflect on how you communicate (the subject) pedagogically to students.

After the presentation, the audience will be given 10 minutes to ask you questions.

Participants: doctoral students, teaching staff and researchers from all subjects within the department, as well as representatives from the faculty’s academic appointments board.

Example used in the recruitment of professors

Please prepare a 20-minute presentation on your strategic approach to research and teaching in (subject). The presentation should be given in (Swedish/English). What research and/or research area would you wish to establish and how would you go about this? What do you think about teaching in (subject), what type of teaching would you like to establish/develop at Lund University?

The presentation will be followed by 10 minutes of questions from the audience.

Participants: The academic appointments board and invited teaching staff and researchers from the department, as well as students.

10 Feb 2023