Under the Way Forward agreement:
FILLING OF VACANCIES/JOBS
6. The key requirement is to ensure that all jobs are filled by individuals with the right skills for the job, and
that this is done in a way that both takes account of personal preference, suitability and minimises
disruption to the customer and employees.
“Seniority will be used to fill the majority of jobs, because the Business recognises the value of
employees’ experience and length of service. Those jobs that require more specialist skills have been
identified and are listed at Section 15. They will be filled using an objectively-based selection process.
The necessary training will be given prior to appointment”.
SELECTION BY SKILLS
15.1 All frontline jobs performed by the new multi-skilled single operational grade will have the same
core capabilities. However, it is recognised that there are come jobs that require more
specialised skills. An objective selection process will be introduced for these jobs.
15.2 These jobs will be filled by the most senior person who has achieved the right standard for the
job during the selection process. Sick attendance and conduct record will only be taken into
account where these are relevant to the work. Where training is required by the most senior
suitable person, this will be given prior to appointment.
15.3 Resourcing procedures will be based on the Resourcing Area. This will in all cases be the
Royal Mail administrative area (i.e. the areas managed by Area Managers, subject to review in
the light of any organisational changes). Jobs filled internally will be available to employees
currently working in any office within the Area concerned.
15.4 Vacancies for specialist jobs will be advertised throughout the resourcing area. Applications
should be made in writing to the Resourcing Unit.
15.5 Employees who wish to be considered for specialist jobs in general should register their
interest via the Resourcing Unit or include it in their own Development Plan, a copy of which
will be held by the Resourcing Unit (see section 19). This information will be used for training
planning. Where a vacancy arises, equal consideration will be given to individuals who have
registered their interest through Development Plan or through the Resourcing Unit in writing at
the time when the vacancy is advertised. The objective is to allow and maintain openness and
fairness in relation to resourcing specialist posts.
15.6 The specific jobs that require specialist skills and which will be subject to selection are:
Resourcing Unit (Bookroom);
DOM Support;
Traffic Office;
Enquiry/Callers’ Office;
Major Customer Collection drivers
(to be jointly defined at National level):
Benefits Agency/Customer Mailroom;
Travelling Post Office;
Leadership roles (formerly PHG ‘A’);
Heavy Goods Vehicle Driving (HGV);
Postbus (PSV);
VCS/MAA;
IMP/MTT;
Advanced TPM;
Non-school training
15.7 All specialist jobs will have consistent job descriptions, which will identify the specialist
capabilities and which will be standard throughout Royal Mail.
15.8 Employees who are regarded as suitable should be dedicated to these duties for a minimum of
12 months. If after 12 months the employee wishes to change jobs, they must give adequate
notice to enable a suitable trained replacement to be found before release can be allowed.
The replacement must be available to take up post no later than six months after notice has
been given.
The process for resourcing specialist posts will be one of four options, in the following order,
unless agreed locally to change this order:
• Deployment of existing surplus employees with the appropriate skills;
• Internal advertisement of the job within the resourcing area itself;
• The acceptance of an existing employee with the appropriate skills from another
resourcing area who has previously had his/her name placed on the transfer list for that
resourcing area;
• External advertisement.
15.9 This decision will be taken locally, but normally jobs will be filled by internal advertisement, by a
surplus employee or a transferee before there is recourse to external advertisement.
