HR Advisor role in NHS

Congratulations on securing the HRA interview! I was in a similar situation until my 5th job interview, where everything clicked, and I excelled.

My advice: thorough preparation is key. Research the Trust's values, mission, and how they align with HR, including aspects like CSR, DEI, and culture. BTW think how their values align with your personal values, that was a really powerful conversation point when asked why I applied (not the main point though but powerful). Look into recent projects and news to understand their HR implications. For instance, loss of service provision contract can lead to TUPE or Redundancies which will impact morale, performance, absenteeism etc. Probably not as often at NHS, but recently Barts Trust was about to acquire another hospital under its umbrella and that would have been a good example. Check LinkedIn for insights from HR leaders within the Trust. For instance, the head of HR in my interview attended a H&W seminar and posted on LinkedIn, which allowed me to talk about that and ask some questions about H&W in the organisation.

Organise your experience in a spreadsheet, categorising by major themes like DEI, ER, L&D. Use STAR or CAD techniques to analyze examples. Prepare a few flexible experiences, like a complex project or ER case, to address various questions such as relationship building, difficult conversation, time management, etc. I was actually asked consistently whats the most difficult case I have managed throughout many interviews (NHS included).

Take notes during the first stage to prepare questions or gather info for subsequent interviews. Present yourself as knowledgeable (will do if you prep), interested in their work (will do if you research), and committed to your development (what are you actually doing right now?). Ask insightful questions about projects you can get involved in, if successful, role progression in the next five years (consider your personal five years career goals and talk about the fit), challenges (why hire at all?), and support during the induction period (KPIs and what success looks like).

Feel free to ask if you have any questions about what I mentioned and good luck!

Congratulations on securing the HRA interview! I was in a similar situation until my 5th job interview, where everything clicked, and I excelled.

My advice: thorough preparation is key. Research the Trust's values, mission, and how they align with HR, including aspects like CSR, DEI, and culture. BTW think how their values align with your personal values, that was a really powerful conversation point when asked why I applied (not the main point though but powerful). Look into recent projects and news to understand their HR implications. For instance, loss of service provision contract can lead to TUPE or Redundancies which will impact morale, performance, absenteeism etc. Probably not as often at NHS, but recently Barts Trust was about to acquire another hospital under its umbrella and that would have been a good example. Check LinkedIn for insights from HR leaders within the Trust. For instance, the head of HR in my interview attended a H&W seminar and posted on LinkedIn, which allowed me to talk about that and ask some questions about H&W in the organisation.

Organise your experience in a spreadsheet, categorising by major themes like DEI, ER, L&D. Use STAR or CAD techniques to analyze examples. Prepare a few flexible experiences, like a complex project or ER case, to address various questions such as relationship building, difficult conversation, time management, etc. I was actually asked consistently whats the most difficult case I have managed throughout many interviews (NHS included).

Take notes during the first stage to prepare questions or gather info for subsequent interviews. Present yourself as knowledgeable (will do if you prep), interested in their work (will do if you research), and committed to your development (what are you actually doing right now?). Ask insightful questions about projects you can get involved in, if successful, role progression in the next five years (consider your personal five years career goals and talk about the fit), challenges (why hire at all?), and support during the induction period (KPIs and what success looks like).

Feel free to ask if you have any questions about what I mentioned and good luck!